Judge to rule whether teen accused of Black Bob Park murder will face adult charges

Jenna Thompson
·3 min read

A Johnson County judge is expected to rule this week on whether a 14-year-old will face adult charges in the Black Bob Park murder case that took place this spring.

The defendant, who is not being named because of his age, was charged with first-degree murder for the death of 19-year-old Marco Cardino on May 14.

Six other teens were similarly charged with felony murder in the case, including two other 14-year-olds, who later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. District attorneys initially filed motions to charge the teens as adults, excluding two 13-year-olds, who weren’t old enough under state law.

One of the 13-year-olds pleaded guilty to interference with law enforcement. The court denied a motion to prosecute a 15-year-old as an adult in September.

The 14-year-old appeared in Johnson County District Court Monday before Judge Brenda Cameron, in a hearing expected to last most of the week.

The young teen sat before the judge with a host of family members and loved ones behind him. The state called several witnesses, including a forensic firearms examiner, who stated shell casings found at the scene were consistent with those of a gun found at the 14-year-old’s sister’s house after the incident.

According to previous statements by police, officers arrived at Black Bob Park in Olathe at 14500 West 151st Street to investigate the sound of gunshots. Police found Cardino suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He died at the scene.

One of the teens charged, also 14, took the stand Monday to testify that the incident was a robbery gone wrong against the defendant’s marijuana dealer.

The witness said that, while the group was hanging out, the defendant brought up the idea of robbing the dealer and supplied the weapon, an AR-15. But the group did not plan to shoot Cardino, according to the witness.

At Black Bob Park, three teens allegedly hid behind a building, including the witness and the defendant. Another teen planned to stand outside and give a code word during the drug deal to signal the start of the robbery.

But Cardino and another person accompanying him took off running during the exchange. The group allegedly chased after them. In court Monday, the witness stated the defendant fired three shots after Cardino fled.

After hearing police had searched the defendant’s home, he and another teen discussed going to the police and telling them the 14-year-old defendant had fired the gun. The witness was interviewed by police twice, according to statements made in court.

However, the defendant’s attorney, Lindsey Erickson, pointed out the witness had smoked weed and drank vodka before the shooting. She said the witness had changed his story a few times since that evening, which he denied.

Erickson also highlighted that the witness was also previously facing first-degree murder charges.

“That’s pretty scary, right?” she asked.

The hearing is scheduled to continue until Thursday.

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