Great-Grandma Killing Suspect Appears In Court

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. — A teen accused of killing his great-grandmother in a sword attack faced a judge at the Douglas County Courthouse on Wednesday morning.

Gevin Allen Prince, 15, said little as he was read his charges. Prince is accused of using a sword to kill his 77-year-old great-grandmother and cut his 55-year-old grandmother. A family friend told Channel 2’s Sophia Choi he was angry he was asked to stop playing a video game.

Prince, who turned 15 a week before the attacks, is being charged as an adult. Douglas County District Attorney David McDade defended the decision.

“I’m not making a discretionary decision. The law says he’s charged as an adult,” McDade told Choi after the hearing.

There were reports that Prince had a mental illness, but McDade said he’s waiting on conclusive evidence.

“Families say a lot of things. I'll wait and see what the facts are,” McDade said. “Right now, he's charged with a very brutal set of crimes, and we'll start the process of having him evaluated and if he has mental health issues, those will be taken in consideration.”

Douglas County Phil Miller said Prince has had two previous run-ins with deputies. Both times he was hospitalized for mental evaluations and let go.

Prince’s next mental evaluation will begin after he’s assigned a public defender. In the meantime, he remains at the Douglas County Jail without bond.

Previous Stories: August 16, 2011: Deputies: Great-Grandmother Killed Over Video Game

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