The defendant is accused of fatally stabbing 13-year-old Savannah Copeland in 2024.
POWELL, TN— A Knox County juvenile court judge ordered that a teenage boy accused of killing a 13-year-old girl in Powell be tried as an adult, moving the case into criminal court and setting bond at $4 million after testimony described the girl’s disappearance and a stabbing attack.
The ruling shifts the case against Malakiah Harris into the adult system and raises the stakes for both sides more than a year after Savannah Copeland was found dead on a walking trail in the Broadacres neighborhood. Prosecutors argued the killing was planned and severe enough to justify adult court. Defense attorneys tried to keep the case in juvenile court, where sentences are typically shorter and focused on rehabilitation. Judge Tim Irwin said the evidence showed probable cause and described the killing as premeditated.
Irwin’s decision came after two days of testimony that retraced the last night Copeland was seen, what witnesses said they noticed on the trail, and what investigators later recovered. The hearing unfolded in Powell with both Copeland’s family and Harris’ family in the courtroom. It ended Thursday with Harris ordered transferred to adult court, moved into the Knox County adult jail, and held on a $4,000,000 bond while the case proceeds.
Copeland was 13 in October 2024 when her family reported her missing and deputies later found her body along a popular wooded trail. Her mother, Amanda Copeland, testified that she last saw her daughter the night of Oct. 21, 2024, after they returned home from a basketball game. Amanda Copeland said Savannah worked on homework before going to bed. She told the court she realized the next morning that Savannah was gone and she later called 911 as the search began.
Witnesses described finding the body and the hours around the killing. A 16-year-old boy testified that he saw a body along the walking trail in Broadacres the next day. He said he went back to his father, who checked and then called 911. Another witness, a 15-year-old boy, testified that he had been walking on the trail with Savannah Copeland and Harris. The boy said the three became separated several times, and when Harris returned after the last separation, he was no longer wearing a hoodie and kept his hands in his pockets. The witness said Harris threw a hoodie and a knife along the trail.
A 17-year-old girl also testified about a conversation at school after Copeland was killed. She said Harris hugged her and cried the next day, and she did not understand why until later. The girl told the court that Harris later told her he had stabbed someone in Broadacres. She said she did not believe him at the time, and only realized the seriousness after his arrest. Prosecutors also showed crime scene photos and video during the hearing as they pressed the argument that the case should move out of juvenile court.
Medical testimony focused on the violence of the attack and the injuries Copeland suffered. The court heard from Knox County Chief Medical Examiner Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan, who testified that Copeland had at least 93 stab wounds, most of them to her upper body. Mileusnic-Polchan said the injuries were so severe that Copeland was unable to call for help. She testified the cause of death involved heavy blood loss and collapsed lungs. A forensics expert also testified that investigators found a bent knife in a culvert, adding to the evidence prosecutors cited in asking for the transfer.
Harris was 15 at the time of the killing and is now 16. He has been charged with second-degree murder in juvenile court, and the judge’s decision means the case will now move forward in adult criminal court. Irwin said probable cause had been shown to support the charge and said the killing was premeditated, a key factor in his decision to grant the transfer. The judge’s ruling did not determine guilt, but it set the path for how the case will be handled and what penalties could apply if Harris is convicted.
The killing shook Powell, a community north of Knoxville, and drew an outpouring of grief from friends, classmates and neighbors who built small memorials near the trail where Copeland was found. Copeland was known for cheerleading and school activities, and her death turned a familiar walking path into a place marked by flowers, crosses and keepsakes. In earlier coverage, Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler said Copeland’s body was found in the afternoon on a trail, and authorities accused Harris of using a pocket knife to stab her multiple times during the early morning hours.
During Thursday’s hearing, Savannah’s father, Michael Copeland, said it was painful to hear the details in court and he hopes a trial will answer questions about why his daughter was killed. Michael Copeland said he fears there may not be a clear motive and that uncertainty is hard to carry. He also said the testimony from teenagers left him thinking about what young people learn about compassion. He said he supported the decision to move the case to adult court and described the family’s determination to keep going even as the grief remains fresh.
Because Harris is now being prosecuted as an adult, the case will move through the criminal court process, including future hearings where prosecutors and defense attorneys will argue over evidence, witness statements and how the case should be presented to a jury. Bond was set at $4 million, and Harris is being held in the Knox County adult jail. Court schedules for the next appearance were not immediately detailed in the judge’s ruling as reported, but the transfer means the case is expected to proceed under adult court rules, including possible grand jury review and arraignment in criminal court.
Investigators have not publicly laid out a full motive, and several details remain unclear, including how Copeland and Harris knew each other and what led to the meeting on the trail that night. Testimony at the hearing centered on the timeline of Copeland’s disappearance, what witnesses said they saw, and the physical evidence presented in court. Prosecutors have said the manner of the killing supports their claim that it was planned, while defense attorneys have pushed to keep the case in juvenile court. The transfer hearing was focused on where the case should be tried, not on resolving every disputed fact.
For Copeland’s family, the court days have been another form of loss, with each witness and photograph bringing back the moment their daughter vanished. Michael Copeland said he wants answers, including whether anyone else was involved or failed to act. In the courtroom, the family listened as investigators and experts described the injuries and the scene. Outside the courthouse, the community has continued to mourn, with friends and classmates remembering Copeland as a lively, committed student who enjoyed cheerleading and other activities.
The case now stands at a new stage, with Harris transferred to adult court and held on a $4 million bond as prosecutors prepare the next steps. The next major milestone will be Harris’ first scheduled appearance in criminal court, where the judge will address procedure, future dates and the path toward trial.
Author note: Last updated February 27, 2026.