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Thread: Twelve year old Jamarion Lawhorn stabbed nine year old Michael Connor Verkerke to death, being charged as an adult

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    Senior Member Chompin's Avatar
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    Twelve year old Jamarion Lawhorn stabbed nine year old Michael Connor Verkerke to death, being charged as an adult

    This case happened a few miles from home. This is one of the many links to the story.


    http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapi...n_fatal_s.html


    GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Looking every bit the child he is, 12-year-old Jamarion Lawhorn sat next to his mother as the charge of open murder was levied against him in a Kent County courtroom.

    Lawhorn is accused of stabbing 9-year-old Michael Connor Verkerke to death on Monday, Aug 4, on the playground of a mobile home park in the 400 block of Bellewood Street SE, near 56th Street and Madison Avenue.

    The child defendant entered the courtroom handcuffed, looking frightened and dressed in a navy blue sweat-suit embossed with “juvenile detention” in yellow letters. His mother rubbed his back and wiped away her tears as juvenile court referee Marie Kessler arraigned Lawhorn on a charge of open murder.

    Attorney Charles Boekeloo entered a plea of “not guilty” on behalf of his client and informed the court that he would be seeking a mental health evaluation to determine if the defendant is competent to stand trial.

    Boekeloo did confirm that he believed his client understood the charges against him.
    Under the terms of juvenile law, Lawhorn can be charged as an adult and then tried in juvenile court.

    If he is found guilty, he could receive a blended sentence that could confine him in a juvenile facility until he is 21 and then a judge could determine if he should then be sentenced again as an adult.

    The sentence could be as much as life in prison, but because of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, he could not face a mandatory life in prison sentence without the possibility of parole.

    Family members of the defendant were present for the hearing, but did not wish to comment. Boekeloo also declined comment.

    Assistant Kent County Prosecutor Laura Clifton said she believes this is the youngest defendant in Kent County charged with open murder.

    In 2010, 13-year-old Keishawn Mann pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of his mother’s boyfriend.

    Related: Just 13 when he killed mom's boyfriend in 2010, Keishawn Mann doing well in detention

    Clifton agreed that the defendant looks younger than 12.

    “He is tiny,” the prosecutor said.

    The 9-year-old victim had been on the playground with two other children, ages 9 and 7, when he was approached by the 12-year-old suspect. There does not appear to have been any kind of argument or confrontation between the two, Kentwood Police said.

    Lawhorn alleged pulled out a knife buried in playground sand and critically wounded the injured boy, who ran back to his home and collapsed on a porch.The child victim would die a few hours later at an area hospital.

    Lawhorn allegedly left the playground after the assault and approached a man at a home nearby to call 911. Witnesses said the boy presented his wrists to be cuffed when police arrived and made statements about taking pills and wishing for his life to be over.

    A psychiatric exam could mean a delay in a probable cause hearing scheduled for Aug. 13 in Kent County Family Court.

    Lawhorn remains in the Kent County Juvenile Detention Center, held without bond.
    Last edited by Chompin; 08-06-2014 at 11:21 AM. Reason: added text

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    Scoopski Potatoes Nic B's Avatar
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    There was no argument between the 2? So this 12 year old boy just stabbed the 9 year old for no reason? Did they know each other? This story is pretty vague. Seems like they are concentrating more on his age than what actually happened, and why (my guess is they aren't releasing much info).

    It says the knife was buried in the sand, did he put it there ahead of time? If so, was it because he intended to stab someone, anyone? Or had someone else put it there, and he just found it?

    I really hope more info comes out soon, I have so many questions running through my head...


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    Senior Member Chompin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nic B View Post
    There was no argument between the 2? So this 12 year old boy just stabbed the 9 year old for no reason? Did they know each other? This story is pretty vague. Seems like they are concentrating more on his age than what actually happened, and why (my guess is they aren't releasing much info).

    It says the knife was buried in the sand, did he put it there ahead of time? If so, was it because he intended to stab someone, anyone? Or had someone else put it there, and he just found it?

    I really hope more info comes out soon, I have so many questions running through my head...
    Yep. He walked up, said nothing, stabbed him repeated times and borrowed a phone to call 911.

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    Moderator bowieluva's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chompin View Post
    Yep. He walked up, said nothing, stabbed him repeated times and borrowed a phone to call 911.
    I read that they were playing together before this happened.

    It sounds like the parents had the kid on some weird ass medication. it all seems pretty fucked up and sad.

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    Senior Member Chompin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    I read that they were playing together before this happened.

    It sounds like the parents had the kid on some weird ass medication. it all seems pretty fucked up and sad.
    Unless they changed the story as of the local news last night, no...he just walked up and stabbed him. No fight, no words.

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    Moderator bowieluva's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chompin View Post
    Unless they changed the story as of the local news last night, no...he just walked up and stabbed him. No fight, no words.
    This is what I read:
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...layground.html

    Police say that Jamarion's attack on Conner was unprovoked and inexplicable. He didn't know Conner before the attack and had joined the 9-year-old and two friends on the playground.
    So it sounded like he was playing with them and then just snapped.

