8-Year-Old Calif. Girl Was Raped and Murdered in 2015. Will Her Killer Go Free?

Adrian Jerry Gonzalez was 15 when he lured 8-year-old Madyson "Maddy" Middleton into his parent’s apartment, then killed her in 2015

A 24-year-old California man who raped and murdered a young girl when he was 15 has appeared before a Santa Cruz County judge who will decide whether he will be released from prison, according to multiple news reports.

Adrian Jerry Gonzalez appeared in court for a probable cause hearing that began on Thursday, July 18, to determine whether he is still a high threat to the community, according to the Los Angeles Times, KSBW and KRON4.

Because he was convicted in juvenile court, a California law states that he could be eligible for release on parole when he turns 25 in October, the outlets report.

Authorities have said Gonzalez lured 8-year-old Madyson "Maddy" Middleton into his parent’s apartment, where he murdered her and then tossed her body into a trash container at their Santa Cruz apartment complex in 2015, PEOPLE previously reported.

Related: Teen Boy Lured 8-Year-Old Girl into Apartment, Murdered Her, Santa Cruz Police Chief Says

According to KRON 4, Gonzalez told police that he promised to give the girl ice cream if she went with him.

Maddy, a third-grade student, was last seen around on July 26, 2015 riding her white Razor scooter around her home at the Tannery Arts Center, an apartment complex and performance venue for low-income artists near the San Lorenzo River, local police said at the time.

She was reported missing by her mother an hour later and authorities frantically searched for her. But less than two days later, the girl’s body was found by police in a trash container, they said.

Gonzalez was arrested shortly after the discovery, police previously said, noting how they became suspicious when they saw him standing near the trash container watching the search.

“She knew him,” now-former Police Chief Kevin Vogel said during a press conference in 2015. “I think she had a reasonable amount of trust in him. We don’t think she was taken against her will.”

According to court documents cited by The Mercury News, Gonzalez beat and sexually assaulted Maddy before stabbing her and dumping her body into the trash container.

Gonzalez was initially charged as an adult with one count of murder with the special circumstance that he kidnapped and sexually assaulted Maddy, and other related criminal offenses, the L.A. Times reported. However, his case was halted in 2019 due to a law passed in California that bars 14 and 15-year-old offenders from being charged as an adult, according to the outlet.

In 2021, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to all charges in juvenile court and was subsequently sentenced to the maximum term, which is in effect until the age of 25, the L.A. Times reported.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

During a hearing on Monday, July 22, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Ashley Mowrey, testified that she interviewed Gonzalez, saying that he admitted to the crime being sexually motivated, KRON4 reports. Mowrey also recomended that he undergo a sex offender treatment program.

The hearing is expected to continue at the end of July.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.