Obaino Joshua

When Dangerous Teens React to Getting Life Sentences Intro In a small town, kids face life-changing moments that go beyond the playground. Picture a twelve-year-old's actions leading to a heartbreaking tragedy and a promising young man's life ending in a chilling homicide. The courtroom drama? It gets real, with grinning accused murderers, judges rethinking deals, and justice hanging in the balance. Lionel Tate Our first case comes from Florida. In 2001, Lionel Alexander Tate found himself at the center of a tragic incident that changed his entire life in the worst way possible. At the young age of 14, Lionel received a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the death of six-year-old Tiffany Eunick, a case that made him the youngest person in the United States to be handed such a sentence. The incident unfolded on July 28th, 1999, in Pembroke Park, Florida, when Lionel's mother, Kathleen Grossett-Tate, was babysitting six-year-old Tiffany Eunick for the evening. [7:48 - 7:51"Wrestling Defense" Murder trial of 12-year-old Lionel Tate | Kenneth Padowitz, P.A. Lionel, then 12, and Tiffany were watching TV after dinner when Kathleen went upstairs, unaware of what would happen next. Around 10:40 p.m., Lionel approached his mother, claiming Tiffany wasn't breathing. Lionel, weighing 170 lbs., claimed he was play-wrestling with the 48-lb. Tiffany and that an accident happened. [5:32 - 5:42 "Wrestling Defense" Murder trial of 12-year-old Lionel Tate | Kenneth Padowitz, P.A. But the prosecution would later paint a much darker picture - they cited 35 injuries, including a cracked skull, broken rib, lacerated liver, and hemorrhaged kidneys. According to the prosecution, these injuries were comparable to those one might sustain from falling off a three-story building. Lionel was tried as an adult for first-degree murder despite the absence of perceived intent or premeditation. The prosecution proposed a plea deal—second-degree murder with a three-year prison term and ten years of probation—but Lionel chose to face the trial. The legal consequences were severe, as the judge sentenced Lionel Tate to life imprisonment. In delivering the sentence, the judge emphasized that Lionel Tate's actions were not the playful acts of a child but rather "cold, callous, and indescribably cruel." [0:09 - 0:24LiFETiME_ (8.10) 12yr Old Lionel Tate Is Convicted As An Adult Of 1st Degree Murder Of 6yr Old TiffaTO BE READ THROUGHOUT THE FOOTAGE *FEEL FREE TO CUT OUT/MERGE SOME PARTS* At an age when he was supposed to be playing with his friends and learning about life, then-fourteen-year-old Lionel Tate was convinced of 1st-degree murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole on March 9, 2001. As he was being sentenced, he sat there with empty eyes perhaps still unaware that his life was over before it even began. Following Lionel Tate's conviction, the prosecution openly sided with Tate's plea for leniency in sentencing and even offered assistance in his appeal. This unusual collaboration drew criticism from the trial judge, who accused the prosecution of compromising the integrity of the legal system. The judge pointed out that if the prosecution believed life imprisonment was not warranted, they should not have pursued a first-degree murder charge in the first place. In January 2004, a state appeals court decided to overturn Tate's conviction on the grounds that his mental competency had not been sufficiently evaluated before the trial. This development led Tate to reconsider the same plea deal he had initially rejected. As a result, he was released on one year's house arrest and placed on 10 years' probation. But Tate’s troubles with the law were not over. On May 23, 2005, he was charged with armed burglary with battery, armed robbery, and violation of probation. The incident unfolded when Tate threatened Domino's Pizza delivery man Walter Ernest Gallardo with a handgun outside a friend's apartment after placing an order. Gallardo, fearing for his safety, dropped the pizzas and fled the scene. Tate then re-entered the apartment and attacked an occupant who did not want him inside. Gallardo quickly called 911 upon reaching the Domino's store and returned to identify Tate, though no firearm was found. On March 1, 2006, Tate accepted a plea bargain, admitting to violating probation by carrying a firearm during the robbery. Despite withdrawing his guilty plea for robbery, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison on May 18, 2006, for violating probation. Florida's 4th District Court of Appeal upheld this sentence on October 24, 2007. On February 19, 2008, Tate entered a no-contest plea for the robbery charge and received a sentence of 10 years in state prison. He is currently being held in the Charlotte Correctional Institution serving his remaining sentence. Our next case is a rollercoaster you won't see coming. Get ready for a jaw-dropping twist that will leave you questioning everything. Nicholas Lindsey We’re moving on with a case, again, from Florida. On February 21, 2011, near Tropicana Field in Florida, forty-six-year-old police officer David Crawford responded to a 911 call about a suspicious individual. The caller reported a man holding a brick in a backyard, who then jumped a fence, raising concerns for a potential burglary. Upon arriving at the scene, Officer Crawford spotted the individual and left his vehicle. At 10:37 p.m., Officer Donald J. Ziglar observed and reported an exchange of gunfire. Officer Ziglar then discovered Officer Crawford lying near his cruiser, having sustained multiple close-range gunshot wounds while reaching for a notepad. The assailant fled the scene, and there began a large-scale manhunt involving over 200 officers from various agencies across Tampa Bay. [1:50-1:57 Teen brought gun days in advance of shooting The search came to an end on February 22, 2011, as community tips led police to 16-year-old Nicholas Lindsey. *FEEL FREE TO SHORTEN THE FOOTAGE* [Video: Teen sobs as parents beg him to confess to murder 1:03 - 1:50 footage of Lindsey & parents] *FEEL FREE TO CUT OUT SOME PARTS* At first, he gave conflicting statements and claimed he was innocent despite the evidence. Then, his family was brought in. Lindsey's mother, Deneen Sweat encouraged her son to be honest as she stood by him along with his father. A police chief said Lindsey eventually broke down and confessed to discarding the firearm in a nearby creek. Despite attending school on the day of the shooting, Lindsey's educational record is marked by a concerning pattern of absenteeism, having missed 40 days during the school year. Gibbs High School's former