Ind. teen accused of killing his brother pleads not guilty

The Rising Sun, Indiana teen accused of murdering his 10-year-old brother appeared in court Friday for the first time since the alleged murder.

Jerry Monk said, “That ain’t him.  It’s nothing like him.  You can’t give up one child because another one is gone, you have to support both of them.” 

Melanie Grist, who lives in Rising Sun said, “I think it just shocked everyone just because it was his brother more than anything.  It was boy who looked up to his brother a lot and then for him to do that, it’s scary.” 

Prosecutor Aaron Negangard said, “This is a deliberate murder.  The evidence is clear. And when he spoke, he spoke with no emotion.  There was no remorse in describing the death of his brother.” 

Police found Conner’s body Sunday night in a wooded area near Rising Sun City Park.

Andrew told police he was acting like “Dexter” a character who plays a serial killed in a program on Showtime, when he put Conner in a head lock while they were wrestling Saturday night.

When Conner passed out, police said Andrew told them he put on gloves and strangled Conner for 20 minutes.  Then he put a plastic bag over the boy’s head and put the body in the trunk of his car.

Andrew told police he then drove to his girlfriend’s house and gave her a sweetheart ring.

But after answering several questions from the judge, Andrew stoically entered a plea of “not guilty,” left the courthouse, got into a Sheriff’s car and rode back to jail.

Negangard said 17-year-old Andrew Conley confessed to murdering his brother.  It’s news that has left this small community in shock.

Monk told WHAS11 that he felt that it was important for him to be in the courtroom today to support Andrew, especially because he said Andrew’s parents have given up on him.

He’s the 17-year-old Dearborn-Ohio County prosecutors call a “evil child.”   Andrew Conley, the 17-year-old teen accused of strangling his ten year old brother, Conner, to death.

Friday, for the first time since the alleged murder, Andrew faced the court and dozens of his classmates, who streamed into the courtroom for Conley’s arraignment and then left, many, in tears.

One of those people leaving the courtroom with tears in his eyes, Andrew and Conner’s grandfather, Jerry Monk, the only Conley family member in the courtroom Friday.