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A Wyoming teenager is being hailed as a hero after he was stabbed to death outside a shopping mall, reportedly while protecting his girlfriend.
Casper police detained two juveniles, 15-year-old Jarreth JoseFlee Plunkett and 15-year-old Dominique Antonio Richard Harris, in connection with the April 7 stabbing death of 14-year-old Robert “Bobby” Maher at the Eastridge Mall. Both suspects are being charged as adults.
“We are completely and utterly devastated to our cores. He was the best of all of us and his light is too bright to be dimmed,” Bobby’s father, Robert Maher, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We will never be okay again[.] We love and miss you Bobby. [Y]ou’re our hero our sweet, sweet boy!”
Bobby’s girlfriend reportedly called him and said the two suspects were following her and her friends around the mall, according to court documents obtained by the Cowboy State Daily.
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Bobby Maher, 14, was allegedly stabbed to death during a mall fight while protecting his girlfriend, according to police and local reports. (Facebook)
The 14-year-old victim and a friend then traveled to the mall to meet up with Bobby’s girlfriend, the outlet reported.
“[Bobby] then told [his girlfriend] that they were going to the mall to come and keep the girls safe,” an affidavit states, according to the Cowboy State Daily.
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When Bobby and his friend arrived, they reportedly saw the two suspects walking in front of the group of girls. Bobby and his friend made an attempt to get the girls out of the mall and “kept telling JJ and Dom to leave,” at which point a physical altercation ensued, as Bobby’s friend told Casper police, according to the affidavit.
Bobby Maher, 14, is being hailed as a “hero” for reportedly protecting his girlfriend during a mall fight on April 7. (Facebook)
Harris “slammed [Bobby] to the ground,” and Plunkett “walked up and stabbed [Bobby],” with a “kitchen-style knife” that was not encased in a sheath, the affidavit states, according to the Cowboy State Daily.
Cellphone video of the incident obtained by police reportedly shows the two suspects wearing balaclava-style masks as they surrounded Bobby outside the mall.
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Plunkett allegedly told Bobby “to swing on him several times,” but the 14-year-old victim “clearly did not want to fight as he is seen moving in a continuous backwards motion away from” the suspect, the affidavit states, according to the Cowboy State Daily. Video evidence also allegedly shows that Bobby tried to circle “back by the mall door,” but he was surrounded by other teenagers at that point and “unable to get back inside the mall.”
At one point, Bobby apparently told Plunkett “put the knife away, this isn’t fair.” (Facebook)
At one point, Bobby apparently told Plunkett “put the knife away, this isn’t fair.” The suspect responded, “I don’t fight fair,” according to Plunkett’s own admission to police, the State Cowboy Daily reported.
The suspects reportedly told police in an interview after the stabbing that Bobby had called them “freaks.”
Casper police said they detained the two suspects after the stabbing on Sunday afternoon, and they were charged on Monday. Plunkett is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, aggravated assault and shoplifting. Harris is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, aggravated assault and shoplifting, Casper police confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the homicide.
Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Email tips to audrey.conklin@fox.com or on Twitter at @audpants.
