A Life Term In Prison?

[TonyG]

That young kid in Florida who killed the little girl by trying a wrestling move he saw on TV is in adult jail for life.

I think something is wrong when this happens. Yes, the mother turned down a plea bargin, but life in adult jail. That's going to correct him?

 

[Countess DeWinter]

While I agree that rehabilitation is to be preferred...what about punishment?

 

[TonyG]

The boy should and must be punished. The plea bargain was for a 3yr term in juvenile jail and a 10 year probation. They should have taken it but they did not. I just don't understand what constituted the judge to order life in adult jail.

 

[Ambrosious]

TonyGam

He KILLED someone.

KILLED, DEAD. GONE. NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN.

Life in prison is too easy.

 

[Countess DeWinter]

I have to agree with Ambro on this one. There are some things you regret doing that you can take back. You can make restitution in some cases. But sometimes it's like jumping out of a plane. You may regret it all you want, but you can't take it back.

At least he's alive. That little girl isn't.

 

[Todd]

Re: TonyGam

He KILLED someone.

KILLED, DEAD. GONE. NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN.

Life in prison is too easy.

your gonna get in deep dodo for saying that, thats why i usually say that first.

on any account i agree

DEAD. GON. NO MORE. A Family hurt for life.

 

[Ally C]

It's hard for me to come up with a humanitarian answer when the world seems less than 'human' these days. For all those arguing on the boy's behalf the stock reply would be along the lines of "what if it had happened to you?" I'm not going to pass judgment, others in our respective societies have been empowered to do just that.

 

[bluntforcemama]

I'm thinking heavy psychiatry AND prison time.

 

[teresafannin]

The boy is 13 & weighs nearly 200 pounds. The girl was 6 & weighed barely 50 pounds. He knew it was wrong & he knew he was hurting her, she begged him to stop & he didn't. The parents of all of the children should be held partly responsible for leaving those kids unattended. The other children in the house heard that little girl cry & none of them went to get an adult. Why would a 12 year old boy want to play with such a little girl in the first place? That boy was expelled from school 15 times in the last years, he has been getting into fights while in juvenile hall, this is a mean kid. He isn't some tiny little kid. My fiancee is 6'1" & he weighs 160 pounds, this is a BIG, STRONG kid. My son at 17 was 6'1" & barely weighed 150 lbs. That boy's mother whining is making me ill, does she ever stop to think that her son killed a 6 year old? Where is the compassion for Tiffany? One more time, the killer gets the attention & the victim is overlooked. I know people think I am being harsh, but he needs to understand that he committed the ultimate crime. 3 years & then he is out free, that isn't justice, that breeds the attitude that I got away with it once, who is to say I won't get away with it again. As most of you know, I will live with the results of murder for the rest of my life, so I know what Tiffany's family is going through better than anyone.

 

[Nobody Special]

I don't blame the TV I blame the parent..She should be the one on trial I would say that the little boy would need help


Someone has to take the blame for something.I think the parents need to start blameing themselves its there fault that something like this happened...


E

 

[Nicole]

Re: TonyGam

He KILLED someone.

KILLED, DEAD. GONE. NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN.

Life in prison is too easy.

No Ambro, he didn't kill someone, he TORTURED a little girl, oh yes he deserves what he got. Yes a lifetime is prison will be hard, but so fucking what? The kid should have thought of that before he tortured that little girl to her death, did her screams not bother him? I mean please come on, how would you feel if it was your Daughter lay in the ground? Bet you wouldn't think it was to harsh then.

Teresa I agree, wholeheartedly agree with you, if you give him 3 years in Juvenile Detention, let him go and THINK that he will be rehabilitated, sadly you have another thing coming. The boy will think, "oh great that didn't take much at all, I killed someone and did that for it".

He needs to be paying for the crime he committed, and that wasn't just murder, it was out and out torture, and in my eyes, the Mother (yes I'm the Mother of a son), needs to pay some time too, not because she went for a sleep but, for not putting someone with half a brain in charge of such a young little girl. Anything could have happened ... and very sadly it did.

Throw him in there and never let him out again, because once in prison, and once he works at making himself a hell of a lot stronger, what will he do when he comes out?

I don't care how old you are, if you out and out kill someone, then you need to pay the price as an adult, because let the kids of today off with a crime like this and what will the kids of tomorrow think they can get away with?

 

[Laurel]

That young kid in Florida who killed the little girl by trying a wrestling move he saw on TV is in adult jail for life.

I think they should outlaw wrestling moves. And those godawful wrestling costumes, too. Who wears capes anymore?

 

[WriterDom]

1. Has the boy shown any remorse at all since the killing?

I watched the sentencing hearing and he was crying after it read. I can't say what was in his heart, but it appeared to me he was crying for himself and not for what did. I heard he has also attacked someone while in jail with a pencil.

