Juvenile pleads guilty to felony stemming from 19-year-old’s fatal shooting in Olathe
A 13-year-old girl has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of interference with law enforcement stemming from the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old that took place in an Olathe park in May.
The teenager admitted to the single amended charge after she had initially been accused of first-degree felony murder, according to the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office. She is among seven juveniles to be charged in connection with the killing of Marco Cardino, 19, of Smithville.
Authorities have said the killing unfolded before daylight on May 14 in Black Bob Park. Officers responded around 4 a.m. to the sound of gunfire to find Cardino shot dead there.
Authorities have alleged the shooting involved a drug deal and a plan to rob Cardino.
Under Kansas law, a prosecutor may bring a felony murder charge in cases where a person is suspected of committing a separate felony crime that directly contributed to a murder.
Speaking to The Star on Monday, Trey Pettlon, a defense attorney for the 13-year-old, said she was innocent of anything related to the homicide or the attempted robbery all along.
“She didn’t contribute to it. She was the youngest child out there and she didn’t have a ride home,” Pettlon said, adding that the criminal offense concerned the deletion of Snapchat messages that were sent after the shooting occurred.
All of the juvenile defendants initially pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges. Two 14-year-old have since pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder. Both await sentencing.
In a separate development last week, a Johnson County judge denied a motion for a 14-year-old to be tried as an adult as she too faces a first-degree felony murder charge. She is accused of participating in the attempt to rob Cardino.
This story was originally published September 19, 2022 at 6:10 PM.
