A 12-year-old girl accused of suffocating her 8-year-old cousin on July 15 while the two spent summer vacation with their grandmother in Humboldt, Tennessee, appeared in court last week on charges of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
The young slaying suspect, who was not identified by authorities because of her age, will turn 13 in the coming days while behind bars — marking a dual tragedy for the friends and relatives of both girls.
Frederick Agee, District Attorney General for the 28th District in West Tennessee, announced that his office is petitioning Juvenile Judge Mark Johnson to transfer the child to Circuit Court for trial as an adult, citing evidence of an apparent coverup by the young suspect.
“I consider this to be one of the most disturbing violent acts committed by either an adult or juvenile that my office has prosecuted,” Agee said in a statement posted to social media, adding the state would pursue the maximum sentence allowed by law.
Meanwhile, the 8-year-old victim was identified as Demeria Hollingsworth, a student at Cockrill Elementary School in Nashville.
Principal Casey Campbell issued a statement, saying the community has been devastated by news of the beloved student’s death.
“The Cockrill community is mourning the unexpected loss of Demeria Hollingsworth, a beloved student who had been part of Cockrill since Pre-K. Demeria was known for her hard work, intelligence, and sweet demeanor. She was cherished by everyone who knew her. Her passing has left all of us at Cockrill devastated. She will be greatly missed,” Campbell said, according to reports.
Grief counselors will be on campus when students return to school from summer break.
Demeria’s mother, Rayana Smith, recalled the girl’s beaming smile and outgoing spirit, saying her daughter loved going to school and enjoyed growing up in Nashville.
“She liked to read books, go swimming, play outside, ride her bike every day, play with the kids in the neighborhood, play with my friends’ kids. My baby was sweet,” Smith said, according to WREG News 3 in Memphis.
Police said the younger girl died at the hands of the person she might have trusted the most, although sometimes the young cousins had their differences, the last of which led to tragedy on East Mitchell Street.
Smith claims the dispute that led to the killing originated from an argument over an iPhone.
“When they told me about that, I should have just gone to get my kid,” she told the station. “But they were having fun for the summer, and I didn’t think she would kill my baby.”
Smith said she was struggling to make sense of the tragedy.
“She did nothing to deserve for her life to be taken,” Smith said. “She was only 8 years old. She just turned 8 in April.”
Prosecutors, tipped off by an insider two days after Demeria’s death, obtained home security video, allegedly showing the older girl in the act of suffocating her 8-year-old cousin with bedding from a bunk bed they shared throughout their visit.
Hollingsworth was found lifeless in the bunk bed the next morning.
Investigators accused the older girl of manipulating the crime scene after her cousin stopped moving, saying she repositioned the covers and the body to conceal any signs of a struggle.
“There is video where the 12-year-old goes and gets tissues and papers and tries to clean the eight-year-old’s body and face, and also moves the child, to make it appear that she was under the covers,” Agee alleged after the charges were filed.
“No words can describe it,” Agee remarked. “It’s unimaginable.”
After Agee’s remarks appeared in the media, Judge Johnson issued a gag order that prevented him from continuing to comment on the case.
Agee said he would comply with the order.
A GoFundMe has been established to help the family with funeral costs.
