Files opened, boy pleads guilty in bomb-plot case

In more news from the teen bombing case that won’t quit, Albemarle County Judge Paul M. Peatross unsealed portions of records about the 16-year-old convicted of threatening to bomb two Albemarle schools. And another boy, now 17, who was pegged as the plot’s ringleader, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges Thursday, August 31, in Albemarle Circuit Court. He will spend his days in a residential mental health facility until he’s 18. Two other boys, 13 and 14, were also charged in the case. These developments add up to more public information in a case that has so far undercut the concept of closed files for juveniles.
    Unsealed records show that the 16-year-old entered into a plea agreement in May. The boy, whose name and photo have been printed in The Daily Progress, agreed to an Alford plea. That means he acknowledged that there is enough evidence to convict him without actually admitting guilt. In the agreement, his charge was converted from conspiracy to commit murder to a charge of threat through electronic messages to kill or do bodily harm on school property. In return, he’ll avoid disposition until his 18th birthday. With good behavior, his charges could be dropped when he reaches adulthood, The Daily Progress reported August 30.
    The 17-year-old pleaded guilty March 8 in juvenile court and was sentenced to juvenile detention. His public appeal to Albemarle Circuit Court earned him mental health treatment plus parole. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Darby G. Lowe noted his potential for rehabilitation, though his photo and name have been run repeatedly in The Daily Progress.
    To recap the rest of the case: The 14-year-old defendant got off scot-free this month through a public appeal in Albemarle Circuit Court. His mother explained in detail her son’s extensive extracurricular schedule, his Hebrew-reading skills at his Bar Mitzvah class, and his kindness to the senior citizens at the nursing homes where he volunteered. Albemarle County schools revoked his expulsion after his acquittal; he began Albemarle High School (one of the schools threatened in the plot) as a freshman last month. Though his name has not been printed, neighbors say they wouldn’t exactly have trouble pinpointing who the boy is.
    The 13-year-old has been the least squeaky wheel by far. He was convicted in juvenile court in March, but hasn’t appealed in open court, which is why we’ve barely heard of him. If he takes a hint from his alleged chums, who seem to have done well by inviting publicity, perhaps we’ll be seeing him in newspapers soon.