3 Victoria Lindsay Defendants Get Off Scot Free - Charges Dropped Against Gang Beating Defendants - Video
In a dramatic turn of events in the notorious Victoria Lindsay teen gang beating case, three of the eight teen age defendants in the case had all charges against them dropped and the prosecutor has no additional plans to charge them further.
Victoria Lindsay is a 16-year-old Lakeland, Florida, cheerleader that was ambushed by a gang of her classmates and severely beaten until she lost consciousness. Once she regained consciousness, she was beaten again.
Lindsay suffered a concussion, eye and ear damage along with bruises and lacerations and recurring nightmares about the beating. The startling part about the entire incident was that the defendants had filmed the beating so they could post it on YouTube and MySpace.
Polk County prosecutors dropped charges against the three defendants because of insufficient evidence against them. The three were Cara Murphy, 16, Zachary Ashley, 17, and Stephen Schumaker, 18.
When the eight defendants were initially arrested, the Polk County Sheriff’s office had stated that Ashley and Schumaker had stood guard outside the site of the attack, which was the home of Mary Nichols, the grandmother of defendant Mercades Nichols, who lived with her grandmother. Lindsay was living with Nichols and her grandmother at the time of the attack.
The Sheriff’s office had also initially stated that Murphy, the single female defendant whose charges were dropped, was the teen filming the beating. A female voice can be heard on the video from behind the scenes saying, “Ooh, yeah, baby. Ooh, yeah!” The Sheriff’s office had stated that voice was none other than defendant Cara Murphy. Watch the original video released by the Sheriff’s office.
The Sheriff had also stated early on that it was Murphy’s voice on the video letting the other girls know that the video was running out of film. “Seventeen seconds left,” the voice said while the beating continued. “Make it good.” Watch the second video released by the Sheriff’s office.
Neither the Sheriff’s office nor the prosecutor gave any indication why charges against the three were dropped other than lack of evidence. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd had even said early on in the case that one of the boys stuck his head in from outside and told the girls to quiet down because neighbors were able to hear the fight.
Why the evidence against Murphy and the two male defendants had evaporated remains a mystery, although Murphy's attorney has said that she has agreed to testify against the other defendants.
Usually prosecuting attorneys strike deals with a single defendant to testify against other defendants in exchange for a lesser charge or perhaps charges being dropped altogether.
It is unknown whether any deal was struck in this case although it certainly seems like one was.
Said Cara Murphy after the charges against her were dropped, "I guess I'm sorry for all that happened. I'm glad the charges got dropped though."
Murphy said that she never realized that the incident would turn into a national controversy. After she apologized to Victoria Lindsay, the victim, on the air but not in person, Murphy admitted she could have done more to stop the beating.
"During the time I definitely can say I felt scared for her. Once I saw the video, I realized this was a bad thing that happened."
Her attorney, Melodie Lopez, said, "My client and I are happy this is over. She should not have been charged. We feel vindicated that the charges have been dropped. I think it's wrong that all the kids there were charged as a group. Their involvement was not the same."
Let's see...Victoria suffers a concussion, permanent vision and hearing loss plus numerous bumps, scrapes and bruises, and Cara realized "this was a bad thing that happened?"
And what about remorse...was there any on Cara's part?
"I guess I'm sorry for all that happened," said Cara.
Oh yeah. That sounds like remorse alright. She guesses she's sorry. What she really meant to say was "My attorney made me say I'm sorry." What she's really sorry about is getting caught in the first place.
But she's "glad the charges got dropped though."
I'll bet she is! Cara goes from facing 15 years to life in prison one day to getting off scot free the next. Who wouldn't be glad?
Does it sound to you like she has learned anything from this ordeal? I'll bet next time she will cover her tracks better.
She must really like prison orange because she's not just wearing it in the slammer. She's even wearing it on the outside.
