Cheerleader (†13) found dead in the woods: Was Savannah stabbed to death by a 15-year-old?
Powell (USA) - Savannah Copeland (†13) from the US state of Tennessee was found stabbed to death next to a dirt road. A 15-year-old teenager is suspected of the crime.
As Fox News reported, Savannah's father found his daughter's body on the morning of October 22.
Savannah had not been seen for hours, which is why Michael Copeland tracked down the location near a forest using her cell phone data.
According to police investigations, the 13-year-old had apparently met up with a teenager two years older than her at around midnight.
There was probably an argument, which is why Savannah fled from him. However, the 15-year-old caught up with her and then stabbed her with a pocket knife. It is still unclear how the victim and perpetrator knew each other.
A few hours after the crime, the teenager was arrested and charged with second-degreemurder . The public prosecutor's office now hopes to try him as an adult.
15-year-old must answer for his actions in court
Savannah was a cheerleader at her school and also practiced karate and gymnastics, the girl's family wrote in an obituary. She was considered brave, eager and determined.
"I think it was a lack of compassion and empathy that led the hand that took my daughter's life," Michael Copeland told a local TV station.
The alleged perpetrator is expected to stand trial on January 14.