Beheading and self-defense

I'm just wondering..... Do any of these kids do homework or study? It seems to me that none of these parents have a clue what their child is doing after school. Why did Jp's parents let these kids hang out at the grandfathers house? I wonder if these kids were involved in any type of after school activities, besides hanging out daily??

These boys seem devoid of real emotion, and I cannot really believe that the little Letkemann displays is truly real. It's as if he gets a little shaky, but then again, gets right back into talking about it.
I think Letkemann comes across as what he is, a self-serving defendant. Maybe he's getting 20-30 years, but's it sure better than life.

As a parent of kids in the same age bracket as these young men, it is obvious to me there is a conscience chip missing in them both.
Sadly, teen violence is alive and well in America. Our 27 year old son has been to 14 funerals of friends so far. At his age, I'd been to 3.

Good job, Jean, as always. Your faithful viewers look to you and your daytime group as the last bastions of what once was such great Live Trial TV, and at least when we see you we know they've not shut us down all together yet!!

Sarah

I cannot believe the body language I am seeing on the defendant and the witnesses. They seem oblivious. The defendant by his demeanor alone shows to me he is guilty. He looks like a deer caught in the headlights.

It seems to me that they think it is a fantasy. Did they grow up with violent video games that depict this behavior in the name a fun? I can only say I am so glad I am not on this jury.

What was a 26 year old doing with 17-18 year olds?

I am so sick of defense attorneys blaming violence on horror movies. I'm 39 years old and have loved watching horror movies since I was in grade school and I don't have a violent bone in my body. Those young men are just plain evil!

After observing both the defendant and the prosecution's star witness, it appears to be a very strong possibility that they are both sociopaths. Only a sociopath can murder someone and not feel any kind of human emotion. I also feel that the self-defense theory is completely unwarranted.

I don't get the whole self defense case??

I have not heard much about these kids homelife or how they were in school. It is amazing that not one of these boys had the sense to go to the police before all of this happened so it could be stopped. I think all of these boys have sociopathic tendencies and I doubt they could be rehabilitated at this point and should be locked up and never placed back into society

This trial is so unbelievable! These teens look so normal. What is their home enviroment like? If they have had a normal upbringing, how do we change these horrible events that seem to becoming more frequent with the teens today? Is it that the normal home has 2 adults working instead of being at home for when the children are not in school? Maybe we should require parenting classes and show this trial to warn parents and teens what can happen....and to understand the law ....of how helping a "friend" can destroy you! I keep having to change the channel as I shake my head in dibelief as I see one child in prision for 20-30 and another on its way...it literally make me sick to my stomach. This needs to STOP

What monsters do we have living in our homes that create this and all the other horrendous crimes reported. They are a product of their parents, good, bad or indifferent. It started in the 1960s and is an offspring of a culture decline the likes of which is just starting to come into full bloom.

I'm shocked by this case. I told my family member it sounds like the Sopranos. I would like to know about the parents, WHY DID THEY NOT KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON? How do children come to this state of mind. UNREAL!

As always, Jean Casarez, great job on your coverage of this trial.

I don't think movies, video games, t.v shows or parents are to blame for the actions of these boys. Sociopaths, which these boys clearly are, showing no empathy or conscience for their actions, are born this way not made this way. No amount of rehabilitation could fix what is already missing.

ok I am confused .. where does a 16-17 yr old get $500.00 to loan 2 people ... drinking in grampa's basement ??? ye gads my kids had money but at that age they were lucky to have 50.00 in savings from their paychecks ..

Are you kidding me? People really need to get over the point of always blaming the wrong doing of someone on the entertainment business. We all have brains, we all know right from wrong! Stop placing the blame on entertainers! This just plain, and flat out stupid on anyone who pulls this card!

This case is so disgusting. I do want to hear from J.P. and find out what was in his head. I cannot imagine what could compel such a young man to commit such a horrible act.

Can you tell me what method the court report is using? It looks like he is talking into a mouth piece.

Why are people so shocked to think these young boys could do something like this. I have worked for the prison system for over 21 years and have seen so many so called "baby face" killers. Looking at them you would never guess what crimes they have committed. Why would someone be compel to kill... it doesn't have to be video games, lack of parental control, etc. There is no reasoning, I believe sometimes it just pure evil. Plain and simple.

Jean, you do a fabulous job of keeping us updated...

Though I STILL don't see where they're going, or why they went on SO long about the Draino bottles. Was the Defendant planning to build a bomb after the murder? Odd.
I am an avid Trial watcher and huge fan of Court TV, I generally love to discuss cases while I'm watching, but try to hold my opinion until I've seen the entire trial.
So far, I'm not seeing any self defense case... though I've not seen the "thrill kill" either.
What I have seen in this case is shocking.
This defendant honestly looks as though he's watching a tennis match (and he doesn't really care about tennis).

