Twenty year old Travion Smith and two other men broke into the home of a 30 year old mother and beat her to death. They then burglarized her home.That happened three years ago. He is now twenty three years old. He is on trial in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has been found guilty of murder. His defense is saying he should not get the death penalty because he was abused by his father when he was a child. His mother apparently left him with his father, i.e., abandoned him. His father had a daughter by another woman. The daughter says her father abused Travion. So, does neglect and abuse justify a brutal murder? I confess that I'm glad I'm not on the jury that has to make that decision.
In my own opinion, *nothing* justifies a brutal murder... kind of surprised they'd even try to pull that. I mean, get an acquittal over that weak argument and guess what everyone on death row for murder in the future's going to be claiming when they kill someone? Sheesh! Almost as ludicrous as Cosby saying he couldn't rape anyone 20 or 25 years ago because he's going blind now. (Yep, they tried that for him!) Many MANY people suffered abusive childhoods... but they don't go out and murder someone. Good gracious.
I wouldn't want to be on that jury either. .. my head would be split. Unfortunately too many situations like this come up all the time now. Childhood does affect adult life, and too many abused become abusers because their mental health is so impaired. That's all they know. He needs to be put away somewhere, but just not sure where. ..every place is overcrowded with cases like this. It's a shame the father, and even the mother aren't held accountable for their part in this crime.
I don't think abuse justifies murder. It may however, contribute to mental instability. What's to be done, I don't know.
No, in my opinion it doesn't justify murder, especially if it wasn't even his father that he murdered. There I would accept the defense saying he shouldn't get the death sentence, just life in prison. Also depends on the extent of the abuse. There is abuse and there is ABUSE. It really doesn't matter because even if he gets the death penalty it will be 20 yrs at least before he's executed
There is a saying that a wrong cannot be corrected by another wrong. I am a Catholic and death penalty is against my learning so I don't go for killing of any kind. With that guy who was convicted of the killing, it is best for him to suffer the life sentence than be given a death sentence. Truly the laws of man is not the same as the laws of God that sometimes man has to be harsh - the law may be harsh but it is the law. But then again, what if the verdict of death penalty was later proved to be a mistake?
Not so much now days with DNA, etc. it could happen but I doubt it. Was the evidence convincing @Shirley Martin?
I am going to watch this thread for a little bit before I comment, because I have plenty to say on this subject but not yet!!
I knew nothing about this case til now but did just read this. RALEIGH, N.C. -- A Wake County jury has convicted a man of stabbing and beating a woman to death at her Raleigh apartment nearly three years ago. Multiple media outlets reported that the jury on Tuesday convicted 23-year-old Travion Smith of first-degree murder in the 2013 death of Melissa Huggins-Jones. Assistant District Attorney Jason Walker says Huggins-Smith was stabbed 18 times. Testimony was to begin Wednesday before the same jury as they decide whether Smith should die for his conviction. No Wake County jury has returned a death sentence since 2007. Ronald Lee Anthony pleaded guilty last fall to first-degree murder in exchange for an agreement that prosecutors would not seek a death sentence against him. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Smith's lawyers accused Anthony of manipulating his co-defendant.
I see that one of the other men convicted of the crime plead guilty and plea bargained for life in prison instead if death. Was he also abused as a child? Why did he commit the crime?
I have to amend my post. It was two men and a woman. The men broke into the apartment and killed the mother. The woman drove the car for them. Ronald Lee Anthony pleaded guilty in return for a life sentence instead of the death sentence. Sarah Renee Redden testified against Smith. Quote: An autopsy determined she had died from repeated blows to her head and neck. Quote from detective: "There was blood on her face, blood on the wall...teeth missing," he said. "We were there for days. No one was allowed to come in or out." Anthony pleaded guilty in 2015 to first-degree murder in Huggins-Jones’ death and was sentenced to life in prison. Redden testified for the state against Smith last week and hopes to get a lesser sentence as a result. What particularly troubles me is the brutality of the crime. I would find it difficult to grant any leniency to the perpetrator of such brutality. But, on the other hand, he is 23 years old. Barring any unexpected event, he likely will live 60 more years. I know prison isn't as bad as it used to be but 60 years in one sounds like hell to me. The jury reconvenes tomorrow morning. We'll see if they think the abuse earns him any leniency.
Neglect and abuse does not justify a brutal murder...although if the brutal murder was of the father who neglected and abused this young man I might have more compassion for him in this. But no matter what we go through or why we do something, we are still responsible for our actions and as such we pay the price for those actions either for good or bad. I wish someone would have been able to help this troubled young man before his actions caused the death of an innocent person maybe his life and the murdered woman's life would have had a whole different ending. I believe because he took her life...his should be taken too.
We all could fixate on things that happen to us in our childhood but we cannot use that as an excuse to murder. I think most of us have had times in our childhood that was unpleasant and some people worst than others but if you make that a reason to do murder it is a mental problem and he should be given help while he does his time in jail.
The person that he killed had nothing to do with the way he was treated by his father. If he wanted to harm someone it should be the person that harmed him but it should only be self defense, there is no other reason to harm another human being.