Teen goes on trial in alleged thrill killing

why only 20-30 years for this brutal murder?

These kids are no longer getting a free pass for being homicidal psychopaths - that is what they are. They are not "confused," "troubled," or "going through a phase." I "went through a phase" as a teenager, but the worst thing that me and my fellow wanna-be juvenile delinquent friends ever did was knock over a few mailboxes. Make no mistake - these "thrill" killers are just flat out evil, dangerous people who need to be removed permanently from society.

Self defense? Yeah. Right! Put a bullet in both of them and send their parents the bill. NEXT!

Why is the defendant seated the way he is? It looks like he has his back to both the judge and the jury and facing the gallery..... Isn't that uncommon?

Fear for his life? I can see that happening. I was in fear for my life, at one point, when I was growing up. And, truth be told, if my father hurt me again, I would have shot him. Luckily, he did not. Years later after hearing about a similar story, he had ask me if I ever felt that way about him (our relationship improved over the years). I honestly told him yes, and reminded him of the incident that made me make that decision. I don't know what happen to this kid, so I can't say it he had the "right" to defend himself, however, mutilation after the fact is another thing...

OMG.......... He should get done to him what he did to that poor Man. That is totally freaking wrong. He didn't act in self-defense he acted out of rage to do something like that, rage that consummed his whole being. You dont take renvenge into your own hands you let GOD deal with it. Believe me whatever that man did to this boy, he would of got what was coming to him regardless, the boy might not have been around to see it, but sooner or later, it would of came back to bite him in the ass.

Wow...Self-defense really? I'm very curious how the defense will present that to a jury. Maybe they should plead insanity also, just incase the jury doesn't buy the self-defense bit.

If you raise your kids with violent movies,games and music; what do you think they will learn?
They will learn just as John Pierre and Alex did, that the lives of others have little value; and what ever act of violence enters your head, you should act upon it.
Get rid of the violence our kids wallow in and you'll see a decrease in senseless acts like this.
Three lives destroyed, and countless lives broken and changed forever. And for what? For what?

why is it when you have a live trial you still go to arrest and trial?? I can understand that when its a taped trial, but why now? PLEASE EXPLAIN.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I have never seen such stupidity in all my life! How, I mean HOW can the possibly claim self-defense??? Sure, stabbing some one WHEN THEY ATTACK YOU is self-defense, but decapitating their head and then setting fire to their body is just plain PHYSCOTIC !!
They should rot in jail for what they did! No one ever has any respect anymore

Right...because decapitation, dismemberment, immolation, and discarding of a body are CLEARLY the actions of someone who's acting in self defence.

Lock him up and throw away the key.

why are all these murderers going to jail with life sentences when they themswelves have taken someone else's life? when it's beyond a resonable doubt, they should be terminated.
this country leads the world in capital crimes and thousands of serial killers!

Is this a news story or an editorial????
"I can’t wait to hear this testimony, especially the defense, which asserts Orlewicz acted out of self-defense, that he had a realistic and actual fear for his life when he was in that garage last November with the now-deceased Daniel Sorensen."

Um, why life n prison? How about he just be killed? Yeah, that'd be a great "thrill".

What in the world is wrong with these kids nowadays?? It's like they are all going crazy.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy had a curious way of declaring this case a "thrill kill" (Nov. 12, 2007) before the investigation had even been completed (they had found the suspects, but were still investigating about a week after this press conference). This outrageous statement that a seventeen-year-old killed "just for the thrill of it" was not reported because it was the truth, it was reported because it got attention.

What your InSession Sidebar in-depth analysis doesn't include is that the victim was, in fact, a very dangerous man, which is why the defense is arguing self defense. There were four separate personal protection orders against Sorensen, two of which because he had described, in detail, how he would kill the individuals. He also owned a gun, sold drugs, and had a reputation for bullying and threatening others, especially those who were younger than him.

Sometimes we have to dig a little deeper for more information than just what might be the easiest or the most fascinating side to believe. Sure, I suppose it might be entertaining for you at CNN to believe that these kids murdered someone just because they felt like it. But there just may have been a seventeen-year-old boy who feared for his life. And when that boy got to jail, the very first thing he asked his parents to bring him was a Bible.

What the hell is the world turning into? In addition to hate crimes, now we have "thrill" killings? My goodness. I don't even know what to say to the accused. this is just gruesome and sick.

Innocent until proven Guilty? Anyone ever heard of the concept? I will be interested to see the facts in this case.

I feel very badly for all the parents and siblings involved. I pray that when all this is said and done that they may heal, and by the grace of God find contentment and peace in their hearts and minds.

