17-year-old to be charged as adult for murder at Fairfield group home

FAIRFIELD, Ohio - A judge decided Thursday that a 17-year-old will be tried as an adult on murder charges in the death of another teen at a Fairfield group home.

Lance Tiernan, 17, of Lebanon, appeared in court Thursday to determine whether he should be charged as an adult in the death of 16-year-old Anthony Parker on Dec. 22 at the One Way Farm group home in Fairfield.

Tiernan bowed his head during much of the hearing.

Butler County prosecutor Mike Gmoser began his case by introducing a video segment of the alleged attack, which was over a flashlight, according to Fairfield police. It shows Tiernan allegedly picking up Parker and slamming his head into the floor. The tape of that attack has not been made public as of yet.

Judge Ronald Craft found probable cause that Tiernan could have committed the crime, and his case will be heard by a Butler County grand jury in an adult trial as a result.

Tiernan's next trial date has not been released.

Tiernan was originally charged with aggravated assault, but prosecutors dismissed that charge and levied a murder charge following Parker's death a week after the attack. Parker, a Fairfield High School student, died from his injuries after spending more than a week on life support at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. An autopsy determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.

Gmoser has not discussed whether there is an investigation into the group home on River Road. 

According to the Ohio Revised Code, home staff were required to place the injured boy in isolation and check on him every 15 minutes. It is unclear whether these requirements were followed.