Two teenage boys have been charged in the death of an Ohio woman.
The teens will be tried as adults, facing charges of murder, an unclassified felony; involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony; and felonious assault, a second-degree felony, per CBS News.
On Sept. 2, Victoria Schafer was taking senior photos for high school students at Hocking Hills State Park, when she was hit by a 6-foot, 74-pound log that fell from a cliff. It killed the photographer and mother of four instantly.
“A tree branch fell on her!” a person said on the 911 call, per CBS. “I think she's dead, there's no pulse,” another said.
The authorities then launched an investigation into how the tree section fell and questioned whether it was uprooted on purpose. They concluded that the two boys, Jaden Churchheus and Jordan Buckley purposely pushed the log, though one of the boys’ attorneys contended that he didn’t know the log would kill someone.
However, Ohio state law says that a person can be charged with murder in the second degree if they do something deliberately that ends in death, even if the death isn’t premeditated. Now, a grand jury will decide whether or not intentionally pushing the tree warrants murder charges, as well as the felonious assault and involuntary manslaughter charges.
The teens remain in a juvenile detention center on $100,000 bonds. A grand jury is set to decide whether or not to indict them on Friday. If they are indicted, then they could appear in adult court next week, followed by a trial.
