MONTROSE, Colo.—A 14-year-old boy accused of slashing the throat of a Montrose High School student has received seven years in a youth corrections facility and a suspended prison sentence.
Michael Yates, who was charged as an adult, pleaded guilty in March to first-degree attempted murder in the Nov. 11 attack that left a 17-year-old student wounded.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Yates’ 18-year prison sentence will be suspended if he successfully completes a seven-year stint in the Department of Corrections Youthful Offender Services program, which will include a boot camp-type program.
In court Thursday, Yates apologized to his victim, Mallory Haulman, who attended the hearing.
“I know what I did was wrong and I’m sorry,” he said.
According to investigators, Yates approached the Montrose High junior from behind and slashed her throat as she was entering the school. He walked away but was apprehended a short time later.
An arrest warrant affidavit said Yates told officers he didn’t sleep the night before the attack and voices told him to hurt someone.
Assistant District Attorney Jerry Montgomery said Thursday that Yates’ claim about hearing voices was just a convenient excuse for acting out his “evil thoughts.”
The Haulman family said in a letter read by a victim’s advocate that they believe Yates is getting “better than what you deserve.”
“If you are able to complete your sentence, you can put it behind you,” the letter said. “Mallory, however, will always have the scar she bears on her neck, from ear-to-ear.”
Another 14-year-old boy has been ordered to stand trial on a charge of helping Yates plan the attack. He has been charged as a juvenile.
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Information from: The Montrose Daily Press,
