Friday, September 15, 2000
Adopted teens to be tried as adults
2 accused of trying to kill parents
By Sheila McLaughlin
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HILLSBORO - A 14-year-old girl and her 16-year-old brother, accused of trying to kill their adoptive parents in a July fire, were indicted as adults Thursday on charges of attempted murder and aggravated arson.
Charles (Justin)
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Gladys (Sara)
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A Highland County grand jury indicted Charles Bocook Jr. and Gladys Bocook - who also go by the names Justin and Sara Smith or Workman - each on two counts of attempted murder and three counts of aggravated arson.
Sheriff's officials said Justin and Sara planned days ahead of the July 18 blaze to burn down the double-wide mobile home on Sicily Road, near Sardinia, in an attempt to kill Gladys and Charles Bocook, the great-aunt and great-uncle who adopted them eight years ago.
Mrs. Bocook, 52, and Mr. Bocook, 67, were sleeping when the fire was set about 1:30 a.m., but managed to crawl to safety through a bedroom window. Mrs. Bocook suffered from smoke inhalation and burns and was hospitalized for about a week.
Police said the teens wanted to kill the Bocooks so they could live with their birth mother in McArthur, Ohio.
However, according to court records, Justin denied wanting the Bocooks dead.
On the day he was arrested, Justin, who is accused of setting the fire with gasoline and bedsheets, wrote in a statement to police: “I just wanted to live with my mom. I didn't want to kill them.”
Mr. and Mrs. Bocook could not be reached for comment Thursday. However, they have said they wanted the children tried as adults.
Authorities said the Bocooks adopted Sara and Justin after they and three other siblings were removed from their parents' home following a history of abuse and neglect.
Sara's defense attorney, Jeffrey Hoskins, said his client should be held responsible for her actions. But he said her upbringing — which included being bounced among several homes before the Bocooks adopted her, as well as various psychological problems — might have played a role in what happened.
Problems cited
A psychologist who examined Sara after her arrest told Juvenile Judge Kevin Greer that the girl suffers from an impulse disorder and other serious psychological problems. Mr. Hoskins characterized Sara as “mentally immature.”
“Complicate that with a framework of inappropriate upbringing and problem-solving skills and what you have is a disaster waiting to happen,” Mr. Hoskins said.
“I'm not saying this is society's fault. I'm not saying it is Sara's parents' fault. I'm saying it's Sara's fault.”
Justin's lawyer, David Pence, was unavailable for comment Thursday.
The teens are scheduled to appear Sept. 22 in Highland County Common Pleas Court for arraignment. For now, they are being held at the Hamilton County Justice Center because Highland County does not have the appropriate facilities for juvenile inmates.
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