Yes I realise that now. It makes you wonder how people so young get embroiled in such plans. Scary.

Waldron: I, too have a multitude of emotions swirling around inside my heard regarding his particular case... there have been a few a long the way that really stand out (in one way or another) & really never leave you & for me this is one of them. I concur with the "quote" you cited - point for point, plus a few extra. Also, while it is true that as a defendant you are entitled to a jury trial - it isn't entirely myth (or fiction) that this is (& has been) defined as a a jury of your peers -- which is why seating the jury is such an important aspect... for both the pros. & the def. It is why with minorities it is also a point of contention if the members of his/her community selected on the jury fail to adequately represent his/her race and socio-economic status. (How many times have we heard that folks from the suburbs have no clue what those living within an inner city project live through on a daily basis.? and it is true! So if people living in a free society cannot readily understand what their neighbors (mere miles from themselves) are surrounded by & must endure on a daily basis, then how on earth is any jury member supposed to be able to wrap their conscious mind around what life within the penal system is like. Sure it isn't supposed to be the Holiday Inn - but the inmates are forced by the unwritten - but Oh so deadly read convict code.. and when you take a young man, at the age of 18, put him in the system, with NO HOPE of ever getting out - regardless of what he does or doesn't do, what does society expect? IF this man had some chance (even after 20yrs) of making a life for himself (while on parole for another 10yrs or so) then it isn't too hard to imagine that his choices could easily have been very different. However, when you put someone in the penitentiary (despite their age) and say "that's it! this is your life - PERIOD - no matter what - the only way you leave here is in a bag..." Well, then that person must then find a way to survive in that environment for as long as they possibly can. And within those walls the choices are quite bleak - you either submit yourself, as well as your commissary to the strong OR you become one of the strong. . . Now, this is far from politically correct for me to say this - (but with this being election day - here goes) I have never committed any type of crime, (yet) - but if someone were to attack me, my daughter or invade my home with the intentions of doing us harm, i would kill them if they didn't kill me first. Many will say well that is totally different from what happened with Kell and Blackmon. I disagree. B/c like Kell, I prepared for the worst before the opportunity presented itself - I bought a gun, took self protection/gun classes, etc., bought the ammo, loaded it, & practiced with it. Now, should I ever find myself in prison, I would not submit myself voluntarily to be defiled, raped, molested, pimped, punked or whatever other term one would attach to that behavior.... I would, without a single second of hesitation resign myself to doing whatever I had to do ... whatever I had to do. The will to live is strong (as is evident with all the stories of survival we hear about) - and that human will is not erased when you walk behind that fence and those high grey walls.... it is a predatory environment and if you are weak, show signs of weakness or fail to show signs of strength you are doomed.

The death penalty should never have been an option available to the prosecutor for this case. There are too many red flags, & unanswered questions.
There's a lot that needs to be done to clean up our prisons... and unless or until it is done, this will not be the last case that stirs the emotions of those who hear about it.

MonkeyBones