CASPER — The 17-year-old accomplice in the April 7, 2024, fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old boy at a Casper mall entered a plea agreement Friday to a reduced charge for his role in the killing.
Dominique Antonio Richard Harris pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree murder as part of a plea deal with Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen, who said he would dismiss charges of aggravated assault and theft Harris also faced.
The teen appeared in Natrona County District Judge Kerri Johnson’s courtroom in a red jumpsuit and chains next to defense attorney Brandon Booth. There were no members of the victim’s family or Harris’ family in the courtroom — just police investigators and media.
Itzen outlined the plea agreement for the judge that involved the amended charge of conspiracy to commit second-degree murder.
Harris had initially been charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, which carries a penalty of life in prison.
Under the plea deal, Itzen said he would ask for “no less than 30 years and not more than 75 years” but that Booth and Harris would be able to argue for less time. The second-degree charge carries a penalty of 20 years to life.
“Restitution may be an issue at the time of sentencing,” Itzen said.
Itzen said the plea deal was a “cold plea” and the judge counseled Harris on what that meant. She told him he would have to cooperate with the pre-sentence investigation and not violate the law — reminding him that even though he is incarcerated in the Natrona County Juvenile Detention facility any fighting or issues there could nullify the deal.
Johnson asked Harris if he understood the terms of the plea agreement.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said
She asked him how he would plead to the charge.
“Guilty,” he said.
Itzen Outlines Guilt
Under the plea deal, Itzen provided the basis for the guilty plea and recounted information in the Casper Police affidavit of how Harris’s co-conspirator Jarreth Plunkett and Harris, both then 15, had a run-in with victim Bobby Maher at an Evansville park two weeks prior to the stabbing and that text messages were exchanged between them.
Itzen mentioned a run-in between Plunkett, Harris, Maher’s girlfriend and another boy in an Evansville alley two days before the stabbing where Plunkett asked Maher’s friend if he “wanted to pay Bobby’s blood debt.”
Itzen said that on April 7, 2024, Harris and Plunkett went to the Eastridge Mall, saw and spoke with Maher’s girlfriend and “armed themselves with knives” stolen from the Target store.
They met a friend of Maher’s in the food court and told him of their intentions to fight Maher, and the teen advised that they would have to fight two-on-two, he said.
The court affidavit then states that Plunkett threatened Plunkett’s friend his stolen knife.
Itzen told the court that Harris got rid of the knife, but when Maher arrived at the mall to defend his girlfriend, he, Plunkett and Maher went out the mall entrance across from Dick’s Sporting Goods and next to the Hibachi Supreme Buffet.
“The defendant slams him to the ground and J. J. Plunkett stabs him with the stolen knife,” Itzen said.
The judge asked Booth and Harris if it was OK her with her also using the other information in the affidavit for verify Harris’ guilt. Booth said he agreed.
“Yes, ma’am,” Harris said.
Threat To ‘Shank” Victim
The affidavit states that prior to going outside during the encounter with Maher’s friend in the food court, Harris told police that Plunkett told Maher’s friend after pulling out his knife that he was going to “shank” Maher.
The affidavit states that outside during the fight after grabbing Maher around the waist and throwing him to the ground, Harris told police that both he and Plunkett punched Maher in the face and that he held Maher down “to make sure the fight was over.”
Johnson asked Booth and Harris if they wanted to add any comments to Itzen’s statements. Booth said he had discussed with Harris what the “conspiracy” charge entails.
“This is the path he has elected to go down,” Booth said.
Both Booth and Harris agreed there were sufficient facts to find him guilty of conspiracy to commit second-degree murder.
Under questioning from the judge, both Booth and Itzen said they would like a two-hour block for Harris’ sentencing.
Booth said there are people who would like to speak on behalf of his client, but he understood the majority of the time would be used by statements from the victim’s side.
Johnson agreed to dismiss the aggravated assault and battery charge that involved Harris and Plunkett’s encounter with Maher’s friend in the food court and the theft charge that stemmed from their stealing the knives from Target.
The judge said she would order a pre-sentence investigation.
Plunkett accepted a deal in May and pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for stabbing Maher and aggravated assault for putting a knife to Maher’s friend’s chest. In exchange, a theft charge was dropped.
He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 5.
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
