According to testimony in the Lawrence King trial, Brandon McInerney—the kid who shot King in the back of the head—was sexually molested by his cousin and was physically and verbally abused by his father. While this certainly doesn’t excuse McInerney’s murder of King, will it at least elicit sympathy from the jury?
According to McInerney’s aunt Megan Csorba, she saw her brother Billy “sit on his son until he couldn’t breathe, pull his thumb back until he screamed and punch him in the face.” She also said that McInerney’s mom smoked meth while pregnant with Brandon, that his parents regularly did crystal for days on end at loud drug-fueled parties where his father’s weed-smoking and pill-popping only increased his wrath against his son.
McInerney’s older half-brother, James Bing, said that the regular beatings included “their dad putting Tabasco sauce in their mouths while they slept and beating them with a bar of soap inside a sock.” He also said that McInerney’s father used to punch his son as hard as he could in the gut and belittle Brandon, threatening to send him to a Young Marines military school where he would, “never see the light of day again.” McInerney’s father, William, died on the morning of his son’s preliminary hearing by falling and hitting his head while drunk.
Bing also testified that, after the shooting, McInerney’s father told him that a cousin sexually abused Brandon when he was a child. (Um, we’re no F. Lee Bailey, but isn’t that heresay?)
How about we take this to the next level?
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Look, it’s possible to deplore McInerney’s crime and still have pity for the horrible suffering he endured as a child. But should that abuse mitigate the life sentence he may receive if convicted as adult on first-degree murder and hate-crime charges? Only the jury can answer that.
Libertarian Larry
If you’re a liberal, the short answer is “Yes, I’ll pity this poor boy”, because history shows us that liberals believe criminals are victims and should be on the receiving end of all our compassion. Oh, and they deserve reparations for their woes. And free education. And free medical care. Hell, let’s just blow the poor kid while we’re at it!
Norm Castle
Oh now it starts…”If you are a liberal,”. If we are going to throw crap into the breeze, it’s as easy to say “conservatives have executed more innocent people,” it’s about time EVERYBODY quit the blame game and started to grow up…we have problems in this country with children starving to death, being beaten to death, and all you can come up with is “If you are a liberal?”
The story of this young mans abuse is probably true, and extremely cruel, but to suggest he will be treated differently by the court is outside the pervue of those of us not privy to the trial.
In light of this story, let me congratulate all those young men and women who have been molested and beaten for their responsible growth as citizens. If one is allowed to use abuse as why they should not be punished, then one would have to extend that those who have not done evil, should be punished for being a victim…Get REAL, they have been punished and survived. To use it as a tool to not be punished is bullshit, plain and simple.
Alex
If his mother hadn’t smoked meth and his father hadn’t abused him, maybe McInerney never would have become a killer. It seems there was no one to look out for him. Apparently the aunt knew what was happening and still didn’t take action.
Michael
Absolutely not. It’s no excise. He’ll have a long time in prison to come to terms with the abuse he suffered. Mr. King will still be dead.
inoits2
Liars! This white trash family is making this stuff up for sympathy since the can’t use gay panic defense. I want proof the cousin molested him. He obviously had behavioral problems. None of their testimony can be backed up. The brother does not sound convincing to me. Frankly I don’t think it should hold any weight at all against his conviction and punishment. If this kid is capable of killing someone in cold blood then he is a threat to society. I am sure at some point in his life he was told that murder was a bad thing.
Alex
@inoits2: Funny how a Nazi who says minorities are “degenerate” is calling the McInerney family white trash. Is that what they call infighting?
inoits2
@Alex: Oh STFU you degenerate white trash queen.
AedanRoberts
I’m going to make an inappropriately cold and calculated analogy here- but it’s the best way I can think of to describe how I feel about this: I see this kind of thing like a Savings Account of Sympathy. All of that abuse, all of that circumstantial misfortune was like having a Savings Account with a million dollars in it. A ton of sympathy from me. But then he went and murdered an innocent peer. A peer who he was known to constantly verbally harass- whose flirtation was nothing more than a defense response against the bullying inflicted on him by this kid. That was like making a two million dollar withdrawal from the bank.
Sure- the kid had a lot of Sympathy Dollars saved up- it doesn’t mean that his subsequent act of extreme violence didn’t have him end up with a negative balance in the end.
My ability to give him ANY sympathy or compassion ended the second he took the life of an innocent peer. I only hope the Jury also sees it this way. In other words: fuck him.
