Jury Finds 13-Year-Old Jamarion Lawhorn Guilty of First Degree Murder

Jamarion Lawhorn, the 13-year-old boy who was accused of fatally stabbing a younger boy at a Kentwood playground last August, has been found guilty of first degree murder.

This summer, a Kent County judge ruled that Lawhorn was competent to assist in his own defense for the slaying of Connor Verkerke at the Pinewood Village mobile home park in August 2014.

Lawhorn was charged with felony murder as an adult.

In December, a state psychiatrist determined that Lawhorn understands the charges against him and can assist in his defense.

Now that he's been found guilty, Lawhorn could be held in a juvenile facility until he's 21. He could then be released or sent to an adult prison.

The boy will be sentenced at a later date.

Last October, Lawhorn's mother and stepfather were charged with third degree child abuse after Jamarion told a Child Protective Services caseworker that his stepfather had whipped him with an extension cord, and also sometimes punched him in the chest and stomach. Jamarion also claimed that his mother had recently whipped him with a belt on his backside and the back of his legs.