GUILTY FL - Tiffany Eunick, 6, beaten to death, Pembroke Park, 28 July 1999

[mysteriew]

The mother of a convicted child-killer is missing three guns from her home, police announced Wednesday, two days after her son was charged with the gunpoint holdup of a pizza deliveryman in Pembroke Park.

It's not known if the missing guns played a role in the robbery. But the missing guns could add fuel to criticism of Grossett-Tate, a person some say is partly responsible for her son's crime troubles.

''It seems that the mother has contributed to all of this,'' said the Rev. Dennis Grant, an early supporter of Lionel's. ``It's just a sad situation for this kid. The mother needs to be held liable for what has happened.''

Tate's lawyer, Jim Lewis, said the state's case simply didn't make sense.

''Why would you rob a pizza man at gunpoint then sit down on a stoop with the pizza and eat it?''

Grant said she should be held to a higher-standard, given her son's difficulties.

''She knows she has a son in her house on probation,'' he said. ``She acted negligently.''

Grossett-Tate said she was upstairs napping in preparation for National Guard duty when her 12-year-old son body-slammed 6-year-old Tiffany Eunick to death in 1999.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/11738869.htm

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/11738869.htm

 

[mysteriew]

Days after convicted killer Lionel Tate was charged with the holdup at gunpoint of a pizza deliveryman in Pembroke Park, the Florida Highway Patrol opened an internal investigation into how Tate's mother lost her FHP service weapon.

Kathleen Grossett-Tate, Tate's mother, is also an FHP trooper.

A Broward Sheriff's Office investigation recently revealed that Grossett-Tate's service weapon, a .40-caliber Beretta semiautomatic, is missing, said Maj. Ernesto Duarte of the FHP.

It is unclear whether the FHP weapon played a part in the pizza robbery.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/11748805.htm

 

[Seeker]

Actually, she refused to allow him therapy, just as she refused a plea deal. She does the bargaining...he pays the price.

I think his victims are the ones that pay the price. Seems as if he's just allowed to do whatever he wants and always has been...

Isn't therapy mandatory for juveniles while they are incarcerated? I would think there is esp when the state knows they will be released back into society.

I know that after release convicts have to serve a mandatory probation/parole sentance of 3 years with mandatory therapy sessions...

There is no just blaming the mother on this one. This kid didn't even live at home the past 6 or so years and she could not stop him from recieving therapy while being held in juvenile hall...

 

[curious1]

This should really be looked into.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,160371,00.html

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A 13-year-old boy has recanted his statement that Lionel Tate (search) — once the youngest American sentenced to life in prison — robbed a pizza delivery man at gunpoint, Tate's lawyer said Wednesday.
Attorney James Lewis said the boy, Taquincy Tomkins, has now told private investigators that a 16-year-old Tomkins knows only as "Willie" actually committed the May 23 robbery. Tomkins said he blamed Tate under pressure from Broward County (search) sheriff's investigators and because "Willie" threatened to kill him, according to a transcript of the statement provided by Lewis.

 

[mysteriew]

"I will confirm that we found one of the guns," said Broward Sheriff's Office spokesman Jim Leljedal, who declined to say when, where or which of the three guns was recovered.

Reached by phone, Grossett-Tate said she did not know one of her guns had been found and declined to comment further.

However, Tate's defense attorney, Jim Lewis, said officials told him the service weapon was found Monday in the home of a teenager who lived in the same Pembroke Park apartment complex where the pizza robbery took place.

"The gun was not used in the robbery," added Lewis, who says another neighborhood teen -- and not Tate -- held-up the pizza man.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/lo...un29,0,4474132.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

 

[mysteriew]

Lionel Tate is in trouble again, this time without even leaving his jail cell.

Tate, once the youngest American ever sentenced to life in prison, was charged Friday with criminal mischief after a sheriff's deputy said Tate, now 18, banged on his cell door so hard he broke all of the door's glass.

He has been held at the Broward County Jail without bail since May on charges he robbed a pizza deliveryman at gunpoint and violated the terms of his probation. He was sentenced to life in prison at 14 but won his release and was sentenced to house arrest and probation.

