Michigan man who was 12 when he killed woman will be freed

DETROIT – A Detroit-area man who was 12 when he killed a woman during an attempted robbery will be released next week when he turns 21.

DeMarco Harris was eligible to be moved to prison from a juvenile detention facility. But Judge Virgil Smith says he’s convinced that Harris has been rehabilitated and isn’t a threat to the public.

The victim’s family disagreed Friday. Steve Babcock, the father of 24-year-old Trisha Babcock, held her death certificate and said Harris deserves a life sentence.

Trisha Babcock was shot while sitting in a car in Detroit in 2009. Harris apologized Friday and says he’s a “prime example of what rehabilitation looks like.”

Prosecutors said they couldn’t show that Harris would be a threat to the public, based on his progress in juvenile detention.