James Lonergan you said it all....

what message does this send to other teens or psychos in this world....you can pick a random person and brutalize and kill them....but get out of jail by the time you are 40 or so and then maybe do it again....

what is this also saying to Daniel Sorensen's family.....these boys need to be removed permanently...this crime needs to be justified!

Forgive me but who cares? Where is the mention that the murdered was a convicted sex offender? I am sorry but there are other people out there worthy of my sincere sadness than someone who preyed on children. Was the murderer justified in what he did? I am not saying that but I somehow cannot feel remorse that the world has one less child predator.

Let's see, subject was repeatedly stabbed (I presume that killed him), then he was decapitated, then set on fire. Assume that his defense is correct; sometime during the repeated stabbings the subject could no longer be a threat. Self defense does not allow you to keep on going till the victim is dead.....that's murder! Then the decapitation and burning occured; this is like killing a fly with an elephant gun. These men should be both executed, unless Michigan law doesn't allow for it. If that is the case, life without the possibility of Parole should be the minimum for BOTH OF THEM! No plea deals should be allowqed for either of them, shame on the prosecution.

Some of you have already tried this case based on a 10 sentence story. Wow. Turn off your computers and go have an actual 2-way conversation about the case - maybe even wait for more of the facts to come out and let the prosecutors and defense attorneys present their cases. Or, go visit a country where the judicial system is run by people who think like you and then come back and be more cautious with your comments. Our judicial system might not be perfect, but it is still one of the best in the world.

These boys were obviously possessed by evil and not in their right minds to commit a crime like this. While in prison for the rest of their lives, I pray that they seek God's forgiveness.

Does everybody here know the facts behind the intent to kill? I think not.
I dont agree that killing this guy was the answer, but could it be that with the "lack" of protection from law enforcememt this boy felt this was his only way to deal with the issue?
I myself have been in a situation where I felt that law enforcement was worthless to help me, I thought I would be the next statisitc.
Wait for the entire story before passing judgement......
Judge not least ye be judged...

Why is the defendant sitting with his back to the judge. It appears that he has to turn around to see what is going on and who is testifying.

are you serious? this poor little boy was being bullied and threatened and that's why he stabbed, decapitated and burned a body (desecration). what universe do you hail from? what happened to telling your parents, calling the police, restraining orders, etc...

If "thrill-killing" refers to murder without a motive, it is hard to judge if that is what took place. One of the witnesses said the victim owed the accused money, which is definitely a motive. If it were self-defense why would JP stab the victim multiple times, behead him, and burn the rest of the body? If it were self-defense there is no need to go to such lengths to dispose of the body; rather, you call the authorities and explain that you were defending yourself. The same witness who said the victim owed the defendant money testified that this murder was planned, that they set up the garage with tarps which would make cleaning up the blood easier. However, I do not think video games or movies have anything to do with young people committing violent crimes. When you are 17-18 years old there is no doubt that these kids know the difference between right and wrong. I do not believe this is self-defense; it was clearly planned, it was as gruesome as murder can be, and if JP can go through with this act of violence he is not a mentally stable person and he IS a threat to society.

Is this trial on TV right now? If so what channel and at what time.

has anyone taken a look at this kid's myspace page? just google his name with myspace, it says "skulls make me smile"...last login was november 2007...

Why does the defendant sit backwards in the thrill killing trial?

I am very confused how the defense can claim self defense when Jean Pierre stabbed him 13 times, cut his head off, burned his finger tips so he could not be fingerprinted, and then dumped and burned his body. If this kid gets away with this I will have lostm complete faith in our justice system.

I understand that people, want to "hang these boys out to dry" just stop and take a look at all the evidense and then try and make a well informed assesment. being a victom of severe bullying at one time in my life, I could understand what these boys did. If the facts don't agree with what the defence is stating, then they deserve what the get, but if these boys were indeed defending themselves, get them the help they need and deserve.

The judge for this trial is great . The thing that amazes me is how these defense lawyers are allowed to come up with these ridiculous defense scenarios that are from way out in left field . It just confuses the issues and drags these cases out . I see it time and time again on these televised court cases . It's an insult to most people's intelligence what they come up with !

Let's wait until ALL the facts come to light.
Remember, just because the authorities, and the prosecutors say it's so, doesn't make it so. Every citizen in this country has the RIGHT to defend themselves in a court of law.

The idea of self defense is absurd. The defense dresses up the defendant to make them look like the innocent one. What about the victim. I laugh when I see the defense lawyers act like the defendant is a best buddy by standing behind him with pats on the back. Some of their arguements are ridculous..... What about mutilation including using a blow torch. This is more than just panic. I also wonder why the defendant keeps his back to the judge. I blame his lawyers. It is very disrespectful. The defendant needs to feel pain. He needs more than God's forgiveness. Throw away the key. The kids lured the victim to their place so why is it self defense?