Since going free, Tate has had several skirmishes with the law and could be sentenced to life in prison if a judge finds him in violation of the probation. A trial is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 17.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/lo...4oct04,0,5814586.story?coll=sfla-news-broward

 

[Linda7NJ]

very sad.

 

[jannuncutt]

Why was he in jail? I thought that someone else robbed the pizza man.

 

[Jules]

Sounds like he blew it. I wondered if he would be able to behave once let out. I had my doubts. He seems like a very troubled kid.

 

[CyberLaw]

Past behaviour is a very good indicator of future behaviour........this "young man" is going to be making the news and criminal justice system again.......and again, until he is finally locked up.........he murdered a 6 year old girl at 12 years old........

 

[Mabel]

............................

Tate's lawyer, Jim Lewis, said the state's case simply didn't make sense.

''Why would you rob a pizza man at gunpoint then sit down on a stoop with the pizza and eat it?''

....................

What a stupid question. Even if he didn't do it, why would he sit on a stoop eating pizza that he knew wasn't his after his friend was beat up and the pizza delivery person was robbed?

 

[Linda7NJ]

***off topic sorry***


Anyone ever hear anything recently about Nate Abraham ? He's another child I worry about.

Feiger did a fantastic job defending him, it was the best defense lawyering I have ever witnessed. I was stunned the jury convicted the kid. ( I felt he was guilty)

 

[Becba]

Sounds like he blew it. I wondered if he would be able to behave once let out. I had my doubts. He seems like a very troubled kid.

Not only did he blow it he conned some people.
I never think throwing a kid into the system helps. This kid needs intense therapy. And if he is not judged to be rehabilitative he should go to prison with the big boys cause he is showing a criminal that will do much harm later.

 

[Jules]

Not only did he blow it he conned some people.
I never think throwing a kid into the system helps. This kid needs intense therapy. And if he is not judged to be rehabilitative he should go to prison with the big boys cause he is showing a criminal that will do much harm later.

He did go through lots of therapy when he was incarcerated the first time - it obviously did no good. Personally, I disagree with letting out a juvie who murders after a few years. A few years is not enough time to get to the root of "why" they murdered in the first place.

 

[SewingDeb]

Not only did he blow it he conned some people.
I never think throwing a kid into the system helps. This kid needs intense therapy. And if he is not judged to be rehabilitative he should go to prison with the big boys cause he is showing a criminal that will do much harm later.

On another crime forum, we have a guy saying prison is making Lionel a hardened criminal. Any thoughts on that?

 

[Linda7NJ]

On another crime forum, we have a guy saying prison is making Lionel a hardened criminal. Any thoughts on that?

I would say, he lacked a conscience to begin with and yes prison insures us all he will never be a productive member of society.

 

[Jules]

On another crime forum, we have a guy saying prison is making Lionel a hardened criminal. Any thoughts on that?

I would think doing time, especially at such a young age, can't help things. But I believe there is more to it than just that and it started when he killed that little girl.

 

[SewingDeb]

I would say, he lacked a conscience to begin with and yes prison insures us all he will never be a productive member of society.

That's what I'm thinking on both counts.

 

[SewingDeb]

I would think doing time, especially at such a young age, can't help things. But I believe there is more to it than just that and it started when he killed that little girl.

Yeah, I think he already had problems. Of course, prison won't help but what are we supposed to do with kids like that? They're not safe to be loose in society while they get counselling.

 

[Jules]

Nope, he needs to be locked up.

As I said earlier, I disagreed with the courts letting him out once he turned 18. If the minimum sentence is 20 years for murder - then he should do the 20 years regardless of his age when he commited the crime.

You see cases all the time on A&E or CourtTV where kids commit murders thinking and knowing they will get out at 18 or 21. That's not right. There are even drug dealers, mob, gang kids, etc. that are using younger kids to do their killing knowing they will only serve a few years. We are sending the wrong message by letting them out at 18 or 21.