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More handpicked essays just for you.
The process of adolescence
The process of adolescence
The process of adolescence
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“Babyface Killers: Horrifying True Stories of America's Youngest Murderer” The book “Babyface Killers: Horrifying True Stories of America's Youngest Murderer” by Clifford L. Linedecker describes the terrible event that took place on October 1, 1997, at Pearl High School. Luke Woodham was a student whom no one was really friends with. Woodham was often teased and was left alone to deal with his parent separation. Woodham later was talked into joining a cult. This Cult was known as Kroth and Woodham became a part of it because he wanted to feel accepted. The cult life was okay at first, but then Woodham’s cult buddies began to demand he do anything to prove himself. The cult insisted Woodham needed to take revenge on his ex girlfriend. Woodham …show more content…
Woodham had two trials, one for the murder of his mother and the other for the school shooting. During both trials Woodhams attorney attempted to show Woodham was insane during the killings, but both times the jury denied the insanity defence. In the trial for Woodham’s mother the jury found Woodham guilty and he was sentenced to life in prison. During his second case, the school shooting, Woodham faced two murder charges and seven attempted murder charges. For the attempted murder of seven people Woodham received seven twenty year sentences. For the murder of Christina and Lydia, Woodham was sentenced with two life …show more content…
The book does not discuss what the members of the cult were charged with. When googling the case, I found the cult members were charged with conspiracy. 1. A person commits conspiracy with another if, with the intent to promote or facilitate the commission of a crime which is an aggravated misdemeanor or felony, the person does either of the following: a. Agrees with another that they or one or more of them will engage in conduct constituting the crime or an attempt or solicitation to commit the crime. b. Agrees to aid another in the planning or commission of the crime or of an attempt or solicitation to commit the crime. The cult member would have been changed with conspiracy because the cult helped Woodham plan the school shooting. Even though the cult members were charged with conspiracy the charges were later dropped. The judge dropped charges at the request of the district attorney. The district attorney asked for it to be dropped because Mississippi’s conspiracy law was so hard to
It started as any ordinary day at Fowler Middle School, kids laughing and learning. But, at 8:51 AM, a classroom of students walked into a horrifying scene. Marilyn Tokzulott’s second-period class found their teacher dead on the floor behind her desk, murdered. Despite the many suspects, one stands out above all. Billy Plummer, the boyfriend of the victim's daughter, committed this murder. It is clear that the murderer was Mr.Plummer because of involvement in previous conflicts with Mrs. Tokzullot, presence at the crime scene and access to the murder weapon.
“William Henry Furman, a twenty-six-year-old black man with a sixth grade education, was not what most people called a “bad” man,” (Herda 7). Furman was just laid off of his job and was struggling to find work. But there was none. Every job did not pay enough, or was a short term job. Eventually, depressed, hungry, and broke, Furman turned to breaking and entering and to petty thievery by means of survival. Furman was caught a few times and was given a light sentence. He was also examined by a psychiatrist and was determined to be mentally impaired, but not enough to go to a mental institution. But on August 11, 1967, Furman went to rob the house of twenty-nine-year-old William Joseph Micke, Jr. with his wife and five young children. When searching through the house, Furman made too much noise, which alerted Micke. Furman heard Micke walking down the stairs and pulled out his gun that he used for scaring people away. But Micke kept walking downwards. Not wanting to be caught, Furman tried to run away and tripped over an exposed cord. His gun discharged. The bullet ricocheted to the back door. On the other side, a body fell to the floor. William Joseph Micke Jr. was dead. “The police responded to the call quickly and, within minutes, they had apprehended Furman just down the street from the scene of the crime. The murders weapon was still in his pocket,” (Herda 9). Furman tried to plead guilty by insanity and the psychiatrists described him as legally insane. But then, several days later one of the psychiatrists revised their medical opinion. Because he was not insane, the case would go on. The state of Georgia charged him with murder and issued the death penalty. This was because Georgia state law stated that any form of murder is...
On Bloodsworth’s appeal he argued several points. First he argued that there was not sufficient evidence to tie Bloodsworth to the crime. The courts ruled that the ruling stand on the grounds that the witness evidence was enough for reasonable doubt that the c...
The book Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known as the Jeff Davis 8?, written by independent journalist and private investigator Ethan Brown, tells the horrific true story of the bayou town of Jennings, Louisiana located in the heart of the Jefferson Davis parish. During the four year duration between 2005 and 2009, the town of Jennings was on edge after the discovery of the bodies of eight murdered women were found in the filthy canals and swamps. The victims became known as the “Jeff Davis 8.” For years, local law enforcement suspected a serial killer, and solely investigated the murders based on that theory alone. The victims were murdered in varying manors, but when alive they all shared many commonalities and were connected to
Michael Kirk and Peter J. Boyer. (2000, January 18). The killer at Thurston High. May 5, 2010, by FrontLine: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/kinkel/etc/script.html
He adds that Willingham writes poetry and draws. By including this it adds more humanistic characteristic to a man who had otherwise been stripped of his mortality and soul by those who have deemed him a sociopath. This allows readers to sympathize with him and makes readers contemplate how can a man that writes and draws possibly kill his own flesh and blood. He continues with his case when he adds the bit where Willingham found out that his appeal was denied. Grann includes that they did not even give an explanation because they deliberated in secret and they didn’t even have to review Willingham’s materials. It gives the reader a sense of anguish for Willingham regarding the fact that the board has no set of specific criteria to judge him on. This was the last leg Willingham was on and it seemed like his life wasn 't taken seriously by the board. It reveals how flawed this system is. Grann mentions that Willingham even tried to study law in order to effectively defend his case. This gives the reader a sense that Willingham is trying to prove his innocence to the best of his ability rather than giving
Charles Mason, the leader of "The Manson Family" cult, is an ideal example of social deviancy. In Manson’s earlier years of life he engaged in many deviant acts/crimes; but, he’s infamous for being the leader of the cult responsible for the murders of Sharon Tate and Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit these murders, which were carried out by members of “the family”. Tate, her unborn child, and four others were murdered on August 9, 1969 by four members of cult. The next night, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were killed in their home. Charles Manson was found guilty January 25, 1971 and was sentenced to death March 29, 1971. Before his sentence could be carried out, the death penalty was abolished in California, so he is now serving a life sentence. Charles Manson has been called the “most dangerous man” and the “devil”. Charles Manson was an icon in the late 1960’s and is still a very well-known person today.
