Posted on 12/20/2008 1:52:48 AM PST by raccoonradio
HYANNIS - Greed drove a 13-year-old to plot with an adult friend and another boy to kill his own half brother, burn his body and take more than $10,000 worth of drug money - all for a used BMW, prosecutors and sources said.
The sordid tale of drugs, violence, cash and a cheap luxury vehicle unfolded yesterday as two 13-year-olds and a 20-year-old were charged with murdering 16-year-old Jordan Mendes, whose torched corpse was found in a pit in the Hyannis woods.
Mykel Mendes, 13, and Kevin Ribeiro, 13, were charged with murder and armed robbery as juveniles, according to sources and court officials. Robert Vacher, 20, was charged with murder and armed robbery as an adult.
“The motive was greed,” Cape & Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe said. When asked why Jordan Mendes, a Barnstable High sophomore, would have $10,000, O’Keefe said: “He was a drug dealer.”
O’Keefe would not discuss the relationship of the 13-year-olds to Mendes, whose charred body was discovered in the deep pit in Hyannis on Tuesday night.
Vacher was ordered held without bail at his arraignment in Barnstable District Court.
Both 13-year-olds were arraigned yesterday and remanded to a juvenile detention center.
Robert Jubinville Jr., attorney for Mendes’ 13-year-old half brother Mykel, said Mendes and his client lived together at times and have the same father, Manuel Mendes. Manuel Mendes is a convicted cocaine dealer who is serving a 35-year federal prison sentence for trafficking cocaine while he was serving time for a previous drug conviction.
Jubinville said his client denies having a hand in harming Mendes.
“He’s shocked, scared and very emotional,” he said. “He feels terrible his brother died.”
Defense attorney Patrick Mead, who represents the other teen, said, “He was bawling his eyes out in court. Crying, uncontrollable sobs. He had absolutely nothing to do with the murder.”
According to court records and prosecutors, Vacher ambushed Mendes as he headed to the basement bedroom of his half brother on Monday afternoon, shooting him in the torso and stabbing him 27 times in the face, neck and throat. The two 13-year-olds provided the gun and the knife and were present during the killing, according to the criminal complaint.
After it got dark Monday, the boys rolled Mendes’ body in a carpet and dumped it in a 10-foot hole, dug by locals for paintball wars, in a wooded area off Jennifer Lane in Hyannis, according to the complaint.
“The next day they came back after dark and lit the body on fire,” O’Keefe said. According to the complaint, the youths on Tuesday brought with them a can of gasoline to torch their victim.
On the morning of the day relatives discovered Mendes’ smoldering body, Vacher and the two accused teens bought the used silver Beemer with the ill-gotten cash, prosecutors said.
Stunned friends of the victim expressed disgust that his own kin was accused of helping murder him. “It just breaks my heart. I don’t get it. That is his brother. Why would he do that? Just for money?” questioned Deshonda Powell, 18, who grew up with Mendes.
>>He had absolutely nothing to do with the murder
BUT:
>>The two 13-year-olds provided the gun and the knife and were present during the killing, according to the criminal complaint.
Oh. That.
Also: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1140209
>>Two 13-year-old Cape Cod boys charged with the heinous murder and body-burning of another teen are shielded by state statute from a public trial and can be imprisoned in a youth lock-up only until the age of 21, experts said.
But Cape & Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe said public outrage over the cold-blooded slaying of Jordan Mendes could eventually result in changes to the law, which shields juveniles under age 14.
“This is a case that is going to cause some to look at the youthful offender statute and consider whether or not the age should be lowered,” O’Keefe said
They were probably following the actions of Senator Ted Kennedy. He got away with it!
A reminder that “dumb crooks” aren’t always funny.
Nice group of people we have here. Trial over execute them!
This is like a story from Beavis & Butthead done ugly.
On the face of it, if the Crown’s evidence is correct, then this sordid tale looks like a nett win for Civilization:
One sixteen-yr-old drug-dealing scroat collects his chips
Two thirteen-yr-old scroats-in-the-making go to gaol til they’re 21
One twenty-yr-old scroat goes to gaol for a very long time
Would that all crimes had such positive outcomes.
““He’s shocked, scared and very emotional,” he said. “He feels terrible his brother died.”
I don’t know that a 13 year old should be treated like an adult, but someone should point out to him that his brother didn’t just “die”. His brother was killed because of his actions.
I think this is the root, we are so busy finding a place to point the finger when our kids screw up and then they don’t recognize consequences.
You came to that conclusion after reading, what? 2 posts?
“On the face of it, if the Crown’s evidence is correct, then this sordid tale looks like a nett win for Civilization:”
State’s evidence surely? (It being in the US after all)...
BMW Black man’s wheels.
Those under 16 should really stop being trialed as adults.
Really surprised that they released the names of the 13 year olds. Unfortunately, it would not happen here.
Looks like the sons were carrying on the family business.
Our children and our young people have been protected from learning wisdom:
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)
“By mercy and truth iniquity is purged; and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.” (Proverbs 16:6)
“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:13-15)
It don’t take me long!
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