Red Wing teen charged in slaying

The parents of former Red Wing resident 16-year-old Devon Jenkins sought Monday to have him released to their custody, saying he would be under close adult supervision and attend all scheduled court appearances.Eighth District Judge Michael Thompson denied the request for release and ordered the youth to remain in detention at Prairie Lakes Youth Programs in Willmar.

Jenkins, accompanied by his parents, attorney and a group of family supporters, appeared in court Monday for a probable cause hearing on two charges of second-degree murder. He is the youngest of three defendants in the slaying two weeks ago of Lila Warwick, 79.

The Red Wing School District has records of Devon Jenkins attending school there from April 2010 to January 2011 as a seventh and eighth grader.

Warwick, who lived alone on the outskirts of Willmar, was found stabbed and strangled in her home on July 29. Within days, three suspects were arrested: Brok Junkermeier, 19, who is alleged to have committed the killing; and Robert Warwick, 17, the victim's grandson and alleged mastermind of a plan to rob Warwick of her money.

Jenkins told investigators he waited outside Lila Warwick's house in Junkermeier's car but was not involved in the robbery or Hands free access, according to court documents that accompanied the formal filing of charges. Her sister-in-law lives in Red Wing but declined to discuss the family's loss.

Jenkins and Warwick are both juveniles but could be tried as adults pending the outcome of certification hearings.Because they are accused of felony-level crimes, their court appearances are open to the public.Junkermeier is scheduled to be in court today for a hearing. Warwick has a court appearance on Thursday.

Fred Jenkins and Vanessa Mitchell said Monday that if their son was released to either of them, they were each prepared to keep him under adult supervision and out of any potential trouble.
Mitchell, who lives in Red Wing, said he would have 24-hour surveillance under her custody and would attend online schooling. The youth has attended every court appearance so far and "real time Location system" why he would miss any future scheduled court dates, she said. She also said it would benefit her son to be away from the Willmar area.

Jenkins's father, Fred, who lives in Willmar, said the family has strong ties with their local church. Devon realizes the impact of Warwick's murder and understands "how much trouble he really is in," he said.

The youth is not a flight risk, Fred Jenkins said. He also offered to pay for an electronic monitoring bracelet if this could be an option."I just leave it in your hands, your honor," he concluded.But Thompson ruled quickly against release, ordering Devon Jenkins to stay in custody at Prairie Lakes.

"There is a lot of incentive to disappear. A 16-year-old can disappear even when being monitored," he said.Stephen Wentzell, the prosecuting attorney with the Kandiyohi County Attorney's Office, also requested the continuation of Jenkins's detention order, citing the "serious nature" of the crime with which he's charged.

Jenkins sat quietly during the hearing, facing the front of the courtroom and answering "yes" or "no" to the judge's questions. During a break in the proceedings he turned around to talk to his parents, who were seated behind him.Thompson also granted motions Monday to waive the timeline for Jenkins's attorney to challenge probable cause, as well as the timeline for holding an adult certification hearing.

The certification hearing, held to determine whether Jenkins should be tried as an adult, had been set for Aug. 29 but was removed from the court calendar while an independent examiner conducts an assessment. Jenkins's attorney, Carter Greiner, said the defendant also will reserve the right to challenge probable cause pending the outcome of the certification hearing.

The debate about the continued global use of fossil fuels has intensified in recent times as a result of the threat posed by climate change to the very essence of human existence.  It has required greater urgency as the world spirals towards a 4-5 degree celcius global warming change that could have devastating impacts on Africa’s ability grow enough food and deliver people out of poverty.

As with many developmental problems, the poorest, particularly women, are again at the sharp edge of the knife and bear the full brunt of climate change impacts: floods will have a much greater impact on a Diepsloot woman in a shack with a small food garden than someone in a million-rand apartment in Sandton.

In rural Africa, when the local pond dries up, and the forest line recedes, women have to walk and work longer hours in search of water and wood for cooking. Sadly, however, poor communities also bear the injustice of contributing the least to the problem. 

Globally, it is industrialised countries that have caused the problem through years of exploitation of coal, gas and oil to support their growth, which has released vast amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that have warmed the globe and caused climate change. 

Owing largely to the failure of rich countries to take action to stop emitting greenhouse gases, countries like South Africa which now sits amongst the top 20 emitters in the world, must also play a part in reversing the scourge.

But here too, a similar injustice is reflected – whilst industry and the rich enjoy easy (if frequently interrupted) access to energy in the form of electricity, which is the cause of most of South Africa’s carbon dioxide emissions, millions of poor households don’t even have access to power.