14-year-old accused of fatally shooting Aaron Richardson will be tried as adult

CEDAR RAPIDS — A 14-year-old accused of fatally shooting 15-year-old Aaron Richardson in September was formally charged Friday with first-degree murder.

Sixth Judicial Associate District Judge Jane Spande set bail for Robert Humbles at $1 million. Spande waived Humbles from juvenile court into district or adult court Friday morning, saying there was probable cause that Robert Humbles committed the crime.

The criminal complaint states Humbles willfully, deliberately and with premeditation shot and killed Aaron Richardson near 16th Street and Park Avenue SE on Sept. 6. There was no further details of the crime.

Cedar Rapids police previously said Aaron ran to a house in the 300 block of 16th Street SE for help after being shot. He later died after surgery.

Humbles was brought to the police station by a family member Sept. 9 and then he was arrested and charged in juvenile court.

Johnson County assistant public defender Rachel Antonuccio, Humbles lawyer, said there is a plea agreement in the case with the condition that the 14-year-old will be prosecuted as a youthful offender. That status would allow Humbles to be placed at a juvenile detention center, such as the Eldora State Training School of Boys, until he turns 18. He would then be sent back to district court and a judge would decide to release him or sentence him to serve out his sentence.

Spande in her order said police and juvenile court reports and school and detention records were attached to his file to support the youthful offender status.

Antonuccio said she couldn't give details of the plea agreement at this time and Assistant Linn County Attorney Nic Scott hasn't returned phone messages.

Antonuccio did say that she was concerned about Humbles being sent to Jones County Jail pending a plea. Linn County Jail can't house juveniles separate from adults, which the law requires, and he can't go back to the Linn County Juvenile Detention Center because it has a policy that restricts them from housing juveniles charged as adults with first-degree murder.

In juvenile detention Humbles was able to have interactions with other youth, continue school studies but in Jones County he will be isolated because there are no other youth and he won't have access to education or any physical exercise, Antonuccio said.

'I don't understand why the detention center can't use its discretion since Robert has been waived as a youthful offender,' Antonuccio said. 'The policy seems arbitrary.'

Antonuccio plans on filing a motion next week, asking the court to consider moving Humbles back to juvenile detention pending his plea.