Most of us have heard that they threw out the conviction of Andrea Yates, even tho she confessed to it.  While I really think she is as crazy as a loon, this is not about her.

Locally, Richmond VA has been consistently in the top 10 when it comes to murder rates, and 2004 will be no exception with 95 murders in a population of 200k.

The way local governments work in Va, Counties are completely independant of Cities.  And the surrounding counties, while being half again as large people wise, usually have a murder rate commensuate with other urban countines, not a murder capitol.

So it came as somewhat of a shock that the first murder of the year occurred in one of the counties. But that is not the half of it.

The Victim was a 4 year old boy, and the perps?  His mother and boy fiend! (not a typo).  They were 'disciplining' him!  My GOD how bad can a 4 year old be to beat him to death!  This was not the work of some fruitcake like Andrea yates, this was just pure evil!  Bullies taking their impotence out on a poor child!

It makes me sick.  I am against the death penalty, but this case makes me want to be judge jury AND executioner!  I have 4 children, and while I do beleive in spanking, never more than that!  ANd never more than smacks on the butt!  Beating a small child like that is the purest form of evil!  ANd even thos I know these people are crazy, that is no excuse this time!

I really doubt they will get the chair, as it will be very hard for the state to prove pre-meditation.  SO they will hopefully rot in prison fore the rest of their lives!

And the ps to this sad tale?  The boy had a 3 year old sister that was beaten almost to death.  SHe is now in the hospital and will undoubtably be placed in the foster care system.  Not for anything she did, but due to an accident of birth.

It is sickening!