Armed robbery, 10-year prison sentences and the downfall of two Wando High School teens:HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? The Post and Courier
Sunday, February 10, 2008
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? 
Melissa Haneline The masks, gun and other items used in one of the two armed robberies committed by Michael Anthony and Sean Shevlino. 
Sean Shevlino 
Michael Anthony Chapter I: Different beginnings Mike Anthony comes into this world on Oct. 10, 1988, with two major disadvantages: dysfunctional parents and fetal alcohol syndrome, which can leave children with learning disabilities and cause them to act impulsively. He starts life in North Charleston. His father drinks and is not around. Mom struggles with addictions to crack cocaine and alcohol. She barely fends for herself. Some nights, his mother doesn't come home. Other times, she returns with different men. Mike sees things that young boys should not. Neighbors take to feeding him like a stray. He steals food when he can't find handouts. As Mike's mom spirals downward, she sends him to live with his aunt. She has her own troubles raising several children in a tiny run-down trailer. Competing for space and attention with his cousins is not ideal, but it offers Mike more stability than he had before. Plus, he gets to live with his cousin Earl, who's just a few months younger. Earl becomes Mike's partner in mischief. They do everything together. They share a bed. They build bikes from junk parts, extending the reach of their hijinks as far as they can pedal. They are like brothers. ***** Some 630 miles away in Pennsylvania, a 10-year-old boy named Sean Shevlino scrambles down a soccer field after a ball. A thin, bespectacled man with dark hair shouts encouragement from the sidelines. Pete Shevlino. Sean's coach. His father. Weekends in the Shevlino family mean soccer. His brother, Seamus, just 20 months older, is a talented mid-fielder. Sean, with a more solid build, plays the backfield on defense. The brothers have such different personalities — Seamus, personable and outgoing; Sean, shy and quiet — but you can't keep them apart. When they play Ninja turtles and Power Rangers, Seamus always portrays the more popular characters. Sean happily accepts the role of sidekick. Most every weekend, the Shevlinos pack the kids in the car, head for a soccer tournament and then gather with teammates and their families for Italian food. The Shevlinos enjoy Glen Rock, Pa., a rural bedroom community between Harrisburg and Baltimore. Grazing horses, open country, a Civil War-era theater where movies show for 99 cents right before they go to video. It's a quiet, safe place to raise a family. Pete and April settled here after leaving the Navy. They'd met while stationed at the Charleston Naval Weapons Station. Romance blossomed while they built torpedoes. April gave birth to Seamus and Sean at the Naval Hospital in North Charleston. But they soon headed north after Pete landed a job in Baltimore in the shipping container industry. Soccer unites Glen Rock and brings Sean friends. The bonds extend beyond the field of play. Barbecues, sleep-overs, birthday parties. Wholesome fun. Pete watches Sean run down the field. A thought keeps running through his mind: If I can just keep them playing sports, that will keep them out of trouble. Chapter II: Chances for happiness Beth Anthony hears Mike before she sees him. In 1997 she is a new teacher at Berry Elementary in North Charleston. She's spent more than a dozen years working in some of the county's toughest schools. But she can't ignore the piercing screams and tears of this little boy curled under the cafeteria table, even as everyone sitting around seems to be doing just that. The other teachers tell Beth that Mike often throws such fits and that she shouldn't concern herself. Beth peers under the table. Her gaze locks on a pair of watery brown eyes. The boy's clothes are filthy and he has no socks. "Hey, Mike," Beth coaxes. "I'm new here, and I need your help. Could you show me the way to the parking lot?" Silence. Then, Mike's sobbing subsides and he reaches for Beth's outstretched hand. A few weeks later, she hears at school that the trailer where Mike lives with his aunt and cousins has been destroyed in a fire. She offers to let Mike stay with her family temporarily until his aunt finds a new place. Beth knows practically nothing about Mike other than that he has been suspended for his behavior at school and has been in trouble with police for stealing. He is 8 years old and still in first grade. What would she and her family be taking on? Beth breaks the news to her husband Jim, and to her two children from a previous marriage. Jim takes to Mike and though he is not sure how they will manage, he knows it's the right thing to do. The couple's children, especially Beth's son, Cain, who is about the same age as Mike, are thrilled to have a new playmate. That first night, Mike wolfs down dinner as though he hasn't eaten in days. When Beth starts fixing dinner the second night, Mike seems puzzled. "We ate dinner last night," Mike says when Beth's husband asks what's wrong. He's not used to regular meals. Mike soaks up his new surroundings in Shadowmoss, the West Ashley subdivision where the Anthonys live. Kids ride shiny new bicycles, minivans line the driveways and fathers mow the lawns. Within days, he starts calling Beth mom. Things go well for awhile. Then, one night, the family goes out for pizza. Mike runs into some of his cousins. All of a sudden, Mike wants to return to his biological family. Beth tracks down Mike's father. She smells liquor when he answers the door. Mike wants to stay. She drives away in tears. The next morning Mike's aunt calls in a panic. "Mike slept on the street last night," she tells Beth. "His father can't take care of him. Will you take him back?" On March 19, 1998, a judge signs a final order of adoption, and 9-year-old Mike officially becomes the Anthonys' son. His cousin Earl is crushed. But he knows Mike has won the golden ticket. The adoption triggers an outpouring of local support and national attention. Beth pens a first-person story for Guideposts, a Christian-themed magazine. Wendy's fast-food restaurant founder Dave Thomas, who was adopted, recognizes Mike's adoption in a national campaign. The Anthonys fly to California and Mike gets to meet Steven Spielberg, Stevie Wonder and Henry Winkler, The Fonz from TV's "Happy Days." The storyline — white upper middle-class family adopts poor black child — has such appeal there's even talk of a movie, with a happy ending. ***** April Shevlino helps Sean and two other eighth-graders load a pile of treated lumber into her car outside a Lowe's store in Mount Pleasant. The boys are excited. They'd come to her with the idea of building a fort in the woods outside their Park West neighborhood. A place to call their own, to be kings of their own domain. Sure, April said. Jump in the car. Let's go buy some materials. The move to Mount Pleasant wasn't easy for Sean. He was halfway through the sixth grade when they moved in February 2002. He loved Glen Rock, his school, his friends. But Pete had earned a promotion at work. That meant a move back South. Compared to tiny Glen Rock, Mount Pleasant is a big city. The people here seem more sophisticated, Seamus thinks. He played spin the bottle with some girls back in Pennsylvania. But the kids here, well, they talk about doing a lot more than that. Sean finds it hard to adjust. His first day at Cario Middle School, he shows up to find an empty room, his class gone on a three-day field trip. Alone. Sad. Frustrated. Slowly, walls come down. As always, sports help Sean find his way. He meets Michael Dawley, from a neighboring subdivision. He's around Sean's age, and shares his love of baseball, football, soccer. They spend hours playing together, become best friends. They soon pick up Max Hartwell, another neighborhood kid. The three are inseparable. As they return from Lowe's with the load of lumber, April watches Sean, Michael and Max cart the wood away to a secret spot where they will build their fort. She doesn't ask where it is. Doesn't care. All that matters is that Sean is happy. Maybe things will be all right after all. Chapter III: The downfall begins When the Anthonys move from West Ashley to Mount Pleasant's upscale I'On neighborhood in 2000, Mike seems to adjust well. He is popular and quickly makes more friends. I'On, with its private ponds, expansive piazzas and brick-lined walkways, is like another world to Mike. But certain events trigger flashbacks. Jim is feeding the dog one day when Mike remembers that he sometimes ate dog food growing up. Another time, Jim runs into a grocery store while Beth and Mike wait outside in the family's convertible. It's a clear night and the car's top is down. Mike stares at the stars. His mind wanders back to his early childhood. He starts to cry and asks what will become of his mother. Memories are not the only thing Mike struggles with. Mike lags in school with a learning disability. He is placed in special education classes. Despite his scholastic difficulties, Mike is exceedingly polite and everyone