This guy killed his own mother. The police caught him in the act of eating part of her heart. For this he received a sentence of 30 years in prison. And will be eligible for parole in 15.
In Texas?!?
Man, if I ever commit a heinous crime in Texas, I know who I want for my lawyer.
Hey! It was a family squabble - why make a big deal out of it?
now, if’n he’d killed and ate somebody else’s mother, yeah, but his own? nah.
According to the news story our boy cut a deal with the District Attorney and the trial judge bought it. I have got to think that there was a meritorious insanity defense. After all how many Satan worshipers who beat their elderly mother to death, disembowel the old lady and then chew on the heart would be considered stable? The defendant had the choice of presenting the defense (which I think requires that he pretty well admit the facts of the crime) and taking the chance that a Texas jury would not buy it. If he lost on the insanity claim he had to know he was on his way to the hospice a Huntsville. The prosecutor had the same sort of gamble, a jury might buy the insanity defense. This way every body is happy. The defendant avoids the death sentence. The prosecutor gets a conviction and the defendant is out of circulation for 15 years and probably a lot longer.
It’s not the lawyer who makes the case–most of the time it is the facts. The lawyer’s job is to find the facts and present them.
I don’t think the lawyer was that much of a superhero. Even in Texas do you really think an insanity defense in this case would have required that all that many pushups? The DA saw the writing on the wall and cut a deal.
“I thought she told me to eat her heart out. My bad.”
It was still a bit of a feat. His story really differed from Andrea Yates’ only in degree (great degree) and the insanity defense didn’t help Jeffery Dahlmer. Had this case happened in Houston instead of Fort Worth I have a feeling they’d have taken it to trial.
Let me guess - white guy?