A judge has ruled that a Hutchinson teenager will be tried as an adult in a fatal fire that killed his mother and sister.
Reno County Judge Patti Macke-Dick made the ruling Tuesday in the case of 15-year-old Sam Vonachen, who was 14 when the fire occurred at the family home in September 2013.
Prosecutors allege Vonachen set the fire by pouring gasoline throughout the house. His 47-year-old mother, Karla Jo Vonachen, and his 7-year-old sister, Audrey, died. The boy’s father escaped the fire.
Hutchpost.com reports Vonachen faced two counts of first-degree murder and other charges in juvenile court. The judge’s ruling means the juvenile case is dismissed and new charges will be filed in adult court.
