Eight-year-old cousin choked to death by Tennessee preteen charged with first-degree murder

A horrible occurrence occurred in Humboldt, Tennessee, when a 12-year-old girl is accused of killing her eight-year-old cousin Demeria by choking her. District Attorney General Frederick Agee reports that on Monday, July 15, 2024, the tragic incident took place.

The adolescent is seen on home security footage that the Humboldt Police Department received allegedly suffocating her sleeping cousin with bedding on the top bunk bed they shared. The eight-year-old is seen struggling in the footage, which purports to show the older girl putting her entire body weight on the blanket and hiding the younger child’s face.

After the incident, the suspect is observed “tidying up” and moving Demeria’s body about, as if to give the impression that she was just dozing.

“It’s beyond words,” stated DA Agee. “It’s inconceivable.”

When Demeria was discovered unconscious in her bed at a residence on East Mitchell Street, the fatal discovery was made. Two days later, the horrible details were discovered in the surveillance tape that investigators found thanks to a tip.

A tribute to Demeria has been erected outside her grandmother’s home. It includes her beloved plush animals and nail polish bottles, as well as balloons in her favorite hues of pink, purple, and light blue. While her cousin was in town from South Carolina, Demeria was in town from Nashville. Action News 5 was informed by their grandma that the two were inseparable.

DA Agee spoke to the fact that the evidence suggests both first-degree murder and evidence tampering. He described a video in which a 12-year-old attempts to clean the eight-year-old’s body and face with tissues and paper towels, moving the youngster to give the impression that she was under the covers.

The closest juvenile jail center nearby Humboldt, located in Rutherford County, is currently housing the minor suspect. DA Agee intends to request that the judge move the case to adult court given how serious the offense was.

According to DA Agee, “I think this is one of the most upsetting violent crimes committed by an adult or juvenile that my office has prosecuted.” He stressed that after a child becomes 19, Tennessee law says the juvenile court no longer has authority over them, so at that point, the suspect would not be subject to any more custody, monitoring, or court-mandated mental health treatment.

The community and family are trying to come to terms with the tragic loss and looking for solutions. DA Agee stated, “We’d ask your viewers to pray for our officers and for the family.” This is really powerful. Simply put, that doesn’t occur here.

On Friday afternoon, the suspect is expected to appear in Trenton court. DA Agee will file a petition to have the suspect tried as an adult, hoping for a heavier penalty that include jail time or monitoring under court-mandated restrictions.