World’s Smallest Violin
Thursday, December 7th, 2006 • Filed under Murderers
Warren Messner and three other teens were convicted for beating Michael Roberts, a homeless man, to death. Messner was sentenced to 22 years in prison without the possibility of parole for jumping up and down on the mans chest, crushing his ribs. He showed no remorse at his trial, but after a few months in jail Messner’s tune has changed.
He didn’t feel bad then, but he does now. He has been in juvenile detention for eight months, locked in a small cell and occasionally allowed to go to class. Messner and his attorney said he has already learned his lesson and is ready to go home to help others.
Reminds me of Raising Arizona:
Ed McDonnough: You mean you busted out of jail.
Evelle: No, ma’am. We released ourselves on our own recognizance.
Gale: What my brother here means to say is that we felt that the institution no longer had anything to offer us.
“I want to be an inspirational speaker for troubled teens,” he said Monday. Messner got the lightest sentence of the four boys. Teens Jeffrey Spurgeon, Justin Stearns and Christopher Scamahorn got 27 to 35 years. They all cut plea deals to avoid life in prison. The state attorney said that’s as much leniency as they should get and the judge agreed. “I can’t think of some reason to change the sentence. I’m going to deny the motion,” said the Hon. Joseph Will. Messner’s parents broke down at the denial. His mother said it’s unfair, that her son fell in with a bad crowd and prison is killing him. “He’s not getting the mental health, the schooling. He’s not getting anything, anything but locked in a cell all day long,” Lori Messner said.
Michael Roberts could not be reached for comment.
The judge and the state both argued that being deprived services and being locked away is precisely the point of prison. Warren Messner will spend the next 22 years in prison without the chance for parole.
It reminds me of HBO’s America Undercover look at life inside of Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary. Their interview of an inmate went something like this:
INMATE: I believe that if you forgive yourself in the eyes of the Lord, than you should be set free of your bonds. And I’ve forgiven myself for what I’ve done, I’ve made amends, I think that I should be set free.
INTERVIEWER: What are you in for?
INMATE: [with a straight face] Triple murder. But I must have blacked out during that third murder, because they say I stabbed my sister 27 times and I only remember cutting her throat.
Travis says: July 19th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Boondock Saints anyone?
Doesn't get any dumber than this. says: January 14th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Talking about dumb criminals, how many get filmed at the scene of the crime?
http://surftofind.com/jack
Myzarri says: January 24th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
O.o remind me never to cross those guys..
randy says: May 6th, 2008 at 10:02 am
i think the boy got what he had comming
hushy tush says: July 1st, 2008 at 2:18 am
yea i had one of the people…[justin rushing]….with him who did it in my fourth block class!!
Soleil Lune says: July 23rd, 2009 at 4:08 am
When they say “Michael Roberts was not available for comment”, he OBVIOUSLY wasn’t, because HE IS DEAD.
Kamikaze87 says: August 21st, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Wow, people do things without even a small thought about the consequences that will happen. Dumb idiot got what he deserved, and I wish they’d stay there for life, or execution. They’re a waste of the taxpayers’ money and should be dealt with as harshly as the law allows.