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Kentwood police on Aug. 4 investigated a stabbing that occurred in a playground in Pinebrook Village, in Kentwood, Mich. (AP Photo/The Grand Rapids Press, Joel Bissell)
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. » A judge has 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.
Judge G. Patrick Hillary issued the order Monday at a hearing in Kent County Family Court. Also, defense lawyer Charles Boekeloo told 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 Wednesday.