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10 comments:
what happened that day was anything but humane. cara says that once she saw the video, she realized it was bad. why couldnt she have seen it then when they plotted to commit this heinous act in the first place? she should not have had the charges dropped at all. the lawyer says her involvemnet was not the same, yet, cara is the one holding the camera, and encouraging these girls to beat victoria mercilessly. sure, she SAYS she's sorry but what is this girl really thinking behind closed doors? what happened was simply immature, creul, and heartless. whether the incident was videotaped or not, they knew it was wrong. they ALL knew it was wrong. and they should all be punished for it. Thank God for victoria's bravery to refrain from fighting. for future references, parents should all get involved in their children's lives so that things like this can be prevented. I was very upset after watching that video and i hope her story will be a message to kids who feel this kind of thing is entertaining. As for victoria, i am happy that she is alive and well. God bless her for being strong and standing through this crisis. my heart goes out to her and the Lindsay family as well.
Wow, always amazes me how the judical system works in America.
America the country that bitches about the rights of others in another country and yet there own law system allows a pay off in the form of being a defence witness.
No other place in the world can you find a higher paid person than an american lawyer, what do they do for the money, do they spend the time researching evidence that can confict all 8 on kidnapping charges ???
No they cut a deal to get one to testify against the others.
Not only do they get one to testify but its the one behind the camera encouraging the others to get some hits in before the 17 seconds of battery runs out.
The one instygatig the violent attacks on the one defencless girl.
Now i dont know how amererican law works but anywhere else in a democracy and free country that voice over whilst filming is enough to convict her yet strangly enough in america all of a sudden its not enough, how strange dont you think?
America does not have a legal systm, it has a bartering system where anything goes and screw the victims.
To be frank a country that claims to be one of the major players in the world is sick and perverted.
So Cara Murphy says she is sorta, kinda, almost sorry for what happened. "after" watching the video she can see that 'maybe' it was a bad thing happening????
Cara...bite me...if I could use profanity on here, I would...I will say however, I wish you the same pain and circumstance Victoria faced and felt!! May you enjoy your beating!!
Why didn't any of these girls get the sh** beat out of them???? An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth......literally! I'd be in jail, AND I'd rally to get others to beat up those who did this to Victoria. Sorry, that's how I see it. If you beat the crap out of someone, then you should be beat, too!!!!! Plain and simple Lakeland, Florida.
Stupid teenagers almost kill the poor girl and they are walking in the street like nothing happened. These are the future criminals that are not punished by the law. And if someone insults them is not because they need to go back to school and learn how to talk, it's because that is what this kind of injustices inspire us. This is a free country and we can express ourselves the way we want. These animals because I can not call them any other way need to be punished for them to learn their lesson. They are lucky they didn't do that to my daughter because no matter it is not the right thing, the law doesn't do anything. If they would have done this to my daughter, they would end up worse than her.
Victoria you need friends like me cause I would have and still will slaughter all them losers for you tell them to come to me and I'll handle it for you. I'll get them one by one with my crew and show them how it feels .
These girls are scum. I just saw this movie on Lifetime. I know it's a bit of embellishment, but then coming across this which has to do with the real story...Cara really has no heart and no consicennce. She actually deserved NO mercy and NO leniency.
Interesting this story is still getting comments after so many years.
For the record, Cara Murphy was not the camera girl and, per sworn testimony by the victim herself, never touched Tori. In fact Cara saw several of the girls that day for the first time in her life and knew none of them well except for April.
Tori was beaten mercilessly and each of the 6 girls present either participated, encouraged, or tolerated the beating.
Short of this most important part nearly everything alleged by law enforcement and reported by the media was false.
Some of the falsehoods were easily recognizable, such as the fact that Cara actually appears in the beating video, so obviously it is impossible for her to be the one doing the recording.
me parece muy fuerte lo que sucedio ese día en esa habitación si yo hubiera sido el juez las hubiera mandando a pena de muerte. yo me entere de esta historia por la película girl fight
Its probably best Victoria didn't fight back because 6 girls were gained up on her and they may have beaten her worse than they did. Nobody knows until your in the same shoes. The 6 girls wanted the beating video taped and put on the internet for people to see. People have seen it, In fact many people because its national news. Those 6 girls and 2 boys should have their @sses beat while someone stands guard.
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