principal, Kevin Gordon, had discussions with Lindsey about his class attendance. Both Gordon and a teacher acknowledged that, in their interactions, Lindsey consistently complied with authority. Karen Morse, one of Lindsey's teachers, described him as a typical teenager who sought attention from teachers to do his best academically. But Lindsey's behavior outside the school presented a different character. His Facebook page indicated an affiliation with a gang. [https://crimevictimsmediareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Unknown2.jpeg , https://crimevictimsmediareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Unknown-2.jpeg] On March 7, 2011, he faced an indictment by a grand jury on a first-degree murder charge, setting the stage for a legal process that would change the rest of his life. [3:22 - 3:27 Dangerous Teens Reacting To Life Sentences On March 23, 2012, Nicholas Lindsey was convicted of Officer Crawford's murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. But the legal landscape shifted for him with the introduction of a new sentencing law which held that the maximum sentence could only be life with a review after 25 years. In October 2013, this law played a role in upholding Nicholas Lindsey's life sentence after an appeal. On January 20, 2017, Lindsey's attorneys sought a reduction of his sentence to 40 years. But just a week after, Lindsey received yet another life sentence. [1:20 - 1:28Lindsey re-sentenced to life in prison But this time, Lindsey wasn’t listening to the judge in silence. He was actually grinning - the least expected move that could ever be pulled by an individual who just received a staggering life sentence, twice. The judge claimed that the sentence would undergo a review in 2036, which would mark 25 years served. As of right now, Nicholas Linsey remains incarcerated in the Blackwater River Correctional Facility, and looks like won’t be getting out any time soon. Now, we’ve saved the best one for the last. Buckle up - you won’t believe the turn our last story will take. Dante Wright Our last case is truly an unusual one. In 2016, Jordan Klee lived in Ann Arbor with his mother, Karen. Having lost his father just four months after birth, Jordan never had the opportunity to meet him. But he found a strong father figure in his grandfather, who played a crucial role in shaping Jordan's character and skills. Despite being a widow, Karen worked tirelessly to provide her son with the best possible life. Jordan ended up as a remarkably athletic and sporty guy, especially in biking and skiing. He also became one of the top players at his school in football. Alongside his athletic achievements, Jordan was also thriving academically with high grades and various school activities. But Jordan Klee's promising future was cut short on October 4th, 2016, just as he was expecting his high school graduation and looking forward to attending Michigan University. He had dreams of joining the university's football team, but these dreams were quickly shattered. Around 3 pm on that day, a maintenance worker on duty at Pine Lake Village made a grim discovery. While working inside the building, he went outside and found a young man lying still on the ground. He also observed a pool of blood surrounding the victim's head and identified a single gunshot wound to the middle of his forehead. The case was ruled a homicide, and it wasn’t too long before the perpetrator got caught. It was seventeen-year-old Dante Wright. On March 5, the courtroom atmosphere became heavy with emotion as Dante Wright openly admitted to his involvement, along with two other friends, in an attempted gunpoint robbery of 18-year-old Jordan Klee. According to the prosecution, the boys were affiliated with a gang. [0:51 - 0:55Teen sentencing] On this emotional day in court, Jordan Klee's family took the stand to share the pain and overwhelming loss she had experienced since the murder of their beloved Jordan. Her mother was struggling to hold back tears as she kept being strong for her family and for the memory of Jordan. [2:20 - 2:25Teen sentencing] To this heartful moment, Dante Wright decided to react with a grin on his face almost as if he had zero regrets. His seemingly indifferent behavior shocked everyone in that courtroom that day, including the judge. As Wright took the stand, he seemed like he genuinely believed that he was going to get away with it. [4:56 - 5:01Teen sentencing] ‘’I just want to tell y’all, I’ll be home soon. I’ll be alright, I love my family’’ That, of course, made it all worse. Despite Wright having already pleaded guilty to the murder of Jordan Klee, Judge Swartz decided to reconsider the initial plea deal given the teen’s behavior in court. [5:45 - 5:50 Teen sentencing] Wright’s smirk only faded when the judge sentenced Wright for the second-degree murder of 23 to 50 years. Danta Wright's defense lawyer, David Goldstein, attempted to offer an explanation for his client's disturbing behavior in court. Goldstein argued that Wright was only seventeen years old and that he grinned because he was afraid, not because he was proud of what he did. But the judge obviously wasn’t convinced. The trial surrounding Jordan Klee's murder was a challenging and emotional process for all involved, but it played a very important role in bringing closure to Klee's family and making sure that justice was served. Outro Join us in the next video where we take another deep dive into other bone-chilling stories you won't believe had happened. Source List https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Tate https://vocal.media/criminal/most-dangerous-teenagers-reacting-to-life-sentences https://viralnova.com/kids-with-life-sentences/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5D-VrGClT8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VZRmKdAa8I&t=413s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Lindsey https://tinatrent.com/theres-nothing-senseless-about-nicholas-lindseys-killing-of-police-officer-david-s-crawford/ https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/juvenile-life-without-parole https://medium.com/the-crime-center/the-smiling-killer-4d8fd8000b21 https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/2-sentenced-in-2016-murder-of-ann-arbor-high-school-student/ https://www.swordandscale.com/SwordAndScale_MnG_Wordpress/thats-one-killer-smile/?PageSpeed=noscript https://dainikbidyaloy.com/2023/03/10/he-smiled-at-his-victims-family-then-the-judge-wiped-that-smile-right-off/ https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/teen-smiles-laughs-during-his-sentencing-for-murder-of-ann-arbor-high-school-student