Morgan Leppert
Morgan was just 15 when in 2008 she along with her 22-year-old boyfriend
Toby Lowry beat, stabbed, and suffocated 66-year-old disabled man James Stewart
in 2008 and stole his truck. They intended to run away together to California
but never got that far but were arrested in Texas after an amber alert was put
out. Morgan was taken back to Putman County in Florida to face the music. After
much questioning, she was charged with first degree murder. Her boyfriend at
the time who was aged 22 testified against Morgan in order to avoid the death
penalty which basically sealed Morgan's fate.
What we do not know of this case are whether the investigating officer's
asked Morgan's boyfriend why he did not take more responsibility for what
occurred! It is all very well saying that Morgan did such and such but a
so-called adult testifying against a minor in a relationship where he led her
astray is rather pitiful in my book.
This does raise a question of whether American law ever takes into account
the influence which those aged 18+ have over minors!
We also do not know the nature of their relationship but it does realty
make you wonder at the mentality of the prosecution when they are so hell-bent
of securing a conviction against a 15-year-old that they used her male
companion who should have set some kind of example.
Then there is the question of whether Morgan's male companion thought that
since she was a minor, he thought she might have received a lighter sentence if
he got her to do his dirty work for him.
Morgan received another trial hearing in 2016 after the American Supreme
Court announced that sending children to prison for life was unconstitutional
but the judge decided the sentence will stand.
Morgan told the judge, "I regret every single one of the choices we
made that night." She also said, "I hope that one day you can find it
in your heart to forgive me."
Whatever the American justice system has decided in Morgan's case, THIS IS
WRONG, W-R-O-N-G.
The judge has the discretion to decide on an individual's fate one way or
another but I believe the judge has related to Morgan as an adult as she was at
her rehearing when in fact she committed the offence during her mid-teens when
she was a bit wet behind the ears.
I became aware of this case while watching a documentary called
"Children who kill." hosted by British TV presenter Susasanna Reid.
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