It seems as though all of these kids, including the alleged victims' girlfriend Brianna and his friend Ashley, are all devoid of any real emotion. For 16 and 17 year old kids to talk about committing the murder, or helping after the murder, as if their discussing what they had for lunch... is baffling to me, and I'm a psychiatric nurse on an all male, homicidal/assaultive, locked unit. I've seen sociopaths.... but nothing like this.

It's so sad that these young kids today are so desensitized to violence and death.

Essential elements that distinquish this trial from the Durst case are: there was no witness to the Durst killing.; The victim Morris Black was a notoriously cranky and confrontational man; And Black's head was never found.
Prosecutors could not prove the shot could not have been fired in a struggle because they had no forensic evidence.
This case is a slam dunk in comparison.

i hear some of the defense attorneys [on the show]commenting that the witness lekteman might be lying due to his ples deal. What advantage would it be to lie when hes getting 20-30 years. It would look better for him and I would think his plea deal to admit to self-defense. why would he want to implicate himself in such a horrendous gruesome crime unless it was true. After all , I feel his plea deal would have been better if in fact that were true. It is the very reason most peaple have such low regard for defense lawyers. they will try to sell any theory,regardless of it being a lie.

I used to think that "the TV or movie made me do it," defense was ridiculous, but I'm not so sure anymore. As I read Jean's accounting of how the defendants covered up the windows and put coverings on the floor of the garage, immediately a picture of the show Dexter came into mind. Dex has his murder scene blanketed in plastic. Chopping up bodies is something I just heard last night on HBO's special on the Congo where a soldier chopped a raped victim's father into three pieces. I'm beginning to think that the law is nothing more than a game. These idiots are obviously guilty and by their own admission. The fact that they could get off on a technicality or some other thing is a crime in itself. What is this? A game? Is the law a game? A game where someone on the opposing side has to catch another person in some loophole so they can win? Yes, the crime makes me sick. But the way the law handles people like this makes me sicker. These kids are not innocent until proven guilty - that line alone is sounding more like a cliché every day. Some aren't. Especially when they prove and admit that they are guilty. C'mon, folks. Wake up!

The self-defense theory becomes considerably less believable if two defendants utilize it. A jury would have a harder time believing that two young men couldn't somehow defend themselves from imminent death without killing Sorensen than they would that one couldn't.
Also, to whoever implied that 20-30 years isn't a positive alternative to a lifetime sentence–try it yourself, and then maybe you'd understand. Let's use some common sense here, people.

I have watched many courtroom episodes on this channel. But, this is by far the most disturbing case I have sat in on. I usually stay tuned until the verdict. I cannot endure anymore of this case...it is so upsetting that there is more than two people (teens) that need to serve time. They show no remorse and seem to be so disconnected in what they were involved in. SHAME ON THE ROLEMODELS INVOLVED IN THIS MURDER!

I am a 27 year old and find this to be very disturbing. Even if it was self-defence why would J.P. go to the lengths to get rid of the evidence then. And where J.P.'s wounds that he was trying to defend himself from. You can't blame self defense when there is a decapitation.

Do we still think that we should give our kids timeout or should we go back to what worked for our parents james,baltimore

Regarding the vomit, Alex said he FELT like throwing up not that he did! There may not have been vomit for the police to find.

i was watching this case earlier today when Jean was testifying. He seems pretty confident in what he's saying and I think he was acting in self defense but he took it too far

question why does the defendent sit in front of the desk and not
next to his lawers.

I live in Michigan and the area these boys live in is upper/middle class, I could all most beleive a self defense theory but can't get past the "stabbing in the back"

I think J.P is totally guilty but, he is a kid. I think he deserves a long sentence but, not life. He is only 18 years old. I understand he killed someone, took the life of someones only son but, he too is just a kid. Although what he did was wrong he shouldn't serve a life sentence. At least 20-30 years and after being released he should be on an ankle monitor and have counseling regularly. Also, why weren't the other kids charged with anything? The law should be fair. All the kids that had something or some part to do with it should serve some time. It looks like J.P is going away for a very long time. The poor kid will never get to procreate.

August 26,2008

By the way best defense if my favourite show. Has anyone thought of checking the sidewalk that he went on and on about building that day in the sean fitzgerald murders. I just wonder if the gun or any other evidence might be buried there? Just a thought mind you........

Sincerely,
Deborah Dingman
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Out of all the cases in 2008 this one has stuck in my head. I have bean through the murder of a very close family member and her 3 year old and 18 month old. But this is the worst dissassociation amoung the teenagers I have ever seen