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Twin Sisters Ask For Youthful Offender Status In Fire Deaths Of 3 Kids
February 24, 2012
The twin sisters from Atmore accused of reckless murder after their three young children died home alone in a house fire last year are now seeking youthful offender status.
Akeevia Lajoseia Abner and Tekeevia Lajoseialan Abner, both 18, were due to appear in court Thursday for an arraignment hearing. The hearing never happened after the women applied for youthful offender status.
Under Alabama law, a person under 21 that is designated as a youthful offender will waive their right to a jury trial and consent to be tried without a jury. Youthful offenders can have their sentences suspended with or without probation. The most time a youthful offender can serve in prison is three years and the longest probation term is also three years.
To determine youthful offender status, the court will perform an investigation and look a the women’s previous records. The determination process could take several months.
If tried and convicted of reckless murder as adults, the Abner twins face up to life in prison on each of three counts. Both women remain in the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center in Brewton with bond set at $300,000 each.
The November 7 fire on 1st Street in Atmore claimed the lives of 3-year olds Aniyia Abner and Takia Abner, and 22-month old Michael Coleman.
A State Fire Marshal’s investigation determined the fire was caused by an unattended stove. Authorities say the mothers had left the children home alone while they were elsewhere in the neighborhood.
“They showed an extreme indifference to these children’s lives and created a grave risk of death to the children by leaving them home alone on November 2, 2011,” according to the Escambia County (Ala.) District Attorney’s Office shortly after the arrests.
Two of the children were found dead in a hallway while the third was found in a bedroom. And prosecutors said that a mattress was blocking the living room door.
Forensics evidence determined that the three young children died from smoke inhalation, authorities said.
Pictured top: Pictured bottom inset: This photo shows the oven door propped open inside the kitchen of the home. Pictured below: Three children died in a November 7 fire at this home. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
29 Responses to “Twin Sisters Ask For Youthful Offender Status In Fire Deaths Of 3 Kids”
These Sisters need to follow this story in Col to see how real baby killers are dealt with.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/cops-mom-left-tots-hours-fatal-fire-15841824
They were joking in court? What do they find funny? Their children being dead? Sitting in jail for an unknown length of time? Oh, yes its a very funny situation. You gotta wonder why they would act that way, it certainly won’t do their case any good. I’d like to see them rot in jail, isn’t it sad too the taxpayers have to house, clothe and feed them for the duration of their sentence. They should be shown the same rights and consideration they showed their kids. We need to think more about the victims rights and less about criminals.
And you are 100 percent right, if they get 3 years, they most certainly will be producing more children. Another accident waiting to happen. Stop the checks and they might be more interested in birth control.
I am with the guy asking “Murder?’ Why is the oven door open, and why is the mattress in front of the door? Any insurance? Anyone know that children, much less small children should never be left alone. Youthful offender excuse just gives younger people an easier way to kill.
These girls became pregnant at a very young age, both mentally and physically.
I’m certain they never considered the responsibility that comes with motherhood. Especially when there is no family (Father) in the picture to help.
The ease of government checks, medicaid, food stamps, do little to provide the
things our youth have come to value-entertainment. These girls thought it “ok” to leave these hepless children alone to persue a “good time”.
If they could have seen into the future, when they first became pregnant, they would have taken a different path. If they had aborted these children the gov-
ernment would have paid for it, and they would have had the blessings of the
President of the United States, most of congress, and the federal courts. Not
to mention a large part of the population. Either way these three hepless children would be JUST AS DEAD!
OMG…You get more than that for killing a dog!!!! 1 measly year for the murder of a child??? If you are old enough to have a child and raise them for 3 years then you are not a youth any more…Do the crime and serve the time!!!
I have no problem with this. After they are given full hysterectomies where they can’t be worthless birth givers. These two are not mothers. A mother does not leave their babies to die. I would also like their sentence to include they can never be responsible for the welfare of anything alive. I wouldn’t trust these two with my jack russel. Someone should wipe that smirk off that face!
Well if they gonna make it legal for the them to get off for not being old enough to take care of their own children. I guess they need to make it a law where if you get
Pregnant under 21 you need to terminate the pregnancy due to incompetence.