 

[genderbender]

Complex issue

With three close friend working for Child Protective Services in the Bay Area, I hear some pretty gory stories about what happens inside fucked up families. What happened to that little girl is tragic and the boy definitely needs to face consequences. Yet I think its far to0 simple to paint the boy as a villain and celebrate the harsh punishment he received. A boy acting out like this kid apparently was doing is something more than a rotten kid. Without knowing any of the details, I have little doubt this kid comes from a fucked up environment none of us would wish to live in. I imagine there are a few on this board who could tell some harrowing stories about their childhood as well, so I don't want to suggest this situation is unique, or that the boy should be excused for his behavior. I'm simply suggesting that these situations are complex and that a blend of grief and compassion for the girl and her family, as well as forbearance toward the boy and his family is a healthier response. Let the court system sort this one out. They may not get it perfectly, but they'll come closer to a just response than vigilantes standing on the sideline.

 

[teresafannin]

My sister & I have followed this story for several months. I really think the only thing he is sorry about is that he got caught. Neither he nor his family has ever shown any remorse or sympathy for Tiffany's family. I can only base things on my personal experience, but the family of the man who murdered my son has NEVER shown any kind of sympathy to me & they knew how dangerous their brother was. They offered their sympathy to the minister of the church, but not to the families. The minister is a good man, but ultimately he didn't lose any of HIS children. No matter how much he cares for the people in his congregation, the 7 people who died that night were not his family. The boy & his family all need serious counseling & therapy, but if he gets off with no jail time, he will think that he beat the system & I would bet he will do something again. I really don't think people are having a vigilante reaction, we are just tired of seeing criminals get away with murder. This boy is a bully who has been in trouble for years, it is a shame that no one realized how serious things were getting until it was too late.

 

[*bratcat*]

sorry laurel...

 

[DarkAngel]

Yawn.........

Old and Boring News......

Yawn........

Back to......

Sleep.....


~DA~

 

[Laurel]

Re: sorry laurel...

but where the hell have you been living? they dont wear capes anymore...sheesh...

Whew! That's a relief...

On a tangent, why do they have juvenile punishments when they're constantly trying kids as adults?

 

[DarkAngel]

They are confused?

 

[*bratcat*]

at least you dont live in canada

 

[Blackbich]

To answer your question, Laurel, I think most states have some type of law on the books that allow juveniles to be sentenced as adults.

The only thing I have to say is...Where in the hell was this girl's mother? For that matter, where was the boy's mother? Doesn't anyone watch their children anymore?

I feel bad that the kid was never shown that his aggressive behavior was wrong and that it took the loss of a little girls' life before anyone paid any attention.

 

[genderbender]

...but the family of the man who murdered my son has NEVER shown any kind of sympathy to me & they knew how dangerous their brother was...

I'm sorry to hear that you've faced such a tragedy yourself. No wonder you would follow a case like this and hold such strong feelings about all of it. I was watching a mother wait patiently for her son to get in the back seat of her car as I sat listening to a news report on the radio this afternoon. Having submitted a post on this subject earlier the thought crossed my mind about how horrific it must be for a mother to suddenly lose a child. So much love is given by parent to child. It about the worst thing that can happen to a family, to lose a child to murder or accident. I hope you've received lots of support with your grief.

This boy is a bully who has been in trouble for years, it is a shame that no one realized how serious things were getting until it was too late.

And you're right how sad it is the boy never received the attention he so clearly needed. The whole situation is tragic, with sorrow enough for everyone close to these two families.

 

[teresafannin]

Hello gender bender, thank you. Cases like this hit very close to home for me. The man who murdered my son had emotional problems starting in his teens. No one ever did anything to try to get him help, in all fairness, the way Texas law reads, it is very difficult to get help for someone who is seriously mentally ill. My son was only 17 & what happened to him will haunt me forever. I have a wonderful family & have recieved a lot of support. There was quite a bit of news coverage in Texas about what happened to us & I still get mail from people who just want to let me know they haven't forgottne about us. I was the textbook example of a cookie baking, Cub Scout, PTA mom & I loved the years I had with Justin. The thought that Tiffany, like Justin, will never graduate High School, will never get married, I will never be a grandmother is something that I will never totally recover from. No family should ever bury a child, it is totally unnatural. This case is a tragedy for everyone, but after hearing the boy's mother on tv, I have very little sympathy for her. At the least, she is terribly neglectful & I wonder how the children in both families are doing.The other children witnessed a terrible thing that night & none of them will ever be the same. No one whose life is touched by something like this will ever be the same. Take care.

[Edited by teresafannin on 03-12-2001 at 08:50 PM]

 

[Purple Haze]

I'll take the unpopular opinion that the parents are at fault for unleashing pieces of shit on the world and society. You can point fingers at television, movies, music, computers, anything you want. The reason children act the way they do is because they are allowed to. Send mother to jail with him because she created him and allowed him to be a totally worthless piece of human shit.

 

[Purple Haze]

And find his Father too.