A Maine teenager accused of killing two men last summer will appear in court next week to determine if he will be tried as an adult.
Jason Hunnewell is charged with two counts of murder in the June 11 death of 43-year-old Christopher Hunnewell and 22-year-old Ty Carter, both of Chelsea. The teenager has a three-day bindover hearing on Wednesday in Kennebec County, according to a notice from Attorney General Aaron Frey’s office.
This is the first public update on the case in nearly a year. At the time of the killings, the Maine State Police said a juvenile was arrested and taken to Long Creek Youth Development Center.
A bindover hearing is when a judge hears testimony about the case and various evaluations, before deciding if a juvenile will be tried as an adult. If the case stays in juvenile court and Hunnewell is convicted, his sentence cannot exceed his 21st birthday.
If the case goes to adult court and Hunnewell is convicted, a sentence for each charge starts at a minimum of 25 years of imprisonment, under Maine law. Juvenile cases are typically only made public once the person is charged as an adult.
Police have not shared Jason Hunnewell’s age, but he was 16 at the time of the homicides, the Kennebec Journal reported. Jason Hunnewell was a foster child and cousin of Christopher Hunnewell, while Carter had been adopted by the Hunnewells, according to the paper.
