Teen Charged With Murder In Stabbing

Thirteen-year-old Sydney Dailey was murdered at a home in North Tulsa. Now the 14-year old girl accused of killing her has been charged as an adult with first degree murder. News On 6 anchor Jennifer Loren reports it's a charge the Tulsa County District Attorney says he feels strongly about, but to the victim's parents, it's another child's life ruined.

Tanikka and Carver West are doing their best, taking each day as it comes since the loss of their daughter, Sydney Dailey.

Wednesday was especially hard, they just brought Sydney's ashes home to their final resting place.

"I just see her smiling, everything is nice. It's pretty," said Tanikka West.

Lillies and crosses fill an empty void on the front porch, the same porch where Sydney was stabbed to death earlier this month.

Sydney's classmate, 14-year-old Montoya Harris is now charged in the case, as an adult, with first degree murder.  But the Wests do not take comfort in that.

"It's just another sorrow. It is really. It's heartbreaking because that's yet another child, you know, their life, you know devastated," said West.

"You don't like to have to do this. But the facts, and when they come out, they're pretty horrendous," said Tulsa Co. District Attorney Tim Harris.

Harris made the final decision to charge the girl as an adult.  He says first degree murder is a serious crime, no matter how old a suspect may be.

"Based on the facts and the law she's charged as an adult with the most serious crime that we have in the state of Oklahoma and I wouldn't allow it to be filed this way if I didn't think it was appropriate," said Harris.

For the Wests, they believe justice will be carried out through the eyes of God, but no justice, here or there, can give them what they really want.

"I lost my child and no matter what they say in any courtroom, or after they pound the gavel, it's still not going to bring my daughter back," said West.

Montoya Harris could still be tried as a youthful offender.  Her attorney will have the opportunity to present that kind of evidence at her Preliminary hearing.

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Related Story: 3/15/08 Stabbing Leaves Teen Dead