who meets him remarks about his positive attitude. But at times, it seems as though Mike is playing a role. He expresses his happiness in a 2002 column for the neighborhood newspaper. "My life is about as good as it gets. But I'm not bragging cause it hasn't always been like this," he writes. His teachers enjoy having him in class, even though at 15 he is much older than his fellow seventh-graders at Moultrie Middle School. He tests below basic standards. Mike enjoys enough trust around his neighborhood that a family doesn't think twice about asking him to baby-sit their two little boys. A couple of days later, the boys' mother delivers shocking news to Beth. Mike had sexual contact with the children, both preschoolers. The Anthonys can't believe it until a talk with Mike confirms the allegations. The family that made the accusations asks that the authorities not get involved and they urge the Anthonys to get Mike into counseling. Mike seems indifferent about the whole event. Everyone agrees that Mike is no longer allowed to baby-sit. Stress from Mike's behavior and other domestic disagreements have Jim and Beth at odds: Their 10-year marriage is falling apart. In 2002, they separate. Mike initially stays in I'On with Jim. He later asks to live with Beth. He is emotionally closer to her, and knows that he enjoys more freedom under her watch. Jim remarries, and he and his new wife, Shari, take custody of Mike in 2003. They hope to restore some of the stability and structure Mike craved when Jim and Beth were married. Shari relates to Mike. She is from an interracial marriage and struggled growing up in two cultures. She also was a victim of sexual abuse as a child, trauma that comes rushing back one evening when she dozes off while Jim runs an errand. When he returns, she is frantic. She tells him she awoke to see a figure standing over her. It was Mike, she tells him, looming over her naked. He tried to pry her legs apart. She struggled until he gave up, she explains. They immediately place Mike in counseling. A therapist says Mike is confused about his sexuality because of what he'd seen as a child. The counseling seems to help. Mike graduates from eighth grade. He plays soccer and his grades improve. But in 2005, as therapists delve deeper into the underlying issues behind his behavior, Mike acts out. He runs away from home, skips practice and is caught drinking and smoking marijuana. He disappears for days at a time. After one long search, police find Mike in the garage asleep in the back seat of the family car. As Mike's behavior worsens, the therapist tells Jim and Shari to hide all their kitchen knives. They sleep with a bat under the bed. Jim and Shari reach the end of their rope in October 2005 when Mike tries to seduce Shari in the kitchen. They send Mike back to live with Beth and he stops attending counseling. Jim and Shari believe they have done all they can. Jim looks at Shari and makes a prediction: "The next time we see Mike it's going to be in the newspaper." ***** Sean's parents see a change in their son as well. At age 15, he no longer seems interested in his family or what they have to say. Sean's best friend Michael Dawley is now quarterback for the Wando High School football team. Their old buddy Max is a linebacker for the Warriors. They hang with a crowd that is popular, fast, out for fun. Among their new buddies is Mike Anthony, a cornerback on the football team. Sean has largely given up on sports, but he remains part of their inner circle. As the months pass, he grows closer to Mike Anthony, though no one is sure why. It's not the only change. His grades sink and he slides off the honor roll at Wando. April and Pete discover Sean is drinking when he returns home one night and gets sick. They can smell the booze. They ground Sean. He kicks out the window screen in his bedroom and is gone. They ground him again. Pete screws down the shutters on Sean's bedroom window. Sean bashes through the barricade, pops out the screen and is gone again. Pete and April haul him off to therapy. Sean keeps drinking, downing beers with his friends. One night, a bunch of them are partying in the Francis Marion National Forest. Suddenly, lights and commotion. It's the cops. They're busted. Sean escapes through the dense underbrush and darkness, branches tearing at his skin. He keeps running until the glow from the party disappears. Sean goes to more therapy, but his problems continue. One weekend, Pete and April take their youngest son Alex on a trip to Greenville to see Seamus play in a soccer tournament. Sean skips the trip. The house is his for the weekend. He makes some calls. Party time. Pete and April decide to come home early to see what Sean is up to. They had asked a friend from the neighborhood, a retired New York City cop, to swing by the house and make sure everything was all right. He doesn't notice anything amiss. That's because Sean had his friends park on other streets to avoid drawing attention. April knows something is wrong as they pull up. The blinds are all the way down. She never does that. They walk in and find about 50 kids in the house. The place is hopping - music playing, underage kids swilling alcohol. In the main hallway, someone has kicked a hole through the wall. The revelers spot them and take off running. Sean storms out of the house as well, with Pete in hot pursuit. "Come back here!" Pete yells. "No!" Sean shouts back. Pete chases him down the street, but Sean is faster. He rounds the corner and disappears into the night. Chapter IV: Throwing their lives away Sean shows up at Mike's house, looking for a place to crash. Beth takes him in. Beth sees the boys only in passing. They are always on the move, hanging out with friends, chasing girls. They sit still only to play video games. She corners Sean every chance she gets and reminds him to call his parents. April tells Beth she wants Sean to come home. Sean and his friends have other ideas. They talk about getting a place of their own, a place where they can live by their own rules. No adults. No hassles. But first they need cash. Someone suggests robbing a business. The idea takes root. Sean, Mike and a group of friends gather on the night of Aug. 26, 2006, at Max Hartwell's home to plot their strategy. They target a Food Lion not far from the high school. Their friend Christopher Cousins worked at the store and knows its layout and schedule. The teens buy masks, walkie-talkies, a pellet gun and other supplies at a Wal-Mart. They have decided that Sean will be the gunman while the rest serve as lookouts. He's the youngest in the group and has no record with the police. Sean turned 16 just a month earlier. If he's caught, they figure he'll just get a slap on the wrist, maybe a few months in juvenile hall. Sean stalks into the store wearing a mask and a black hooded sweatshirt. He reaches into a bag and pulls out the pellet gun, which looks convincingly like a semi-automatic pistol. He points the weapon at a night supervisor and tells him to open the safe. The supervisor is Joel Pilling, who happens to be the son of Beth Anthony's fiance, Mark Pilling. To Joel, the robber looks like a kid. But the gun scares him. He opens the safe, shrinks to the floor and stays there while Sean empties money into the bag. Sean runs outside with the loot. As police rush to the store, Sean, Mike and the rest of the crew escape to Max's house where they split the take, about $500. The phone rings at Beth and Mark's house. It's Joel. His voice is shaking. He's been robbed. Beth and Mark look at each other. Who would do such a thing? ***** Beth worries about Mike. He seems to have no ambition. She's been pushing him to follow Joel's lead and get a part-time job. Mike tells Beth not to worry. "I don't need to get a job. I have my ways of getting money." A few miles up the road on Sept. 3, an Overlook Drive resident parks his silver $35,000 BMW outside his home and leaves his leather briefcase and a laptop computer inside. When he awakes the next morning, the car is gone. As police search for the car, Beth is at home doing laundry. Sean is still staying with them, so she's washing his clothes too. She's about to throw Sean's jeans in the wash when she notices something dangling from a belt loop: It's a key chain with a BMW key. She questions Sean. He shrugs and says it belongs to his mom's car. That night, Beth is busy planning a long-awaited vacation to Italy with her daughter, who is turning 21. Mike and Sean pass her as they head out the door. They say they're going to a friend's house. "Be home by 10," she tells them. "It's a school night." Sure thing, the boys say. They then head over to a Subway sandwich shop on nearby Coleman Boulevard. Mike waits outside as a lookout while Sean slips on a white mask and barges into the store. He points a gun at Rashed Ali, a worker on duty. "This is a stick up! Open the register, give me all the money." Sean stares into Ali's face and sees the terror. Sean suddenly feels like a jerk, disappointed in himself. But Sean grabs $151 and darts out the door. He slips Mike $50 from the haul as they dash down the street. They arrive back at Mike's home within two hours. Beth hears them come