KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Two people pleaded guilty in the death of 15-year-old Zach Munday on Thursday. Isaiah Brooks, 18, and Chelsea Hopson, 18, appeared in criminal court.
Brooks pleaded guilty to reckless homicide and Hopson pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact in Munday's death.
Prosecutor Kevin Allen walked the court through what is believed to have happened that day from several witness accounts, some of which he said suggest there was a period when those around Munday contemplated whether or not to take him to the hospital.
Emergency authorities were eventually called at 12:11 p.m. the next day. According to Allen, the surgeon who operated on Munday said he would have survived if someone brought him to the hospital sooner.
"We just want people to realize that, you know, these kids are going out partying and stuff and we don't know who they're with,” Munday's mother Jeanne Boger-Munday said.
In light of this, local trauma therapist Melissa Rose said it's always a good idea to remind teens just how important it is to contact an adult if something bad happens.
"Making sure your kid knows hey you're getting older, you're gonna start going to sporting events, maybe some vulnerable situations, here's how you should respond," Rose said.
A big part of that conversation she said is acknowledging dangerous situations can happen and there may be moments where you have to act.
"I think there is a way they can give them that info and say, 'Hey, I know sometimes this may feel uncomfortable or you may not want to tell me or reach out to someone, but it is really important in some situations,'" she said.
She said that dialogue can look different for some families, and that's okay.
"I've even heard of some parents kind of giving a code word to their kids. You don't have to say much more than, 'Hey, I need help,'" Rose said.
Rose said while many parents have these conversations often, it is important to keep having them as kids get older.
"Definitely go over those things every single time, you probably think they know how to respond, and maybe they do, but sometimes it's good just to reiterate," she said.