If it weren't for those rights that we possess, i'd say this trial is a waste of time! I can't believe any attorney would want to represent a guy like this. I bet they would not want him as a neighbor if he 's acquitted. Regardless of what kind of person Mr. Sorensen was, nobody had a right to dispose of him in such a way. A reasonable person who does something in self-defense does not carry out such a "long-lasting", terrible crime.

It was brought up above that the deceased is a convicted sex offender. While this is true, it is also true that he has served whatever sentence was handed down to him, and it is not up to the public or any one individual to seek revenge for that act. So, while his status as a sex offender may have been a contributing factor, it does not make the murder "OK." I do agree with many of you that the conclusion that this was a thrill killing may have been come to all too quickly. Again, the fact that the defendant was owed money may have been a contributing factor, but still doesn't make the act of murder acceptable. As to the self defense- defense: Given that none of us were there, I can see where possibly it may have started as self defense but given the extent of the wounds, acts were carried out against the deceased after the threat had been eliminated.

JP Orlewicz certainly looks innocent; dressed in fine attire and even looks like he shaved for the first time. On a sidebar, however, I find it disturbing the nature of the victim's demise. If I was sitting on the jury, I would have a diificult time believing in a self-defense theory. Certainly feel for the family members in the court room; must be difficult to listen to the testimony. Will the family members be called as witnesses ?

Besides the kid sitting in such an odd way, why I am thinking that is it Jimmy Kimmel prosecuting this case? Counsel for the state bears an amazing resemblance to the late night comedian!

In the above I see too many entries of people too eager to lynch the suspects (and they are suspects until a jury has found them guily and a sentence is passed upon them).

How cruel a crime may seem, the defendant has the right to defend themselves in a court of law and to try to convince the jury that (s)he didn't commit the crime, or to concvince the jury that cercumastances took place which would allow for a more lenient sentence.

Don't be too eager to be judge and jury!

I think it is very important the jury understand that the charge of first-degree murder and the charge of mutilation of a corpse are two separate charges, and should be treated as such. The fact that the body was dismembered afterward certainly does not mean the initial act wasn't done in self-defense.

And, on a more personal level, those of you who say that this is a reason Michigan should have the death penalty, or that the defendant(s) should be killed...how did you get to be so righteous that you're allowed to wish death on others? Maybe a more constructive way to go about it would be to pray for these young men and all the families involved.

And if you're not into praying, maybe just stop saying that you want other people to die.

He looks like Dutch prime-minister JP Balkenende, without glasses

Does anyone watching the trial wait for all the evidence to be presented before they decide guilt or innocents? I wonder if the jury has already made up their minds as most of the people who post here seen to have done. If they have who will every know but them. Maybe that's why we are seeing so many that were convicted years ago of crimes they didn't do which lead in many cases the one who should have been rightly convicted goes totally free to kill, rape again. Anyone remember the law that says " Innocent until proven guilty" key work here is PROVEN.

the defense attorney's are going against a stacked deck from the git-go.

the sex offense was with a freshman when he was a senior; i know hundreds on sex offenders from the classes 1987-1991a; however, back then, it was cool for a freshman to date a senior

who buys a tarp, hacksaw, and drano...then prepares a nice neat area for someone to attack them, so that they might defend themselves? i don't care how mean this guy was, this was not self defense...those of you playing devil's advocate would not be so cavalier if the victim were a loved one...

What kind of children are we raising when a friend tells you they are going to kill someone and you do not tell anyone? Then, after the murder is committed you just go about your life as though nothing has happened? Parents wake up! Something is wrong with this attitude and it effects all of us.

Murder is Murder is Murder... Did JP ever call the police before this murder? I would like to hear if there are records showing a true fear for their(all the kids) safety prior to JP killing Mr. Soerensen. I think the defense is playing up JP's fear as innocence. He is not innocent! I hope the jury doesn't fall for it and release JP into society!

I can see how this case could actually be in self-defense. I mean, if he was really in danger then the stabbing is understandable. But, the fact that he cut the head off, burned the body, and then burned the body doesn't make sense. When you're not guilty, you wouldn't act with such brutality. Unless they can prove other wise that he was 'mad' then I'll take a jump and say 'maybe he could be innocent', but with everything that's been said so far I can't see it at self-defense.

