Monday, December 7, 2009

Deadly Disclosure

By Susan Murphy-Milano


Jamar Pinkney, Jr., 15 years old, went to his mother with remorse and confessed he'd had improper sexual contact with his three-year old half sister. The mother told her son she would get him the help he needed. Later that afternoon, she called Jamar’s father (her ex-husband) to discuss how to get the boy help. Within the hour, Jamar Pinkney, Sr., showed up in a fit of rage. From his hip pocket he pulled out a pistol and began beating his son with the butt.

A few minutes later, he dragged Jamar Jr. outside and down the front steps. At gunpoint, he marched his son to a vacant lot, where he ordered the teenager to strip naked in public. Jamar Jr. begged for mercy: "No Daddy, please, no!" before Pinkney shot him point-blank, execution-style, in the head.

The father's actions show he didn't act in the heat of the passion.

In a Detroit Free Press interview after the shooting, Cherry said of her ex-husband: “I hope he rots in jail.” Of her son, she said: “He did not deserve that. There wasn’t nothing that my son wouldn’t do for his father. He loved his father so much."

"There's no justification for what he did, you know, downright shoot your child," she said. "He didn't rape her or anything. So why did you have to come and take matters into your hands? We said we were going to get him help."

The three-year-old child was later examined by a doctor, who said the girl was fine and showed no signs of sexual assault.

While 1,600 mourners attended Jamar’s funeral, across town Jamar Pinkney Sr. sat in a courtroom with his lawyer, being charged with first degree murder. The judge entered a "not guilty" plea on Pinkney's behalf. Pinkney also was charged with three counts of felonious assault and one count of felony firearm possession.

I was outraged to read comments on numerous websites from supporters of Pinkney's murder of his own flesh and blood. One blog-poster wrote: In some countries, family problems are still handled in this manner. The patriarch handles the problem, sometimes resulting in killing their own child.”

Maybe we don't need murder laws as long as a family member is involved. Then we can raise-up our society to the level of Iran and live life with that kind of legal system.

Many others commented: "I can see what would make him snap."

I believe it's obvious that the day Jamar Pinkney, Sr., murdered his son, he was of sound mind. He chose to commit vigilante justice, perhaps believing he would escape prosecution.

When we live in a society where murder is justifiable, excusable or even understandable, we will all be at risk: We can shoot each other with impunity, with no need for laws or courts.

Meanwhile, no one need worry about the father. From what I've read on the web, many will donate funds for his defense. Pinkney, a father and former postal worker, has retained a lawyer who is preparing an insanity defense. I doubt Pickney will come close to serving the maximum sentence, which in Michigan is life in prison. The state has no death penalty.

7 comments:

FleaStiff said...

Honor killing?
Didn't the wife know how her former husband was likely to react? Didn't the kid know how the father was likely to react?

Delilah said...

There is no defense for an execution of your own child, regardless of what they've done.

We seem, as a society, to have devalued life so much that these family murders are becoming an every day occurrence and we are becoming too de-sensitized.

This young boy made a huge mistake, but for a father to first humiliate him by making him strip down, and then to put a bullet in his head is unspeakably evil.

Anonymous said...

This like you said was thought out. He had to make his way over to the house to do this. Disgusting.

Anonymous said...

If a person in a relationship (in this case the former wife)is aware of how a person reacts why call him up and inform a dangerous man what happend.

First, the mother should have waiting for the report from the doctor.

Second, then when she learned that nothing happened the mother could have avoided her sons murder by privately speaking with him and sending him for professional help. I think pthers things were going on and she had another agenda but it back fired and the child died.

An insane defense does not fit with the man's actions.

Anonymous said...

She wasnt the mother of the 3 year old. It was her son's stepsister with a new wife.

And I seriously doubt that she would react that way. She is a victim.

Soobs said...

She was TRYING to co-parent with her ex. She told him what had happened, told him they shouldn't "sweep this under the rug" and wanted his input into therapy for their child.

Why some people want to continue to say the mother had some ulterior motive is beyond me. Not only did the "father" drive over there, he made his son strip down, beat him mercilessly before chasing the son outside and down the street. Still naked, the child begged for his life, and his father shot him point blank. He then called his girlfriend (the call actually went to the mother's phone) and left a message that said "don't worry baby, I've taken care of it!" Doesn't sound "insane" to me.

He deserves life. He deserves more, but Michigan doesn't have a death penalty.

Anonymous said...

There is a special place in hell for this evil man. This poor young boy had a huge amount of courage to confess to his mother while I am sure suffering from immense shame and guilt. Particularly considering he was well aware of the serious consequences of his mistake and unfortunate actions. Instead of supporting his son, not for his actions, but for his honesty and wanting help, this depraved individual execute this troubled teenager. I consider his father a total coward who couldn't even hold a candle to his own son's integrity. Life in prison for this useless piece of humanity is nowhere close to justice!!! Hell will be waiting!!!