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Sandra Yi ReportingFamily and friends of Raechale Elton released balloons during an emotional farewell to her today.
Kathy Toensing, Family Friend: "She just lit the place up, she always had really good things to say, she was always smiling, laughing."
Friends say Elton knew the risks of working in a group home, but believed the kids deserved a second chance. Last week she offered a teen a ride and it cost her her life.
As loved ones laid her to rest, her accused killer appeared in a Davis County courtroom.
The teenager accused in the murder and rape of a group home counselor made his first court appearance today. Prosecutors have charged Robert Houston as an adult.
Robert Houston didn't say a word when he appeared in court for his initial appearance just after 1:00 today. After the hearing, his mother quickly left the courthouse without saying a word to reporters.
Houston, wearing a blue and white striped jumpsuit, only nodded his head when the court clerk asked him to confirm his full name. Houston waived his right to hear the charges against him. Prosecutors have charged Houston with aggravated murder and aggravated sex assault.
The victim is 22-year old Raechale Elton, a counselor at a group home for troubled kids. Court documents say Houston forced Elton to have sex with him at knifepoint, then killed her with that knife. Police say he was infatuated with the woman.
The murder charge is a capitol offense, but because of Houston's age, he cannot receive the death penalty.
Eyewitness News has obtained Houston's juvenile court records. They show he's been convicted of six criminal offenses, including two aggravated sex assaults, which occurred in 2003 and 2004. He's also been convicted of the following charges: destruction of property, false ID, theft and escape from official custody, which is a third degree felony.
At the time of his arrest last week, Houston was staying in an independent living home and on his way to re-entering society. Houston will be back in court tomorrow, when a judge will appoint an attorney.