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    Senior Member Chompin's Avatar
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    http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapi..._somebody.html

    KENTWOOD, MI - Glen Stacy was doing yard work when a shirtless boy in jean shorts walked up to him Monday night and asked to borrow his phone.

    ?Hi. I just stabbed somebody. Please pick me up. I want to die. I don?t want to be on this earth anymore. Please pick me up,? the boy said into the phone after dialing 911, Stacy said.

    That 6 p.m. call led to the discovery of a young stabbing victim in the vicinity of a playground near Pinebrook Village, 444 Bellewood St., according to Stacy and reports from the scene.

    While Kentwood Police released little information other than saying the incident involved two young children, other media outlets reported the stabbing victim was critically injured in the attack.

    Perhaps even more unsettling: The alleged suspect told Stacy he didn't know who he'd hurt - he'd simply stabbed someone on the playground.

    ?He was very calm,? Stacy said.

    Stacy said he had been getting out his ladder to do some yard work when the boy, whom he described as looking about 10 years old, walked up and asked Stacy's neighbors on the other side of the street if he could use their phone.

    When they said they didn?t have one on them, the boy turned to Stacy, 34.

    As the boy spoke on Stacy's phone, Stacy said he continued to work with his ladder, not wanting to alarm the boy.

    The child told dispatchers he hated his life and had ?taken many pills? on Monday. He told the dispatcher he felt like no one loves him, Stacy said.

    Around that time, Stacy said a bloody knife was discovered in a neighbor's yard.

    Stacy said he asked the boy if he could speak to the 911 dispatcher.

    The boy wordlessly handed the phone over, and Stacy told dispatcher that despite the claim about pills, the child wasn?t shaking and his eyes weren?t dilated.

    ?The only time he raised his voice was when the police came," Stacy said.

    Stacy said police first went to aid the stabbing victim. When officers started heading toward the playground area, the boy on Stacy?s lawn yelled ?Hello. I?m right here. You?re going the wrong way.?

    Within another minute or so, more police arrived and the boy walked out to them in the street with his hands held in front of him, as if to be handcuffed, Stacy said.

    ?To see a kid this young not to feel loved, I?m really saddened,? Stacy said. ?I hope he gets the help that he needs. This kid is reaching out for help -- I can tell -- but he?s reaching for it in the wrong ways.?

    Both children were taken away from the scene in ambulances, Stacy said.

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    fun hater Shins's Avatar
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    I feel like this kid was trying to play out a movie scene.
    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    Listen, if no one cares when a crazy noodle walks in and executes children with a gun, no one cares about anything.

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    Senior Member Bellaboo's Avatar
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    Heartbreaking... ... hammers home the fragility of life, the random violence .... a 9 year old's life snuffed out while playing by another child ... so incredibly sad.

    "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves" .. Confucius
    "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation " ...... Henry David Thoreau

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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    This is so fucking sad. I just made a comment on not being part of the " charge them as an adult!!" brigade over a revoltingly inadequate sentence in a Scandinavian case involving 2 15/16 yr olds with no mental health history, no cocktail of psych drugs.

    They go 20 mths in juvenile care for a fully planned, premeditated murder. They were referred to as "children". Here's a real kid, a real, really fucked up kid, who will probably cop the adult sentence those 2 high functioning & much older "kids" should've got.

    ETA link to case

    http://mydeathspace.com/vb/showthrea...a-jealous-rage

    People find it so hard to believe psych drugs can screw with people's minds this badly. But they do, & what they do to adults is minor compared to the havoc they wreak on kids.

    This is a fucking tragedy for all concerned.

    Serious question for those who know far more than I - is trying U.S kids as adults having any impact on reducing the number of these types of cases?
    Last edited by blighted star; 08-06-2014 at 07:33 PM.

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    Senior Member sarabei's Avatar
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    Blighted, I don't know statistics, but based on the stories we hear, I personally don't think so. :(

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    Senior Member Chompin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sarabei View Post
    Blighted, I don't know statistics, but based on the stories we hear, I personally don't think so. :(
    How many more people would be doing illegal acts if they were legal? As in the only reason they are law abiding citizens is fear of being caught? I would say not many. I am not a rapist orva murderer because I am not, not because its illegal.

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    Moderator bowieluva's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chompin View Post
    How many more people would be doing illegal acts if they were legal? As in the only reason they are law abiding citizens is fear of being caught? I would say not many. I am not a rapist orva murderer because I am not, not because its illegal.
    Yes. That's why the death penalty isn't a deterrent.

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    Senior Member poppy213's Avatar
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    The 9-year-old boy fatally stabbed in a Michigan playground on Monday spent his dying breaths telling his brother he loved him and re-assuring him that the shocking attack wasn?t his fault, a family member has revealed.

