The Arkansas Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld a lower court’s decision to try a teenager as an adult for his alleged role in a 2024 double homicide.
Dequon Israel was 16 years old when he was charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of aggravated robbery. The charges stem from the March 22, 2024, shooting deaths of Adrianna Howell and Mahayla Swayze during a robbery in Garland County.
Israel had petitioned to move his case to juvenile court, but Judge Kara A. Petro denied the request. In an opinion delivered by Judge Mike Murphy, the appellate court affirmed that ruling, citing the violent nature of the crimes and Israel’s personal history.
Evidence presented during the initial transfer hearing revealed that Israel and three others planned to rob Howell of marijuana, knowing she was typically unarmed. While Israel did not pull the trigger, testimony showed he approached the victims’ vehicle with a handgun and ordered Swayze out of the car. He later disposed of the weapon.
“While he may not have fired the shots that killed the women, the court found he was ‘completely involved in the participation of this offense,’” the appellate ruling stated.
The court also looked at Israel’s past, including a 2023 incident where he pleaded true to second-degree battery for attempting to suffocate a four-year-old child. Despite testimony from a football coach and family members who described him as a “good kid” who lacked supervision, school records painted a different picture, detailing a history of fighting, theft, and bringing a knife to campus.
Medical experts testified that Israel suffered from conduct and impulse disorders. While a clinical social worker noted he was making progress before the murders, a juvenile probation officer testified that his history of aggression would make it nearly impossible to place him in any juvenile program other than the Division of Youth Services.
In his appeal, Israel’s lawyers argued the circuit court ignored his potential for rehabilitation and downplayed his secondary role in the shooting. The appellate court rejected those claims, noting that under Arkansas law, a juvenile can be tried as an adult based solely on the “serious and violent nature” of the crime.
“Capital murder is the ‘most serious offense possible,'” the court noted, concluding that the circuit court was within its rights to prioritize the protection of society over juvenile rehabilitation efforts.
The decision means Israel’s case will remain in the criminal division of the Garland County Circuit Court, where he faces adult sentencing guidelines if convicted.
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