Dominique Antonio Richard Harris, a 16-year-old from Wyoming, has been handed a significant prison sentence for his involvement in the murder of 14-year-old Bobby Maher Jr. Harris confessed to one count of conspiracy to commit second-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing that occurred last year. The plea agreement was finalized after the district attorney’s office agreed to lessen the original charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and dismiss additional charges of aggravated assault and theft.
The court proceedings were held before Natrona County District Court Judge Kerri Johnson. District Attorney Dan Itzen, who represented the state, informed the court that his office would be seeking a sentence of 30 to 75 years for Harris. The sentencing hearing for Harris is slated for September 5.
Jarreth Joseflee Sebastian Plunkett, Harris’ co-defendant and also 16 years old, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder in May and was sentenced to life in prison. However, under Wyoming state law, a minor convicted of a murder charge can be eligible for parole after serving 25 years in prison.
The court was informed that Harris and Plunkett had a dispute with Maher at a local park about two weeks before the fatal stabbing. Two days before the murder, the defendants encountered Maher’s girlfriend and a friend of Maher’s. Plunkett reportedly asked the friend if he “wanted to pay Bobby’s blood debt.”
On the day of the murder, Harris and Plunkett were playing hide-and-seek in a Best Buy store in the Eastridge Mall in Casper, Wyoming. After the game, the two teenagers decided to steal knives from a store. They later encountered Maher’s girlfriend and began following her. When they saw Maher leaving a DICK’s Sporting Goods store, a verbal altercation ensued.
A large crowd gathered to watch the altercation outside the sporting goods store. The assailants flanked Maher, with Harris grabbing Maher around the waist, lifting him off the ground, and slamming him down with great force. The fatal stabbing occurred shortly after, with Harris holding Maher down while Plunkett stabbed him twice.
Footage of the attack, shown during a previous court appearance, depicted Maher being stabbed, then getting to his feet, taking a few steps towards the mall, and collapsing. Harris admitted to holding Maher down, but claimed he was only doing it “to make sure the fight was over.”