in. Nothing seems unusual. Chapter V: Everything unravels The next morning, Mount Pleasant police get a call from an anonymous tipster. The caller tells them Sean Shevlino and a kid named Mike robbed the Subway and stole the BMW. The tipster says the briefcase stolen with the car can be found in a trash can in the Old Village. Investigators find Mike at a friend's house and bring him to the police station for questioning. They have Mike call Sean and persuade him to come to the station as well. As the hours pass, the story of the crime spree emerges along with the names of the others involved. Beth is getting ready for her vacation when police show up with a search warrant. Beth's mind races. Sean had skipped school — maybe it had to do with that, she thinks. The police want to search Mike's room. They are looking for a gun. Beth feels faint. "You must be mistaken. This is my kid." Across town, Pete Shevlino has a similar reaction when police call. He initially assumes Sean has been busted for underage drinking. His knees go weak when he learns the truth. He prays that Sean's cooperation with investigators will earn him some leniency. Jim Anthony knows none of this. No one has called him. His first indication of trouble comes when he walks outside to get the newspaper in the morning. "Wando students charged," the headline blares. He doesn't need to read any farther. Chapter VI: After the charges, two paths Mike's cousin Earl is in jail on a purse snatching charge when he first hears of the charges against Mike. They lost touch over the years. When Mike got adopted and moved to Mount Pleasant, Earl assumed his cousin would be fine. Kids in Mount Pleasant didn't get in trouble. "Why would he do something like this?" Beth wonders the same thing. Did Mike really do this? Beth begins making arrangements to have Mike bailed out of jail, but decides it might do him some good to stew in jail for a few days and think about what he's done. Besides, she didn't want to let her daughter down after she had promised to take her to Italy. While she's away, one of Mike's good friends persuades his parents to post Mike's bail and give him a place to stay. By the time Beth arrives back in Charleston, Mike wants little to do with her. Beth doesn't know what else she can do to help him. She feels she has tried everything. She begins to believe that the trauma he experienced as a young child was too deeply rooted to overcome. Mike quickly falls back into his bad ways. He joins back up with the old crew and they have several brushes with police, most centered on underage drinking and getting high on marijuana. Sean takes a different route. Like Mike and the others, he has been expelled from Wando. But he doesn't seek out his buddies. Sean enrolls in Three Springs, a boarding school and treatment program in the mountains of North Carolina. It's a tough place, designed to get at the root of what's eating at kids like Sean. He lives in a spartan cabin all winter, cooking over a wood stove. The walls are thin, it's bitter cold and the work is hard. He needs to do this, to prove a point, if only to himself. He reads the Bible for support. Behaves himself. He is rewarded with a supervisor's position, watching over other kids. It makes him proud. When he returns in May, his parents notice the change right away. He seems calmer, less argumentative, more open. When school starts in the fall, Sean passes up a chance to return to Wando. He takes high school equivalency classes, and stays out of trouble. Chapter VII: A harsh reality Solicitor Ralph Hoisington knows what it's like to have a pistol shoved in your face while someone demands your cash. He was a young man when some punk kid robbed him that way. Hoisington is dying of cancer. But he wants to make sure justice is done. He makes an offer to Sean and Mike: plead guilty and serve 10 years in prison. Sean's family is floored. They were holding onto hope that prosecutors would try Sean as a juvenile. Hoisington holds firm. After he dies in June, his chief deputy, Scarlett Wilson, inherits his job and the Wando case. Wilson feels duty-bound to honor Hoisington's wishes. Besides, how can she justify letting these suburban kids off when she regularly sends inner-city kids to prison for the same type of crimes? Her offer, the same as Hoisington's: Ten years. The other boys — Max, Michael Dawley, Samuel Perez, Christopher Cousins, Graham Stolte, Jackie Washington, Patrick Brown and Vincent Weiner — plead guilty and agree to testify against them. Sean and Mike have little choice but to give up and accept the 10-year offer. The other boys await sentencing but expect to get less prison time. Mike is first to get sentenced. He numbly answers the judge's questions and is led away. The night before Sean appears in court, he, his 10-year-old brother Alex and their parents all sleep in the same room. One last night together. The court hearing takes less than an hour. When it's over, deputies escort Sean from the room. "I love you," he mouths to his parents as he's led away. ***** Mike Anthony and Sean Shevlino spend most of their days locked in cells at the Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center in Columbia. Kirkland's name makes it sound like a visitor's center of sorts. In a way it is. Inmates spend their first 30 days at Kirkland while corrections officials figure out what prison would suit them best. Sean shares a 10-foot cell with two inmates. Mike lives one floor below him. Sometimes they call to each other in the night, their voices joining the cacophony of banging and screams that echo in this windowless place. Family and friends of Mike and Sean are part of a growing group trying to get the state to change the way it prosecutes teenagers in criminal cases. States across the nation adopted laws in the 1990s to get violent teens off the streets, but many of those same states are now debating the wisdom of trying juveniles as adults. |
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Comments
This article has 80 comment(s)
Posted by MotoryachtSoCo on February 10, 2008 at 2:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A very sad story of surprising insight. I've said all I can on these tragic events.
More commentary and Pete Shevlino's January 15th post at http://www.cedarposts.blogspot.com/ or http://postandcourierblogs.com/life_floa...
Posted by postman01 on February 10, 2008 at 4:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Shows how early childhood devlopment stays with people their entire lives.
Until there is NO SUCH THING as the "hood", etc., this story will repeat endlessly with constantly changing names, faces, and places.
Society fails to grasp this at its peril. The exact same problem is at the root of terrorism, for example.
Posted by moonpie on February 10, 2008 at 6:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
We really can't say it was parenting can we? All kids make mistakes. This was a big mistake. If they did this one time and got caught thats a different story and with a possible different outcome but numerous times. I'm sorry I feel no sympathy and like I have posted before they're lucky they are not dead! What if they encountered an off duty officer or citizen with a gun and permit during one of these hold ups??
Posted by USC_Alumni on February 10, 2008 at 7:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm tired of this story already. They both got what they deserved.
Posted by pavrett on February 10, 2008 at 8:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Enjoy the 10 year vacation!
Posted by hillbilly on February 10, 2008 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Moonpie...This was not a mistake! These guys broke the law by threatening lives and robbing people. A mistake is an unintentional wrong doing usually not affecting lives.
Posted by Mon_Kie on February 10, 2008 at 8:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Regarding Sean:
When a teen is kicking out the secured shutters and taking out the screens to go out at night he is not being "a good kid".
This is a warning sign that he is getting in to trouble, not going to the library to do his book report.
How could parents express surprise, with a straight face, at anything that happens after that sort of behavior at home?
The idea that sending the spoiled teen to an expensive camp for the summer would earn him a lesser sentence, is reprehensible. This article left out the stalling and negotiating that went on behind the scenes to try to wangle Sean out of the receiving his proper punishment. Get off of your high horse Sean, you are a low-life scummy person.
Regarding Mike:
Well kid, you were given a second chance in life and you blew it. I see nothing good for you in the future.
I wish both of them had been shot dead at one of their robberies, then society would be spared the problems they will cause when they get out, in less than 10 years.
Posted by hc5 on February 10, 2008 at 9:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm sure these kids were told and shown by example from their loving, hard working parents, that the American way to get the money for their apartment WASN'T TO STEAL IT, but to work hard for it.
