14-Year-Old Boy Pleads Guilty to Murdering His 64-Year-OId Neighbor in Her Home By Madison E. Goldberg

A 14-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to the murder of a 64-year-old woman found dead in her home in Fairfax, Ohio in February.

The boy, who was 13 years old at the time of the murder, pled guilty to one count of aggravated murder, one count of aggravated burglary and one count of strangulation on Monday, Nov. 10, local ABC affiliate WCPO reports. The boy will be incarcerated at the Department of Youth Services until he turns 21 years old, which is the oldest a juvenile inmate can be, the outlet noted.

Sheila Denise Tenpenny was found dead in her residence on Germania Street in Fairfax on Feb. 2, per WCPO. The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office found that Tenpenny had trauma to her head and neck, the outlet reports.

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PEOPLE has reached out to the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office.

The boy was linked to the crime after police discovered his blood throughout the house; Tenpenny scratched his face, and Tenpenny died gripping a lock of his hair, according to the outlet.

Tenpenny’s brother discovered her body and alerted the authorities, according to NBC affiliate WLWT. “I think my sister’s been murdered,” he said, according to the 911 call audio obtained by the outlet. “She’s got her head covered with a pillow, her legs exposed.”

The boy, who is yet to be publicly identified, was charged in connection with the murder ten days later, on Feb. 12.

Prosecutor Linda Scott said in court that the teen had been plotting the murder for months, noting that he “researched how to strangle someone, how to do it, how to find a victim,” according to WLWT.

Scott then revealed the boy “notified his social media people” after committing the crime.

“This one was a fighter,” prosecutors said he wrote in a social media post.

A Bureau of Criminal Investigations agent also said in court that the teen had searched “how to defeat police interrogation” and messaged others while police were investigating, writing “I think I just got caught.”

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“It’s very disturbing,” Ward said, per WLWT. “My fear is he made mistakes, but in the future is will he learn from those mistakes.”

Sheila Denise was described as “a beacon of light who touched the lives of many with her kind heart, unwavering resilience, and exceptional humor, leaving behind a legacy filled with valuable lessons and unforgettable memories that will continue to inspire those who were fortunate enough to know her,” in an obituary from Vankirk Grisell Funeral Home.