Taylor police believe mental illness played a role in the deadly stabbing. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said, “There is absolutely no doubt that the facts in this case are horrific. It is beyond disturbing that the alleged person responsible for the stabbing death of her seven-year-old sister is thirteen years old. We considered adult designating her which is not the same thing as trying her as an adult. It gives the judge the option of sentencing the respondent as a juvenile, or as an adult, or giving a blended juvenile sentence with an option of imposing an adult sentence if the juvenile is not rehabilitated. Our other option was to keep her in the juvenile system. We opted to do just that. Given her young age, the State would have seven years to diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate her until her mandatory release at age 21. Hopefully then she would not be a danger to others. While this is a difficult decision given these facts, it is the right thing to do in this case.”