Teen girl wont face adult charges in stabbing of youth in April
COLUMBIA Mo. (KMIZ)
A teenage girl accused of stabbing another youth in April will not stand trial, according to the Boone County Juvenile Office.
Boone County Juvenile Officer Angie Bezoni told ABC 17 that the girl accused of stabbing someone in central Columbia will not face adult charges. Instead, the Juvenile Office recommended the girl to the Missouri Division of Youth Services.
"We did not recommend certification. We recommended she be committed to the MO Division of Youth Services (DYS) until she turns 19, and that is what the judge ordered," Bezoni said.
Bezoni added that instead, the girl will be placed in a residential treatment facility until she completes a program.
"Then she will be released to an appropriate adult caregiver on aftercare services, with a DYS Service Coordinator supervising her progress in the community," she said.
It is unknown what facility the girl will be placed in, as Columbia is not currently equipped with the resources needed for residential treatment. Residential Treatment Facilities are operated by the Division of Youth Services, which is part of the Department of Social Services.
According to the Department of Social Services website, DYS offers treatment services through different types of residential care facilities across the state for youth who would benefit from a more structured setting than the community.
Baylee Watts, the spokesperson for the Department of Social Services, emphasized the residential program allows youth to continue their personal development and education.
"They still live in a setting where they're going to school and taking part in different kinds of counseling. And so that's probably the biggest benefit," she said.
DYS offers three tiers of residential care designed to match the specific needs of youth. Options range from least-restrictive group homes with high community engagement to moderately structured facilities with increased supervision.
The most intensive option is secure care, which places youth in highly structured environments with educational programs customized for them, including basic, remedial, special and vocational programs.
Watts added the overall goal for the program is to rehabilitate juveniles to become productive citizens.
"Really the goal of the division of youth services is that every young person that's served by them will end up becoming a productive citizen and leading a fulfilling life, by providing individualized and comprehensive service to enable the youth to reintegrate into their home community eventually," she said.
According to the DYS 2025 Annual Report, last year, there were 542 youth committed to the care of DYS, with 6% committed for juvenile offenses. In the central area -- the region that accounts for most of Mid-Missouri -- there were 26 individuals committed. Out of those 26, 13 were in Boone County and nine were in Cole County.
