A courtroom packed with family members watched Thursday as two teens were charged with premeditated murder in the May 17 deaths of a mother and her 5-year-old daughter in North Platte.

Lincoln County Sheriff Jerome Kramer said more than 40 family members of both the victims and the suspects were in the court as the charges were read Thursday morning.

Alisha Ochoa, 15, and Michael Grandon are each charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the slayings of Ochoa’s mother, Lori Solie, 38, and Tiara Solie, 5. Ochoa is Lori Solie’s daughter from a previous marriage; Tiara was Ochoa’s half sister.

Authorities were seeking proof of Grandon’s age to determine whether prosecutors could seek the death penalty against him.

Authorities had said Grandon is 18 years old. But his arrest records list him as 17 and as 18. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that no one under 18 may be executed.

Grandon was also charged with two counts of weapons violations. It was not immediately clear why only Grandon faces the weapons charges.  Lincoln County Attorney Jeff Meyer could not be reached for comment.

Ochoa and Grandon showed little emotion as the charges were read, Kramer said.

“I think they’re just trying to absorb everything they are being accused of,” he said.

According to the Associated Press, security was unusually tight at the courthouse, which was locked down during the hearing.  A sharpshooter was stationed on the roof and both Grandon and Ochoa were wearing bulletproof vests when taken into the courtroom.

Both suspects will be tried as adults. Ochoa was a freshman at North Platte High School this past school year. Grandon would have been a senior, but dropped out before the school year began.

They were arrested May 18 near Rock Springs, Wyo., after they crashed Lori Solie’s stolen Mustang into a Wyoming Highway Patrol cruiser.

Kramer said the two were returned Wednesday to North Platte and are now in the Lincoln County Jail, both without bond.

Ochoa was not allowed to attend the funerals Thursday afternoon of her mother and half sister.

Lincoln County Judge Kent Turnbull said he feared for her safety and that of those attending the services.

Reach Drew Kerr at (402) 473-7223 or dkerr@journalstar.com. The Associated Press contributed to this story.