Former Teen 'Thrill Killer' Must Be Freed From Prison: Judge

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — A former teenage “thrill killer” who murdered a San Jose classmate must be set free under a new law, though his release will be stayed until at least December, a Santa Clara County judge ruled Tuesday.

The murder of 15-year-old Michael Russell at the hands of his classmates sent shockwaves through the community in 2009, and this week’s ruling freeing his killer is likely to do the same.

Twenty-seven-year-old Jae Williams, who was 15 when he and a friend killed their classmate for the thrill of it, was tried as an adult and sentenced to 26 years to life in prison. This week, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Maureen Folan ordered Williams freed but stayed the order to see if he can be placed on a monitoring system or required to undergo intense therapy before his release, NBC Bay Area reported.

Williams’ attorney, Lewis Romero, objected to the stay, arguing that Williams should have been released from prison at 25 as is typical for juvenile wards.

“We can’t divorce ourselves from basic principles of law,” Romero argued in court Tuesday, according to The Mercury News. “Jae needs to be released today.”

According to the ruling, Williams should be freed in accordance with a 2018 state law prohibiting suspects under 16 years old from being tried for crimes as adults. Earlier this year, the California Supreme Court upheld the law, paving the way for Tuesday’s ruling. Prosecutors had unsuccessfully challenged the law, arguing that some teens need to be imprisoned for long stretches to ensure public safety.

The ruling came despite the opposition of prosecutors and Russell’s family.

"This horrific crime that they committed was planned and premeditated," Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen told NBC. "They began by torturing animals, rabbits and cats."
Russell’s aunt expressed her dismay at the ruling.

"Our community is not going to be safe," Cathy Russell, told NBC. "A murderer is going to be getting back in there. They started killing animals first and moved to a human being."

For the full NBC Bay Area story, click here.