A Canadian teenager charged in a Florida double murder which left his older brother dead has had his case put over to the new year.
Marc Wabafiyebazu is expected to return to court on Feb. 4.
A source familiar with the proceedings says his lawyers are trying to negotiate a plea bargain and the case is being reviewed by senior officials in the state attorney's office.
The 15-year-old, originally from Ottawa, is the son of longtime diplomat Roxanne Dube, Canada's former consul general to Miami.
He has pleaded not guilty to felony first-degree murder.
Wabafiyebazu has been in adult custody since March 30, when his older brother Jean, 18, and another teen were killed.
Police allege Wabafiyebazu confessed that he and his brother had gone to rip off a drug dealer, but the armed robbery went sour.
While the prosecution does not allege Wabafiyebazu shot or even threatened anyone, Florida law allows for the felony murder charge if he was part of the armed robbery that resulted in the killings.
Surveillance video shows that he remained outside the drug dealer's residence until he heard the gun shots and ran inside to see what happened.
Wabafiyebazu could face life behind bars if convicted.
At a court hearing late last month, however, a prosecutor told a Miami court that Wabafiyebazu had successfully passed the physical and psychological evaluations to be admitted to boot camp.
A plea deal that involves boot camp would help the teen avoid a lengthy prison term.
Boot camp is essentially a four-month military program in which participants go through physical drills and school programs six days a week, and would occur in a prison with other juveniles. Visitors are prohibited for the duration, but a phone call is allowed 30 days after admission and each month after.
If he were to complete the program successfully, the teen would likely spend two months doing "trade'' work before being released to his mother under probation-like conditions.
A spokesman for the state attorney's office has stressed that no agreement has been reached on the matter.
Earlier this fall, Johann Ruiz-Perez, 21, and Anthony Rodriguez, 19, agreed to testify against Wabafiyebazu in exchange for the withdrawal of the murder charges they faced in the deaths of Jean Wabafiyebazu and 17-year-old Joshua Wright.
Both pleaded guilty to drug-related charges and were sentenced to 364 days in county jail, participation in a boot-camp program, and five years probation.
