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May 14, 2008 5:19 pm US/Central
15-Year-Old Murder Suspect Will Be Tried As Adult
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
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Reed Ballard was fatally shot while outside a Hurst, Texas school in February, 2008.
CBS
A 15-year-old North Texas murder suspect will be tried as an adult for allegedly killing an innocent bystander during a botched robbery.
Today a state district judge certified Russell Dow as an adult in the capital murder case.
Now Reed Ballard's family is talking publicly about the 20-year-old's death for the first time.
"He did enjoy laughing and having a good time," said Reed's father, Dale Ballard.
"He just didn't get that chance to grow up and be who he really wanted to be."
"They took my baby brother," said Reed's sister, Kristin, "and they took my son's uncle and I'll never have him back."
The murder happened outside Hurst Junior High School in February.
Detectives say seven teenagers lured an 18-year-old acquaintance to the school to rob him and beat him up.
But after the 18-year-old caught on to the plot, he started driving away with two of his friends.
That's when investigators say 15-year-old Russell Dow opened fire on the vehicle.
The shots hit Ballard, who was sitting in the front seat.
Dale Ballard says his son had won the seat.
"They played a little game.
Rock, paper, scissors.
Rock, paper, scissors to see who would sit in the front seat.
He won, and he got to sit in the front seat."
Today detectives testified that Dow bragged about the shooting and said he wanted to use it as material for a new rap song.
"I'm sorry what's happened to this other family," said Dale Ballard, "but it comes to a point where you have to take responsibility."
A state district judge agrees.
She certified Dow to be tried as an adult after saying that prior attempts to rehabilitate him in the juvenile system had failed.
Russell Dow's attorney says he is talking to Dow about the possibility of appealing the decision to try him as an adult.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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