STERLING, Illinois -- Whether Anna Schroeder - the 15-year-old Morrison teen accused of murdering her mother and trying to cover up her death by starting her house on fire - is tried as a juvenile or an adult will not be decided until mid November at the earliest.
Schroeder and another juvenile, Rachel Helm, 15, of Rock Falls, are accused of conspiring to kill Schroeder's mother Peggy last July and cover up her death.
A hearing to determine whether to try Schroeder as an adult was held in Sterling on Tuesday, Oct. 24, but her attorneys requested a psychiatric evaluation be conducted prior to making that decision. The judge agreed to that and has asked the parties to reconvene for the hearing on Nov. 13.
Investigators say Schroeder shot her mother in the head on July 6 when her mother returned from work. Investigators said she then texted a picture of her mother's body to Helm who came to the house the next day to help clean up. The pair planned to run away, but first they decided to set the house on fire to destroy evidence, investigators said.
Schroeder faces charges of first degree murder and arson while Helm faces charges of concealment of a homicidal death and arson. Both face the possibility of being tried as adults due to the severity of the charges.
We will update this story as more information becomes available.