District Judge Michael Faulkner ruled May 14 there was enough evidence to hold Jamie Lynn Silvonek, 14, and Caleb Barnes, 21, for trial in the March 15 death of Cheryl Silvonek, 54, of Upper Macungie Township.

The teen, who is being tried as an adult, is the daughter of Cheryl Silvonek who died as a result of multiple stab wounds to her neck.

Barnes is the teenager's Army boyfriend, who was stationed at Fort Meade, Md.

As the two defendants were escorted into the courthouse surrounded by deputy sheriffs and past an entourage of media photographers, Silvonek, wearing prison tan, buried her red and swollen face into her shackled hands.

Barnes, clad in prison blue, with his dark brown hair in a Mohawk cut, smiled with a wide grin.

Throughout the four-hour-long evidentiary hearing, Barnes appeared unaffected, whispering only a few times to his Public Defender Richard A. Webster.

When a photograph of the slain women's body was shown, by Senior Deputy District Attorney Jeffrey Dimmig, Barnes sat stoic and staring.

Silvonek managed a few small smiles to her attorney, John Waldron, throughout the proceedings.

Most of the time, however, she nervously bounced her right leg atop her toes, occasionally quietly sobbing, especially during the presentation of photos and the testimony of her best friend.

The difference in the demeanor of the defendants was as different as the stories they allegedly told while questioned at the South Whitehall Police Department.

Lehigh County Homicide Task Force Detective Richard Heffelfinger testified he was present during the query of both defendants and alleged both of their stories changed throughout the daylong interrogation.

David Silvonek, the deceased woman's husband; Silvonek and Barnes were taken to the station early March 15.

Each was Mirandized and separated to be independently interviewed, Heffelfinger testified.

David Silvonek's questioning was not the focus of the hearing and attention quickly turned to the statements made by the two defendants.

According to Heffelfinger, Silvonek's grandmother arrived at the station. She was asked and agreed to sit in the interview with her minor granddaughter.

"First, we gave them time to sit and talk," Heffelfinger said.

Heffelfinger testified he and South Whitehall Police Lt. Michael Sorrentino told Silvonek they were investigating a vehicle found in a suspicious area in the township.

Silvonek allegedly told the officers she and her mother had driven to Scranton for a concert March 14 and upon arriving home around 1 a.m. that morning, her mother left to buy some spinach, while Silvonek went inside to bed.

Silvonek alleged she was shaken awake in the middle of the night by Barnes who asked her where the nearest 24-hour store was located.

He then allegedly forced her to go to Walmart with him.

She allegedly told police Barnes then took her back home and subsequently disappeared, returning later and raping her in her bedroom.

Duringquestioning, detectives noted a broken nail, scratches to her arm and face, and dirt embedded in the interdigital webbed creases of her fingers.

Heffelfinger testified her story did not make sense.

"Her story did not match up to what I was seeing," he stated.

Heffelfinger stated he told Silvonek he did not believe her story.

According to Heffelfinger, at some point during the interview, the grandmother realized her daughter [Cheryl Silvonek] had been found dead and she left the room.

Heffelfinger said Silvonek was asked whether she wanted to continue and she allegedly replied she did.

Silvonek then allegedly gave a second account of the evening's events.

She allegedly said her mother drove her and Barnes to a concert in Scranton. While in the parking lot of the venue, her mother allegedly caught her and Barnes having sex in the car.

The pair then attended the concert after which they were driven back to the Lehigh Valley by Cheryl Silvonek to Chris' Diner in Upper Macungie Township, where the couple ate breakfast shortly after midnight.

According to Silvonek, her mother stayed in the car. Surveillance video shows them arriving at the diner at 12:06 a.m. and leaving at 12:47 a.m. March 15.

According to Heffelfinger's testimony, Silvonek then told investigators they drove back to her house and while pulling into the driveway she noticed Barnes advancing forward.

Silvonek allegedly said Barnes reached around from behind and began choking her mother.

