A young Monroeville man who repeatedly stabbed ex-girlfriend Demi Cuccia after a desperate, daylong exchange of text messages about the status of their relationship was found guilty of first-degree murder Monday.
You can accuse me of being soft on criminals, of not caring for the victim, all that, but doesn't that statement have a built-in contradiction in it? A "desperate, daylong exchange of text messages" does not lead to "first-degree murder." Not in my book. And it certainly does not lead to a sentence of "life without the possibility of parole," especially for one who committed the horrible crime at 18.
The most amazing part is that the best defense they could come up with was blaming it on the acne medicine. To me that's just bizarre.
Actually my heart does go out to the victim and her family. Who could not be moved by that video? But I also feel for the young John Mullarkey and his family. At 18 years of age, he was so incapable of dealing with rejection that he resorted to an act of such violence that it boggles the mind.
What's your opinion? Is the sentence he received appropriate?
Please leave comment.
"A 'desperate, daylong exchange of text messages' does not lead to 'first-degree murder.' Not in my book."
ReplyDeleteSo then what do you think of the Oklahoma pharmacist that killed the robber and is charged with the same? I may be wrong, but I got the impression from your comments that the pharmacist should have been so charged. Is first degree murder in that case appropriate because he used a gun instead of a knife?
I hope his cellmates are acne medicine-fueled beasts.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it odd that when someone is murdered by someone with a gun, the gun is blamed. But when stabbed to death, the blame is placed on zit medication.
ReplyDeleteNo matter the weapon used, the blame squarly lies on the person wielding that weapon.
Maybe this young man should go free and the knife be sent tp prison?
Why didn't the media report on what kind of knife it was?
ReplyDeleteThey always seem so concerned with the make and model of guns used in crime.
Why the double standard?
Actually, kaveman, I don't think they focus enough on the gun in most cases. Often I'm left wondering what it was and where it came from, whether it was legally owned, etc.
ReplyDeleteFWM asked, "Is first degree murder in that case appropriate because he used a gun instead of a knife?"
ReplyDeleteNo of course not. Murder in the first for the pharmacist made sense to me if it turns out that he shot the kid after he was out of action.
The acne killer on the other hand was a distraught and disturbed teenager acting under a wild compulsive reaction to rejection. I'm surprised the defense didn't play it that way.
So Mike, where did the knife used in this killing come from. Was it part of the "flow" from lawful knife owners to killers? Was this kid a knife owner who just "went bad."
ReplyDeleteWhy aren't you calling for knife bans and restrictions?