Gabriel Gaeta, the teen who raped and murdered his 6-year-old neighbor Jenise Wright, will be tried as an adult.
Gabriel Gaeta, 17, would face life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of the murder charge in Kitsap County Superior Court.
He will not face the death penalty — the maximum penalty for aggravated murder in Washington state — because he is under 18.
Prosecutor Russ Hauge said he’s still waiting for the results of an evaluation of Gaeta’s competency to stand trial.
I really don’t understand this “competent to stand trial” nonsense. If Gaeta was competent enough to abduct Jenise and hide the body in a muddy bog, he’s definitely competent to stand trial.