Saturday, May 21, 2011

Ringleader Gets 35 Years in George Leroy Baker III Beating Death

 
Murder victim George Leroy Baker III.

 
By David in TN

Previously:

“In Lynchburg, Virginia, Still Another ‘Random’ Act”; and

“George Leroy Baker III, Another of the Legion of Whites Who ‘Have No Memorial; Who are Perished, as Though They Had Never been; and are Become as Though They Had Never been Born.’”

Lynchburg Circuit Court Judge Mosby Perrow sentenced Kenneth Jerome Davis Jr. to 35 years in prison.


 
Convicted murderer Kenneth Davis Jr.

 
A jury convicted Davis of first-degree murder in March in the September beating death of George Leroy Baker III. Baker was visiting Lynchburg, Virginia from Tempe, Arizona for his granddaughter’s wedding. He was attacked and beaten by Davis and two others.

Defense attorney Gordon Peters admitted the murder was “horrendous,” and a “horrible juvenile stunt [!],” but asked the judge to remember that Davis was 16 at the time and was still a child. “There was no intent here to kill Mr. Baker,” Peters said. “There just wasn’t.”

“According to the accounts of Kenneth Davis and co-defendants Vernon Jackson, 16, and D’Antonio Davis, 14, Kenneth Davis struck the first blow, knocking Baker to the ground. Jackson and D’Antonio Davis then kicked him in the head and ribs. A medical examiner testified that the kicking injuries, and the injury to Baker’s head caused when he hit the ground after being punched by Kenneth Davis, could have been independently fatal.”

The judge originally gave a 70-year sentence, but suspended 35 years of the sentence. Judge Perrow noted that he has earlier Friday sentenced a 19-year old to 28 years in prison for a home-invasion robbery also perpetrated against an 81-year old man.

“It’s difficult to understand,” Perrow said. “It is what it is.”

Andrea Horsley, Kenneth Davis’ mother, said she was upset after the sentencing, accusing the prosecutor of “laying it on real thick.” Peters said the family was hoping for a sentence closer to 20 years.

“Any time life is off the table, it’s a small victory,” Peters said, noting Perrow could have sentenced Davis to life in prison without parole. “This case is just tough. There is no upside. Mr. Baker is gone and Kenneth Davis will be gone for 35 years.”…

“Jackson, the co-defendant, is expected to be allowed to plead guilty to second-degree murder as part of a plea agreement in exchange for testifying against Davis, according to testimony. His plea hearing has not been scheduled.

“D’Antonio Davis was sentenced to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice until his 21st birthday. He has appealed the conviction.”

* * *

NS: And what sentence would Miss Horsley have found acceptable? Probation and no jail time? Or would she require that the judge publicly apologize to her murderous, racist monster of a son, give him the key to the city, millions in reparations for the rest of his life, and announce from the bench, “Go to the goddam graveyard and dig up the grave and kill ‘em, goddam again. ‘Cause they didn't die hard enough”?

What’s that? I’m “laying it on real thick”?

Andrea Horsley raised a son who initiated a murder in which he targeted an 81-year-old man because of the color of his skin and his age, and led his accomplices in gleefully stomping to death a man who had led a splendid life. I think Kenneth Davis Jr. deserves the death penalty. That thick enough for you, Miss Horsley?

Her son was already a hardened thug, before murdering George Baker.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jennifer Bennett told the judge the two 16-year-olds had each appeared in juvenile court for 10 previous charges.

Jackson’s previous charges included incidents of assault and battery and domestic violence, she said. Davis’ included a past charge of sexual battery by force, she said, adding that he has made threats against the detention home staff, claiming a family member would “shred” one staff member.

Andrea Horsley reminds me of the parents of Mychal Bell, the black racist high school student in Jena, Louisiana who, having already amassed five criminal convictions (four for violent felonies) prior to his 16th birthday, committed racially motivated attempted murder against white classmate Justin Barker in Jena High School. Bell’s parents were also exercised at the thought that their baby boy might do jail time.

But Miss Horsley needn’t worry. Her son will likely be paroled by the time he hits 30, at which time he can pick up his criminal career right where he left off. Vernon Jackson should be out by then and, at the latest, D’Antonio Davis will be released when he turns 21.

Although her son at least apologized to the Baker family in court at his sentencing, I could find no record of Andrea Horsley apologizing to the family of her son’s victim.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't you know? Miss Horsley is "the mother of a son who has had a bad experience with the police."

Last night I was watching Geraldo Rivera's FNC show. He was discussing the Casey Anthony trial and he and Art Harris (www.artharris.com) were comparing it to the O.J. Simpson trial. Harris remarked that the perfect juror for O.J. was the above.

Think you will ever hear a TV journalist say "the mother of a son who is a hard-core street thug?"

David In TN

Anonymous said...

I would have liked 35 years with no parole, but hell. At least he was tried as an adult. This shit shouldn't happen in our city our anywhere else for that matter.

He's a monster and deserves to be behind bars. As far as the mother, judging from other parents I've seen back when I went to high school in LB, she is most likely dumb as a brick and selling crack.