Utah Boy, 15, Charged With Aggravated Murder Of Minor Girl, Officials Looking At Possible Sexual Assault

A 15-year-old boy in Utah, who lured a 12-year-old girl with a “lost cat” story and strangled her Friday, has been charged with aggravated murder in juvenile court, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement Tuesday. But, prosecutors want the boy to be tried as an adult based on the severity of the charge.

According to the officials, the teen confessed to being with the victim Kailey Vijil in a field in West Valley City after she left home about midnight Friday, the Associated Press (AP) reported Tuesday. The boy, who is being held in juvenile detention, is reportedly scheduled to appear in court Wednesday afternoon.

The authorities are also reportedly investigating a possible sexual assault in the case. However, no sexual assault charges were filed Tuesday. District Attorney Sim Gill said he would not "speculate on future charges," the Salt Lake Tribune reported. “We filed the charges that we think are appropriate," he said.

Vijil was first reported missing by her mother about 1:30 a.m. Friday after she did not return home. Vijil’s elder sister informed her mother that Vijil went with the teen. Officers reportedly contacted the girl on her cell phone, tracing them to a pasture about a half-mile from her house. According to court filings, officers found Vijil "lying in the field with a shirt wrapped around her neck," the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

The grandmother of the deceased later reportedly gave the boy's address to the police. Court filings also showed that the teen had a criminal record, and was accused of possession of drug paraphernalia, theft and burglary, AP reported, and he was put on probation less than two weeks before Vijil's death.

A possible punishment for the aggravated murder charge is a death sentence. However, it is unlikely that the boy would face the death penalty given his age, according to reports. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the death penalty as unconstitutional for any criminal below the age of 18.