Ruling Friday on whether teen will be tried as adult

A judge is expected to rule Friday whether a boy who was 14 when Marilyn Bethell was killed should be tried as an adult.

The former Waubonsie Valley High School student, who turns 16 Saturday, will face 45 years to life in prison if convicted of using a handgun in the substance abuse counselor's 2005 slaying.

If ruled a juvenile, the teen -- who committed eight felonies in a four-year span -- could face prison until he turns 21.

Prosecutor Bob Berlin argued before Judge Wiley Edmondson Wednesday the teen is a violent gang member who has exhausted probation services, been highly resistant to therapy and has made a "mockery" of the juvenile justice system.

"The community has a right to be protected from minors like (the defendant). He is and continues to be a risk to the community," Berlin said.

Berlin also noted the teen told a psychologist he participated in two drive-by shootings in Aurora and exposed himself on a school bus and fondled a female student.

At one point during Berlin's argument, the handcuffed teen rested his forehead on the defense table.

Bethell was reported missing Oct. 31 after she failed to show up for work in Hoffman Estates.

Her home was burglarized, her car stolen and her body found Dec. 26, 2005, off the Illinois Prairie Path. She was shot in the head.

Defense attorney Raymond Bolden said a Pennsylvania boot camp that emphasizes a positive peer environment was a better alternative.

Bolden said the youth, who as a 5-year-old witnessed atrocities in Sudan and was sexually abused by family members, committed crimes to rebel against authorities.

"(The defendant) has had experiences that none of us in this room could possibly fathom," he said.

Bolden argued none of the teen's burglaries had turned violent and that a DNA match from semen found in a tissue in Bethell's home proves only that the teen was there -- not that he abducted her and killed her.

Robin Watkins, a psychologist, testified Wednesday the boot camp could help. She said weekly counseling was not enough to offset other negative influences.

"Therapeutically, I don't think he received the level of intensity and structure he needs," Watkins said.