A 16-year-old boy will be charged as an adult for the murder of his 18-year-old half-sister, whose body was found Thursday.

Tuesday, the Kent County Prosecutor's Office charged Savon Eugene Schmus with open murder in the case of the death of 18-year-old McKenna Elizabeth Hilton (his half-sister.)

Officials believe that Hilton was killed in the city of Grand Rapids and her body was moved to a wooded area near Dean Lake Avenue NE, just north of I-96.

Schmus is being held in the Kent County Juvenile Detention Facility, and he will be arraigned Thursday in Grand Rapids District Court.

The case will be handled in a Grand Rapids court because it is believed that Hilton was murdered in the city.

Schmus will be charged as an adult under Michigan's automatic waiver law. The law allows officials to charge 15 and 16-year-old offenders as adults for crimes such as murder.

If Schmus is convicted, a separate hearing will need to be held to determine his sentence. The minimum term for youthful killers in the state of Michigan is 25 years.

Contributions in memory of Hilton can be made to New Hope Pet Rescue or the Humane Society of West Michigan.

 

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