Family wants girl, 15, tried as juvenile

Between five and 10 protesters trying to gather support for a 15-year-old girl facing murder charges rallied Tuesday outside the Monroe County Justice Building.\n“Do not try as an adult,” protesters chanted.\nFriends and family were fighting against the decision whether or not to try as an adult a 15-year-old girl who is facing charges for the murder of Michael E. Lewis, 38, her mother's boyfriend. \nOn June 23, Bloomington Police Department officers arrived at 701 E. Miller Dr., to find Lewis lying facedown outside the residence. Lewis was pronounced dead at Bloomington Hospital from a stab wound to the chest.\nThe suspect's 14-year-old stepsister Kalynn Sciscoe protested and said there was a history of both mental and physical abuse between Lewis and the suspect and her twin sister, who is also in jail on charges related to but not including the murder. \n“They were abused badly,” Sciscoe said. “They went to my mom’s house with bruises all over them. He choked my sister, one of the twins, until she passed out. He has tried to kill himself in front of them. He bashed his head against the wall until blood was coming out of his head. They would come to school all freaked out.” \nSciscoe said her mother Donna Crawford had made previous complaints to child protective services as recently as last spring, but nothing had been done.\n“I think the system failed them,” said Diana Taylor, a relative of the suspect.\n“We know it was a terrible, terrible accident, and we don’t want them to get off scot-free,” she said. “But we want to see them get into juvenile court.” \n Some protesters were not related to the girls, but after hearing the story, wanted to get involved.\nCrystal Bryant, a friend of Taylor, said that after reading the first story regarding the case she knew there had to be more to the story. After getting in touch with the girls’ family, she learned about the prior abuse. \n“Somebody needs to do something,” Bryant said. “I have seen a lot of people in the past, family of mine, where it seems that nobody will protect young children until tragedy happens. Then they are blaming the child that somebody should have been protecting from the get-go.”\nTaylor said there were more protesters throughout the day, but people had work and prior engagements, so they were coming and going as much as they could. She also said most of the public had been supportive of the girls. \n“It’s about time someone stood up and said ‘no more,’” Taylor said. \nThe hearing to determine if the girl will be tried as an adult has been rescheduled for Sept. 25. The case will be heard before Monroe County Judge David Welch. \nPublic Defender Stuart Baggerly is representing the twin accused of murder. Baggerly said the girl is being held at a Johnson County facility on murder charges. \n“We're geting a psychiatrist and other expert witnesses to keep her out of adult court,” Baggerly said.