A 15-year-old Dalton youth who was arrested Friday in connection with the strangling death of his grandmother will be tried as an adult, the district attorney says.
Joshua Johnson is charged with murder, said Conasauga Circuit District Attorney Kermit McManus. Johnson’s first court appearance is set for Tuesday before a Superior Court judge. McManus said the proceedings will include a bond hearing.
“What the law is in Georgia is that if they’re 13 to 16 years of age, and you’re charged with committing one of the seven deadly sins – of course murder is one of those – [then you’re tried as an adult],” he said. “Only a Superior Court judge can set a bond in a murder case.”
McManus said the investigation into Lorraine Frazier’s death began earlier in the week. He said Frazier lived at the home at 4026 Mary Elizabeth Drive with her daughter and grandson, Johnson. He said the Whitfield Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are handling the investigation.
Though Johnson was arrested on an adult warrant, he is being held at a youth detention facility, McManus said.