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Kent County teen convicted of murder as a 12-year-old now a free man

The Kent County Prosecutor says the juvenile system worked as designed to offer Jamarion Lawhorn treatment and the opportunity to return to public life.

KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Kent County’s youngest convicted killer is now a free man. 

Jamarion Lawhorn was 12 years old when he fatally stabbed 9-year-old Connor Verkerke on a playground in Kentwood back in 2014.

Lawhorn had been held at Evart Youth Academy, formerly the Muskegon River Youth Home, since his conviction. That's where he's been said to have made strides in his education and counseling to take responsibility for his actions. 

Last year, he was granted the opportunity to move into a private home as he transitions back to society.

Now, he's two months shy of his 20th birthday and he has successfully completed his probation and is no longer under supervision.

"We unfortunately don't see enough success stories like that," Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker says. "We don't see this very often in terms of somebody who's done so well as he has, from an absolute tragic situation, to have somebody come through this and really seem to be a tremendously better person."

He says this is the goal of the juvenile detention system.

"The juvenile system is designed, hopefully, for treatment to get these kids to not commit crimes and be in a better position in society. So yes, this is that's what this is designed to do...trying to rehabilitate, whether it be from an extreme, extraordinarily bad crime, or your run-of-the-mill retail fraud," Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said. "We want to prevent that behavior from continuing on, especially when they get to the adult system. So this is how ideally, it would kind of work."

"Overall, I think justice was done," Criminal Defense Attorney Charles Boekeloo says.

He was Jamarion's defense attorney in the murder trial, and at the time, he says he was struck by both his age and what he had went through. 

"In this case, Jamarion's family can lead to tragic results, we need to focus on that too," he says.

Both Jamarion's mother and step father were convicted of child abuse. Becker says the adoption of Jamarion by the Creswell family was huge for his rehabilitation.

"I don't think I can think of a case where somebody has just been on their own, you know, without somebody a strong figure to really, you know, grab their hand figuratively, and kind of help them through the process," he says."

Jamarion's release from supervision comes about one year earlier than expected.

RELATED: Kent County’s youngest killer tells judge 'I’m ready for something new’

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