A Lawrence teenager was convicted on Thursday of murdering his grandmother and attacking two corrections officers.

Just days before his murder trial was scheduled to begin, Jaered Long pleaded no contest on Thursday to one felony count of second-degree murder and two felony counts of battery on a law enforcement officer.

Long was arrested in December 2015 after his 67-year-old grandmother, Deborah Bretthauer, was found dead in her apartment with “obvious traumatic injuries.”

Jaered Long

Long was 16 at the time of his arrest and lived in the apartment at 1200 George Court with Bretthauer. He was originally charged in juvenile court.

Since then, however, Long has turned 18. Before his birthday in January, Douglas County District Court Judge Kay Huff granted a motion from prosecutors to try him as an adult for first-degree murder.

Huff said the seriousness of the reported offense and Long’s history were factors in her decision. She also considered what rehabilitative resources might be available to Long either in the adult or juvenile systems, she said.

During the hearings held to determine if Long should be tried as an adult or a juvenile, Pam Weigand, director of Douglas County Youth Services, where Long was held, said she was unsure how Youth Services could help him if he were convicted as a juvenile.

The two felony battery charges were filed against Long after his arrest. While an inmate with Youth Services, Long reportedly attacked two corrections officers.

Long is also accused of attacking a third corrections officer, but no criminal charges have been filed regarding that allegation.

As a part of his plea in the murder case, Long agreed to plea no contest to the battery charges. He also agreed that the battery charges would be moved up to adult court, even though he was originally charged as a juvenile.

During a hearing in September 2016, then-Lawrence Police Detective Jack Cross — who has since retired — testified that Bretthauer had been stabbed with a bread knife dozens of times in her own bed. During a police interview, Long reportedly said he didn’t remember arguing with his grandmother or being angry with her.

Later in that same hearing one of Long’s longtime therapists testified that she had asked Bretthauer — who would frequently sit in on her grandson’s sessions — to consider residential treatment for his worsening abusive and threatening behavior.

Ultimately, Bretthauer never signed off on the idea.

Once his no-contest pleas were entered on all three felony counts, Huff convicted Long of the charges and scheduled him to be sentenced on June 5.

Long could face a maximum of more than 54 years in prison for the second-degree murder charge and more than 11 years in prison for each of the battery charges. He is currently being held in the Douglas County Jail.