Meechaiel Khalil Criner, 17, has a short temper and would “snap” if you make him angry, according to his grandmother. Criner, an alleged homeless runaway, is being charged with first degree murder for the death of Haruka Weiser, 18, a first year theater and dance student at the University of Texas. Her lifeless body was found in Waller Creek on the Austin campus, which is near the Alumni Center and University of Texas’ iconic football stadium.
Another family member, Criner’s older sister, 23, tells ABC he is mentally ill, but incapable of committing murder. She said he is “not that crazy.”
“He’s slow on a lot of things. It takes him longer to pick up than the average person, but he’s not slow enough to say I’m going to kill this person and take her purse and carry it with me. No one is that slow. Meechaiel is not that slow. Meechaiel is not that crazy to do that.”
She is a law student who wishes to remain nameless even though she did a television interview.
Here are five things you need to know to understand Criner. .
- Meechaiel Criner has lived in foster care and since last August he had been living with his grandmother in Texarkana, Texas.
- His mother was a drug addict who committed suicide. Criner and his sister were juggled between their grandmother’s care and Child Protection Services (CPS).
- In a December 2014 interview with The Tiger Times, a student magazine at Texas High School, Criner claimed he was picked on because he had a heavy African accent.
- Criner entered foster care in the fifth grade and was subjected to institutional violence and said it was a “harsh time” and he realized people can be “mean and hateful.” His foster parent once locked him in a bathroom and threw him to the ground so hard he hurt his back.
- He admired his grandmother whom he describes as, “She’s a sweet person. She’s independent. My grandmother, she takes care of us. I’m always grateful to her.”
Weiser’s roommate, Sylvia, reported her missing when she didn’t see her the next day.
Firefighters recognized Criner, who was likely to be the suspect seen in campus security footage, riding a bike away from the scene and told police they had taken him to a homeless shelter Monday. This link provided the crucial clue that led to Criner’s eventual arrest.
The Austin police department released a statement saying, “We are certain the suspect we have in custody is responsible for the death of this beautiful young woman.”
