Posted on 08/12/2009 12:09:24 PM PDT by IbJensen
Avion Lawson, 16, the youngest of four teens charged in the 2007 gang rape of a South Florida woman and her 12-year-old son, sits in a Palm Beach County court Wednesday. Lawson pleaded guilty Wednesday and has agreed to testify against the others. He faces a minimum of 49 years in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 13. LANNIS WATERS/THE PALM BEACH POST
The youngest of four men charged in the bone-chilling rape of a 35-year-old West Palm Beach woman and her 12-year-old son pleaded guilty Wednesday morning.
Avion Lawson, who was 14 when the woman and her son were gang raped in her apartment in 2007, wants to accept responsibility for his actions, his attorney told Palm Beach Circuit Judge Krista Marx.
"He's very sorry for what he did," attorney Bert Winkler said.
Lawson's fingerprints were on a wall and his DNA was in a condom left at the woman's apartment.
The 16-year-old has agreed to testify against the three others charged in the rape -- two of whom are to go to trial Tuesday.
However, while his cooperation may win him some points with Marx, there are no guarantees, Winkler admitted.
Lawson, 16, faces a maximum 11 life sentences plus 50 years, according to sentencing guidelines. While Marx has broad discretion when she sentences him on Oct. 13, he faces a minimum of 49 years in prison.
Marx repeatedly warned Lawson that she could sentence him to life in prison.
"Yes, ma'am," Lawson answered softly each time Marx asked him whether he understood the consequences of pleading guilty to 14 charges in connection with the rape that shocked the community in both its brutality and the tender ages of those charged.
Lawson's mother, Kathy, stood by him as he admitted his guilt. While stoic in front of the judge, she collapsed in tears outside the courtroom after her son was led back to jail by sheriff's deputies.
According to police, as many as 10 young men entered the apartment of a woman identified in court papers only as M.D. and her son, identified as C.J. They raped her repeatedly, making her son watch, police said. They then forced the two to engage in sexual activity. Finally, they dumped chemicals on the two and fled, after stealing the woman's cellphone and car, and ripping their home phone out of the wall.
The two walked to Good Samaritan Medical Center in the middle of the night to seek treatment, prosecutors said.
Two others accused of the rape who are to be tried beginning Tuesday are: Tommy Poindexter, 20, and Nathan Walker, 18. While they will be tried together, they will have separate juries.
Jakaris Taylor, 17, who was to be tried with Lawson, is to face a jury in September.
Prosecutors acknowledged that all involved are not in custody.
And left as a warning to others.
It’s hard to follow but I don’t think anyone was murdered. The mom and son walked to hospital for treatment.
Ok, I skimmed the article. And saw the bit about the chemical.
And am also bringing to mind a different rape/murder case (in Texas) where the convicted is STILL awaiting his execution over a decade later (he was in the news yet again today).
And Hell isn't anywhere near hot enough.
He’s ONLY sorry that he got caught. Disgusting waste of DNA.
OK. The headline was really confusing and I didn’t thoroughly read the article. I was confused.
But then there's this: Prosecutors acknowledged that all involved are not in custody.
cool, huh?
No one died, because "they" walked to the hosp after the perps. fled.
Hate crime--? Were the victims white? Doesn't say. OTOH, if perps were white and victims black, hate crime would have been two of the words in the headline.
I'm just so fed up with this racist crap!
vaudine
thats like the Tenn case where they made the victims swallow chemicals to destroy evidence.
Disgusting bottom-feeders.
Bring back public hangings!
At least TX does put them to death. Isn’t it amazing tho, that often they live longer on death row than their victims lived on earth? Death penalty works better if it is swiftly applied, since many of the people who commit these sorts of crimes have short attention spans.
where do you get from that description that the 12 year old was not forced to have sexual relations with his own mother?
did I miss something?
note, they don't tell race of victims which says plenty
they said 10 involved,4 standing trial.
I dont think it was a hate crime. I believe the mother was also robbed, but as best I can determine, the rape, beating, and pouring of chemicals in the son's eyes was just wanton thuggery/psychopathy.
I can’t even comprehend the mindset of someone who could do this. Is someone like this capable of being sorry for the crime? Did he just now learn that this is wrong?
Here is a link to another article and more links/background there. http://www.wpbf.com/news/13641496/detail.html
Skimming some of the articles it appears some of the names involved indicate the victims may have been Haitian. Just a guess though.
Agreed.
I had to reread it a couple of times, so don’t feel bad. It’s TERRIBLY written.
I remember this story; it horrified me and brought me to tears. These poor people were simply minding their own business in their own home — and their lives will never be the same. I cannot even imagine how disturbed both mother and son will always be.
Sickening that youths like this exist - hope they get the max penalty possible.
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