(Indianapolis, IN) - The state’s Attorney General has weighed in on the fate of Anthony Hutchens, the teenager who murdered a child in New Carlisle two years ago. In March Hutchens was sentenced to 64 years in prison.

 

Attorneys for Hutchens are appealing his sentence, claiming that their client should not have been tried in adult court. On Monday, the office of Attorney General Todd Rokita filed their support for the initial ruling.

 

Hutchens was 14 when he molested, strangled, and hid the body of 6-year-old Grace Ross behind their New Carlisle apartment in 2021. His attorneys have argued that adult court is not appropriate, since Hutchens was diagnosed with autism and ADHD. Two psychologists recommended trying him as a juvenile.

 

However, in Monday's appellate brief, the State reaffirmed its opinion that the safety and welfare of the community required that Hutchens be tried as an adult. Rokita's office maintains that Hutchens will still be incarcerated in juvenile detention until he’s at least 18 and will not receive any worse rehabilitative mental health service if treated as an adult.

 

The Indiana Court of Appeals is now considering the matter.