Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: LAWCobra on April 03, 2004, 11:39:48 PM
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Jury Acquits Texas Mother Who Killed Sons
1 hour, 9 minutes ago Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo!
By LISA FALKENBERG, Associated Press Writer
TYLER, Texas - A woman who claimed God ordered her to bash in the heads of her sons was acquitted of all charges by reason of insanity Saturday after a jury determined she did not know right from wrong during the killings.
AP Photo
AP Photo
Slideshow: Mother Tried For Stoning Sons to Death
A jury found that Deanna Laney was legally insane May 9 when she killed her two older sons, ages 6 and 8, in the front yard and left the youngest, now 2, maimed in his crib. Laney, 39, would have received an automatic life sentence had she been convicted of capital murder.
Laney broke into tears as the verdict was read. Her husband, Keith Laney, sat solemnly with his head down. A few jurors cried and struggled to maintain their composure.
State law allows Laney to be committed to a maximum security state hospital. Medical evaluations will dictate when she will be released. She will remain at the Smith County Jail until a hearing regarding her transfer.
Defense attorney Tonda Curry said the verdict doesn't mean Laney escaped punishment.
"Now and for the rest of her life, the punishment and torment that's going on in her own head is more significant and more damaging to her than anything the criminal justice system could have done, other than death," Curry said.
All five mental health experts consulted in the case, including two for the prosecution and one for the judge, concluded that a severe mental illness caused Laney to have psychotic delusions that rendered her incapable of knowing right from wrong during the killings — the standard in Texas for insanity.
Smith County District Attorney Matt Bingham said had no regrets about taking the case to trial.
"This is a case that the citizens of this county needed to make the decision on," he said.
Jurors deliberated about seven hours before reaching their verdict in the deaths of 8-year-old Joshua and 6-year-old Luke, and the beating of Aaron. The baby was found bleeding in his crib while the other two were found with their skulls smashed in the front yard.
Defense attorneys argued that insanity was the only reason why a deeply religious mother who homeschooled her children would kill two of them and maim another without so much as a tear.
"There was no crying," Curry said. "She was insane. There is no other answer."
Psychiatrists testified that Laney believed she was divinely chosen by God — just as Mary was chosen to bear Christ — to kill her children as a test of faith and then serve as a witness after the world ended. In a videotape played at her trial, Laney said she saw her youngest son play with a spear, hold a rock and squeeze a frog, and took them all as signs from God that she should kill her children.
In closing arguments earlier Saturday, prosecutors portrayed the killings last Mother's Day weekend as deceptively planned and coldly executed.
"It was graphic, it was horrific and it was brutal," Bingham told the jury.
Bingham pounded his fist in his hand as he recounted Joshua's killing: "He got strike after strike after strike on his head to the point that his brains were coming out of his head like liquid."
Prosecutors said that even if Laney believed she was doing right by God, she had to have known she was doing wrong by state law. Her first call, they pointed out, was to 911 to summon authorities.
The 911 tape was among the evidence jurors reviewed during deliberations. Jurors also had asked for psychiatric testimony to resolve a disagreement over why Deanna Laney stopped beating Aaron, then 14 months old, but they reached a verdict before receiving the transcript.
Psychiatrists testified that Laney couldn't finish killing the baby, and that she told God, "You're just going to have to do the rest." Prosecutors said that action indicated Laney knew right from wrong and that if she chose to disobey God's orders by not killing Aaron, she could have disobeyed his orders to kill the other two.
Bingham said Aaron, who lives with his father, suffered permanent injuries in the attack.
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SRY they should have gave her the needle.
Unless they have found a cure for the insaine ?
But I think she used the system to get away with murder.
So who will be the next victims when she gets out? will she have more kids?
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But hey what the heck a woman can kill her unborn child why not kill the living ones too !
After all its her right.
Boy this one steams me:mad:
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Just leave it alone...
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Originally posted by hawker238
Just leave it alone...
Dont like it!
Dont read It!
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Is it impossible to consider she was insane?
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No, it's not, but I don't like the fact all she had to do was say she didn't know right from wrong...
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Originally posted by hawker238
Is it impossible to consider she was insane?
Dont care if she was or not!
She should never see the light of day.
And she should have to have her tubes tied as well she has no buisness having anymore kids.
We have to protect the inocent in our society otherwise there is nothing stoping the animals from taking over.
Her Kids deserverd a chance to live and she as a mother had NO RIGHT to beat there brains out.
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If she knows enough to say she dont know right form wrong LOL then she does know the difference.
She would have to to answer the question.
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Originally posted by LAWCobra
We have to protect the inocent in our society otherwise there is nothing stoping the animals from taking over.
That's not the first time that's been said.
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Originally posted by hawker238
That's not the first time that's been said.
Sad but True
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She put down her cup of coffee, contemplated, and resolved to kill her children.
Seems normal to me, sane... what with the cost of Huggies these days.
Nothing much more to it. Fry her.
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Originally posted by Nash
Seems normal to me, sane... what with the cost of Huggies these days.
Oh my god, that's both hilarious and incredibly horrible at the same time....
I'm going to sleep now, so no more arguing.
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LAWCobra, are you a religious man?
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To destroy someone's life there must be insanity in my viewiwing if not there wouldn't be any prisons to be built what about serial killers to they go free when they kill somoeone that Beltway sniper guy do we let him go free after he and his partner mowed all those people, there isn't anything worse than a parent that sacrifices his or her own defenseles childre news like this cannot beignored or not read simply because we as citizens we continue this trend to continue more people would be encouraged to do this without the fear of being persecuted by law. \
BAH wtf the world's gone to ****.
