US: Tennessee Girl, Allegedly Smothers 8-Year-Old Cousin After iPhone Fight

In a horrifying incident in Tennessee, a 12-year-old girl allegedly smothered her 8-year-old cousin while the child slept. According to a relative, the crime was triggered by an argument over an iPhone.

The county prosecutor stated that the murder, which occurred in the bedroom they shared on July 15 in Humboldt, was seen on surveillance video. Rayana Smith, the victim’s mother, named her kid as Demeria Hollingsworth, according to WREG.

According to Gibson District Attorney Frederick Agee, the security camera footage allegedly showed the older youngster choking her cousin, who was asleep in the top bunk. Agee stated that following Hollingsworth’s death, “the juvenile cleaned up the victim and repositioned her body.”

The defendant is accused with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. “I consider this to be one of the most disturbing violent acts committed by either an adult or a juvenile that my office has prosecuted,” Agee said in the statement, adding that he plans to petition a judge to prosecute the suspect in adult court, which would allow for “a lengthier sentence, whether that will be through incarceration or supervision with court-ordered conditions.”