One of the teenagers responsible for beating a Holly Hill homeless man to death asked a judge to reduce his 22-year prison sentence Monday. Warren Messner and three other teens pled guilty to killing the man because they were bored, but Messner said prison is too hard.
Messner is a big boy. He was 15 at the time he was brought into the woods to see the homeless man his friends had been beating. Even at that young age, he outweighed the victim, Michael Roberts, by 200 pounds when he jumped on his chest, crushing his ribcage. Roberts died.
“Did you feel bad when you are doing it?” Messner was asked during questioning.
“Not really, no,” he replied.
“I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die…”
Messner and his attorney said he has already learned his lesson and is ready to go home to help others.
“I want to be an inspirational speaker for troubled teens,” he said Monday.
Messner got the lightest sentence of the four boys. Teens Jeffrey Spurgeon, Justin Stearns and Christopher Scamahorn got 27 to 35 years. They all cut plea deals to avoid life in prison.
The state attorney said that’s as much leniency as they should get and the judge agreed.
“I can’t think of some reason to change the sentence. I’m going to deny the motion,” said the Hon. Joseph Will.
The judge and the state both argued that being deprived services and being locked away is precisely the point of prison. Warren Messner will spend the next 22 years in prison without the chance for parole.
Drop him off in Pakistan I’m sure they’ll help him out.
Yeah just what we need, a dumbass being an inspirational speaker for troubled teens. Darwin please weed the farm.
I hope that twit becomes some bigger guy’s “prison bride”. I think 22 years isn’t enough and that he got off easy with his sentence.
At 15 society doesn’t accept he is old enough to make a mature decision. He can’t vote, drive a car, join the Army, quit school, or even have sex in most states. Yet if he commits a crime, suddenly he is old enough to realize what he is doing. A little inconsistent, but what the hell, it is America.
I am really sorry he is doing hard time though. It must be really rough not being able to hang around the corner or at the Mall. He can’t play his Game Boy. His internet access is curbed. Shoot, he can’t even wear his favorite threads. Wow, man, life is a bitch sometimes. And when those guys in the big house say “life is a bitch”, they aren’t just making idle conversation.
4. “Yet if he commits a crime, suddenly he is old enough to realize what he is doing.”
Does it really matter if he knew what he was doing? When a dog kills someone we put him down and the issue of whether he knew what he was doing never comes up.
There are some instances where people are simply so dangerous, they have have absolutely no concern about life or property, that the only solution is to keep them from doing it again. And that means locking them up.
His incarceration has nothing to do with rehabilitation. It’s all about keeping him away from future victims.
His incarceration has nothing to do with rehabilitation. It’s all about keeping him away from future victims.
In some cases, I agree with you.
Still, that has NOTHING to do with simply declaring these kids to be adults and treating them such, including throwing them into adult jails.
Senior Fusion is 100% correct on that one (as usual.)
6. “Still, that has NOTHING to do with simply declaring these kids to be adults and treating them such, including throwing them into adult jails.”
Read the article he is not being treated as an adult nor was he thrown in an adult jail.
Instead of a prison, I’d put him in a labor camp. He’ll cook and knit for the homeless all day until his fat ass falls asleep. Child labor laws can kiss my ass…
8. I vote for Major Jizz’s idea!
22 years is light for murder. If he wants out I say we let we him out. Right after a few minutes in the electric chair. I prefer murders extra crispy. I’m sure he would be an inspiration to troubled teens, show them a video of him going snap crackle and pop with 2300 volts ‘rehabilitating’ him along with his friends. Buckle up tubby, I’ll supply the Crisco.
Best quote in the whole article:
“The judge and the state both argued that being deprived services and being locked away is precisely the point of prison.”
I’m sorry, I have no sympathy for the kid. Being a minor, not being old enough to drink, vote, or have the honor of serving in the country’s military has no bearing whether he should know the difference between right and wrong. He knew exactly what he was doing jumping on the homeless man’s chest, and he had no remorse for it at all. He was bored, in his own words. And yes, he’s not in a maximum security prison, he’s in juvi. I’m sure he’ll be moved to actual pound-me-in-the-ass prision when he turns 18 (happy birthday, now bend over and get that soap for me, junior), which is probably what he’s more afraid of. You think it’s hard now, buddy, wait until you meet Rocco in block C-13.
#4
Yup, expecting a 15 year old to know that killing a man is unacceptable is completely reasonable, even in America.
He drives a car at that age he’s breaking the law and I’m betting he knows that.
He joins the army and found to be underage, he’s booted out. Whats the problem with that?
He has sex underage, he gets himself or someone else in trouble depending on his sex partners age. These laws are meant to punish child predators and prevent unwanted pregnancies. Whats the problem with that?
I seriously doubt he is in the ‘Big House’ as he is a minor. He will most likely transition to the ‘Big House’ when he turns 18 or 21 while serving his sentence for killing a man. Then it could be that ‘Life’s A Bitch’ indeed.
Another little inconsistent analogy, but what the hell, it is Mr. Fusion.
happy birthday, now bend over and get that soap for me, junior
What defect in your upbringing makes you find rape amusing?
happy birthday, now bend over and get that soap for me, junior
What defect in your upbringing makes you find rape amusing? Did your mom make a lot of jokes about it or something?
Read the article he is not being treated as an adult nor was he thrown in an adult jail.
My bad.
That’s not the case much of the time, though.
#5, Does it really matter if he knew what he was doing?
Yes. We can not claim he is culpable if we also claim he is immature. A person is not a dog.
There are some instances where people are simply so dangerous, … And that means locking them up.
You are very correct and I, uncomfortably, agree.
His incarceration has nothing to do with rehabilitation.
And that is what is so wrong about this. The kid obviously has anti-social tendencies. Leave him in prison to nurture those tendencies and we will have a full blown psychotic on our hands in another 21 years. To deny him any chance of rehabilitation is as wrong as what he did. Not only will society as a whole lose a potential productive member, but he will end up spending the rest of his life in jail, at society’s expense. At his age his mental state is still forming. Don’t mold it into something we don’t want.
I agree he should be put away. What he did was heinous. Knowing what he did makes me want to scream for revenge. He is, however still a kid and should be treated as a kid and helped. Maybe he is beyond redemption, I don’t know. He shouldn’t be just written off though.
“He shouldn’t be just written off though.”
He’ll be out when he’s 37. At that time he’ll be given a second chance.
Mr Fusion, you might think differently if the victim was someone in your family.
This line pretty much convinced me, the sentence imposed was correct.
Did you feel bad when you are doing it?” Messner was asked during questioning.
“Not really, no,” he replied
Jail is right where he belongs.
Imagine the same scenario, except the 15 year old goes into the woods to see a stray dog his friends have been beating. He jumps on the chest of the dog and kills it. No remorse, no regrets… a disturbing disregard for life.
There is no difference in the threat the 15 year old is to society and what the kid is capable of, but he goes free. The whole penal/legal system is out of whack… from liability to murder.
One of the reasons minors do not & should not drive is that they do not know what responsability is to drive a car because YOU CAN KILL SOMEONE WITH A CAR.
He already did the later so, in the “unfareness” way of thinking, he can now drive a car because he already killed someone. Can’t go worse than that, can he?