Jewed Law
Apparantly, few of the readers of this have ever paid attention to our judicial system. Yes, his attorneys will be allowed to present evidence to mitigate his sentence—any evidence, whether provable or not, to sway the jury into delivering a lesser punishment. It’s known as the “abuse excuse,” and it’s used all the time. For a current example, look at the Casey Anthony case, where jurors were apparantly convinced by her attorney—despite no forensic evidence or testimony—that her father had molested her as a child and this somehow translated into him having something to do with the kid’s death. A more obvious example is Dan White’s “Twinkie defense.” I don’t like it either, but as long as we have bottom-feeding criminal defense attorneys, we’ll have this kind of travesty in the courtroom.
mbachmann4pres
The so called “killer” is a child and was propositioned by a sexual pervert who’s lifestyle is abhorred by the Bible. So whilst “killing” his pursuer was clearly excessive, the sodomite panic defense seems apt. He should be let off with a few hundred hours of community service.
Pete n SFO
And again… this is simply a smokescreen for gay panic. However unfortunate it is, many, many people have suffered sexual abuse. It can never be construed as justification for murder.
If the victim were a girl, would this conversation even be plausible?
I refuse to accept that the idea of a gay advance is so wildly threatening that all reason is cast aside, no matter the age or history of the perpetrator.
@Libertarian Larry… Liberal? What are you an idiot? We’ll let you take care of blowing the boy, it does seem to be your own desire.
inoits2
@mbachmann4pres: IN a tiny teensy whiney voice…. “The so called “killer” is a child and was propositioned….” Hey you British pervert go write on UK blogs. I personally abhor the fact that you get sodomized every night and then while your hole is full of jizz you wipe away the drip with the Bible.
Michael DeSelms
@Libertarian Larry: Sorry…but this Kennedy Democrat Liberal says NO WAY! Murder is murder. And this was premeditated. He could have gone to the school authorities about this. He didn’t. I still want to know how much the family knew. And did they profiligate this murder. White seperatist as they claim [still the same as supremist in my book] did they know about Lawrence? Did they speak ill of him at home? Was Brandon listening? Do the say “Fags must die”? Was Brandon listening? Thers so much more that we will never know. And why did the teacher give him a prom drees? AFTER she goes to complain about the way he dressed? And how many other kids knew about the gun? Brandon told them what he was going to do! NO ONE saved thast boys life.
Sam Wheat
@inoits2: I suspect mbachmann4pres is here to play with us, so let’s not give him/her any ammo by sinking to his/her level. I’m all for debate, but this is just taunting. Ignore it, and hopefully it’ll go away.
Erik
The question here is simple… Should a 14 year old who murders another child, execution style with a gun to the back of the head, ever be released back into society?
The answer is no. Lawrence King should be convicted and sentenced to life without parole.
Luke
It’s a violation of human rights to charge him as an adult, and these details about his past (hearsay or no) only underline that point. It’s not just his past traumas that should elicit our sympathy, it’s our own commitment to values that matter.
inoits2
@Sam Wheat: You are right. As you may know I am very opinionated..so I have a knee jerk response. Will ignore them, sorry, I was asked yesterday not to respond to them. Looking back the comments are clearly meant to provoke.
inoits2
@Luke: In your whole comment you do not have a drop of sympathy toward the victim thus proving Libertarian Larry correct. This feeling sorry for the criminal infuriates me to no end. Try having some sympathy for the victim’s family. Oh ann by the way in case you aren’t sure…the victim is King.
MBear
this thread sure brings the trolls out of the closet. How entertaining
Luke
Inotis2, my whole comment amounts to the simple principle that it’s a violation of human rights to charge a 13 year old boy as an adult. And I don’t care if Libertarian Larry feels vindicated in his assumption that liberals have a decent respect for complexity of the human condition when we hand out justice. Now go stick your dick in a blender, you Nazi piece of shit!
inoits2
@inoits2: @Alex: You can flag all day Alex…but I don’t appreciate being called a Nazi or your lying and saying I called minorities degenerate.
I am tired of this claim as it is not true and you know it. Saying there is no end to OUR degeneracy in the context of the fact that many gays support prostitution as proof of no morals is not the same as calling minorities degenerates.
inoits2
@Luke: What is with you people… can’t you have a conversation without resorting to calling someone a Nazi. It’s tired and basically end the conversation. I have not called you any names. We just disagree that the victim’s family should get the sympathy. A 13 year old is PERFECTLY capable of understanding what they were doing.
AedanRoberts
@Luke: sorry Luke. The kid shot another kid. Point blank range. Execution style. It’s important to have sympathy for abused and neglected children. But that should happen BEFORE they take that extra sociopathic step into cold-blooded murder of innocents.
