Baltimore's oldest victim of murder in 2018 might have been offed by the state's youngest homicide suspect.
Tyrone Harvin was arrested on Friday in relation to the death of Dorothy May Neal, 83. The teen is accused of raping and physically assaulting the elderly woman who ultimately died from her injuries. Harvin had just turned 14 in August.
T.J. Smith, a police spokesperson commented on the unusual tragedy during a news conference on Friday. He addresses the fact that there must be something wrong with the kid's environment for him to be in his current situation, whether guilty or not.
“Almost 70 years separate our victim and suspect. It’s sad all the way around. There’s some systematic failure in the 14-year-old’s life to allow us to be here talking about him being accused of murder and rape. It’s just a very tragic situation all the way around.”
Harvin was charged as an adult with first-degree murder, rape and additional counts including sex offenses and assault.
These charges are included in those that entail the suspect being tried as an adult systematically, according to this state's law. Those who are aged under 16 have the option of petitioning for their case to be held in a juvenile court. A successful petition would allow for a focus on rehabilitation instead of punishment.