Lawyer for New Stanton teen accused of killing mom, brother argues for case to move to juvenile court

Aug. 03--The lawyer for a teen accused of killing his mother and young brother in their New Stanton home nearly two years ago says he is receiving proper mental health care and his murder case should be prosecuted in juvenile court.

In court documents filed Thursday, defense attorney Wayne McGrew argued that the treatment received by Jacob Remaley, now 16, has ensured that he is no longer a high-risk danger to society.

"Now that Jacob's illness has been properly diagnosed and he is receiving the proper medication, a therapy plan can be implemented to help Jacob manage his illness and live a productive life," McGrew wrote.

The teen was charged as an adult with two counts of criminal homicide for the November 2016 shooting deaths of his mother Dana, 46, and 8-year-old brother, Caleb, as they slept. Remaley was 14 at the time of the shooting and has been held in custody at the county's juvenile detention center since his arrest.

McGrew contends Remaley should be prosecuted as a juvenile, which would allow him to be released from custody when he turns 21.

At a hearing in May, the defense presented testimony that Remaley suffered from multiple personality disorder. Prosecutors have disputed that diagnosis and asked that Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani reject the defense efforts to transfer Remaley's case to juvenile court.

The judge is expected to issue a ruling later this year.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich at 724-830-6293 or rcholodofsky@tribweb.com.

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