A judge has turned down a request to transfer two teenagers charged in the murder of a western Pennsylvania woman to a juvenile detention center.
The (Johnstown) Tribune-Democrat reports that Bedford County Judge Travis Livengood said he was concerned about the negative influence that the 15- and 17-year-old defendants could have on other juveniles.
Livengood also refused to transfer the two to a neighboring county prison where they could be kept separate from the adult population.
The teenagers are charged as adults in the Jan. 8 murder of 21-year-old Stephanie Waters, which prosecutors allege occurred after they robbed her during a marijuana deal.
Defense attorneys are seeking psychiatric evaluations before a determination is made on whether the two should be prosecuted as adults or as juveniles.
