MARYSVILLE – A memorial service will take place Sept. 16 at 3 p.m. at Marysville Getchell High School for 16-year-old student Robert Lee Myrick Jr.
Robbie, who was to be a junior at MG, suffered injuries in a fistfight Aug. 19. He died Aug. 28.
A 15-year-old Marysville boy has been arrested, but not charged in the case.
Robbie’s obituary states that he loved basketball and had dreams of being an NBA star. He was looking forward to taking driver’s education.
The suspect was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of manslaughter in the second degree. He was booked into Denney Juvenile Justice Center in Everett. But on Wednesday a judge agreed to release the boy from Denney and put him under house arrest. The judge did find probable cause for the arrest, but the teen has not been charged.
It is this newspaper’s policy not to name juveniles arrested and charged with crimes.
“The arrest does not signal the end of the investigation. Aspects of this case are continuing to be examined by Marysville investigators,” said Sgt. James Maples, investigations supervisor of the Marysville Police Department.
Robbie died at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett after being on life support since he was taken there. His death was the result of blunt trauma to the left side of his head resulting in a serious brain injury.
He suffered the injury in the fight in the 8200 block of 52nd Dr. NE in a wooded area known as “Spook Woods,” just south of Pinewood Elementary School.
Investigators found out the mutually agreed upon fight was over a girl who had recently developed a relationship with Robbie.
Police say both Robbie and the suspect had “landed punches” on one another during the fight. However, at one point Robbie went to the ground. The suspect reportedly punched, and then kicked him in the head, police said. Robbie never got back up.
Witnesses said they tried to wake the victim, and when he did not respond after about an hour, 9-1-1 was called, and Marysville Fire Department was dispatched to the scene.
The Everett Herald reported Monday that court papers say Myrick was kicked in the head after he tripped over a log during the fight. The boy allegedly admitted to police that he delivered the kick with such force that he thought, “Robert was dead.” Witnesses ran to a store to get water, but they they poured it on Robbie he did not awaken. An autopsy done by the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office says Myrick died of brain injury that could not have happened from the fall. The ruled the death a homicide.
