The cases against five of the six former South Hadley High School students charged in connection with Phoebe Prince appear headed for resolution next week.
Ashley Longe, Flannery Mullins and Sharon Velazquez.HADLEY – The cases against five of the six former South Hadley High School students charged in connection with Phoebe Prince appear headed for resolution next week.
The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office released a statement Tuesday saying there may be “significant developments” in one or more of the cases and listing hearings for five of the six defendants next week. Sean Mulveyhill, Kayla Narey and Austin Renaud face charges as adults in Hampshire Superior Court. Flannery Mullins, Ashley Longe and Sharon Velazquez were charged both as juveniles and youthful offenders. All except Renaud are charged with civil rights violation resulting in bodily injury and criminal harassment. Renaud and Mulveyhill are charged with statutory rape for allegedly having sex with Prince, who was under the legal age of consent.
Sean Mulveyhill.Prince, a 15-year-old freshman, took her life on Jan. 14, 2010, after what investigators have described as weeks of relentless bullying. The ground-breaking charges brought by former Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth D. Scheibel catapulted the story into the media spotlight as Prince became the focal point of an international campaign against school bullying.
Velazquez, Mullins and Longe had until Tuesday to file motions to dismiss the charges against them, but no such motions have been filed. However, Colin Keefe, who represents Velazquez, did ask that the deadline be waived because he expects the matter to be resolved by agreement next week. Because of their status as youthful offenders, the cases against Velazquez, Mullins and Longe have been open to the public.
Austin Renaud.In seeking the May 5 hearing in Franklin Hampshire Juvenile Court, Keefe said he anticipates that his client and the prosecution will reach an agreement and that “motions will become unnecessary and moot.” That hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. Longe and Mullins are due to appear in juvenile court at 2 p.m. that same day, according to the press release from the office of District Attorney David E. Sullivan. Narey is scheduled to be in Hampshire Superior Court on May 4, Mulveyhill on May 6.
The next scheduled date for Renaud is a final pretrial conference on July 6. A judge has denied a motion to dismiss the statutory rape charge against him. Renaud denies sleeping with Prince.