BRISTOL, Wis. (AP) - A jury in Kenosha County has convicted a teen accused of killing his former girlfriend when they both were 15 and trying to kill her mother.
Martice Fuller, now 17, was found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide in the May 2019 shooting death of Kaylie Juga and attempted homicide for shooting and injuring her mother, Stephanie Juga.
Prosecutors used testimony to show that a freshmen high school romance tuned into stalking and controlling behavior by Fuller and resulted in an end to their relationship. Both attended Bradford High School in Kenosha where Fuller was a football player and Juga was a cheerleader.
Witnesses, including Stephanie Juga, school staff, a friend of Juga’s and her former boss, testified about Fuller’s controlling behavior, anger when he lost control, and stalking behavior after Juga ended their relationship months before her shooting, the Kenosha News reported.
Fuller sat quietly at the defense table, his head bowed after the verdict was read, then removed his mask and began to cry as he looked back toward his family in the courtroom.
The trial was held at the Kenosha County Center in Bristol to accommodate social distancing and the wide interest in the case.
Because Fuller was charged with homicide, he was automatically charged as an adult despite being 15. Defense attorneys tried unsuccessfully to move his case to juvenile court.
Fuller is scheduled to be sentenced May 21.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.