A Michigan teen has been charged with murder in the death of his younger stepsister in Saginaw.
Late on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 31, Saginaw County District Judge Elian E.H. Fichtner arraigned 14-year-old Jameion Peterson on one count of open murder. The charge contains both first- and second-degree murder, both of which are life offenses, though a first-degree conviction mandates life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Peterson is charged as an adult, with state law mandating any juvenile convicted of first- or second-degree murder is to be treated as an adult at sentencing.
Fichtner denied granting Peterson bond.
Peterson’s charge stems from the killing of his 10-year-old stepsister, Na’Mylah J. Turner-Moore. Police previously said Na’Mylah was reported missing from a house at 813 S. 12th St. around 6:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 30. During a search of the area, officers found Na’Myla’s body in an abandoned, overgrown lot on the same block, near the corner of South 12th and Annesley streets.
The house Na’Mylah went missing from is owned by Peterson’s father, though court records list Peterson as residing at an apartment elsewhere in the city.
Saginaw County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Blair N. Stevenson said Peterson’s father early on Tuesday morning called Na’Myla’s biological father to ask if she was at his nearby home. Na’Myla’s father replied she was not, and he then called 911 to report her missing, Stevenson said.
Stevenson could not state how Na’Mylah was killed, citing pending autopsy results that should be finalized within two months.
“At this point, it appears no dangerous weapon was involved,” he said. He also said there is no indication Na’Mylah had been sexually assaulted.
Stevenson added there appears to have been no wrongdoing on the part of either Peterson’s or Na’Myla’s fathers. Na’Myla’s mother was not at the South 12th Street house when her daughter disappeared and her body later discovered.
Na’Myla was a student at Stone Elementary School in Saginaw. An uncle of Na’Myla has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for her funeral expenses.
The investigation into her death was conducted by Michigan State Police and Saginaw Police Department detectives.
“With how fast they solved this, especially with such a tragic crime against a 10-year-old, it shows how well the Michigan State Police and Saginaw Police Department work hand-in-hand,” Stevenson said.
“This is very, very sad situation,” added Saginaw Police Chief Robert M. Ruth. “Anytime a 10-year-old is murdered by another family member, it’s just terrible.”
Ruth lauded his officers who first arrived at the scene and found Na’Myla’s body.
“They did what they were supposed to do, the way they were trained to deal with situations like this,” Ruth said. “They spoke with the parents of the child who was missing at that point in time and then found the child. From that point on, our investigators and Michigan State Police investigators did a great job.”
Ruth thanked MSP Crime Lab personnel and Saginaw County Sheriff’s deputies, Bridgeport Police officers, and Buena Vista Township Police officers for taking in-progress calls in the city while Saginaw officers were actively working the homicide case.
“This shows the teamwork of everyone working together to make it happen,” Ruth said.
Peterson is to appear for a preliminary examination at 3:45 p.m. on Sept. 21.
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