SOUTH MILWAUKEE — A 15-year-old boy charged with killing his grandmother made his first appearance in adult court, where new details emerged about how his initial story to police evolved into a confession.
Court documents show the teen, who TMJ4 is not naming, initially told police he was cooking with his grandmother when she had a seizure. The criminal complaint says he later admitted to strangling her after police showed him the results of the autopsy.
The teen appeared virtually in court from a youth detention center, but cameras were not allowed to show him.
Watch: South Milwaukee teen charged with grandmother's murder makes first court appearance
"Because there is the potential of a reverse waiver, that a juvenile should not be televised at this time," said Court Commissioner Barry Phillips.
Phillips said the chief judge made that decision as the case could still be moved back to juvenile court.
Prosecutor Caroline Pellegrini also acknowledged the teen has been diagnosed with a severe mental illness.
"This is a zero to 100 offense. This is the worst offense that you could probably commit in the criminal justice system," Pellegrini said.
The DA's office said the 15-year-old was the only one at home with his grandmother on Aug. 27 on Oak Street in South Milwaukee when he called 911 to report she was not breathing.
The victim, identified as 68-year-old Elizabeth Totsky, died at the hospital four days later.
The autopsy found evidence of strangulation due to several injuries and broken bones in her neck.
The victim's husband told police this was the second time the boy had put his grandmother in a chokehold to strangle her. According to court records, the first incident happened two months before she died.
"Yes, it's true that the defendant is 15 years old, yes, it's true that he is a child, but in the eyes of the law, being charged with this offense, he's treated as an adult," Phillips said.
The teen is being held on a $100,000 cash bond. He's due back in court next week.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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