KINGMAN – Friday’s status hearing for a Kingman teenager charged in the deaths of two fellow Lee Williams High School students and the serious injuries of two others was uneventful, though a calendar was solidified possibly leading to trial this spring.
Brady Shuffler, 16, is charged with two counts of second degree murder and various other felony offenses for the April, 2023 high-speed single vehicle traffic accident that claimed the lives of Tatum Meins, 17, and Sherene “Siri” Walema, 15. Shuffler is accused of speeding at more than 100 miles per hour before losing control and rolling the vehicle he was operating, with marijuana later detected in his blood stream.
Shuffler is free through a pre-trial services and screening program. He appeared by Zoom during the status hearing.
Prosecutor James Schoppmann and defense attorney Brad Rideout told Mohave County Superior Court Judge Derek Carlisle they are scheduling witness interviews In February in preparation for a trial currently set to start April 29, though continuing trial start dates occurs with great frequency.
Judge Carlisle continued the status conference to Feb. 23 and he set a March 20 pre-trial final management conference.
Rideout informed the Court last November that the defense had rejected two plea offers from the state. One involved a flat 16-year prison sentence and the other would have allowed the Judge to select from a prison range of 14 to 24 years.
Attorneys still have opportunity to achieve a plea deal to resolve the case outside trial.
Dave Hawkins
