Teen Stabbing Case Progressing Toward Trial

A case involving the stabbing death of a 13-year-old Saline County girl is slowly progressing towards a trial.

A Saline County teen accused of stabbing her sister to death spent most of the day in court Tuesday. 15-year-old Sierra Niehaus appeared with her attorney Julie Effenbeck. Judge Patrick Thompson listened to several pre-trial motions.

Sierra is scheduled to stand trial in the fall in connection with the death of her 13-year-old sister Galazia. Sierra, who was 14-years-old at the time, is accused of stabbing Galazia to death in August of last year.

The judge Tuesday watched videos of three lengthy interviews of Sierra, conducted at the Saline County Sheriff’s Office shortly after the stabbing. Investigators Kris Kite, Matt Fisher, and Jim Hughes each conducted separate interviews.

Initially, Sierra told a story of three unknown men entering her home, and forcing her at gunpoint to drive to Salina. She said that she was able to get away from them, and ran to a friend’s nearby house, the daughter of Saline County Sheriff Lt. Sean Kochanowski.

By the time the third interview was completed, Sierra conceded that she had stabbed her sister. But she said that she did not remember doing it, or remember why she did it.

Previously, back in April, Judge Thompson had ruled that Sierra would be prosecuted as an adult.

The case stems from the death of  Galazia Niehaus. The Saline County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a stabbing at about 1:45 in the morning on Friday, August 1st, 2014. When deputies arrived at the scene in Northwest Saline County they found the body of Galazia, who had been stabbed to death.

Sierra is being held in the Saline County Jail on a million dollar bond.

A trial date of September was initially set, but realistically a date of mid-October is anticipated in the case.

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