First teen sentenced in the Deserae Turner shooting
Matt and April Turner help their daughter Deserae Turner walk to the podium to speak during Colter Peterson's sentencing hearing forattempted aggravated murder and robbery, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018, in Logan, Utah. Peterson received a sentence of 15 years to life for shooting Deserae Turner in February 2017, and leaving her for dead in a dry irrigation canal in Smithfield, Utah. (Eli Lucero | The Herald Journal)
LOGAN, Utah (AP) — A teenager convicted in a plot that left a 14-year-old Utah girl in a ditch with a gunshot wound to the head will serve at least 15 years and up to life in prison.
The Logan Herald Journal reports that Deserae Turner survived, but said Thursday that she’ll still struggle to walk, dress herself and use her left hand for the rest of her life. Before the shooting, she practiced karate and was an accomplished equestrian.
Seventeen-year-old Colter D. Peterson wiped tears as she spoke. He has pleaded guilty to aggravated attempted murder and other charges. His lawyer Mike McGinnis says he’s not a monster.
Prosecutors say the teens concocted the plan while playing video games and discussing their desire to “get rid” of the girl who was messaging Peterson in February 2017.