Just one question. What is the age difference between youthful offender and adult offender? If it’s age…then it’s a no-brainer…give them the same sentence they gave those poor beautiful children and may God in his infinite mercy forgive them.
this is the biggest crock ive ever heard these babies or no baby deserve this these women dont have a look of remorse on theyre face if they get off with 3 years whos to say they wont have more and not care for them either…like someone sayd its not ok if it were animals 16 and up.
Are you kidding?! If they were old enough to have these children, they are certainly old enough to face the consequences for neglecting them. Their smug looks in these photos speaks volumes about how remorseful they are. Granting them Youthful Offender status will send the wrong message. Why should they get a break? The children sure didn’t.
What I’m reading in the expressions of the accused is not good. They gave up their “youth” long before these babies died.
These worthless individuals need to be fried. To wake up with that smirk on your face knowing you were the cause of your babies being burn alive…Guess what ladies there is an eternity of hell waiting on you for what you’ve done.. Maybe you will feel what your babies had to suffer through…
wow, don’t they look sad for the loss of their children…..guess other things were more important if there was a mattress blocking the living room door….I hope they get their punishment from the law and from God!!!!!!!
Whether their actions are those of a immature adult or not is irrelevant. What matters is that they are old enough and of sound mind, therefore they should have been more than capable of making adult decisions. Once you take on the responsibility of raising a child, you give up your right to be considered a child. My hope is the judge will laugh them out of the courtroom.
what a JOKE. how can the lawyers get up and look at themselves each day trying to push ridiculous crap such as this. These girls have shown absolutely NO remorse…even going so far as to joke and cut up IN COURT to the point the court official had to tell them to stop it and at least act like they were mothers. There is absolutely NO excuse. Furthermore, unplanned pregnancies like these are totally preventable…BIRTH CONTROL IS FREE …GO GET IT. Hopefully those babies will get justice.
They gave up their youthful status when they decided to lay down and act like an adult. These children deserve justice! And serving 3 years would be like saying their little lives were only worth 3 years. The mothers should have to serve life for depriving those sweet babies of theirs!
Youthful – they gave that up when they decided to have babies so young. If they get this status and say they do spend their 3 years in prison, they will just get out and have more babies.
This is OK as long as they didn’t harm any animals.
You can’t say that their action were not of a mature adult… my nine year old niece knows better than to leave a three year old alone for ANY reason, and defiantly knows a 22 month old cannot be left by itself…No, there actions were that of someone with complete disregard of their childs life!… there actions were directly related to the deaths of those three children… and there actions were so neglectful in nature that I don’t see them getting a reduced sentence.
come on is this for real, they need to be behind bars for the rest of they lifes, actually they need to be set on fire…just look at those sweet little faces of those three children that died because the sorry women wanted to party-note a did not said mothers-these action they requested should not even be considered,
If you look about nature you see mothers of many kinds, some are nuturing, others indifferent. I sometimes wonder if it is not cruel and insenitive, to apply our standards and values to that which exist outside the realm of those standards or laws, whose concepts are totally aliean to that entity. Can you judge the scorpion or the snake. Nature does as nature is.
No, there a actions weremy of someone who did not care and in their mind they can just have more.
OMG Seriously!!!!!!!!!!! Take responsibilty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully the judicial system will work and NOT allow this!!!!!!!!!!
Sounds like a murder to me… the mattress was BLOCKING the door? … mattresses don’t normally just get up and put themselves in front of doors do they? …
Like it or not, this is just one way that folks can work the system.
If you don’t like the whole concept of having a “youthful offender” over the age of 18, please contact your state legislator and voice your opposition.
They are rolling the dice on this and I can’t blame them for trying. If nothing else, this will definitely delay the trial.
Well, you have to admit their actions were not those of mature adults.
Bull!!!
Youthful offender status for sterilization and no ability to adopt or keep children,seems fair to me.
Oh wait this is Amerika ,where everyone does anything without much consequences.Never mind.
On a side note, who thinks up names like Tekeevia?
Seriously???? Are you freakin kidding me??