14-year-old boy found guilty of killing Casa Grande cheerleader

CASA GRANDE, AZ (AZFamily) – A 14-year-old boy has been found guilty of killing a 17-year-old Casa Grande cheerleader.

The boy was 13 at the time of the crime and was tried as a juvenile in Pinal County.

Hailey Stephens was shot and killed at a house party last November. Her family says every day since then has been a nightmare.

According to police, at least 60 shots were fired that night and several shooters were involved.

Several people were arrested in connection with that night’s fatal shooting, most of them teenagers. But only one went to trial.

Hailey was shot by a stray bullet during the party. Her friend was also hit but survived.

“Vibrant, determined girl,” Vanessa Stephens said as she described Hailey as she sat in her room. It’s a place where she finds comfort and feels close to her daughter.

“She was actually a really good person,” she said through tears. “I wasn’t there. I only knew what I heard. I had to see it for myself.”

Vanessa said seeing the evidence during the trial and learning the details of the investigation firsthand helped her accept the truth.

“The public prosecutor also had to convince me. This is really hard for a 13 year old to bear [could do this]” she said.

Vanessa’s son is 13, the same age as her daughter’s killer at the time of the shooting.

“I’m numb to it and I’m still stuck missing Hailey,” she said.

The boy’s sentencing is scheduled for November 14.

Vanessa said he will likely only stay behind bars until he turns 18.

“True justice to me means that Hailey would spend the rest of her life in prison, but under Arizona state law, this is what justice for Hailey looks like,” she said. “I’m still looking for peace with that.”

So far, this mother feels no relief as she mourns the future that was stolen from her child.

“There is no closure. This sadness will stay with me until my death,” she said.

Vanessa says her daughter dreamed of becoming a cheerleader at ASU.

In her memory, Hailey’s family founded the Hailey Lynn Stephens Foundation, which provides scholarships to Casa Grande Union High School students to help them finance their college education.

The nonprofit is also hosting a commemorative balloon release on Nov. 23 at the high school.

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