What do we parents, who are raising America's future men, do to prevent this behavior: Hard work? Books? Sports? Band? Family? Church? Remember, teens shouldn't need to be kept CONSTANTLY "distracted" to stay on the right track, should they?
Posted by Beachbumwannabe on February 10, 2008 at 9:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What a story…vacations to Italy while a child is in jail, convertibles, endless soccer games, beautiful homes in expensive neighborhoods, not caring where the kids build a fort....only caring that the kids are "happy". Neighboring parents with so little concern for their children that they a let unrelated adolescent male baby sit and then are surprised when abuse happens.
These parents are kids themselves. No mention of church or faith or part time jobs or chores or community service ...just one endless chase for "happiness".
White, middle and upper middle class parents are themselves children chasing their materialistic and humanistic dreams though their children, with little or no thought to the important things in life. While recognizing the crimes they committed I pity these boys…their vacuous parents sealed their deliverance into a numb life of senselessness long before they became criminals.
Posted by wonderdog on February 10, 2008 at 9:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Scenario #1:
Your teenager is drinking to the point of throwing up and hanging out with the wrong crowd. You ground him, he kicks out a barricade and the screens and takes off. Then you leave him home alone for the weekend while the rest of the family goes out of town.
Scenario #2:
Mike tells you, his mother, he doesn't need a job because he has other ways of getting money. He's been smoking dope and acting out in other ways. His buddy has left home and is staying at your house. You are taking your older child to Europe.
What's wrong with this picture? Anyone?
Posted by SCgal on February 10, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So sad and locking them up with hardened criminals for 24 hrs a day for 10 yrs to mentor these kids is not the best solution or answer in the long run for our community and society, IMO
Posted by SCgal on February 10, 2008 at 9:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
mos states, "This is a good thing. With all the publicity, it will make other potential young criminals think twice, knowing that they are risking everything."
NOT, if this were the case we would have very little or NO crime~ previous examples of crime and punishment have in no way lessen the stats~
TOUGH LOVE type programs may be effective but not media coverage~
Take a few good Child Growth and Development courses and understand how it all works together~~
Posted by SCgal on February 10, 2008 at 9:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And remember Mike Anthony did not ask to be born to a crack addicted mother with fetal alcohol syndrome now did he?
Take some time to go and read up on those two issues~
And again what will society end up with in 10 yrs when these two have been "mentored" in an adult population 24 hrs a day?
Posted by highclass on February 10, 2008 at 9:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sleep tight boys. Don't drop the soap. You planned to take what was not yours. Pray that someone back their doesn't plan to do the same with you. They all got what they deserved.
Posted by wonderdog on February 10, 2008 at 9:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I wish there were some mid-level facility, between juvi and adult, for those who stand a chance of benefiting from it rather than sending them to adult prison.
I have taught a child with fetal alcohol syndrome. I believe that Mike Anthony was adopted by parents who really tried but may not have been equipped to deal with his problems.
The points I raised in my earlier post are questions regarding basic parenting skills.
Tragic.
Posted by SCgal on February 10, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeactio...
http://www.juvenilejusticefoundation.com...
Posted by joy on February 10, 2008 at 10:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I pray that these children will be able to come back into society one day and be the children God intended for them to be. I pray for them to have joy in their life. I wish I knew what I could do to help. I see so many children at the elementary level that appear so sad. It makes me wonder what is going on at home. I just don't know what to do. I wish I had the right answer.
Posted by SomeTruthPlease on February 10, 2008 at 10:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Such good friends...to send Sean in while the rest are lookouts, and now Sean is tried as an adult, while the others take the plea deal. Beth Anthony, you're a saint, and did everything you could. Sometimes, a personality is so well-developed during childhood that no amount of love, understanding, and compassion can undo what's been done. It sounds as though you did all you could to turn a wounded and defective (I hate to use that word, but can't think of anything else that fits) child into a productive and well-balanced adult. Shame on Michael's birth-family for doing what they did to him. Girls, before you churn out kids in order to get more benefits, free housing, etc., read this story and gain a perspective on the amount of guilt that you will have to feel one day, if you're capable. Your children are the future, and if you do to yours what Michael Anthony's did to him, you'll be visiting your children in the same places he is about to experience. This is a sad, sad story in every way, but I believe that this is what the world is coming to. Peer pressure is just too much for most parents to compete with. The way I was raised 40 years ago is not the norm any longer. We look for teachers, coaches, etc. to fix their issues, thinking that if we keep them busy enough, the thoughts that they have will just disappear. Many times, that is not the case.
Posted by chucktonian on February 10, 2008 at 10:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
the only thing "sad" or "tragic" about this story is that the justice system didn't lock these animals up for 20 years.
it's time for us, as a society, to stop tolerating lawbreaking because of liberal whiny psychobabble. you do the crime, you pay the time. jail overcrowded? build a new, bigger one. let's get these thugs and gangbangers off the streets.
Posted by scfirefly on February 10, 2008 at 10:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
STP, It's been my observation that many parents don't want to compete with peer pressure. They are thrilled that their kids are cool and popular. They think binge drinking is just part of growing up.
These parents probably thought sharing all the details would gain them some sympathy. Reading this just makes me think these boys were lucky to only get 10 years.
I'm voting for Scarlett Wilson in the next election.
Posted by charlestonnative1963 on February 10, 2008 at 10:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Harpo you are SO RIGHT. As a former teacher I have watched as the paddle was taken from the principals office, and the parents became afraid to "Take off the belt". Discipline went right out the window. My kids knew that one call from a neighbor, another parent, a teacher, a church worker, or any other adult that came along...After we cooled down--we went upstairs, discussed the wrong-and used the paddle that I kept in the closet. All three of these "abused kids" knew that I did not play and their rump would be grass... Spanking was few and far between and the reason...they KNEW it could happen...The middle child got "busted" in the 12th grade because he walked out of a teachers class without his permission. I invited the teacher home and with him there, I took care of business. My oldest went to CofC the other two went to the Citadel. I beleive they know that IF they do something NOW as adults, their ass is mine!
NOW, I have said over and over again that these kids should have been tried as juveniles....I don't buy the judge's story..their lives are over--the DJJ could have saved them.
Posted by charlestonnative1963 on February 10, 2008 at 10:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Dear Mouth of.... Get a life...exactly what do you think they will be in 10 years...and where will they be. As juvies in an adult prison they will learn real qucik how to do it right next time. In the juvenile system they would have been able to come out, go on to college, get jobs, pay taxes and live a respectful life....now WE WILL PAY FOR THEM FOREVER!!! I would rather spend my life rehabilitating a 17 year old than paying for his crime for the next 70 years.
Posted by SomeTruthPlease on February 10, 2008 at 10:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'll chime in again with what I believe to be a good fix to the dilemma...this time, in a less gentle manner. Where are the good ass-whoopin's that we used to have? I was terrified of those. Making a kid go to a willow tree to pick his/her own switch is very good punishment. I'm not talking about to the level of what would be considered "abuse", but isn't sparing the rod and spoiling the child just as abusive, considering the possible outcome? We've got governmental agencies telling us that we are NOT allowed to use those tactics, but it's the same agency that is writing checks every month to be sure that these children will be able to eat, have a roof over their heads, and the electricity at a reduced cost to make everything in the house work, right down to the Plasma tv's purchased with the money from yet another government program designed to help people below the poverty line have nicer things...all while Mommy (because usually Daddy is missing) either works two jobs to make ends meet, or doesn't work at all...putting out children that huddle under school desks crying, dirty, and with no socks, only to go back to the same situation, or in this case, to be "rescued" by someone with a kind heart who has no earthly idea of how to deal with it. If they act out, don't JUST put them on a soccer field. Beat their butts until they know just who's who. There are programs such as "Scared Straight" that will give them a tour of a local prison facility so that they know what they're facing if they continue their behaviors and are caught. If they're smoking pot, usher them to an NA meeting so they can meet others who have smoked their lives away, or gotten into the new designer drugs that caused their teeth to fall out and look as though their skin is falling off their bones.
