Cane and Able Type Situation and Mom

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The mother of a Menifee teen charged with killing his younger sibling said she is standing by her son.
“I’m going to stand behind him no matter what,” said Shawna Smith while standing outside court after another hearing for 16-year-old Skylor Atilano.


“I’ve already lost one son,” she said. “I don’t want to lose my second.”
Skylor was arrested July 10 after the remains of his half brother, 11-year-old Terry Dewayne Smith Jr., were found buried in a shallow grave in the yard of their Helen Lane home.

Skylor was charged with murder in the death of Terry, whose disappearance from their Menifee home in July prompted a massive search effort. He was in juvenile court Thursday, March 6, for another hearing but it remained unclear whether the case is likely to remain there.

Judge Timothy Freer met with the prosecution and defense in his chambers before the hearing Thursday at the Southwest Justice Center in French Valley. Summarizing their discussion in open court afterward, Freer said the attorneys have been working to negotiate a resolution to the case.
Freer set another hearing for April 17 but indicated that, if no resolution has been reached by then, he would not be inclined to postpone the proceedings further. The next step would be to request a probation report to address whether Skylor’s case should be handled in juvenile or adult court.
The proceedings are open to the public because of the nature of the charges against Skylor. The judge has ordered that Skylor continue to be held at juvenile hall.
Outside the courtroom after the hearing, Shawna Smith and her partner, Dennise Bugna, said Skylor has been doing well in Juvenile Hall. He is working towards earning his diploma and is getting good grades, his mother said.

Bugna said they want to know the full truth about what happened the night of Terry’s death. They have been kept largely in the dark, she said, because they are in the difficult position of being the family of both the victim and the accused.
Smith said the authorities have not told her any specifics about what they believe occurred. All she knows, Smith said, is how Terry died -- blunt-force trauma to the head.
Coroner’s officials have not publicly disclosed how Terry died.



[SIZE="4"]Terry was reported missing Sunday morning, July 7. Riverside County sheriff’s officials said his older brother was the last person to see him alive, on Saturday night, July 6, while their mother and Bugna were out. Hundreds of volunteers rallied to help emergency workers find Terry -- nicknamed “Juju” -- and Skylor was involved in the search effort.
Bugna and Smith said they never saw Skylor’s arrest coming when investigators began interrogating him during the search.

Since he has been in Juvenile Hall, Smith said, she hasn’t questioned Skylor further about his brother’s death.
“It’s not something that we talk about,” Smith said.
SKYLOR ATILANO MURDER CASE

What: Skylor Atilano, 16, is charged with killing his 11-year-old half-brother, Terry Dewayne Smith Jr. Terry’s body was found partially buried in the backyard of the family’s Menifee home after days of searching.
Update: During a hearing on Thursday, March 6, prosecutors and defense attorneys said they have not yet found a resolution to the case.

Noteable: Shawna Smith, mother of both Skylor and Terry, said outside of court Thursday that she is going to stand behind Skylor, no matter what. “I’ve already lost one son,” she said. “I don’t want to lose my second.”




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A 16-year-old Menifee boy charged with murder in the death of his younger brother had a “history of violent outbursts,” a judge said Monday, July 15, in juvenile court.

Skylor Atilano was arrested Wednesday after the remains of his 11-year-old half brother, Terry Dewayne Smith Jr., 11, were found buried in a shallow grave steps from their Helen Lane home.

The teen entered the courtroom Monday afternoon wearing a yellow juvenile hall jumpsuit and was met by a jury box full of journalists snapping photos of him. His mother and several high school friends were among those in the audience. Skylor showed little reaction and spoke quietly with his attorney during the brief hearing at the Southwest Justice Center in French Valley.
Judge Timothy Freer rescheduled Skylor’s detention hearing for Sept. 17 and ordered him to remain in custody at juvenile hall in the interest of public safety. Freer cited the serious nature of the charge against the teen and mentioned that Terry had been left in his elder brother’s care. Freer also said Skylor had a “history of violent outbursts” and that he had violated the terms of his probation.
The judge did not elaborate on the outbursts or explain what the teen had been on probation for.

