2. What causes kids to commit heinous
crimes?
• A glitch in their brain that causes them to
want to do things they should not do
• A glitch in their brain that causes them to
not care about other people
• Negative influences through other
people, books, and movies
• Not thinking before they act
3. How can a judge decide which kids
should be sentenced as an adult?
4. Every crime committed by juveniles should
be reviewed closely and all circumstances
considered in sentencing them as an
adult, juveniles should be held accountable
for their actions and must be tried as an
adult when they commit an adult crime.
5. Some kids are aware of what they are
doing when they commit a crime.
Others do it out of fear, or because
they are talked into it by an older
friend. Some kids do not deserve a
second chance, and some do. How do
prosecutors decide?
6. Eric Smith
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•
•
•
13 years old when convicted of second degree murder
He is now 24 and could spend the rest of his life in prison
Strangled and battered the life out of a four year old boy
He did not stop when the boy was dead, he continued to do
awful things to the body
• Kept his secret for one week before he confessed
7. Samuel Vonachen
• 14 years old at the time of the murders
• Confessed to the premeditated killings of his mother, sister, and
attempted murder of his father
• Set fire to his home with design to kill
• He admits his family was loving and caring
• Feels all other human life other than his own is worthless and
believes all persons are awful
• Admits to planning bomb attacks in Washington D.C and a sword
attack on Buhler High School
• Says if he is ever released from prison he will kill others
• Is extremely intelligent with no history of mental illness
• Openly considers himself superior in intellect to others
• His father admits to being scared of his son
8. Barry Loukaitis
• 14 years old at the time of the crime
• Had a hunting rifle, two hand guns, and 78 rounds of ammuntiton
• Killed his algebra teacher and two students, critically injured
another, held class hostage
• Convicted of 2 counts of first degree murder, 1 count of second degree
murder, 1 count of first degree attempted murder, and 16 counts of
aggravated kidnapping
• Is serving 2 life sentences and an additional 205 years in prison without
the possibility of parole
9. These kids are aware of what they
were doing, they thought it out and
plotted in their heads. They should not
be let out of prison. One of them even
admitted that he would do it again if
he was released. They are a danger to
society.
10. Joshua Phillips
• 14 years old at the time of the murder
• Killed 8 year old Maddie Clifton
• One week after Maddie’s disappearance Josh’s mother went it to clean
his room and found her body under his bed
• Said he hit her with a baseball while they were playing, didn’t want to
get in trouble so he took her into his room. When she started
screaming he hit her with a baseball bat and stabbed her to make her
stop.
• Had no history of violence
• Is now a model prisoner, received high school diploma
• Sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole
11. Paul Henry Gingerich
• 12 years old at the time of the murder
• Contributed to the murder of Phil Danner
• Boys were not sure they could go through with the murder
until Phil walked into the room and saw them holding guns.
That is when they each fired two rounds into him.
• Is now a model student/prisoner
• He admits he did wrong, and he wished he just went home
instead of going to his friends house with his two friends
• Sentenced to 25 years in prison
12. These two boys admit what they did
was wrong. Paul got scared and shot
the gun, he deserves punishment but
he is a kid who is proving he deserves
a second chance. Josh got scared and
felt that he was going to get in trouble
for an accident, he deserves
punishment as well but is also proving
that he deserves a second chance.
