Florida man, convicted of murder at age 12, released 16 years on

[Little Tich]

Source: Yahoo! News / Reuters

ORLANDO, Fla. (Reuters) - A Florida man who was called the nation's youngest convicted murderer at age 12 walked out of prison on Tuesday morning after serving almost 16 years behind bars.

Curtis Jones, 29, completed his sentence at the medium security South Bay Correctional Institution in South Florida, according to records in the state Department of Corrections.

Jones was convicted in 1999 of second-degree murder in Brevard County and sentenced to 18 years in the shooting of his father's girlfriend, Sonya Speight.

He and his older sister, Catherine, who also was convicted, claimed they had been sexually abused by a male relative in the house. But they were not believed even after child welfare investigators found evidence of abuse, the local Florida Today newspaper reported.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/florida-man-convicted-murder-age-12-released-16-220006934.html

[tblue37]

4. This was a 12-year-old child and his 13-year-old sister who

were tried and convicted as adults. They both had been beaten and sexually abused for a long time and finally in desperation decided to kill the adults who had trapped them in that situation. The investigation into charges of abuse were never followed through on, so the kids felt they had no other way out.

After failing to rescue these young kids, the state went all law and order punishment on them and tried them as adults.

Not "Florida man," but abused and imprisoned Florida children.

[Chakab]

2. Wow, I remember following this case in the news back then. Can't believe that it's been

16 years.

I'm getting old.

[redruddyred]

3. I dug this up, if anyone's interested

http://www.11alive.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/07/28/florida-young-killers-documents-abuse/30771345/
apparently the state investigated sexual abuse allegations 3 times and did nothing.

[madokie]

5. I remember when this happened

and was shocked then how it all came down. the kids were trapped and felt they had no choice. I feel for them. The system failed them

[redruddyred]

8. and yet this young man spent a decade plus some in prison

surely he didn't deserve that.
what a waste of a life

[madokie]

9. I agree

Its sad and it ought to be criminal what they do and get by with sometimes. They being the cops and DA's

[redruddyred]

10. frankly I think these people are lazy

I saw some stats in the 90s which suggested that the overwhelming percentage of women in jail for violent crime were there because had killed an abusive intimate partner.

I don't condone killing, ever, but, like with these kids, I suspect a lot of them find themselves cornered into it.

of course the youngest ever convicted murderer would be a black boy. they don't have needs or feelings or childhoods.

[Hestia]

6. and after all of that horror, they are now on probation for life. A lawyer is trying to get them

clemency from that.

[catrose]

7. Sister's getting out also

Seriously, there WAS evidence that they were abused and they were convicted as adults?

[Sunlei]

11. good, they're both able to get out of prison. I wish them well and happy future.