Posted by SomeTruthPlease on February 10, 2008 at 11:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Charlestonnative1963, you make a good point, but you fail to realize that MANY of the 16 and 17 year olds that enter juvenile facilities, within a couple of years will be put into adult facilities on unrelated crimes. I believe 16 and 17 year olds have reached adulthood. Many 16 and 17 year olds are parents these days, sadly, and I think they are exactly who they will be for the rest of their lives. You may hear of a handful of these "children" who are able to turn their lives around, but at 17, if they're bad, they're bad for good. I would like to turn the other cheek, but I have lived in Summerville, Charleston, and Goose Creek, and I've seen so many "young adults" say that they found God, read the bible, have had a change of heart, only to return to their old behaviors. Go to the Dorchester County courthouse on a Thursday morning and look around that waiting room...look at some of those "kids" who are only 16 or 17, that look 24 or 25, being tried as juveniles, only to be released to the streets in a short amount of time, that will do no more hard work in their lives than going out at night to "jimmy" someone's doors open to take what they want. Being gentle with these people is exactly why these boys resorted to doing what they've done. They reasoned it out, sent in the one they thought would get a slap on the wrist, while the others held lesser positions as a preventative measure. At 16, some people are considering college, the military, etc. We don't dismiss their thoughts, saying they're "just too young" to make the right decisions, who are we to say that these other boys are "just too young" to have morals, a conscience, etc.? I don't believe you can rehabilitate a 17 year old. Maybe I'm wrong, but I sure don't think so.
Posted by charlestonnative1963 on February 10, 2008 at 11:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
One more thing: IN my day, the wealthy kids were treated like everyone else. Today--with the "new money" It's about priviledge...I very clearly remember my rich friends ..we rode the bus to the Isle of Palms becuse to drive the family car cost 20 cent a mile. We all worked regardless of whose family had money...We all went to college and took jobs on campus for spending money...Todays kids have the parents credit card and there is NO distinction at a gas station between beer or gas. So to a certain degree, we can blame the parents of Mt Pleasant ( I live here--I see them) Hard work is no longer the norm...AND I repeat...the adult charge was W R O N G...here this ...wrong.
Posted by spyderco on February 10, 2008 at 11:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
archdude you must be joking when you say "The military absolutely would be the best place for them".If not you are a moron for saying such a thing. They committed armed robbery for crying out loud they didn't get a speeding ticket or run a red light. So if they committed murder or something to that affect would you still say that then Military is the place for them to be? What about all of these other people who commit the same crimes but are older than these so called kids should they not go to jail as well or should we send them into the military? Don't make the military your dumping grounds for someone who is convicted of a crime use the prison system like it is supposed to. And for those that are crying for these poor kids saying the only lessons that they will learn in prison is how to be hardened criminals, think again they already learned that lesson when they robbed the stores at gunpoint.
Get over it people they committed multiple crimes and now they are getting the same penalty as anyone else who would have done it. The only thing they are sorry for is getting caught and having to do the time for the crime.
Posted by GG on February 10, 2008 at 11:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Boo Hoo.. and I mean that with all the sarcasm I can muster.
I too had alcoholic parents, and I am sure my mother must have drunk when she was PG b/c no one knew any better in the 40' and 50's. But I CHOSE to RISE ABOVE that using education and belief in self. No excuses; no blaming my family.
These thugs CHOSE to commit these crimes. Actions have reactions.
I have no pity for them. Jail 'em all.
What I would like to see now is such a detailed article about those who faced the weapons of these hoods during the robbery. And don't hand me the crap that it was only a pellet gun. If someone shoved a pellet gun in my face, I doubt I would stop and tell myself not to worry. Bull!
Posted by SomeTruthPlease on February 10, 2008 at 11:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I urge everyone to go to the "South Carolina Inmate Search"...choose a name...something basic, so you can come up with quite a few "hits", and start clicking on the "youngsters" links...look at their faces, look at their charges, and the dates of admission, and tell me that they should have all been given a break because they were too "young" to know right from wrong, then tell me you would love to have them released, to live in your community...that you'd love to get to know them better, have your children befriend them, that you would hire them if you had a chance, and I will tell you that you are absolutely crazy. Tell yourself that setting them free, sitting them in a chair is a psychiatrists office would do them some good. Most of those "kids" would beat you to death, steal everything you own, and wouldn't think twice about how kind you were to them. Look again at most of the charges...21 year old "men" with their 3rd offense of Criminal domestic violence...dope pushers who, quite frankly, I am more than glad are off the streets. I don't care that they were 17 when they incurred their charges. They're gone, in many cases for a long, long time, and I'm glad.
Posted by urvoucher on February 10, 2008 at 11:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You do the crime, you do the time. Enjoy your stay @ your new home.
Posted by SCgal on February 10, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
These are different ways of deciding who is responsible for what in a family.
Authoritarian
Authoritarian parents always try to be in control and exert their control on the children. These parents set strict rules to try to keep order, and they usually do this without much expression of warmth and affection. They attempt to set strict standards of conduct and are usually very critical of children for not meeting those standards. They tell children what to do, they try to make them obey and they usually do not provide children with choices or options.
Authoritarian parents don't explain why they want their children to do things. If a child questions a rule or command, the parent might answer, "Because I said so." Parents tend to focus on bad behavior, rather than positive behavior, and children are scolded or punished, often harshly, for not following the rules.
Children with authoritarian parents usually do not learn to think for themselves and understand why the parent is requiring certain behaviors.
Permissive
Permissive parents give up most control to their children. Parents make few, if any, rules, and the rules that they make are usually not consistently enforced. They don't want to be tied down to routines. They want their children to feel free. They do not set clear boundaries or expectations for their children's behavior and tend to accept in a warm and loving way, however the child behaves.
Permissive parents give children as many choices as possible, even when the child is not capable of making good choices. They tend to accept a child's behavior, good or bad, and make no comment about whether it is beneficial or not. They may feel unable to change misbehavior, or they choose not to get involved.
Posted by SCgal on February 10, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Democratic Or Authoritative
Democratic parents help children learn to be responsible for themselves and to think about the consequences of their behavior. Parents do this by providing clear, reasonable expectations for their children and explanations for why they expect their children to behave in a particular manner. They monitor their children's behavior to make sure that they follow through on rules and expectations. They do this in a warm and loving manner. They often, "try to catch their children being good" and reinforcing the good behavior, rather than focusing on the bad.
For example, a child who leaves her toys on a staircase may be told not to do this because, "Someone could trip on them and get hurt and the toy might be damaged." As children mature, parents involve children in making rules and doing chores: "Who will mop the kitchen floor, and who will carry out the trash?"
Parents who have a democratic style give choices based on a child's ability. For a toddler, the choice may be "red shirt or striped shirt?" For an older child, the choice might be "apple, orange or banana?" Parents guide children's behavior by teaching, not punishing. "You threw your truck at Mindy. That hurt her. We're putting your truck away until you can play with it safely."
Which Is Your Style?
Maybe you are somewhere in between. Think about what you want your children to learn. Research on children's development shows that the most positive outcomes for children occur when parents use democratic styles. Children with permissive parents tend to be aggressive and act out, while children with authoritarian parents tend to be compliant and submissive and have low self-esteem.
No parenting style will work unless you build a loving bond with your child.
