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Kim Johnson ReportingSeventeen-year old Robert Houston waits to be charged with aggravated murder and aggravated sexual assault. He was a resident of what's called "independent living", a residential support home for kids who've broken the law, and who are trying to mainstream back into society.
These are the least restrictive, least secure facilities for kids trying to transition out of the juvenile justice system. Basically, these homes provide shelter for kids who don't have a home of their own to go to.
The state has ten residential support homes across the state where only the best behaved juvenile offenders get to go.
Carol Sisco, Dept. of Human Services: "It's based on their behavior, how they progress in treatment, whether they do a good job of following the rules in the more secure facilities, a lot of different things."
Sisco says residents have considerable freedom.
Carol Sisco: "They can go to school. They can go looking for work. They can do a lot of things, as long as they sign in and out when they come and go."
Sisco says on-site supervisors live at these homes and are required to be there when the residents are there. The problem Wednesday night was the supervisor was stuck in the snow storm and not at the home when Rachel Elton gave Robert Houston a ride back home. She says the tragedy has stunned her department.
Carol Sisco: "Just the day before he was visited by one of our case workers because we found out he'd been skipping school again, so we were talking to him about that. He also saw his therapist, and there were no indications of any problem."
Sisco says Youth Health Associates, which owns and operates the Clearfield Independent home, has a good track record.
State officials visit the facility twice a year, one time is unannounced, and says they've only found minor problems, like a broken window or a broken screen, nothing significant with the program itself.