Following the arrest on January 8th of 1992 the trial began August 18, 1992. The state had two factors that played a part in trial. One being Johnny Everett Webb a fellow inmate, with Cameron Willingham in Navarro County Jail. The second major factor being testimonies from investigators Vasquez and Frogg on what they believed happened that night. The prosecutors believed that Cameron willingly tried to murder his children by setting his home on fire. Cameron Willingham never changed his story and always seemed to be innocent. Willingham was found guilty on the grounds of the testimony that the forensic experts gave at court because a former inm...
...psychological offenses, the people that belong to their cults are brainwashed into doing things they wouldn't normally do in their right state of mind. Cult leaders used various ways of molding a follower's mind and brainwashing them to do things for them. Some cult leaders used punishments as a way of breaking the follower's that were resistant to their demands. Others used and perfected the art of persuasion. Either way, the mind of their followers or 'family' are in total control of the leader.
The panic and fear of cult activity in our country seems to continue to grow with the more unbelievable stories that hit the news. The first big news event that was cult related occurred in 1969. Five dead bodies were found by the maid at 10050 Cielo Drive. Beautiful actress Sharon Tate who was pregnant at the time, and her friends Steven Earl Parent, Abigail Folger, Voytek Frykowski, and...
The crowded courtroom was absolutely silent as the 12 all white and all men took their seats at the jury box. Chief Justice Albert Mason, one of the presiding judges in the murder case, asked Charles I. Richards, the foreman, to rise. Mr. Richards was asked to read the verdict. “Not guilty”, replied the foreman. Even though the circumstantial and physical evidence pointed to Lizzie Borden guilty of killing her step-mother and father, the all-male jury, men of some financial means, could not fathom that a woman who is well bred and a Sunday school teacher could possibly commit such a heinous crime (Linder 7).
A serial killer is a person who murders three or more people over a period of more than 30 days, with a "cooling off" period between each murder, and whose motivation for killing is largely based on psychological gratification. Most people do not understand what can make a person want to kill multiple people for no reason other than own satisfactional gain. In actuality serial killers have been studied for over hundreds of years, and the information that has been documented continues to grow. The research that I have gathered about serial killers focuses on their childhood development, the differences and similarities between men and female serial kills, and finally general information on how their brains operate and their motives for committing such harmful acts.
On the evening of May 5, 1993, three boys from West Memphis, Arkansas, were last seen riding their bikes together. In the early evening, Chris Byers' stepfather, John Mark Byers, reported that his stepson had not come home and he was becoming worried. The police were also notified of two other boys who had been with Chris and were considered missing, Michael Moore, and Stevie Branch. The police and the parents of the missing children searched the neighborhood unsuccessfully until 3AM the next morning. The bodies of the three eight year old boys were discovered in a wooded area in Robin Hood Hills the next day at 1:30 PM. The boys had been hog-tied and severely beaten. Their naked bodies were located in a shallow creek in an isolated patch of woods behind the Blue Beacon truck wash. However, the question that remains until this day is whether justice was served in this case. Perhaps you are not familiar with the West Memphis Three, otherwise known as the Robin Hood Hill Murders. Most people would not of heard of this case unless they were citizens of the small town; however, HBO produced a documentary, "Paradise Lost," which graphically showed this case in a different light. This Peabody Award winning documentary brought the story of this crime and its aftermath into the national spotlight in 1996. The implication it left was that satanic panic, public hysteria and media sensationalism was responsible for the convictions in the case, not solid evidence. This is a shattering account of what a fundamentalist community in the south can accomplish toward the blatant destruction of American justice.
When reading your forum I was very pleased and informed by the information given in your forum response. One reason I choose to do a response if because I saw South Carolina in your response. I was born in Savannah, Georgia but moved to Hardeeville South Carolina. Any time I see someone mention South Carolina I’m always interested in learning. The issued that you talked about that happen in Charleston, South Carolina was really melancholy and depressing. Knowing that anytime that could have been one of my family members in that church is nerve wrecking. For someone to do such a crime to innocent people who you don’t know is cruel. I guess while he was growing up and learning is about his own identity and imitating
John Hinckley’s trial ended in 1982 with the verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. About a year before, Hinckley shot Ronald Reagan because he was infatuated with the famous actress Jodie Foster. He thought shooting Reagan would impress her and lead her to fall in love with him. After the verdict was announced, the public responded with dismay because they felt as though Hinckley should pay for what he had done. Following the uproar, the United States revised and limited the insanity plea with the hopes that fewer people would use it or actually receive the verdict (Hans). While on trial for any type of crime, the defendant always has the opportunity to plea not guilty by reason of insanity. However, after entering that plea, he or she has to go through extensive testing to determine whether or not insanity is truly present. Throughout this country, varying views concerning the insanity plea exist. Some believe the insanity plea should be restored to what it had been previously while some believe it works just fine now, and others think it should be abolished all together.