State Upgrades Charge Following Hurd Plea Withdrawal

Javarius Hurd, the teen charged in the death of Lincoln Hills youth prison counselor Corey Proulx, has withdrawn his plea agreement. The 18-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree homicide while maintaining he was not mentally responsible for Proulx’s June 2024 death.

The matter of Hurd heading to prison or to a mental health facility was to go to trial, but that has now been cancelled. Hurd is reportedly seeking to have his case moved to juvenile court following a recent appeals court ruling that changed how judges consider transfer requests. Given the severe nature of the offense Hurd was initially to be charged as an adult though he was 16 at the time the crime occurred. The defense team’s previous attempts to send him to juvenile court proved unsuccessful.

The state amended the charge to a more serious offense of first-degree reckless homicide following Hurd’s plea withdrawal.