A Lawrence teen accused of stabbing his grandmother to death in December will face trial as an adult, a judge ruled Monday morning.

The teen, Jaered Long, 17, faces a single charge of first-degree murder. He was arrested after his 67-year-old grandmother, Deborah Bretthauer, was found dead in her apartment on Dec. 28 with what police called “obvious traumatic injuries.”

Long was 16 at the time and lived in the apartment at 1200 George Court with Bretthauer.

He was initially charged in juvenile court, but in March prosecutors filed a motion to charge him as an adult.

A two-day hearing in September featured a number of witnesses who spoke to Long’s past and current mental health, his behavior and the nature of Bretthauer’s death. After the hearing Douglas County District Court Judge Kay Huff took the matter under advisement.

On Monday Huff announced her decision to grant the prosecution’s motion to charge Long as an adult. Long appeared in court for the decision, dressed in black and bound at the ankles by shackles. He did not speak during the hearing.

Huff said she considered a number of factors when making her decision, including the seriousness of the offense, Long’s previous history and the rehabilitation resources that would be available to Long in either the adult or juvenile system.

“There is no more serious offense than first-degree murder,” Huff said.

She noted that Long has three criminal cases pending against him and that Pam Weigend, director of Douglas County Youth Services, where Long is currently being held, said if he is convicted as a juvenile she was unsure how Youth Services could help him.

Now that he will be charged as an adult, Long faces a life sentence if he is convicted. As a juvenile, he would have faced a maximum sentence of 60 months in prison or to the age of 22.

During the September hearing Lawrence Police Detective Jack Cross testified that Bretthauer had been stabbed with a bread knife dozens of times on her own bed. When he was interviewed later, Long reportedly told police he didn’t recall arguing with Bretthauer or being angry with her.

One of Long’s longtime therapists, Loraine Herndon, said during the hearing that in 2015 she asked Bretthauer, who would often sit in on Long’s sessions, to consider residential treatment because his abusive and threatening behavior was worsening.

Bretthauer said she would consider the residential treatment, but ultimately she never signed off on the idea.

It is not clear why Long was living with his grandmother.

Since his arrest in the homicide case, two additional felony battery charges have been filed against Long, Huff noted. And a third charge may also be filed.

During the September hearing three Douglas County Juvenile Detention Center corrections officers testified that Long assaulted them. One said Long threw a chair and hit him on the wrist. Another said Long kicked him in the groin and the third said Long punched him in the face.

Huff said she considered Cross’ and Herndon’s testimony, his mental health and criminal background as well as other evidence when considering the prosecutor’s motion.

The court will meet again Tuesday morning to discuss the ongoing details of the case.

Requests for the arrest affidavit in Long’s case regarding Bretthauer’s death were denied by Douglas County District Court.