Both Fairview Township brothers accused of nearly killing a homeowner during a home burglary gone bad will be tried in adult court.

The younger of the two McGrady brothers, Zechariah, on Tuesday made an unsuccessful plea to have his case transferred to juvenile court.

Zechariah, 47 days from turning 18 when the crime allegedly occurred Sept. 20, has no previous court record. And his attorney, J.W. Hernandez Cuebas, argued that the punishment and treatment options available in juvenile court would better serve the needs of the community than the jail-time only option adult court could offer.

But Assistant District Attorney Ben Simon opposed the request, saying the crime was “egregious” and the impact to the victim and the community were significant.

Simon alleged Zechariah and 19-year-old Jeremiah McGrady planned the crime by gathering dark clothes, gloves and masks, an Airsoft pistol and a “Rambo” style 8-inch knife.

The pair broke into Adam Bell’s house on Olive Street in Karns City at a time when they reasonably believed people were in the house, Simon said. Bell, his wife and four young children were in the house asleep.

When the 34-year-old homeowner awoke and confronted the intruders, Zechariah allegedly pointed the Airsoft pistol at him.

And after Zechariah’s brother stabbed Bell numerous times causing life threatening injuries to his organs, lungs and his brain, Simon alleges Zechariah returned and “kicked the victim in the head.”

Both brothers are charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, theft, simple assault and reckless endangerment. Simon has filed the paperwork to hold one trial for both brothers.

In addition to the nature of the alleged crime, Butler County Judge William Shaffer said part of his decision to refuse to transfer the case to juvenile court was based on the impact on the victim.

Bell and his wife Jessica and a half dozen other spectators attended the hearing but did not speak.

Instead, they submitted an eight-page statement. In addition to the known details of the crime, the statement outlines how Jessica on the night of the crime awoke to her husband’s screams and ran to see the brothers still stabbing her husband.

The statement says Jessica ran to call emergency officials only to discover the family’s telephones had been stolen, forcing her to leave her home with her sleeping children inside to get help.

Although Bell lived through the night of the attack and numerous medical procedures that followed, his health, quality of life and ability to work were significant impacted, the statement says.

“(Zechariah) was adult enough to come into our home, knowing that we were there and adult enough to point a gun in Adam’s face yelling for him to get on the ground. Then he’s adult enough to face court here,” Simon quoted from the letter in court.

Zechariah McGrady, who has since turned 18, continues to be held without bail at the Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center in Ohio. However, the judge said Zechariah would be moved to the Butler County Prison after a bail hearing can be held.

Jeremiah is in Butler County Prison on $175,000 bail.