The kid shot and killed an innocent classmate. And at an age where- even if his parents didn’t instill a moral compass- society and school and teachers did. He was more than old enough to know what murder is- and that it is wrong. He still did it. Sorry. My sympathy ended the second he pulled that trigger.
Queer Supremacist
There is nothing you can show me that was done to him that either justifies his actions or makes him less worthy of a swift and brutal execution.
inoits2
@Queer Supremacist: OMG I don’t think he should be executed. He just shouldn’t be allowed to see daylight for 40 years. I don’t believe in execution because justice and punishment needs to happen in this world not the next.
PTBoat
I certainly feel sorry for the kid who seemed to have had no chance from the start, but I don’t see the abuse as any excuse for cold blooded murder. Sure, he could justify bad grades, petty criminal behavior, and maybe even mild violence for himself to finally seek the help that is available, but to calculatedly take away the life of another is a step that is incomprehensible to most people, whether abused and molested within a violent and negative environment or not. On one level, I feel sorry for the kid and his lack of chances, but he took away any chance of receiving sympathy or hope when he took all of that away from another in a cold, heartless, and pre-meditated manner. The best that I, personally, would hope for him is that he live a contemplative life in prison.
Joe Brummer
At age 14, this young man does not haven the brain development to understand consequences or make rational judgments they way adults would. This parts (The prefontal cortext)of the brain don’t really develop until about age 25. Being that he was abused, and that his brain is not developed to a point he fully understands his actions, I am not sure I hold this child as accountable as many of you. What I hate to see is two young lives lost. Making this child suffer will not help anyone and it appears he may have suffered enough.
I also wonder if our reactions aren’t not more about the cultural issues that drive and allow for these things more than this one particular child. I also doubt much this kid is behind this panic defense. The adults are calling the shots with this kid. I bet he is as much a victim as he is an offender.
and the reality is….WE DON’T KNOW!
Joe Brummer
At age 14, this young man does not haven the brain development to understand consequences or make rational judgments they way adults would. This parts (The prefontal cortex)of the brain don’t really develop until about age 25. Being that he was abused, and that his brain is not developed to a point he fully understands his actions, I am not sure I hold this child as accountable as many of you. What I hate to see is two young lives lost. Making this child suffer will not help anyone and it appears he may have suffered enough.
I also wonder if our reactions aren’t not more about the cultural issues that drive and allow for these things more than this one particular child. I also doubt much this kid is behind this panic defense. The adults are calling the shots with this kid. I bet he is as much a victim as he is an offender.
and the reality is….WE DON’T KNOW!
Zee
A kid was murdered. And people wanna start this off with political BS…wow.
He murdered King in cold blood. No excuses for his actions.
Jess
Of course I feel sorry for him; that’s an awful thing to go through. Unfortunately for him, feeling sorry for someone doesn’t mean that you feel their actions should be excused. What he did was just as bad, worse, even, and this new information should not get him off the hook for what he did.
If anything, his abusers should be prosecuted. At least that way everyone get’s some justice.
MiKem
It just goes to show you where true hate beings… child abuse.
Taliaferro
If this young man was abused, then I do pity him. No child in any society should have to endure abuse. That said, I do not feel the possibility of abuse an excuse or justification for taking another’s life. He has a chance to get therapy and find healing for his experiences. His victim has no chance of anything ever. He was murdered by this young man and his life has ended.
Zen
@Libertarian Larry: Um, no? I’m “a liberal” (God I hate the way people say that as a sort of derogatory term) as are probably many on this site, and I feel bad that that was his situation, but that does not excuse his crime and he should be punished. It’s not okay to senselessly kill someone, and if we let everyone off who had a screwed up childhood there would be plenty more people dead of stupid crimes.
Jean
It might explain his reaction, but it does not excuse it. That said, I find it way more concerning that his aunt knew and witnessed shit going down and did nothing.
Allen D.
How many other kids are born to crackheads and abusive fathers? They have managed not to kill anybody. Fuck him.
John
It’s soooooooo weird I was just looking at videos about that poor boy that got shot the other day and I wanted to know more abou what happened and then all this surfaced
John
It’s soooooooo weird I was just looking at videos about that poor boy that got shot the other day and I wanted to know more about what happened and then all this surfaced
Libertarian Larry
@Zen: I agree: I should not have made a blanket statement implying all libs love murderers—I’m aware that’s not the case, and I apologize for inferring as much. But, as someone who worked in the courts back in the 90s, I can verify that most criminal defense attorneys are lefties, and my point was aimed mostly at these lawyers who do everything in their power to put violent criminals back on the street. I meant no disrespect to law-abiding liberals who believe in justice.
