A Wyoming teenager, Dominique Antonio Richard Harris, 16, has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for his role in the murder of a 14-year-old boy, Bobby Maher Jr. Harris pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing incident that took place last year. The plea deal was reached after the district attorney’s office agreed to reduce the original charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and drop additional charges of aggravated assault and theft.
The court hearing took place before Natrona County District Court Judge Kerri Johnson. District Attorney Dan Itzen, representing the state, informed the court that his office would be seeking a sentence of 30 to 75 years for Harris. The sentencing hearing for Harris has been scheduled for September 5.
Harris’ co-defendant, 16-year-old Jarreth Joseflee Sebastian Plunkett, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder in May and received a life sentence. However, under Wyoming state law, a minor convicted of a murder charge can be eligible for parole after serving 25 years in prison.
The court heard that Harris and Plunkett had a confrontation with Maher at a local park about two weeks prior to the fatal stabbing. Two days before the murder, the defendants encountered Maher’s girlfriend and a friend of Maher’s. Plunkett reportedly asked the friend if he “wanted to pay Bobby’s blood debt.”
On the day of the murder, Harris and Plunkett were playing hide-and-seek in a Best Buy store in the Eastridge Mall in Casper, Wyoming. After the game, the two teenagers decided to steal knives from a store. They later encountered Maher’s girlfriend and began following her. When they saw Maher leaving a DICK’s Sporting Goods store, a verbal altercation ensued.
A large crowd gathered to watch the altercation outside the sporting goods store. The assailants flanked Maher, with Harris grabbing Maher around the waist, lifting him off the ground, and slamming him down with great force. The fatal stabbing occurred shortly after, with Harris holding Maher down while Plunkett stabbed him twice.
Footage of the attack, shown during a previous court appearance, depicted Maher being stabbed, then getting to his feet, taking a few steps towards the mall, and collapsing. Harris admitted to holding Maher down, but claimed he was only doing it “to make sure the fight was over.”