These tips were reproduced from the U.S. Department of Education.
Posted by SCgal on February 10, 2008 at 11:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Take the parent quiz concerning how you raise your kids
http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/quizzes/l...
Posted by SCgal on February 10, 2008 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Go read up on Erik Erikson
http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/deve...
5. Learning Identity Versus Identity Diffusion (Fidelity)
During the fifth psychosocial crisis (adolescence, from about 13 or 14 to about 20) the child, now an adolescent, learns how to answer satisfactorily and happily the question of "Who am I?" But even the best - adjusted of adolescents experiences some role identity diffusion: most boys and probably most girls experiment with minor delinquency; rebellion flourishes; self - doubts flood the youngster, and so on.
Erikson believes that during successful early adolescence, mature time perspective is developed; the young person acquires self-certainty as opposed to self-consciousness and self-doubt. He comes to experiment with different - usually constructive - roles rather than adopting a "negative identity" (such as delinquency). He actually anticipates achievement, and achieves, rather than being "paralyzed" by feelings of inferiority or by an inadequate time perspective. In later adolescence, clear sexual identity - manhood or womanhood - is established. The adolescent seeks leadership (someone to inspire him), and gradually develops a set of ideals (socially congruent and desirable, in the case of the successful adolescent). Erikson believes that, in our culture, adolescence affords a "psychosocial moratorium," particularly for middle - and upper-class American children. They do not yet have to "play for keeps," but can experiment, trying various roles, and thus hopefully find the one most suitable for them.
Posted by SCgal on February 10, 2008 at 11:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
There is also Piaget and Kohlberg to consider in growth and development~~
Posted by SomeTruthPlease on February 10, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Archduke...some good points, but to answer your questions "have you ever thought there might be a reason this state has so many problems"? Only 55% of parents in South Carolina report that they have educated their children on how to prevent pregnancy and HIV / AIDS. In South Carolina in 2002, more than 53,788 grandparents had primary care responsibilities for their grandchildren. South Carolina Data: Every 55 minutes a South Carolina teen gets pregnant.
http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/sccr...
Take a peek at that link. Population in SC has not yet doubled in the years that the chart outlines, yet violent crime has increased TENFOLD. What do I think has happened? I think that violent parents have had violent children who have had their own violent children, and we're reaping the benefits of making sure that these people can continue to have children, have their medical bills paid for, make sure they are fed and have a home, so that they can have yet another generation to be proud of. Do I think that we should begin to coddle these older teens, tell them that we understand why they do the things that they do, want to give them another chance? You think the crime rate in SC has run amok? I wouldn't live here if it got any worse. I have seen many poor kids choose the right path...now we've seen those who had all the advantages that chose the wrong one. In Mr. Anthony's case, he was bound to fail from birth. His birth mother made sure of that. I wonder how many more she had? The others probably remained in the tenement, and we're not going to have the privilege of reading a long, drawn-out sob story of how his formative years were spent with a crackhead mother only to be rescued by a kindhearted individual who exhausted every resource to make sure that he turned out okay and didn't. Proof positive that most of them cannot be fixed.
Posted by SCgal on February 10, 2008 at 12:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I noticed that too~ no one attempted to stop the robbery, especially with the "gun" laying right there on the floor and the kid had his back turned emptying the safe~
Did anyone not think to kick the gun out of reach and jump the kid?
Posted by hillbilly on February 10, 2008 at 12:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Right On Coldbeer!!
The military is too high class and elite to take the time to coddle thugs.
Posted by datadiva on February 10, 2008 at 12:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Weird video - the 'gunman' goes right to the male worker, bypassing two female workers. Wouldn't common sense for a man wanting to overpower someone be to go to the 'weaker' female?
How did he know exactly who would have a key???
Strange...
Posted by Shari1 on February 10, 2008 at 1:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is because of this type of apathy that our country is in the state it's in. That's okay....just keep inside your own little world, it will all catch up with you one day anyhow.
Posted by Shari1 on February 10, 2008 at 2 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I happen to be the person in the article....unfortunately, I am not shocked to see the callous, cold hearted attitudes in the majority of the comments posted here. That is representative of our country today. I thank those of you that still have a heart and compassion. To the rest of you, I hope your futures' are as perfect for you as you seem to believe you are.
Posted by chasres on February 10, 2008 at 2:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is widely accepted that an individual's values system is established by the age of eight years old. Thereafter, rapport and respect must be present to communicate and effect change. Regardless of one's own circumstances, the dearth of personal responsibility is becoming pervasive in today's society. It is interesting to note that Mr. Anthony's facial features do not suggest FAS.
Posted by Shari1 on February 10, 2008 at 2:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
After the incident with Mike's attempted sexual assault on me, he went directly into counseling. This was the FIRST indication I had that Mike had significant issues. We were getting to know each other and trying to ease into a family unit with consistency and trust. The only "issues" until then were reminders about cleaning his bedroom and other chores. Mike was a very quiet boy, polite and showed no signs of any type of criminal behavior. Even though that was the case, coming from my history I felt inside that at some point in time there would be issues to deal with as he grew and matured, and I felt I was capable of dealing with them if and when they occured. At age 46 that has been my path through life, dealing with issues as they come up from my childhood. As someone posted earlier, we cannot escape our histories or damage done. As another person posted, they stated they came from alcoholic parents and did not "choose" to get into any trouble. I'm very glad for that person...it's quite rare, they are very LUCKY. The suggestion for hiding the knives etc..., were once we were in the midst of therapy. As the therapy got closer to Mike's core issues of abuse and pain, his behavior began to change, i.e. running away. If you re-read the article, you can then see the time line of where at this point, Mike chose to go back to his adoptive mother. We tried to make contact with Mike after that point, but he was not receptive to us, so we had no information on what was or was not being spoken about between he and his mother. As for your final question, I will say only that a 10 year sentence is on it's face outrageous to anyone who has a brain and a heart. You can watch any number of television true stories of child molesters and kidnappers, men who have killed their wives or girlfriends being sentenced to 5 years or less. If you are asking me to make sense of our judicial system, I can't. But I don't think it's taken this case to prove how screwed up it is nationwide.
Posted by Mon_Kie on February 10, 2008 at 3:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Shari1
Our Judicial System is screwed up if kidnappers, murderers and child molesters get only 5 years in prison.
I think child molesters, kidnappers and murdererss should get life sentences.
In Mike's case, I think it finally got one right, 10 years sounds good to me.
As previous articles have stated, he will probably serve 8 years, so be prepared to hide the knives again in 2016, especially if you are still married to his father at that time.
Posted by Shari1 on February 10, 2008 at 3:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
To Monkey...
Wow....You sure sound like your life must be in perfect order, inside and out. Well, God Bless you. I thought there was only one perfect person, and he was killed. I guess I was wrong.
Posted by To_live_and_die_in_Dixie on February 10, 2008 at 3:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You can take the boy out of the "hood" but you can't take the hood out of the boy...
Posted by gaitor66 on February 10, 2008 at 3:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Very touching send them to prison where they belong,BooHoo poor little kids.
Posted by Mon_Kie on February 10, 2008 at 3:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Shari1
You are being very protective of a man who wanted to rape you, a young man who wanted to rape you even though you were his stepmother.
How messed up are you to take this and stick around?
If you are still in the same place in 2016, you might find out that Mike does not have the normal human capability for compassion and decency. He could still do you great harm.
Think of yourself, and your value, defending Mike means you do not think that he deserves to be punished for what he tried to do to you. If you had taken a firmer stance when this happened, or if the parents of the two preschoolers that he molested had taken action then Mike could be in a juvenile detention facility today. He would have the opportunity to straighten out his messed up life.
You all took the easy way out, and now Mike is going to adult prison.