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wow... there was one period, at the end, in that whole entire paragraph.
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Don't forget the backslash.
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Originally posted by Glasses - edited with possibly the correct punctuation and spelling, not sure about the spelling though and the punctuation of the last bit is pure guesswork.
To destroy someones life there must be insanity in my viewing, if not there wouldn't be any prisons to be built. What about serial killers? Do they go free when they kill somoeone? That Beltway sniper guy, do we let him go free after he and his partner mowed all those people? There isn't anything worse than a parent that sacrifices his or her own defenseles children. News like this cannot be ignored or not read simply because we as citizens continue this trend, to continue more people would be encouraged to do this without the fear of being persecuted by law.
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I'm not a lawyer (or a Texan), but isn't the woman going to a state run mental facility with no release date?
Hell... that could be a life sentence right there.
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I was slightly intoxicated when I put that down so, my apologies. :D
But still if someone gets the message I'm a happy camper , of course it could be considered drunken rambling :P
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Originally posted by Sandman_SBM
LAWCobra, are you a religious man?
I belive in God.
I also Belive in an Eye for An eye.
I also believe in retrabution.
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Must be comfy in that little black and white world of yours.
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Originally posted by midnight Target
Must be comfy in that little black and white world of yours.
What to belive in right and wrong?
LOL If everyone did we would have no crime.
If more did we would have less crime.
less babies being killed by there mothers.
Less women being raped by strangers and "boyfriends"
With right and wrong you cant sit on the fence you MUST choose one side or the other and some choose the wrong side.
As a society we have the RIGHT to protect those who cannot protect them selves by doing away with those that would harm them.
Trust me MT If some Nutt case was trying to harm you or you family I am the first dude you would want helping .
Like me or not Thats just the way I am.
I help strangers and given the chance yes I might even die to protect a child!
Even your's.
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Originally posted by LAWCobra
I belive in God.
I also Belive in an Eye for An eye.
I also believe in retrabution.
Then you do not believe in the christian God. Because last i heard an eye for an eye was not part of the bible.
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LOL you must have not read it them.
try the king Jame version.
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Uhm... wow.
You can't be a Christian then, one of Christ's teachings was to turn the other cheek.
-SW
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Originally posted by AKS\/\/ulfe
Uhm... wow.
You can't be a Christian then, one of Christ's teachings was to turn the other cheek.
-SW
Both of my "cheeks " got used up a long time ago.
Look people how do YOU think we stop child abductions , Rapes , murders and terrorism?
There Is a lot of evil in this world.
Kinda reminds me of a story an old dude told me.
If ya know your gonna get your arse whooped you can do one of two things.
Run away or stand and fight.
Now If you run away what ever you ran from is still there.
But If you stand and fight That "trouble" might just think It's not worth messin with you again.
To beat an evil enemy you simply must get down in the dirt with him.
So If we as a country took a stand and said across the board That If you kill someone for no reason.
You will be put to death as soon as your appeals are up!
No plea bargains no bullchit Lawyer tricks YOU KILL YOU DIE!
A rather strong deterent I think.
Cause as things are now most people know If they kill someone all they gotta say Is One they are nutts or they where abused as a child .
Some silly excuse and the jurys buy into it.
Oy how sad your father spanked your little arse when you where young so now as an ADULT you hold up a beer store for money to fuel your crack addiction .
And you just happend to shoot the clerk for that all important $20.00
Or as In this case just tell em God told ya to bash in your kids skulls and they believe ya
:rolleyes:
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Originally posted by LAWCobra
Both of my "cheeks " got used up a long time ago.
Look people how do YOU think we stop child abductions , Rapes , murders and terrorism?
There Is a lot of evil in this world.
Kinda reminds me of a story an old dude told me.
If ya know your gonna get your arse whooped you can do one of two things.
Run away or stand and fight.
Now If you run away what ever you ran from is still there.
But If you stand and fight That "trouble" might just think It's not worth messin with you again.
To beat an evil enemy you simply must get down in the dirt with him.
So If we as a country took a stand and said across the board That If you kill someone for no reason.
You will be put to death as soon as your appeals are up!
No plea bargains no bullchit Lawyer tricks YOU KILL YOU DIE!
A rather strong deterent I think.
Cause as things are now most people know If they kill someone all they gotta say Is One they are nutts or they where abused as a child .
Some silly excuse and the jurys buy into it.
Oy how sad your father spanked your little arse when you where young so now as an ADULT you hold up a beer store for money to fuel your crack addiction .
And you just happend to shoot the clerk for that all important $20.00
Or as In this case just tell em God told ya to bash in your kids skulls and they believe ya
:rolleyes:
You are not a christian in any sence lawcobra. You do not even understand the word of your religions founder.
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I win!
-SW
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Originally posted by Frogm4n
You are not a christian in any sence lawcobra. You do not even understand the word of your religions founder.
LOL And you are:rofl
I am a masianic Jew you freekin moron.
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Cobra-
Thanks to the liberals and the left, we live in a blameless society now.
Spilled coffee on yourself? It's not your fault....it should not have been hot! Sue someone.
Killed you kids?...why, you must be insane! Here, come to this hospital where you may get set free if you feel better!
She should get life, no parole. Everyone who kills except in cases of self defense or to protect others is insane. Prisons are loaded with insane people. What's the difference with this woman?
She had a better blood sucking lawyer.
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Originally posted by LAWCobra
I am a masianic Jew ...
:confused:
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Originally posted by LAWCobra
LOL And you are:rofl
I am a masianic Jew you freekin moron.
Just another christian based cult.
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Originally posted by Frogm4n
Just another christian based cult.
Again you speak from your arse on a subject you know nothing of.