COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — Prosecutors will not charge a pair of sisters as adults in the killing of their older brother, Action News has confirmed with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Misty "Ariel" Kornegay, 15, and Nicole Kornegay, 11, are both charged with murdering their brother Damien. Police say the girls used their parents' gun to kill him earlier this month.
State Attorney Jeff Seigmeister was able to decide on whether to charge the girls as adults sooner than the alloted 30 days because the decision was "easier than it seemed."
Seigmeister said the girls' past definitely played a role in his decision.
While investigators look for a motive in the shooting, they are pointing to police reports that indicate the Kornegay children were living in extreme conditions.
One report said that Ariel was kept locked in her bedroom for roughly three weeks at a time with nothing more than a blanket and a bucket.
Because there are limits as to how long juveniles can be detained pre-trial, the State Attorney's Office is working with the Department of Juvenile Justice to figure out where the girls will be held. Their parents, Keith and Misty Kornegay, are facing child neglect charges.
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