US teenager held on $1m bail following death of 6-year-old girl

The parents of a six-year-old Washington girl found dead last week sat in a courtroom as a judge ordered a 17-year-old boy, who is under investigation following the child’s death and sexual assault, be held on $1m bail.

Prosecutors in Kitsap County filed court documents saying they had sufficient evidence to hold Gabriel Gaeta on first-degree murder with aggravating circumstances, felony murder and first-degree rape of a child.

They are pursuing the case in Kitsap County Superior Court, where Gaeta is expected to be tried as an adult.

She also asked for other conditions, including that he not be allowed to contact minors under 18 or frequent areas where minors would go. Judge Kevin Hull agreed to both the bail and other restricting conditions. Hull also granted prosecutors’ request for a mental-health evaluation for Gaeta. Prosecutors said they want a competency evaluation before filing charges.

Court records showed Jenise Wright suffered blunt-force trauma to the head and was strangled and sexually assaulted. Authorities said they linked evidence found near the girl’s body to the DNA of Gaeta, who was friends with her family. His next court date was set for August 28.

Court documents lay out grisly details into the death of Jenise, who was last seen when she went to bed on August 2 at her family’s home in a Bremerton mobile-home park. Officials have said there were no signs of forced entry at the residence. The girl’s body was discovered almost entirely submerged in a nearby muddy bog.

Searchers found a small wood pallet over the body, and also located a nylon duffel bag on top of the pallet. They earlier discovered Jenise’s underwear and shorts about 15 to 20 feet from where her body was found. Authorities say forensic evidence analysed by the Washington state crime lab linked the clothing to the teen’s DNA.

Detectives interviewed the teen on Saturday, during which time he “clearly nodded yes” when they asked whether he was the only one involved, court documents stated.