A motion was been filed in Barton County District Court to try the 14-year-old male charged in connection with the murder of Great Bend teenager Rubi Perez as an adult. The motion was filed Monday, though the document itself was not immediately available for public review. A scheduling conference is set for Tuesday, May 5.

If the motion is granted, the juvenile will face trial as an adult on a charge of murder in the first degree, intentional and premeditated — the most serious homicide charge in Kansas, potentially carrying a sentence of life in prison. Identifying information about the suspect, currently protected under the Kansas Juvenile Justice Code, could also become part of the public record.

The case has seen notable procedural developments since its inception. Following early court appearances, a prior judge ordered the case sealed and removed from the Kansas Judicial case portal. On April 28, the case was reassigned to 20th Judicial District Judge Levi Morris, who rescinded the sealing order. The case has since been restored to public access on the Kansas Judicial Branch online case portal.

Case History

Perez, 14, he was reported missing on the evening of April 8. Her body was discovered the following morning in the 4700 block of 17th Street Terrace.

Later that day, a 14-year-old male juvenile was taken into custody at the Barton County Detention Center. A formal charge of murder in the first degree, intentional and premeditated, was subsequently issued and defense counsel retained.