Milwaukee 12-year-old accused of killing mom returns to court

MILWAUKEE - There is still no decision on whether a 12-year-old charged as an adult for killing his mom over a video game will be moved into children's court.

It's been six weeks since this fight began. The judge said even she's anxious to make a decision.

As the 12-year-old Milwaukee boy charged with killing his mother sat silent in court, attorneys battled over his future on Monday, April 29.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

Psychologist Karyn Gust-Brey was called to the stand on Monday.

"For the first report, I saw him twice," Gust-Brey said. "Then I saw him another time and wrote an addendum report."

Gust-Brey evaluated the boy in 2023.

Prosecutors said he was 10 when he killed his mother for waking him up early and not buying him a virtual reality headset in November 2022.

Prosecutors charged the boy with first-degree intentional homicide. Due to the seriousness of the crime, he was automatically charged as an adult.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.

A reverse waiver hearing allows the boy’s defense team to fight for him to be moved into the juvenile court system.

"The only diagnosis I provided at that time was oppositional defiant disorder," Gust-Brey said.

The defense said the juvenile system will provide the boy with better mental health help and resources. Gust-Brey said he will receive mental health treatment even if he goes into the adult system.

Garland Hampton attended the hearing Monday. He said when he was 14, he was sentenced into the adult system for homicide. He doesn’t want the 12-year-old to go through what he dealt with.

"He should remain in the juvenile system because he is a kid," he said. "He’s a kid with a mind that’s not fully developed. He’s a kid who does not understand as an adult. He does not have a fixed character, he does not have a set attitude."

The boy’s defense requested more time before a judge made a decision. His next court appearance will be in late June.