By Susan Murphy-MilanoJamar 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.
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"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.
