Speaking Friday, Casey Lay did not mince words about the juvenile sentences handed to the two teens involved in her 20-year-old son Morgan Myers' 2025 killing. Lay called the outcomes painfully light and a betrayal of her family's hope for justice, pointing to the fact that one youth will remain in custody only until his 21st birthday, while the other was ordered to serve a single year in a juvenile correctional facility. She urged lawmakers and prosecutors to pursue tougher penalties for violent crimes committed by juveniles.
According to WCPO, the teen who pleaded guilty to aggravated murder received the juvenile court's maximum disposition, which keeps him in custody until age 21. The other teen pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and was ordered to serve one year in a Juvenile Correctional Facility.
The shooting
Police say Myers was found shot inside a vehicle on the 11000 block of Brookway Drive on June 9, 2025, and was later pronounced dead at Mercy Fairfield Hospital, according to WLWT. Investigators say the case began with an arranged meeting, and two 16-year-olds were later charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated murder.
Lay's reaction and the letter
Lay told reporters that on the one-year anniversary of Morgan's death, the teen serving the one-year term sent her a letter apologizing and promising to change. For her, the gesture felt hollow. She criticized what she sees as lenient conditions in some juvenile placements that still allow outings and privileges. "Giving them library cards, I am sorry I don't agree with it," Lay said, as reported by FOX19.
Unanswered questions and next steps
Lay also said a third person who was in the car that night has never been arrested. Springfield Township police told FOX19 they presented evidence to the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office, which declined to prosecute that individual. The family says it will keep pressing for more accountability while continuing community work in Morgan's name, an effort detailed by WCPO.