Potrzebie
Short answer:
No.
Long answer:
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Emily
I have sympathy for anyone who’s suffered abuse. I don’t see it, however, as a decent excuse for murder.
That said, I agree with Joe Brummer that adolescents shouldn’t be judged by the same standards, nor sentenced by the same guidelines, as adults. Adolescents don’t have the same impulse control, judgement or perspective as adults. And as Joe pointed out, it’s not just maturity, it’s neurological development that creates this difference. Adolescents who commit violent crimes have a much likelier chance of total rehabilitation and successful reentry to society as adults, provided that their sentence includes proper developmental training. An adult able to commit a crime like this could reasonably be seen as a threat for life. A kid, not so much.
I’m not a fan of sentencing as vengeance but as a practical way to deal with a dangerous person in our midst, or a practical way to get people to cohere to the law.
If it were about vengeance I’d say hang him high. But it’s not.
Orion
@Luke: isn’t Brandon, the killer, 17 already? by the time the trail is finished and the verdict made won’t he be an adult? I personally think that an adult level crime calls for adult level punishment. Otherwise abused children everywhere can get away with murder.
nineinchnail
No. Just coz he was abused does that give him the right to act like a jerk?
Jim
No, I would not feel sorry for him. Plenty of people get abused in this country and around the world and not murder some innocent person.
Don L Nelson
What’s this liberal shit? I’m a liberal and I think they ought to fry the bastard. It was premeditated murder, plain and simple. I live about two blocks from the school and know a girl who was in the class. King had a sad life and the school should have done more to diffuse the situation.
Henry
@nineinchnail: Is that what they call murderers now? Jerks?
Henry
@inoits2: Being “opinionated” doesn’t explain having a knee-jerk response. Being a psychopath, who has a need to act impulsively, can sufficiently explain it.
Ron
I dnt really pitty him (yea it sux he got beaten) but shooting a kid whether gay or str8 is WRONG. If he shot his father then yes I pitty him and it would help his case more. His aunt however should be charged for failure to report child abuse, in turn making her ome of the reasons this tragedy ever happened.
Z
Marijuana doesn’t make you want to beat children, just so you know.
Abuse may make one more inclined to do something awful like murder, but ultimately it is a conscious, individual choice. Plenty of people come from horrid backgrounds and don’t kill classmates in cold blood. This person is clearly sadistic and should not be treated as any less.
Guillermo3
@Libertarian Larry: YOU’D PROBABLY ENJOY THAT,LL.and you’re FREE to do it.
Alex
What’s the point of the article? People commit murder and other violent crimes because they are fucked up. You will probably find that most killers were abused as children. Abuse is any explanation, but it is not an excuse.
delurker
@Libertarian Larry: you’re a conservative authoritarian scumbag. if you were truly a “libertarian” you would realize that defense attorneys are performing an important constitutional duty–to make the the state–the goddam GOVERNMENT–meet their burden of proof before a person loses his life or liberty.
why the hell do you conservatards call yourselves libertarians. it cheapens the term.
Sythan
So what if he was horribly abused? It gives him no excuse to commit murder.
Bronxite
I do have some sympathy for him. He comes from a very messed up family, was being tormented by this junior transvestite at school (in high heeled boots and makeup) which was all encouraged by laughing students and a dingbat teacher (who actually told King to give McInery a Valentines Day card) so…..it’s no surprise he snapped. But one is still not allowed to shoot people some some prison time should be required.
shayne26
the i was abused defense is the same defense that child molesters use yet you dont see them getting away with their crimes…he should not get away with his…he had other options…he could have sought help with the counselors at his school..hell he could have just dropped out…there is no excuse for taking someones life like that…just because they flirted with you or gave a valentines card…if you didnt want it throw it away be the bigger person and walk away…there are always other options and choices…
Debbie
@Libertarian Larry: No way! @Libertarian Larry: Wow, What a generalization you’ve made, don’t you think? I’m Liberal and I think it makes no difference if he was abused or not. He shot someone in the head, and killed them. He deserves jail for life. Maybe you are referring to the death penalty re: Liberal vs. Conservative views? Personally, I’m against it. I think the person should be locked in a cell with limited choices and freedoms till the day he or she dies.
Chris Marshall
I am sorry, but does anyone else here smell the bullshit off of this as well? Twinkie Defense 2.0.