KUSA — The teen accused of killing her 7-year-old nephew, then hiding his body in her room, was upset because he asked her to play video games, according to a newly-released probable cause statement.
Jennie Bunsom, 16, appeared in court for the first time Thursday morning. She's charged as an adult with one count of murder in the first degree after deliberation and one count of child abuse resulting in death.
According to the probable cause statement, Bunsom was in her room in the basement of the Montbello home she shared with 7-year-old Jordan Vong and his mother, who was only identified as being born in 1997.
Bunsom told police that around noon, Jordan came down to her room and asked her to play video games with him. She told him she didn't want to and told Jordan to go upstairs, but he wouldn't. The statement then says Jordan laid down on her bed, which upset her. Bunsom pushed Jordan off the bed and he hit his face on the floor, causing him to cry.
Bunsom then "placed her hand over Jordan's mouth and plugged his nose and Jordan began to struggle for a few minutes" and the child stopped moving, according to the probable cause statement.
She then put him under her bed. The next part of the probable cause statement is redacted.
Eventually, Bunsom moved him from under her bed, wrapped him in a blanket and placed him in one of the two portable closets in her room, according to the probable cause statement.
The document says Bunsom "didn't tell any of her family what she had done to Jordan because she was afraid."
Hours later, Jordan's mother reported her son missing. Police searched the house twice -- the first time was without a search warrant, and they did not find the boy at that time. The next day, detectives returned to the home on Fairplay Street and found Vong's body in the closet around 9 p.m.
9NEWS Legal Analyst Scott Robinson says the description of the crime fits the charge for first-degree murder.
“Historically in Colorado, 16-year-olds in heinous crimes are almost always charged as adults, and although the juvenile’s lawyers can ask for a reverse transfer back to juvenile court, that’s unlikely to happen,” Robinson said.
The cause of Jordan’s death is still being determined.
