WEST UNION, W.Va., - Joe Spencer, the Doddridge County teen accused of the shooting deaths of his parents and younger sister, has been transferred to adult status.
Dwight Moore, Doddridge County circuit clerk, said Circuit Court Judge Tim Sweeney granted a motion Wednesday to transfer the 16-year-old Spencer's case to adult status.
"The motion to move this to adult status was granted by the judge," he said.
Spencer is charged with the triple murder of his parents, Fred and Dixie Spencer, and their daughter PJ Spencer. The Spencers were killed Sept. 3 in their home off W.Va. 18 north of West Union.
Spencer's attorney Rodney Windom said despite the case moving to circuit court, his 16-year-old client will remain in juvenile detention.
"It's an atypical situation," he said. "Even though his case has been transferred to circuit court he is still a juvenile. Because he is a juvenile, he must be treated according to that status," Windom said.
Moore declined to release additional information on the case, opting to tread with caution. "Spencer's case is labeled as a juvenile," he said. "At this point it is a juvenile court case, until a judge does an order," he said.
Windom said there is still going to be very little information available.
"Everything that happened until yesterday is sealed by law, until there is some further proceeding for the grand jury," he said.
Windom said that won't change until the case is presented to the grand jury. He didn't think the case would be presented until the spring of 2013.
