The 15-year-old charged in the April 2022 killing of Manuel Guzman at Northeast Middle School will be placed in the custody of the Missouri Division of Youth Services.
At a disposition hearing on Wednesday, Family Court Administrative Judge Kevin Harrell heard recommendations from the Office of the Juvenile Officer and the suspect's lawyer on his sentencing and treatment. A Jackson County Court spokesperson said in a press release that the victim’s family also addressed the court.
The Division of Youth Services, which is part of the Missouri Department of Social Services, will decide “where the juvenile will be placed, how long he will be held, and what his treatment plan will entail.” He has been held in the Juvenile Detention Center since his arrest.
Guzman was found by officers with stab wounds inside a school bathroom at Northeast Middle School on April 12, 2022. He was taken to a hospital, where he died later that night. He was 14 years old.
Near one year later, the fellow student charged in the killing — who was 14 at the time of the incident — pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. The suspect was originally charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.
Voluntary manslaughter is a Class B felony in Missouri, which carries a punishment of 5-15 years in prison. According to Guzman's family, the judge recommended a sentence of five years for the juvenile.
The suspect's identity was not disclosed because he is a minor.
In an email to KCUR following the hearing, Manny's uncle Juan Guzman said the suspect "showed zero remorse today for his actions" and the family does not agree with the sentencing decision.
Frustration with the plea deal
On May 12, members of Guzman’s family held a rally outside the Jackson County Family Justice Center to demand justice for Manny.
Vicenta Guzman, Manny’s mother, said she was frustrated that the suspect was allowed to take a plea deal.
“If we can step up, when it comes to the laws, and at least have a fair punishment,” Vicenta Guzman said. “I know that it doesn't matter how many years they give them, it will never replace my son.”
Vicenta Guzman said she lost everything in the year after her son's death — her job, home and most importantly, her only child. She described Guzman as a happy kidwho liked helping others and wanted to become an NFL player when he grew up.
Vicenta Guzman said the decision to offer a plea deal to the suspect isn’t fair to her son because she alleges that the killing was planned ahead of time. She said the suspect texted others about his intent to kill Manny before the stabbing.
Members of Guzman's family have said they want stricter punishment for juveniles.
“A 14-year-old killing another 14-year-old and giving them manslaughter,” Juan Guzman said at the rally last week. “It’s just making it easier for another young man to do the same thing and to get away with it.”
Juan Guzman said he wants to see more security at Northeast Middle School, which he says struggled with violence when he attended there and hasn't improved.
“For this kid to bring that inside of school, a knife, how did he get that in there?” Juan Guzman said. “And it breaks my heart to know that you have security guards to be there to protect the child in school and not to just let this happen to a child in the restroom right across from where there was the entrance from school.”
The stabbing sparked a walkout from over 100 students, who called for Northeast Middle to be shut down.
“Honestly, I don't feel safe ’cause if somebody could sneak a knife into the school, anybody could do it now,” eighth-grader Emma Santa Maria told KCUR.
Kansas City Public Schools said it would conduct an internal investigation into the incident.
In an email to KCUR on Tuesday, the school district said that all information on the stabbing and whether additional safety measures or security has been implemented is closed under the Missouri Sunshine Law.
Following the incident, Kansas City Mayor Lucas called for more investment in youth mental health services and reducing the volume of illegally trafficked and obtained weapons.
Manuel Guzman's stabbing was one of four homicides that happened within a day in the Kansas City metro.
“I'm not only fighting for justice for my son, but for everybody, for a safer community, for a safety place where they could feel home and protected,” Vicenta Guzman said. “And for parents not to always question, 'Would I ever see my child again?”