Some of these people posting have no idea what they are talking about and are letting their moral judgment cloud their opinion. First of defense attorneys are there for the protection of the accused. They are supposed to do everything in their power to muddy the waters so there is reasonable doubt. Personally from watching the trial and hearing the evidence if the defense gets away with a self defense defense then the prosecuter is an idiot, Also pleading out the one teen idiot isn't a bad idea because he was there and can give direct accounts of what happened during the murder and prior to it to make sure that this kid gets life in prison. The teen that pleaded out is still getting 20-30 in prison and that isn't too bad since he was only a co conspirator and didn't infact murder the guy, He was an accessory to the murder and yet they still got him on Murder 2. His life is also over, who would ever hire him. He's been convicted of a violent crime and employers don't hire people convicted of felonies or violent crimes. Also the kid on trial can't be killed in MI because there is no death penalty in MI. Sorry to everyone that would like him to die as a form of revenge for his murderous tactics. Thanks for sharing your opinion but learn the law a little bit and stop complaining or go live somewhere else.

i have been watching this trial from the start, perhaps i missed it, but could someone tell me what the Drain O was used for?

wow im 18 and i have never gone through a phase that made me want to mutilate a person, ive played grand theft auto games and a number of other games and they dont make me want to go out and stab a man and decapitate the body, people make their own decisions in life and when you're 18 years old you cant blame video games for how messed up and immature you are, those two kids need to be locked up for life...did anybody notice how alex kept smiling??

There are so many things wrong with this whole scenario it would take hours to list them all, but what I find most disturbing–beyond the crime itself–is how many kids knew about JP's plan, knew about the murder, and not one...not one...reported it to a parent, a school counselor, the police. What will it take for these kids to develop a sense of right and wrong? To think about the consequences of such horrific behavior? Did they really have to be a part of a murder before they could understand the difference between "bad judgement, poor discisions and good judgement, smart choices"?

Parents...yes, parents...wake-up! Think! Where are your kids right now and what are they doing? Do you know? It's very clear that the parents of these boys didn't have a clue.

The one question I would ask would be..."Did you enjoy killing this person as much as you had antisipated?"

Sherry
Poquoson, VA

That kid is dead inside. Did you see him while his dad was on the stand? No emotion at all.

After listening to Jamie, they should give poor little J.P. a lollypop and send him home to his mommy.

I am sorry but I believe J.P. Think about it what 26 year old runs around with underage kids? The same kind of person that would make these kids think that they were in the mafia and would kill him and his family if anything ever happened. I think the victim here is J.P. Yes mutulation of the corpse is wrong but what would you do if you were scared? In his mind he just save Alex's life, his life and by disposing of the body in the disturbing way that he did he was saving his families life. Of coarse Alex won't tell the truth he just took a plea bargin and if he told the truth then he wouldn't get that "good" deal the prosectution told him he would get. I hope J.P gets a small sentence with a lesser charge. The boy is a hero in my eyes and I am sure he will need a lot of psychiatric help for the trama that he has just been through and the things that he had to do to protect his life and his family. I know many disagree but the only story that seems to be more consistant is his. All his friends changed their stories and got caught up in lies in cross examination. What does that say? What happened is wrong but what happened to that boy is just as wrong.

Personally i think this is the dumbest thing to sentence this boy for 20-30 years for defending himself if this jury and attorneys had any idea what self defense means then this 18 year old boy would be getting help not sitting in prison for no apparent reason please think about this all of you are stupid and i feel horrible for jean and his family

The way I see it, and maybe this is cruel. But whatever you do to someone else, should be done to you. If you stabbed someone then the something should be brought upon you so you know how it truly feels. What is life in prison going to do for this young man, even 20-30 years for the other one. I mean some people that are already in prision would rather stay there, I mean why not. You have all the some things that people on the outside world have, you just dont have to work your butt off for it. Why sentence him to life in prision without parole, what is that honestly going to do, because I can garentee that he doesn't feel any remorse for what he did. why not give him the death penalty???

Interesting to me that there appears to be more excuses and
laws for the criminals than for the victims. I have experienced
two episodes from a ex that have left me mamed.
First time brought a ax to m y home threatening me and destroyed
a bed. Second time skull fracture for me after a push down the stairs
This time head butted me , strangled me and now I have permenant
nerve damage to my mouth . He is out enjoying life while I live in fear where and when will he appear and attack me again. Then I read things like this and I hate to say it but I feel "lucky". Either way
truly a messed up judicial system we have. Time to I suppose
to start revamping the laws. I feel sickened by all the crime for apparently no reason other than they can do it and get away with it.

LOL NICE, very thoughtful

This Kid looks like your everyday teenager, Parents have to play a larger part in their childrens lives and the people they come in contact with.
Where where the parents in ths case? My heart goes out to the parents. They have lost their children for life the only difference is one is dead and the other is lost to the system for life.

Again Parents know who your child is with, know where your child is, It doesn't hurt to check and double check Children now a days have lying down to a science thats why you have to be more aware of their surroundings and who their with..TAKE ACTION.......YOUR R THE PARENTS OF THESE CHILDREN.......