Mount Vernon — A Knox County teenager accused of killing his father in December now sits at the center of a high-stakes legal decision that could move his case into adult court. Seventeen-year-old Brice Hay was arrested on Dec. 9 and is charged with aggravated murder and murder. He is being held at the Muskingum County Juvenile Detention Center while Juvenile Judge Jay Nixon weighs whether to transfer the case to Knox County Common Pleas Court for adult prosecution.
What Deputies Found Inside the Howard Home
Deputies were called on Dec. 9 to a report of an injured person at a King Road home in Howard. Inside, they found Kevin Hay dead from apparent stab wounds, with blood visible in the hallway and a bloody kitchen knife reportedly recovered in a bedroom. Detectives from the sheriff’s major crimes unit worked the scene alongside the Knox County Coroner’s Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and a juvenile was taken into custody and transported to a detention facility, according to WMVO.
Prosecutor Pushes for Adult Prosecution
The Knox County Prosecutor’s Office has asked the court to send the case to adult court through what is known as a bindover. Prosecutor Chip McConville has told local outlets that, under state law, a murder charge filed against a 16- or 17-year-old can trigger a mandatory transfer once certain findings are made. That step is part of the bindover process juvenile defendants face when charged with the most serious felonies, as detailed by Ashland Source.
Autopsy Details and a Shifting Story
At a recent probable-cause hearing, forensic testimony outlined multiple penetrating wounds to the chest and abdomen. A pathologist from the Licking County coroner’s office testified that the injuries were roughly 3 to 7 inches deep, including an abdominal wound that went through the liver, diaphragm, pericardial sac, and heart. Court records show the teenager initially told a 911 dispatcher that his father had stabbed himself, later admitted he had stabbed his father with a pocket knife and, when told his account did not line up with the physical evidence, replied, “Then the evidence was probably the truth.” Knox Pages reported the hearing and autopsy testimony.
How Ohio’s Bindover Law Comes Into Play
Under Ohio law, juvenile courts are required to transfer 16- or 17-year-olds to adult court for Category 1 offenses, including aggravated murder and murder, if the court finds probable cause. The process is triggered by a probable-cause hearing and a set of statutory factors that must be considered, as outlined in the Ohio Revised Code.
What Happens Next in the Case
Earlier this month, Judge Nixon found the teen competent to stand trial and said he expects to issue his decision on the bindover request next week. If he finds probable cause, the case will move to Knox County Common Pleas Court for adult prosecution. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and are asking anyone with information to contact the sheriff’s office. WMVO has more on the proceedings.
