Teen certified as adult for trial in St. Louis hammer death

ST. LOUIS (AP) - A 16-year-old has been certified to stand trial as an adult for his alleged role in the St. Louis hammer killing of a Bosnian immigrant.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1AxMmr1) reports that a juvenile-court judge made the certification Wednesday, though adult charges have not yet been filed against the teenager.

A 17-year-old defendant has been charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the November death of 32-year-old Zemir Begic.

Police have said the defendants and perhaps two other teens exchanged words with Begic as he walked past them, then again after the car he got into was hit with something or kicked.

The newspaper says that while many at the scene claimed that Begic was attacked because he was Bosnian, investigators said no racial motive was uncovered.