A Wyoming judge upbraided a 16-year-old who fatally stabbed a 14-year-old boy outside a mall as the boy defended his girlfriend in front of onlookers. Natrona County District Judge Catherine E. Wilking on Friday ordered Jarreth Plunkett to serve life in a state correctional facility for slaying Bobby Maher last year.

Plunkett pleaded guilty in May to one count of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated assault and battery. In addition to the life sentence, Wilking handed down a 10-year sentence for the assault charge. State law requires that any minor sentenced to life in prison be eligible for parole after serving 25 years.

The judge spoke bluntly when she addressed Plunkett's actions during the sentencing hearing, saying, "Stabbing someone to death is the most cowardly thing I

See Full Page