John Hall, a spokesman for the Riverside County district attorney's office, said he could not discuss the prior incidents the judge mentioned in court.
Skylor did not deny or admit any of the allegations – the juvenile court equivalent of entering a plea – and no decision was made about whether Skylor may be tried as an adult.

The boys’ mother, Shawna Smith, and her partner, Dennise Bugna, declined to comment before the hearing



Several people, some carrying handmade signs, were at the courthouse Monday to show their support for Skylor.

A group of his friends from Paloma Valley High School said they didn’t believe Skylor was capable of murder or concealing his brother’s remains from investigators.

“It takes a special kind of person to hide a body for four days,” said Miguel Diaz, 15. “He’s a good person and I just can’t in good conscience make myself believe that he did this, or would even consider doing this.”
“He’s a happy kid,” said Alexus Mapes, 16. “He’s a really nice guy,”

Though the case, for now, is being handled in juvenile court, prosecutors are required by law to release Skylor’s name and the proceedings are open to the public because of the nature of the charge against him.
If Skylor’s case were to stay in juvenile court, a judge, not a jury, would decide the case. If the allegations against him were found true, he could remain in custody until age 23.

If found guilty in adult court of first-degree murder, Skylor would face 25 years to life in prison.
Terry was reported missing the morning of Sunday, July 7, and sheriff’s officials said his older brother was the last person to see him alive, on Saturday night, July 6, while their mother was out.

Hundreds of volunteers rallied to help emergency workers find Terry — nicknamed “Juju” — and Skylor was involved in the search effort. On his Facebook page the day before Terry’s remains were found, he thanked everyone for their efforts to find his little brother.

Sheriff’s officials said remains presumed to be Terry’s were found about 1 a.m. Wednesday by a search volunteer. Coroner’s officials have yet to officially identify the body.
Terry’s father, Terry Smith Sr., said by phone last week from his home in Charleston, West Virginia, that
it appeared the boy died from head injuries.
After the remains were discovered and Skylor was questioned by investigators, the teen claimed his little brother had fallen and hit his head on the coffee table, Smith said.
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[DannyDrama]

Not sure I could look my kid in the eye if I knew she brained someone, never mind a family member.

NTFU!

[deanmine]

hit that nail with a big ass hammer on that one!

[TwistedSisterr]

I feel horrible for the mother. I mean how can you cope with something like this? Bless her heart.

[OhJstFkOffAlrdy]

So not only did this kid kill his brother, but he also couldn't be bothered to bury him all the way or come up with a convincing story.

It's official: kids from the upcoming generation are lazy morons.

[Pyramid_Head]

The mother standing behind the accused throws up red flags for me.

[Megamel29]

Originally Posted by Metal Mike

So not only did this kid kill his brother, but he also couldn't be bothered to bury him all the way or come up with a convincing story.

It's official: kids from the upcoming generation are lazy morons.

Seems odd that the poorly buried body wasn't noticed in their backyard. Maybe someone moved it there after the yard was originally searched thinking it wouldn't be searched again?

[OhJstFkOffAlrdy]

Originally Posted by Pyramid_Head

The mother standing behind the accused throws up red flags for me.

Well, she carried the little fucker for 9 months, then raised him for another 16 years. It's pretty common for parents to stand by their children regardless of the atrocity of their actions.

Hell, Jeffrey Dahmer makes this kid look like Mickey Mouse; but Dahmer's dad still participated in the interview and sat shoulder-to-shoulder with his cannibal son. The only real love in this world is that which parents have for their children; all the rest is just made to sell cards, flowers, and candy.

[Karma]

I have 2 kids. I love them to pieces. But if one of them killed the other one I don't know what I'd do. I don't think I could forgive something like that. Then again, I am rather hard hearted and unforgiving..