TOPEKA, Kan. — A 16-year-old friend of a Topeka woman’s son was charged Thursday in her killing, Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said.
Amadeus Courage Ballou-Meyer, 16, was charged as a juvenile but Kagay said he plans to try to have him tried as adult.
He was charged in the killing of Hester Workman, 46, who was found dead in the attached garage of her home on Saturday. She died of severe trauma to the head, Kagay said.
Ballou-Meyer was charged with premeditated first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, interference with law enforcement and theft.
Kagay’s announcement did not discuss a possible motive for the killing.
During a detention hearing Thursday afternoon, defense attorney Mike Francis recommended a mental health evaluation and asked that Ballou-Meyer be released to the custody of his grandmother.
Judge Darian Dernovish said he considered Ballou-Meyer to be “an extreme danger” to the public and ordered that Ballou-Meyer remain in custody
Workman was a legal support staff supervisor for the Kansas Board of Health Arts.
