Teen killer asks judge for transfer out of state
Court documents show Nehemiah Griego's attorney is asking a judge for a transfer from Metropolitan Detention Center to the Mental Health Co-op in Houston, Texas. The Bernalillo County district attorney's office is fighting the transfer request, saying Griego is too dangerous and might run away.
Posted — UpdatedGriego admitted to shooting and killing his parents and three siblings in 2013 when he was 15. A judge originally sentenced him as a juvenile, meaning he would be released when he turns 21, but this month, the judge ordered Griego to be held at the Metropolitan Detention Center instead.
KOAT's legal expert John Day says the request is likely intended to prove that Griego can be treated by professionals. "They want to get information to the judge that says he can be treated as a juvenile, and look, he's in this facility in Texas and he's being treated successfully, he's doing well," Day said.
However, prosecutors believe the Mental Health Co-op is not a secure facility. Court documents show "defendant committed a horrendous crime and there is a risk to the community that defendant might commit another crime of violence."
The court records reveal the defense attorney suggested Griego's family would be willing to pay for electronic monitoring equipment if he is transferred to the Texas facility. The DA's office argues electronic monitoring doesn't prevent someone from escaping, "it simply informs those responsible for supervision when the defendant has absconded."
Griego's attorney did not want to comment on the request
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