    Michael ?Connor? Verkerke was playing with two of his brothers and another boy Jamarion Lawhorn, 12, who pulled out a knife and repeatedly stabbed Connor. (in the back)

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz39lhXK5vZ

    Michael V.

    Jamarion L.

    "Satisfaction of ones curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life" Linus Pauling

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    Cousin Greg Angiebla's Avatar
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    This story is so sad for everyone involved. I actually feel bad for the kid that killed the other little boy. How sad is it that he thought no one loved him and he wanted to die. He looks so sweet and innocent, look at his dimples. I also feel bad for the poor brothers that saw their brother being murdered, and the poor parents

    I guess the police are going to say since the boy called the police and turned himself in that he knew that what he did was wrong. It doesn't always work that way though. I think the police are very ignorant when it comes to mental health issues.

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    Moderator bowieluva's Avatar
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    It doesn't matter what the police say, it matters what a psychologist says.

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    Senior Member Chompin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    Yes. That's why the death penalty isn't a deterrent.
    It is just plain fun.

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    Senior Member u2addict's Avatar
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    Oh god this is so sad. Sounds like he was crying out for help. For some reason I think this child has seen (on tv or family) this kind of scenario (cops and getting help) and is understanding
    wrong, he is only 12, still brain damaged. I personally don't agree with the adult charge and I hope he gets help.

    Godspeed Michael

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    Senior Member Queena's Avatar
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    12...and charged as an adult? WTF!

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    Moderator bowieluva's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Queena View Post
    12...and charged as an adult? WTF!
    Well, he's black. If this was a white kid he would be in a hospital being cared for, duh.

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    Senior Member missbad's Avatar
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    Jamarion Lawhorn: Parents of 12-year-old murder suspect will be back in court on abuse charges

    KENTWOOD, MI -- The mother and stepfather of a 12-year-old boy who was charged in the stabbing death of another child on a Kentwood playground earlier this year will be in court this week as they face felony child abuse charges.

    Anita Lawhorn, 38, and Bernard Harrold, 37, are both charged with one count each of third-degree and fourth-degree child abuse.

    The two are scheduled to appear in Kentwood District Court on Thursday, Oct. 23, for a hearing in which Judge William Kelly could hear testimony from state case workers.

    Lawhorn's son, Jamarion Lawhorn, is charged with murder and is in police custody after he allegedly stabbed Connor Verkerke, 9, at a neighborhood playground Aug. 4.

    Jamarion called 911 using a neighbor's phone and told dispatchers he wanted to die and didn't "want to be on this earth anymore," the neighbor said.

    Court records show Jamarion allegedly told detectives he took several pills at home, about a block from Pinebrook Village mobile home park, then took a knife and headed to the playground with the intention of stabbing someone.

    Newly-released records detail abuse the boy described to case workers in 2013, more than a year before the stabbing.

    Jamarion told a CPS caseworker in May 2013 that Harrold "sometimes punches him in the chest and stomach" and that both Harrold and Lawhorn would repeatedly "whup him" on his buttocks and the backs of his legs with an extension cord and belt. The caseworker observed markings on the backs of Jamarion's legs consistent with his account of the alleged abuse, court records show.

    Child Protective Services staff arranged for Jamarion to move to his father's home in New York state a month later. Lawhorn and Harrold were not charged for the alleged abuse ? until now, after Verkerke's death.

    Jamarion came back to Michigan this spring and never returned to his father's home. But Kent County prosecutors have said authorities were unaware Jamarion was back in the home of his mother. By August, when the abuse had allegedly resumed, causing the boy to say he was "tired of life," the situation at home had gotten much more serious.

    The state has since removed Lawhorn's other children ? a 14-year-old boy and two daughters, ages 2 and 7 ?from her care. They are in the custody of relatives. Court records also list a new home address for Harrold.

    Investigators say they found the home in which the family had been living lacking sufficient food. The utilities had been turned off and the children's beds were without sheets or blankets. Drug paraphernalia was found in a bathroom, investigators said.

    State Sen. Judy Emmons, chairwoman of the Senate's Families, Seniors and Human Services Committee, has called for a joint hearing with state representatives. The intention, Emmons said, is to investigate actions of protective services workers regarding Jamarion's case.

    http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapi...ny_this_w.html
    Last edited by missbad; 10-21-2014 at 05:24 AM. Reason: Added link


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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    Fuck. A horrible story that just keeps giving.

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    Senior Member queenaevadamthng's Avatar
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    Sounds like this kid never stood a chance.


    "Theoretical physics can prove that an elephant can hang from a cliff with its tail tied to a daisy. But use your eyes, your common sense".... JIM GARRISON

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    Senior Member Queena's Avatar
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    I still think that 12 is too young to be charged as an adult. 17, yes. 12....NO!

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    Senior Member queenaevadamthng's Avatar
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    I read an article last month about kids that are too young being put in adult prisons. They have had several commit suicide.


    "Theoretical physics can prove that an elephant can hang from a cliff with its tail tied to a daisy. But use your eyes, your common sense".... JIM GARRISON

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