Cleveland: Teen arrested in downtown shootings denies charge in court

CLEVELAND -- One of four young men arrested in connection with the murder of a Cleveland Clinic worker and the critical wounding of another, faced a juvenile court judge Wednesday.

The 17-year-old, Raffael King, is charged with delinquency by reason of aggravated murder. He was bound with chains and handcuffed as he appeared before Juvenile Court Judge Peter Sikora and denied the charges.

Cleveland Police had asked that King's face not be shown because they still have witnesses to pick him out of a police lineup. It was expected that would be completed within 48 hours.

Records released by the court show King with a long juvenile crime record beginning at age 11, when he was taken into juvenile custody on a charge of being unruly.

By age 12 he had been charged with breaking and entering, burglary, theft, and criminal damaging. At 15 after a committment to the Ohio Department of Youth Services, the young man was charged with gross sexual imposition, and at 16 with carrying  concealed weapons.

Family members sat behind the young suspect in juvenile court, and with King's attorney Stuart Lippe exchanged smiles and laughs. Lippe later explained he was trying to put his client at ease and joked with him about how many members of the media were in the courtroom.

Lippe later told reporters not to draw any conclusions just because his client was there at the time of the shootings.

"Basically we've had an initial hearing. We've entered a denial," Lippe said. "I think it's a little premature to guess what happened or to make any statements relative to what happened."

He said King wanted to turn himself in but was arrested by Cleveland Police before he could surrender.

The teenager's attorney would not confirm reports that his client is suspected of being the triggerman. He said the young man did understand the serious nature of the charges against him.

Judge Sikora told King he would soon be facing adult charges but that he would not face the death penalty if convicted because he was 17 at the time Jeremy Pechanec and Jory Aebly were shot early Sunday morning in Perk Park at East 12th and Chester.

Pechanec later died of his gunshot wound the back of the head. Aebly remains in critical condition with bullet fragments in his brain. He too, was shot in the back of the head.

Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael Horn said the penalty for King in adult court would be determined by what charges he might eventually be convicted of.

"If he's found guilty of the aggravated murder with the gun specification it was be 33 years to life," Horn said. "He could also be sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole."

At the Cleveland Clinic co-workers of Pechanec and Aebly went about their duties in the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory. Supervisor Sue Schindler said the two were loved and respected by their colleagues who treated them like members of an extended family.

"We also feel that it's a bad dream that we're trying to wake up from but we know that's not going to happen," Schindler told Channel 3 News. "So we just try to help each other get through it."