Posey sentenced as juvenile

KOAT TV ^ | 2/23/2006

[greyfoxx39]

N.M. -- A teenager convicted in the shooting deaths of three family members on ABC newsman Sam Donaldson's southern New Mexico ranch has been sentenced as a child.

State District Judge James Waylon Counts sentenced Cody Posey, 16, to be held in state custody until he's 21.

[greyfoxx39]

Thousands of letters and emails to the court and defense attorney were sent on Cody's behalf from all over. The courtroom erupted in cheers at the sentence. The father of the step-sister was on Court TV and was relieved at the sentence, as am I.

[gondramB]

why relieved at the sentence...? he was abused and could perhpas be excused for killing the parents but not the sister.

[greyfoxx39]

He was 14. I have raised 5 teenagers. I know from experience that a 14-year-old is NOT an adult in any way, shape or form.
I have stated on this forum that I felt the DA should not have tried him as an adult. I followed this trial pretty closely on Court TV. Did you?

Also, the jury was not allowed to hear all the abuse evidence, and one of the jurors has stated she felt rushed by the other jurors into the verdicts because "they had families that needed them at home".

[gondramB]

No, I've read the articles posted on Freep. I thought he was 16 at the time. It the killing of innocents that really bothered me - I can understand killing your abuser.

[CrawDaddyCA]

To be released at age 21 and able to kill again.

Wait and see...

[bonfire]

He was 14 at the time. He's 16 now.

[greyfoxx39]

According to testimony, the step-sister was paid by the parents to "snitch" on him at school. If he were laughed at or had any kind of problem at school, he was beaten.

I believe that when he snapped, he was in such a state that he was not entirely conscious of the enormity of what he was doing. The judge mentioned PTSD a couple of times in the factors he weighed at making his decision.

[bonfire]

Did you follow this trial?

[gondramB]

Well that starts to make more sense..thanks for the info.

[CrawDaddyCA]

Not at all, but I know human nature. We will see this person again in the news, I'd bet my last dollar on it.

Everyone that commits a crime has an excuse (I call this the 'It wasn't my fault' generation). I'm not buying into the 'I was abused' BS.

Sorry.

[bonfire]

I only watched parts of this trial because I couldn't force myself to hear the abuse heaped on this kid. Since the time he was a baby. I heard today that the defense had 30 witnesses to the abuse.

I am not excusing his behavior but it wasn't a black and white case. It was one of those cases that makes me glad I rarely get called for jury duty.

[CrawDaddyCA]

It was one of those cases that makes me glad I rarely get called for jury duty.

I understand where you're coming from, and I'm not trying to pick a fight. I simply believe that there is no excuse for killing another human being except self-defense. Those that take a persons life, should forfit his own life.

We have far too many people on death row, convicted of terrible crimes, but if you'd ask each one what was the reason for committing the crime, they'd say it had something to do with their parents and/or abuse. I'm not buying that excuse anymore, it's worn out.

I know I sound cold, and my wife points this out alot, but I believe in the rights of the victim vs. the rights of the convicted.

[bonfire]

I know what you mean. I'm also tired of that excuse, but there are exceptions to the rule. Most people make up that excuse or the abuse is nothing more than parental discipline. IF everyone was telling the truth in this trial, I think this kid just couldn't take it anymore and snapped. Very sad case.

[Little Ray]

Not sure I agree with the sentencing, but if he WAS abused to that degree, then it could be considered self defense.

He'd still need a LOT of help, though.

[Tomhorn]

There is no excuse for the carnage this little SOB has caused. He is a cold blooded murderer and should be dealt with as such regardless of his age. Multiple murders are not the crime of a child. Yes thousands of letters were sent on his behalf and there was lenghty testimony on the supposed abuse he had suffered, but there was no proof of abuse and no one left alive to refute his allegations. He addmitted in his confession that he killed his sister so there would be no wittnesses. The jury saw through Gary Mitchells defence to bad that you cannot.

[the Deejay]

Here's the thing about the HELP. At Sequoyah, where Cody's to be sent for HELP, it's strictly a volunteer program.

If Cody decides he doesn't want help, at some point, the therapists at Sequoyah cannot force him to do so.

Also, when Cody reaches age 18, he can walk out of there, free as a bird. This is not good.

TH'S/ Legal Eagles, on Court TV have been saying this.

[greyfoxx39]

I can't see why you feel the need to make this personal.

[jess35]

Actually he was abused. His father lost complete custody of him in the 90's and abuse was part of the reason. When his mother was killed in an accident, they reinstated custody. They had nearly 40 witnesses detailing various levels of abuse.

[Tomhorn]

Greyfoxx39 there is absolutely nothing personal intended by my reply. I simply have a profoundly different opinion. This young man in a premeditated fashion murdered three people in cold blood. He then drug all there bodies out of the house and buried them in a manure pile. Then went to a friends house and played basketball as if nothing had happened. I would feel no differently if he had only been 6 years old when he committed this crime. He committed an adult crime and should have been sentenced accordingly.

[the Deejay]

Cody's mother abused him, too. She beat him with the hard plastic blind adjuster, among other things. He was out of contol by age 4 and that was a result of Carla's poor parenting. Cody had to have therapy at age 4, plus put on antidepressants.

Carla gave him to Paul, b/c Carla no longer wanted the responsibility of two kids. One blind daughter and she gave her to someone in the Clees clan.

Carla then joined the Navy, where she didn't fair too well. She was discovered using drugs. Then she tried to rejoin the Navy shortly b/f her death and they wouldn't take her back. She couldn't pass the drug test.