Defense attorney Richard Meehan said Saturday that the 16-year-old Milford, Connecticut stabbing suspect has been committed to a mental hospital to undergo psychiatric evaluation, after murdering 16-year-old Maren Sanchez at Jonathan Law High School Friday. The suspect will likely remain in a psych ward for two weeks, and won’t be present at an arraignment scheduled Monday before a judge in New Haven.
Jonathan Law students have identified Sanchez’ attacker as Christopher Plaskon, who is described as an average student who had friends, and maintained no history of violence. Plaskon had developed a crush on Sanchez, who had recently begun dating another student.
So far Plaskon has been charged as a juvenile, though there is a possibly his status will be amended to adult. There’s been speculation that Sanchez was stabbed in a Jonathan Law hallway after refusing to be the suspect’s prom date. Plaskon allegedly pushed her down a stairwell and attacked her with a kitchen knife. Milford Police Chief Keith Mello revealed that Sanchez suffered severe wounds to her head, neck and chest, and was later pronounced dead at Bridgeport Hospital shortly after 7:15 am. The attack occurred on the day of the Jonathan Law prom was scheduled, which was postponed.
Roughly 200 people attended a vigil Friday night for Sanchez at Walnut Beach in Milford. Some students wore their prom dresses and tuxedos to honor Sanchez as prom queen posthumously:
Jonathan Law's Prom Queen of 2014, Maren Sanchez. #RipMaren retweet and get this everywhere pleasepic.twitter.com/ehIp73OQ2M
— Joce #nsd (@The_TruckBabe) April 26, 2014
Sanchez was a popular honors student, junior class president and an athlete.
A beautiful picture of a Milford teen taken way too soon. RIP Maren Sanchez. pic.twitter.com/ZA6gJSCFA7
— Jill Konopka (@jillkonopka) April 27, 2014
Train of girls in beautiful dresses arrive at vigil for Maren Sanchez, fatally stabbed today. Jr. prom was tonight pic.twitter.com/Iuvyi51595
— Lauren Victory (@FoxCTVictory) April 25, 2014
Edward Kovac, a cousin of Sanchez, commented, “The unexpected and sudden loss of our beloved family member Maren Victoria Sanchez is both shocking and devastating. Maren should be celebrating at her prom this evening with her friends and classmates. Instead, we are mourning her death and we are trying as a community to understand this senseless loss of life.”
Image via YouTube
