ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI – Joshua Lee Keyzer, the 15-year-old accused of killing his 21-year-old cousin then stabbing their grandmother, had raped the younger woman, court records showed.

Allegan County Prosecutor Fred Anderson said charges have been upgraded against Keyzer to include felony murder and sexual assault.

The killing happened June 25 at 75-year-old Sharon Keyzer’s home in the 3000-block of 10th Street in Wayland Township.

The grandmother called 911. She was stabbed in the neck. Her granddaughter, Kassandra Keyzer, was killed in the basement.

Kassandra KeyzerFile photo 

When state police responded, troopers found the suspect, covered in blood, on the roof of the house. He was armed with a knife, police say.

He eventually lost his footing and fell to the ground.

Keyzer, who turns 16 in March, is being tried as an adult. He was originally charged with open murder and attempted murder. Now, he is also facing charges of felony murder and first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

The felony murder charge alleges that Keyzer killed his cousin while sexually assaulting her, records showed. The maximum penalty if convicted is life in prison without hope of parole.

The sexual assault charge alleges he raped her during the commission of murder or while the defendant was armed with a weapon, records showed. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life that can be imposed consecutively to another sentence.

The open murder charge includes first- and second-degree murder.

Keyzer, who was scheduled for a probable-cause hearing on Friday, has waived the hearing on all charges.

He was recently found competent to stand trial.

His cousin attended Aquinas College. She left a 2-year-old son, and had plans to be married.

John Agar covers crime for MLive/Grand Rapids Press E-mail John Agar: and follow him on Twitter at

Source: http://www.mlive.com/