Posted by MAJMike on February 10, 2008 at 4:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The United States Army has one purpose to fight and win the nations war, not to fix what momy and dady could not fix at home. Frankly I have beter things to do with my time. Its a privledge to serve your country, not some place to fix the problems of society. They should be glad I wasnt walking out of the store when they robbed it or this article would be a obituary.
Posted by Peaceandlove on February 10, 2008 at 5:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i love sean, anyone agree, or feel bad? www.helpingsean.com
check it out sign it. pray for sean and the shevlino's
-have a heart
Posted by COFC2007 on February 10, 2008 at 5:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is very sad these young men had promise but they will do about 8 to 9 years in prison.
Posted by Peaceandlove on February 10, 2008 at 6:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i think one or two years in a junivle prison at the max.
www.helpingsean.com sign it
Posted by nochasgirl on February 10, 2008 at 6:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I pray that my children will make good decisions, and we have discussed this situation many times. I have told them to consider the worst consequence that they could receive before making a decision they are unsure of. I have a huge issue with a 14 yr-old and 15 yr-old being charge as juveniles for MURDER (as reported in the P&C), and these boys being charged as adults. Sorry, I don't care who you are, you know that this is not justice. They should have been charged as juveniles, because that is what they are. The Pittman boy who killed his grandparents at age 12 or 13 was charged as an adult, but not the 14 & 15 yr olds? I pray for these boys and their families by name every day, and I do not know any involved. It doesn't take long to decide which posters are ridiculous, and I always skip over them. So much hate and anger; I pray for them, too.
Posted by imthemom on February 10, 2008 at 6:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I just can't believe so much time has gone into this issue. Although 10 yrs may be excessive for teens, they DID do the crime. No one forced them to, it was well thought out and it was done more than once! They will do the 2-5 that everyone is saying they "should" have gotten and the rest will be probation. As for their never walking the streets again, that is VERY excessive! There really are some "perfect" people out there who believe this way. As for the "helpsean" website...I think it is great that he has changed his life, but that is not going to get him out of paying for what he did. He should have changed his life BEFORE this happened. I do hope they both will be OK and will continue to pray for them.
Posted by LoseMouthoftheSouth on February 10, 2008 at 7:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wonder what you do in your spare time Mouth of the South (and you are NOT), being your career is posting on Charleston.net 24/7. 200+ posts in less than 60 days and the more people pay attention to you the more repulsive you become. Get a life and get off the computer. Lets see you say all of this on camera. Shall we?
Posted by jammer on February 10, 2008 at 7:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
the military for them would be the worst thing that could happen for this country, they'd be next years headlines in a rape murder of Iraqi civilians...
the military won't make an uncivilized person civilized, and they don't even wish to try too... those kids would get someone else killed on the front line, they aren't the types that would become good team members and that's what the military is all about
they'd either be out in no time with a dishonorable or a medical for being insane... or they get themselves or others killed because they can't seem to follow simple rules
prison is where they belong, it'll be up to them to keep themselves out later in life or become another of the many wasteful lives on this planet
they are really lucky a cwp wasn't in there or they might have been carried out in a box
Posted by JohnS on February 10, 2008 at 7:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Will the boys will be going to Lee Correctional in Bishopville next month?
Posted by MotoryachtSoCo on February 10, 2008 at 8:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Looks like it's a little late to give the black kid some counseling. Still the sentence is pretty harsh for someone who wasn't even holding the gun. Maybe they need to send him up for life on a sex charge?
http://www.cedarposts.blogspot.com/
Posted by LoseMouthoftheSouth on February 10, 2008 at 8:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You can double click on the users name and it will show you how many posts they have done and even let you go to what they posted and on what subject. Whew. There a a few on here that have chalked up quite a few, which honestly makes me wonder if the unemployment rate has gone up. They apparently have nothing else to do but read what they wrote themselves. We also have the option of blocking out certain person's posts when they become to (out there) or (unbelievable). Some people just need attention. Soggy potatoe chip theory.... better than no potatoe chip at..tall.
Posted by SCgal on February 10, 2008 at 8:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No one disagrees they should be punished but going to adult prison and having exposure to homosexual gang rape, HIV/Aids, extortion, being bought and sold, sleep deprivation, or being shanked to death is not what 16 and 17 yr old KIDS deserve as punishment and that is exactly what the system et. al has done to these boys lives!!!
And the day to are set free then what you may have a 26 yr old convicted felon living right beside you that has experienced all of the above vs. putting these kids into a faciltiy that could have been much more productive and benefical while being punished!
Posted by LoseMouthoftheSouth on February 10, 2008 at 8:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Very true archdude. Have been reading his posts ad nau·se·am. Pretty funny though he thought someone would go to all that trouble to make another profile just for him. My goodness, what an ego for a person without a face.
Posted by SCgal on February 10, 2008 at 8:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well MOS your philosphy one deed deserves the same is quite a unique twist for society and scary at that~~ keep that in mind for they day that your kid goes amuck~
Posted by SCgal on February 10, 2008 at 8:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
MOS did you make up another ID so you could argue with yourself around here HA!
Posted by SCgal on February 10, 2008 at 9:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
MOS~right about the well-known stated fact "Only in SC"
God help us all when it comes to the system and how the KIDS of SC are treated in the judicial system~
Posted by algorelost on February 10, 2008 at 9:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have no problem with the sentence, as long as the 4 gadsen green kids that rob people with a pellet gun get 10 years, anything less and you that Mrs. Wilson was pandering for election.
Posted by elcid81 on February 10, 2008 at 9:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They knew right and wrong. If they didn't they will hopefully learn. It's a shame that I have to pay for their education behind bars. A couple bullets would have been cheaper.
Posted by infinity8 on February 10, 2008 at 10:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Jesus says, "Love one another as I have loved you." We are all subject to the Universal laws that were created by God. No execeptions. We all are bound by these spiritual laws. That's just the way it is. Much like we are all subject to the law of gravity on Earth. It just is.
As you sow, shall you also reap. These are not just biblical words, but Truth. We all will reap exactly what we sow.
"Judge not and you will not be judged." This is Truth. It is the Universal law. If you judge you will be judged. Not by some condemning God, but it simply is the law, the Truth. The sooner we all stop judging and becoming mindful of what we sow, the sooner we and the world will be at peace.
Posted by areyouretarded on February 10, 2008 at 10:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
MOS this is America we live in not Nazi germany... should all crimnals no matter what the crime be sent off to death camps?? first its putting robbers to death then it will be putting anybody to death that doesnt agree with you. i think that you need to go get a job or stop commenting on this all day at work becuase its going to get you fired especially hen your employer sees all this BS your typing.
Posted by walleyedwoman1215 on February 10, 2008 at 10:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Beachbum and Wonderdog, you have both offered very insightful posts that go beyond the knee-jerk "hang-'em-high" mindset. Thank you!
Posted by wonderdog on February 10, 2008 at 10:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank you walleyedwoman1215. I appreciate your views on this and a lot of issues. This whole situation makes me sad for all involved. There are no winners here.
