A teenager was charged yesterday by the Kandal Provincial Court with murdering her 9-year-old neighbour for $28 dollars’ worth of jewellery.

Investigating Judge Kim Meng charged 16-year-old Oeurn Sopheap with “intentional murder with aggravating circumstances in relation to victims”, before sending her to Kandal Provincial Prison for pre-trial detention.

If found guilty, Sopheap could face up to 30 years in prison.

Sopheap is accused of luring 9-year-old Keat Seavly into an Ang Snuol district rice paddy on Friday afternoon, where she allegedly strangled her to death before stealing her gold earrings and a platinum ring.

According to a report by the district police, following the murder, Sopheap sold the jewellery for 110,500 riel (about $28) “before returning home as normal”.

Seavly’s body was discovered at about 7pm on Saturday. Sopheap was arrested later that night.

The day after her arrest, Kandal province deputy police chief Roeun Nara said Sopheap accompanied officers to the rice paddy where she showed them where and how the attack took place.