Teen Allegedly Stabbed Former Schoolmate to Death — and Had 'Death List' with Her Sister's Name
A Colorado teen accused of fatally stabbing a 19-year-old girl allegedly kept a “death list” in his room that included the victim’s younger sister, PEOPLE confirms.
The 15-year-old boy, who is not being charged as an adult, is behind bars on suspicion of first-degree murder in the death of Makayla Grote last week. (PEOPLE does not identify juveniles accused of crimes.)
On Saturday, Grote was found in the stairwell of her Longmont, Colorado, apartment complex suffering from stab wounds, according to an official with the Boulder County, Colorado, district attorney.
Grote was taken to a local hospital where she died. Seven hours later, the suspect was located by police and arrested, the D.A. official confirmed to PEOPLE.
During a Monday court hearing, Boulder County Deputy District Attorney Michael Foote said investigators had allegedly discovered a “death list”of names in the suspect’s bedroom that included Grote’s younger sister.
Foote said in court that the suspect allegedly attacked his family a day before the fatal stabbing, according to the Longmont Times Call.
Grote, her sister and the suspect all at one point attended nearby Green Mountain High School together, the official tells PEOPLE, and in October the suspect was investigated by police after school officials said he allegedly sent threatening texts to Grote’s younger sister. (Grote reportedly graduated from the school in 2016.)
“[School district] security staff and local law enforcement quickly intervened and the student that made the threats is currently detained,” the Green Mountain High reportedly wrote in an Oct. 17 letter to families, according to the Times Call.
The paper reports that police discovered the “death list” during that earlier incident. However, when questioned, the suspect allegedly denied keeping such a thing.
“I would like to share that this tragedy is particularly heartbreaking because so many people on so many different levels worked to help the accused student as well as protect all our students,” a Green Mountain High spokeswoman told the Times Call after Grote’s death.
“School administrators, counselors and teachers, school district mental health, security and discipline staff, local law enforcement, youth intervention specialists, community mental health workers and more were working with the suspect, his family, and other students and families to mitigate this threat.”
“Our hearts go out to the Grote family for their unimaginable loss,” the spokeswoman continued. “Now we are concentrating on supporting the GMHS students, staff and community as they deal with this tragedy.”
On the morning Grote was stabbed, the suspect was allegedly spotted outside her apartment while she, her mother and sister were inside, prosecutors reportedly said Monday.
Around 6:15 p.m. the suspect allegedly returned armed with a hunting knife. Prosecutors claim the teen stabbed Grote once in the head and once in the chest before trying to stab her sister, who was taking a shower when the attack began, the Times Call reports.
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When Grote’s sister locked herself in her room, the suspect apparently tried to open the door but failed, prosecutors alleged. He then fled the scene.
Witnesses told investigators they saw a person wearing black motorcycle gear while wielding a knife, according to the Times Call.
Around 1 a.m. Sunday, officials found the suspect in his parent’s vehicle, one mile away from the third person on his “death list,” the Times Call reports. He allegedly had homemade bombs in his possession when he was arrested.
Because the suspect has not been charged as an adult, Boulder County law enforcement and court officials could not comment further on the case.
It is unclear at this time whether the suspect has an attorney or if he has entered a plea. Court officials could not release any additional information on Tuesday afternoon.
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Grote was a fan of racing and dreamed of growing up to be a NASCAR driver, as well as an interior designing so she could “give people a happy environment to live in,” her boyfriend wrote on Facebook.
“I could have spent my entire life with Makayla, we all could have had her in our lives for so long,” Noah Malik wrote. “For such an amazing, inspiring, motivated person to be taken away in the span of one breath makes me realize, life is short.”
“Deeply involved in racing,” Grote began her career behind the wheel of a go-kart at 8 years old before graduating to stock cars, the Boulder Daily Camera reports.
“A lot of us will remember that laugh and that smile she always had on her face,” a family friend wrote on a GoFundMe page started for a memorial fund. “Makayla was the type of person that enjoyed life especially racing and I know how involved she was in the circle track life.”
