Family of murdered teen Logan Taylor pushing for change in Ohio laws

An Austintown teen is trying to change the law in Ohio after a 13-year-old was accused of murdering her little brother, Logan Taylor, back in November.

14-year-old Taylor, a student of East Middle School, was shot and killed in an East Lucias Avenue home.

"He was a bright soul" Taylor's mother, Bobbi Gray said,  "He didn't get to live his life. He didn't even get to start his life."

The teen accused of Taylor's murder is a 13-year-old, booked into the Juvenile Justice Center for murder and firearm specifications.

In Ohio, anyone under 14 cannot be tried as an adult, but Taylor's sister, 17-year-old Mikaylah Gray, wants to change that, by enacting "Logan's Law." 

Taylor's family wants to see certain juveniles tried as adults, by integrating competency evaluations and a jury trial if the evidence is strong enough.

Under current laws, the worst-case scenario is that the teen accused of Taylor's murder will remain in JJC until he turns 21, and then could face three years for the firearm specification.

"Murder is murder," Mikaylah Gray said, "You take somebody's life, a part of your life needs to be taken away. In eight years, he's going to sit there every day telling himself 'I'm going to get out one day and going to be able to live my life,' and my brother can't. My brother will never get that opportunity."

The Coalition for Juvenile Justice argues "Adolescents are more vulnerable to irrational decision-making caused by impulsivity," heightened by mental health issues.

Gray said living through the murder of her brother, it doesn't seem so black and white.

"I understand that at a young age, your brain is not fully developed, but if you have an understanding of most things, then you can understand 'Ok, I committed murder. I took somebody's life," she said, "and if it could help at least one person, that would mean the world to me."

Gray has over 600 signatures on the petition.