Final Thoughts

One thought that came to me through my research of this crime was why was Lionel Tates mother not charged in relation to this crime? Tiffany was under her care at the time, but instead of babysitting her like she should have been, she was upstairs sleeping. I feel she should have at-least been charged with neglect.

In the American Crime video I watched, several of Lionel's teachers mentioned his inappropriate behavior in the classroom, and that his mother responded by blaming other kids for Lionel's actions. It seems to me that she was unwilling to see the signs that her son may have needed some form of help (American Crime, 2016).

The behaviors Lionel's teachers described leads to be believe he may suffer from Antisocial Personality Disorder. According to the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(p.645) a personality disorder is: 

"the essential feature of antisocial personality disorder is a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood."

According to Taylor & Fritsch(p.105), some of the other characteristics of antisocial personality disorder are:

• deceitfulness
• impulsivity
• irritabiity and aggressivness
• reckless disregard for safety of self or others
• lack of remorse
• repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest

Through my research, I've been able to identify at least 5 of the 6 characteristics listed above.

1. Deceitfulness - he lied to his mother about what happened to Tiffany
2. Irritability and aggressiveness - Teachers mentioned that he was easily agitated, and was known to bully and intimidate the kids in his class.
3. Reckless disregard for safety of self or others - His behavior that led to the death of Tiffany Eunick.
4. Lack of remorse - This was shown through images of the trial.
5. Repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest -  The murder of Tiffany, violation of his probation, and the armed robbery of the pizza delivery man. 







American Crime . (2016, November 24). Retrieved September 09, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtksaQopdyY&t=50s

Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.). (1952). Washington: American Psychiatric Association.

Taylor, R. W., & Fritsch, E. J. (2015). Juvenile justice: policies, programs, and practices (4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Freedom... Not for long

Lionel Tate
(Monacelli, A)

Nine months after his release, Lionel Tate was found guilty of violating his probation by being outside of his house,late at night and in possession of a knife with an 8 in. blade. The judge tacked 5 years onto his probation(Alvarado, 2016).

May 2005, Tate is charged with armed robbery and violating his parole. Tate was involved in the robbery of a pizza delivery man.

Tate told the judge that he was hearing voices, and wanted to kill himself. A psychiatric evaluation was ordered, and Tate was found competent to stand trial. A year later he pled guilty to gun possession which was a violation of his probation, and was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment. The judge told Tate, "In plain English, Lionel Tate, you have run out of second chances" before he handed down his sentence. In February of 2008, he pled no contest to the robbery charge, and was sentenced to 10 years, to be served concurrently with his 30 year sentence (Monacelli, 2016)

Alvarado, F. (2016, April 02). Free Lionel Tate. Retrieved September 09, 2017, from http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/free-lionel-tate-6377917

Monacelli, A. (2016, June 08). Murderous Children: Lionel Tate (12) Killed a 6-Year-Old Girl. Retrieved September 09, 2017, from https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/Murderous-Children-Lionel-Tate

Overturned

In January of 2004, after years of trying to get Tate's conviction overturned, it was found that a pre-trial competency had not been completed, therefore overturning his previous conviction and ordering a retrial. 

Not wanting to subject Lionel to another trial his mother accepted the prosecutions new plea deal. The new deal was a confession to 2nd degree murder, 3 years in a juvenile justice facility (most of which he had already served), and 10 years probation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nGFISVOvB0&t=15s

Aguayo, T. (2004, September 09). Teenager Freed by Court Is Charged. Retrieved September 09, 2017, from http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/09/us/teenager-freed-by-court-is-charged.html


American Crime . (2016, November 24). Retrieved September 09, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtksaQopdyY&t=50s

YouTube. (2011, March 17). Retrieved September 09, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nGFISVOvB0&t=15s

Conviction

Prosecutors offered Tate a plea deal, which his mother declined. She felt he had no reason to accept a plea deal and spend 3 years in a juvenile facility for "horseplay"(American Crime, 2016).

Defense tried arguing that Tate was a fan of WWE and was just practicing some wrestling moves on Tiffany.

Lionel went to trial, and on March 9,2001 a jury found him guilty of 1st degree murder. The jury deliberated for only three hours. One juror said the panel did not believe the wrestling defense. "Anybody that went through that trial and witnessed the brutality, and the length of time it took to inflict the blows, would have to go with first degree murder under the law"(Hull,2001).

In Florida, 1st degree murder comes with a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. Lionel became the youngest person in American history to be sentenced to life in prison.

After three days in adult prison, Governor Jeb Bush approved Tate's move to the local juvenile detention facility(American Crime,2016).

https://youtu.be/muFDISmHdtk

American Crime . (2016, November 24). Retrieved September 09, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtksaQopdyY&t=50s

Hull, A. (2001, March 10). Life Without Parole for Boy, 14. Retrieved September 09, 2017, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/03/10/life-without-parole-for-boy-14/aa9a1db6-97e2-407c-9ba8-1435f340b950/?utm_term=.80a4d8568751

YouTube. (2010, December 11). Retrieved September 09, 2017, from https://youtu.be/muFDISmHdtk

The Autopsy

Tiffany suffered from a fractured skull, detached liver, broken ribs, internal hemorrhaging, multiple cuts and bruises. The coroner noted 35 wounds in all (Canedy, 2001).

The injuries were consistent to those of someone who had fallen off of a three-story building.

Cause of death: blunt force trauma.

Autopsy Reveals Brutal Beating. (1999, August 14). Retrieved September 09, 2017, from http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1999-08-14/news/9908131171_1_tiffany-eunick-lionel-tate-medical-examiner

Canedy, D. (2001). Boy Convicted of Murder in Wrestling Case. The New York Times.

The Crime

It was July 28,1999 in Broward County Florida. Twelve year old Lionel Tate and six year old Tiffany Eunick were playing together downstairs. Kathleen was supposed to be babysitting Tiffany, but had to work the night shift so she left Tiffany with Lionel so that she could go upstairs and nap.

At one point Kathleen hollered downstairs, telling the kids to be quiet. 45 minutes later Lionel went to wake up his mother and told her that Tiffany was not breathing.

Lionel told his mother that they were pretending to wrestle, he had her in a headlock and he accidentally slammed Tiffany's head into the side of the table. Lionel was roughly 160 lbs, Tiffany a mere 48 lbs. Lionel then told his mother that after hitting her head, Tiffany rolled around on the floor crying. He left her there to go watch t.v. before finally waking his mother.

Was Tiffany's death an accident or was it murder?

Tiffany Eunik
(Monacelli. 2016)

Lionel Tate
(Monacelli, 2016)

Hull, A. (2001, March 10). Life Without Parole for Boy, 14. Retrieved September 09, 2017, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/03/10/life-without-parole-for-boy-14/aa9a1db6-97e2-407c-9ba8-1435f340b950/?utm_term=.80a4d8568751

Monacelli, A. (2016, June 08). Murderous Children: Lionel Tate (12) Killed a 6-Year-Old Girl. Retrieved September 09, 2017, from https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/Murderous-Children-Lionel-Tate