Josie Lou's Attacker Charged as an Adult

The 15-year-old who nearly beat Josie Lou Ratley to death outside of a middle school will be charged as an adult Broward County prosecutors announced Friday.

Wayne Treacy will be transferred to a different facility after spending the last three weeks in a juvenile detention center.

Ratley is recovering from the vicious beating she suffered at the hands of Treacy and recently awoke from the coma she had been in since March 17.

Treacy, a high school student, is accused of attacking Ratley at a bus stop outside of Deerfield Beach Middle School. He slammed the girl's head on the concrete sidewalk and repeatedly stomped and kicked the girl until a teacher finally pulled Treacy off his victim.

The attack was reportedly instigated by some text messages about Treacy's older brother, who had committed suicide outside his house.

Ratley, also 15, suffered severe brain damage and may never fully recover form her injuries, doctors have said.

The families of both teens have taken to the national airwaves to get out their side of the story, with both appearing on NBC's the Today show. Treacy's parents said their son was never a problem child, but the that the weight of his older brother's death may have been too much for him to bear. They said he "just snapped."

Ratley's family have released several pictures of the girl after the attack and since she regained consciousness.

Ratley's friend, 13-year-old Kayle Manson, was charged as an accomplice in the attack, but she will be tried as a juvenile. She allegedly pointed Ratley out to Treacy, who had never met the girl before.