Teen Sentenced To Five Years For Baseball Bat Beating
BATES COUNTY — A Bates County teenager will spend five years in prison for attacking another teen with a baseball bat.
No one knows why Bryan Murphy, 18, attacked Isaiah Stapleton last year, hitting him several times with a baseball bat. Murphy pleaded guilty to assault and armed criminal action.
The judge told Murphy that it’s only by the grace of god that this wasn’t a murder trial and sentenced him to five years in prison with no chance of parole.
“I feel five years is something to get the message across that what he did is not okay because I feel he tried to murder my son,” David Stapleton said.
A big hat tip to Ken for the story.
As Roach correctly pointed out in another comment thread, the plural of anecdote is not data. Still, I find it interesting how this crime is being treated compared to Justin Barker’s beating. As far as I know, there have been no studies comparing charges and sentences of white criminals vs. black criminals.
Check out the website for Isaiah, the victim of the attack.
I read this story and my heart goes out to this family. But I am appalled that the animal who did this to Isaiah only got five years! As far as I’m concerned that crime was attempted murder and the scum should have gotten at least twenty-five! If he was black he would have. But because he’s white he got off easy. Well, when he gets out in five years he’ll be free to terrorize his community all over again. Next time he’ll kill somebody! You people in small towns need to wake up! Cut the “not my kid” and the “not in my town” crap. Wake up people. Violence is not just a ghetto problem. It can happen anywhere with any kid at any time! And you may get mad at me for saying this but I don’t care, you know its true: When white people go crazy, they go all the way! How many schools do your kids have to shoot up, how much meth do your kids have to smoke, how much devil music do your kids have to listen to, how many serial killers, cult leaders, NAMBLA members, etc., etc., does the white race have to produce before you wake up and realize you got a problem and it ain’t me! Now don’t get me wrong, I haven’t got a racist bone in my body! I am not trying to offend anyone here. I’m trying to get you to wake up! My people are not the only one’s capable of killing each other and dying here! Anyone whose tempted to think that “oh, this can’t happen here” should read this story. The Jena 6 case is nothing compared to the cold, calculated viciousness of this crime! I don’t see Al Sharpton here. Oh, but, I forgot, he’s a bottomfeeder and this case only involves white people. Anyway, enough rambling. God Bless.
I think 5 years is justice. People often speak about prison time like it’s nothing. Like it’s just something you can serve up to people with a cherry on top just to get them out of our hair and make them someone else’s problem. Prison is an extremely inhuman place and even 1 year is harsh punishment. People seriously loose their minds in there! When this 18 year old gets out, he will be a different man, trust.