Boy accused in stabbing death to have mental exam

GRAND RAPIDS (AP) - A judge on Monday ordered a mental competency exam for a 12-year-old boy charged with murder in the stabbing of a 9-year-old boy at a western Michigan playground. It happened at a hearing in Kent County Family Court. Defense lawyer Charles Boekeloo told Judge G. Patrick Hillary that his client was waiving his right to a probable cause hearing, clearing the way for a trial. Authorities say the 12-year-old confessed to stabbing Michael Connor Verkerke on Aug. 4 in Kentwood, near Grand Rapids. The Associated Press isn't naming the 12-year-old because of his age. He's designated as an adult in the juvenile court system, meaning he'd be sentenced as a juvenile if convicted and then resentenced as an adult once he turns 21. Michael's funeral is 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Cornerstone Church in Caledonia Township. State mental health experts will examine the 12-year-old and report on whether they believe he is mentally competent to stand trial. That is expected to bring a delay of several months. "There is nothing typical about this case," Boekeloo told The Grand Rapids Press. Witnesses told investigators that four children were playing when one of them pulled a knife and stabbed Michael in the back. The 12-year-old told an ambulance crew he had been planning the incident for a year and wanted to take someone with him when he killed himself, police told the newspaper. The boy then left the playground and approached a man at a nearby house to call 911. Witnesses said the boy presented his wrists to be cuffed when police arrived and said he wanted to die. "Arrest me," the 12-year-old said to officers, putting his hands above his head, according to a Kentwood police report. "I want to die. I'm tired of life." Published: Wed, Aug 13, 2014