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From left, Joseph Cowan, Cedric Cowan, Cortez Mitchell and Amani Goodwin

(Decatur police)

Four young Decatur residents, including three teenagers, who were "having a good time" when they killed two men, robbed others and shot into homes will be tried as adults.

Joseph Cowan, 22, Cedric Cowan, 17, Amani Goodwin, 18, and Cortez Mitchell, 18, were denied youthful offender status in orders released today by Morgan County Circuit Judge Jennifer Howell. The two Cowans are brothers.

The four are charged with capital murder in the May 2015 killings of Antonio Hernandez-Lopez and Joshua Davis in Decatur. The killings were part of a crime spree that included six armed robberies and two shootings into homes in the southwest quadrant of the city.

"After careful consideration, it is ordered that the defendant's application for youthful offender status is denied," Howell wrote in orders to each of the four suspects. A hearing was held in September for Howell to hear arguments on granting the status.

When the alleged crimes occurred, Joseph Cowan was 20, Cedric Cowan and Mitchell each were 16, and Goodwin was 17.

Any defendant under 21 years of age at the time of an alleged crime can apply for youthful offender status. Courts typically consider things like criminal history, mental state, age, childhood experiences, seriousness of offense and role in the alleged crimes, when using their broad discretion to determine who is granted youthful offender status.

When granted, youthful offender status seals any further court records associated with the case and carries a sentence of no more than three years, no matter which crimes were committed.

Because the four were denied youthful offender status, the older Cowan, Joseph, faces either life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty, if convicted. Those are the only sentencing options for capital crimes in Alabama.

However, the Supreme Court has prohibited the state from putting the other three defendants to death because they are juveniles.

The Court also has ruled there must be more than one sentencing option; therefore, the teens likely would face either life without parole or life with the possibility of parole, if convicted.

The group's four-day crime spree began on May 13, 2015 with multiple robberies in the park behind Julian Harris Elementary School on McAuliffe Drive Southwest. Three teens were robbed of jewelry, mobile phones, car keys and wallets.

A photo taken in the Decatur High School lunchroom using one of the stolen phones was the break in the investigation that led detectives to charge the four suspects.

"Detective (Mike) Burleson received information that one of the victims in the case, who had his cell phone stolen, had purchased a new phone," according to court records. "In the process of syncing his new phone with iPhone cloud service, the victim noticed an unknown male in a picture that had been taken the day after the robbery."

It turns out Mitchell took that photo and implicated himself, the Cowan brothers and Goodwin in several of the crimes, police said. Goodwin and the younger Cowan reportedly were students at Austin High.

Hernandez-Lopez's body was found lying under the carport at his Albert Street Southwest home when police responded to a 911 call on May 15, two days after the Julian Harris robberies.

A friend who lived at the home told police through a Spanish translator that he and Hernandez were smoking cigarettes and drinking beer when the group of men showed up, armed with guns. The victims were made to lie face down on the ground as the suspects robbed them. Hernandez' friend said he ran for his life when he heard shots being fired; he ran to his boss' house and reported the shooting.

Joshua Davis and Antonio Hernandez-Lopez

On May 16, officers discovered Davis' body in Wilson Morgan Park when a man reported finding it in a picnic area under the pavilion.

Mitchell later implicated the older Cowan, Joseph, as the shooter.

For a detailed timeline of the crimes reported during the spree, click here.

The suspects each are charged with three counts of capital murder.

If convicted, the four also face up to life in prison for each of six counts of first-degree robbery, a Class A felony.

They each face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of one of two shooting into an occupied dwelling charges, which is a Class B felony. The second charge, a Class C felony, is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

The killings were the first homicides in the city of about 55,000 residents in nearly two years. The last one reported was in August 2013.

"They seemed to just be going around thinking they were having a good time," Decatur police Capt. Nadis Carlisle told reporters during a news conference to announce the charges on May 17, 2015.

The four will be arraigned Dec. 19 at 10 a.m. At that time, the defendants will enter their pleas of guilty or not guilty. The defense also has the option to plead not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

A hearing on pending motions is scheduled for March 24, 2017 at 10 a.m.