A struggle ensued during which Silvonek said her mother honked the horn with her foot and begged for her life.

"Just take my daughter if you want her. Just take her. Let me live," Cheryl Silvonek allegedly said.

Silvonek allegedly described a period of "negotiations" during which Barnes punched her mother repeatedly before pulling out a knife and stabbing Cheryl Silvonek three times in the neck.

During questioning, Silvonek allegedly said at one point she touched Barnes on the back at which time he pulled back and nicked her with the knife.

The two then drove to Walmart and bought several items including bleach, gloves and a razor knife.

She said they then drove back to the Silvonek home and got into the van.

Barnes allegedly searched his phone GPS for a place to bury the body, Silvonek alleged during the interview.

According to Heffelfinger's testimony, Silvonek told authorities while they were moving the body they noticed someone with a flashlight in the distance.

When they finished burying Cheryl Silvonek's body, they got back in the car, returned the shovels to her garage, and dumped the minivan somewhere in a ditch along Applewood.

They returned home and washed their clothes, and that is when Silvonek alleged Barnes had non-consensual sex with her.

Caleb Barnes

Barnes was then interviewed in a separate area.

Heffelfinger was also present during the questioning of Barnes along with an Upper Macungie Police detective.

During the interview, Barnes' first story was short and simple.

According to Heffelfinger, Barnes allegedly drove to Pennsylvania from a friend's house in Alexandria, Va.

He arrived at the Silvonek home shortly before police arrived that morning, claiming he was never at the concert.

Barnes was observed to have scratches on his upper right forearm, chin and face with a mix of older scars and possibly some new scratches on his visible chest.

According to Heffelfinger he challenged Barnes' story.

"I told him we talked to Jamie and I believed he was lying," Heffelfinger testified, adding at that point his demeanor changed drastically.

"He looked angry...He just stared directly at me for five minutes," Heffelfinger said.

Barnes then allegedly gave his second version of events.

According to Heffelfinger, Barnes corroborated Silvonek's story that the three drove to a concert that night and ate breakfast at a diner.

However, in Barnes' statement he allegedly said upon returning to the home, Cheryl Silvonek got out of the car and went into the house, leaving him and Jamie Lynn in the car in the driveway.

A short time later, Cheryl Silvonek came back outside and caught the two having sex in the car.

According to Heffelfinger, Barnes allegedly said the woman became irate, calling Jamie Lynn names and hitting her.

Barnes allegedly tried to stop her and protect Jamie Lynn by scratching and hitting her mother, however, she was overpowering him and he stabbed her in the neck.

Heffelfinger testified Barnes essentially "threw himself on the sword" to protect Jamie Lynn Silvonek.

Barnes allegedly said she accompanied him to Walmart, but had nothing to do with any of it.

The autopsy on Cheryl Silvonek's body was conducted March 16 by Dr. Barbara Bollinger at the Lehigh County Forensic Center.

The report listed the cause of death as a homicide with sharp force injuries to the throat.

Cheryl Silvonek also sustained bruises to her forearm, the bridge of her nose, both eyes, temporal sides of the head, three gaping wounds to the throat, defense wounds on her hands, petechial hemorrhages and a broken hyoid bone.

Following the hearing, Waldron spoke with The Press.

"There just wasn't any motive on Jamie's part [to kill her mother] because her mom agreed to take them to the concert," Waldron said. "She convinced her mom to agree."

According to Waldron, his theory is Barnes found out Silvonek's age and realized he had sex with a 14-year-old, consensual or not.

If Cheryl reported him, it would jeopardize his Army career.

"It's a motive to kill her," said Waldron said.

According to Waldron, appearing in court was incredibly difficult for Silvonek and he prepared her as best he could.

"Her tears were real," he said. "For a 14-year-old girl, it was obviously very difficult."

Waldron said he is planning to file a petition to have Silvonek's case moved back to juvenile court.

"She is a child," Waldron told The Press after the hearing. "That is where this case belongs."