Posted by alwaysamazed on February 10, 2008 at 10:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Studies show that prison is not a deterrent for juveniles. What South Carolina has done by sending these boys to adult prison, is to put a band-aid on the problem. The whole point of a juvenile system, is to rehabilitate so that these kids don't go right back out and screw up again. In adult prison, they get nothing...except some first-hand knowledge of how to commit a crime the right way. To all of the people screaming for these boys to stay in prison, they will be out in about 9 years and what then? People in this state should focus on stopping the problem instead of making it bigger. It probably never occurs to people that this is just a quick-fix, to a much bigger problem..maybe people sleep better at night thinking that they got a criminal off of the streets..but, nothing has changed..the inevitable has only been delayed for a while. The juvenile system is equipped to handle these boys, and yet everyone sat back and let them be shuffled on to adult prison..And patted themselves on the back for a job well done. Now, in about 9 years you will have two men that can't get a job(because they're convicted felons)and have been locked up with the worst of the worst for 9 years. Good job, South Carolina(not). Someone mentioned Chris Pittman in an earlier post...and if his case doesn't highlight what is wrong with our system here in South Carolina, nothing does. This state locked a 12 year old up in adult prison! I find that disgusting...it shows that this state cares nothing for rehabilitation, and only about punishment. It is wrong. I'm going to write my legislators and let them know that instead of building another prison(oh, and we have more people locked up in SC per capita than many,many other states)they need to focus on change. Maybe we would all spend the money to rehabilitate if we knew what would be coming out of our prisons in 9 years.
Posted by MAJMike on February 10, 2008 at 11:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Actually Archdude, Soldiers that I have served with are some of the best people I have met. There are better places to teach team work. Our job is to fight and win wars and not some place to dump troubled kids off where I have to fix them. My attention needs to focus on the kids that wan to be here. Just becasue you went to basis training somewhere doesnt make you a SME on what the Military does and doesnt do.
Posted by scott68111 on February 10, 2008 at 11:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Archdude,
Merely stating that forced military service would be an "appropriate punishment" for these kids is a slap in the face of all of us who serve or have served our country. As MAJMike said, I have alot better things to do than fix societies social problems. My attention is directed at teaching my troops things that will keep them alive when the $hit hits the fan, I don't need someone there that was forced to be there just to teach them some discipline because they made a decision to commit a crime. The Armed Forces are a whole lot more than that, we protect your right to spout some of the nonsense you put forth.
I am not a social worker, I am a professional, a leader and an American Soldier!!!
Posted by phoenixdown on February 10, 2008 at 11:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
archduke wrote:
"After looking at the video, are they sure the store worker--the adopted mom's Fiance's kid was not in on it? He leads in and then hides or cowers until the last few frames. Meanwhile, Shevlino is robbing them--and doing so in a manner that most business owners probably would have broken the robber's neck with a bat since he is paying no attention to the store workers and actually ducks his entire head into the safe multiple times."
Are you kidding me? I am that employee held at gunpoint, and at the time I knew NOTHING about firearms. I saw a black gun pointed at my face and a barrel. Do you think I'm going to ask about it? And to think I was involved? If I was don't you think Shevlino and their friends would have ratted me out? Are you SERIOUSLY that ignorant?
Posted by OMGreally on February 10, 2008 at 11:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I really want to know the answer to this question...have the other boys (the ones NOT going to jail) shown remorse? Are they now "model citizens"? Are they good students with good attendance and not getting detentions at school, etc? If you are a friend or relative of one of these boys, you owe it to them and to the citizens of Mt. Pleasant to keep them in line. If anyone knows these boys personally I'd like to hear your comments.
Posted by Mayor on February 10, 2008 at 11:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
28 posts by Archdude so far
Posted by SomeTruthPlease on February 11, 2008 at 1:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I read a blog that was linked in one of the above posts, and I keep reading the same line "First-time offenders". I think that robbing the Food Lion was the FIRST offense. Second, they robbed a Subway, if I'm correct, and THIRDLY, they stole a BMW. This is not a FIRST offense..it's a string of crimes prosecuted at the same time. I'm tired of reading posts that minimize what these boys did. The Courts are backed up, but you all feel that at 17, they should be ushered off to juvenile facilities...to be released when??? In 6 months? What is the age for inmates at juvenile facilities...I believe 17 is the cut-off...What you really should be saying is that you wanted them to be let go...no punishment whatsoever, because everyone has guilt. I've read that Michael molested two preschoolers...then, attempted to rape his stepmother. Where in the world would he be considered a "first-time offender"?
Posted by JERSEYBOY on February 11, 2008 at 8:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Mouth of the South,
I am sure there are alot of good people in the south. People like you give the south a bad name by making ignorant comments like they should be "hung by the neck" as a penalty.
I agree punishment is necessary, but in the east we know the difference between men and boys. I am confident justice will be served and a more reasonable solution for these two "boys" will be reached. To the parents of both these CHILDREN, keep the faith.
Posted by fordtrckman2 on February 20, 2008 at 11:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah i went to school with these boys and we werent real good friends but we hung out at school. Looking at them and being around them you wouldnt think them to be the kind of people to do something like this, when i heard the news myself i was shocked. I do think think slapping them with 10 years then washing yours hands of them is kinda hard, it did all start when a solicitor "thought" that would be the best punishment. I think it should be more up to the victims what should happen to them but then again you have the dishonest ones out there that would want to give 20 years for burglary or vehicle theft just because it happened to them.(hypothetical) Another part of it kinda sounds like parents being too restrictive. When your a hardass all the time a teenager's not gonna want to listen to you and thats a fact. Youre too punishing and your kids just gonna start trying to find ways to be sneaky and dishonest about it and look for any way possible to get out.
Posted by lillycollette on February 22, 2008 at 8:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I for one refuse to be black-mailed by the hooligan threat that one day these men (they are not little children) will get out of prison even more hardened than when they went in.
If they learned nothing in their preceding life of freedom then they are in need of prison. If they learn nothing from imprisonment, then they can keep returning until they do.
Posted by ThinkAboutThis on June 7, 2008 at 12:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
By Marilyn Elias, USA TODAY
Get-tough laws that have put more teenagers in adult prisons since the early '90s conflict with a wave of new research suggesting how children can be set straight and society protected at the same time.
"We know so much more about the adolescent brain and behavior than we used to, and we want to get these facts into the hands of people who can make a difference," psychologist Laurence Steinberg says. He heads a network of researchers and juvenile-justice workers financed by the MacArthur Foundation, which sponsored the meeting.
That sounds reasonable, but it can be unfair, says Kimberly O'Donnell, chief judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court in Richmond, Va. She points to 14-year-olds tried as adults for "assault by a mob" — in effect, ganging up on and hurting a child at school.
"And once you're tried as an adult, you're always an adult, which can have awful consequences," she says.
There's firm evidence that teens prosecuted as adults are much more likely to commit crimes when they get out than comparable young people tried as juveniles, says Shay Bilchik, president and CEO of the Child Welfare League of America.
Juvenile facilities tend to offer better education, job training, and drug abuse and mental health treatment, Steinberg says. Plus, teens aren't learning from adults how to be career criminals, he adds.
Studies show that adolescents tend to move away from this psychopath profile when they're tracked for a couple of years, while adult scores are usually stable.
Some hallmarks of psychopathy — thrill-seeking, impulsivity, failure to accept responsibility — are all too familiar to parents of teenagers, Cauffman says. In effect, youths grow out of this behavior.
Many younger children aren't even competent to stand trial because they don't understand the trial process or can't make decisions about pleas.
New findings of other MacArthur network scientists challenge common assumptions about teenage criminals. For example, a study that has tracked 1,355 serious offenders for three years finds that less than 10% of those involved in a lot of criminal activities at the outset continued to be heavily involved over the years. "A lot of policy is driven by the view that if a kid does a felony assault, he must be a bad actor from here on forward," says study leader Edward Mulvey of the University of Pittsburgh Medical School.
In Mulvey's study, better parenting and long-term treatment for drug or alcohol abuse correlated with less criminal behavior.
And often there's little follow-up monitoring by youth workers when troubled young people are let out. Still, he says adult prisons, despite their short-term appeal, aren't usually the long-term answer. "We have the research that tells us what to do. The tragedy is, we're not capitalizing on it."