Erin Caffey, 17, gets 2 life terms in family deaths

EMORY, Texas — A teenage girl charged with capital murder for her role in the deaths of her mother and two young brothers agreed to a plea deal that could make her eligible for parole when she's 59, her attorney said.

Erin Caffey, 17, accepted the agreement Friday, said defense attorney William McDowell. She had been scheduled to be tried as an adult next month in Hopkins County.

"I think it was a just sentence," McDowell said. "Everyone is pleased with it."

Authorities said Caffey, her boyfriend and two other co-defendants plotted to kill Caffey's parents because they didn't approve of her boyfriend. Caffey was 16 at the time of the crime.

Police reports said she and Bobbi Gale Johnson waited in a car down the road from Caffey's home in Alba while boyfriend Charlie James Wilkinson, 19, and Charles Allen Waid, 20, went on a shooting and stabbing rampage before setting fire to the house.

Penny Caffey, 37, and her sons Mathew, 13, and Tyler, 8, died in the attack in March. Terry Caffey, 41, was shot five times but escaped from the burning house, saying he recognized Wilkinson shooting him and his wife in their bed, sheriff's officials said.

Caffey has since recovered from his gunshot wounds.

All four defendants were initially charged with three counts of capital murder. Prosecutors had said they didn't plan to seek the death penalty against Erin Caffey.

Wilkinson and Waid also avoided the death penalty in November by pleading guilty for their involvement in the killings. McDowell said both would likely receive life sentences with parole.

Johnson, named as an accomplice who did not use a weapon, was sentenced to 40 years in prison and may be eligible for parole in 20 years, the Tyler Morning Telegraph reported Saturday.

Alba is about 60 miles northeast of Dallas.

Comments

[LolaP]

after a lifetime in prison, sure, she's gonna be in great shape when she's 59! I don't know what the point is, really. But I also can't think of an alternative.. sadly. I was watching a run-of-the-mill, commercial crime thriller last night ('kiss the girls' with morgan freeman) with a friend and we were just pointing out how sick society is. Somehow it's fine to show people brutally murdered but to show two people making love - oh, now that's a no-no! Sick.

[Chaimirija]

and Lola hit the nail on the head on why Christian and Muslim societies are so violent

[blueoh02]

I'm old enough to remember Charles Starkweather and Carol Fugate, a nineteen year old and 14 year old who went on a murder spree for the exact same reasons. That was 50 years ago.

[hootie1fan]

Too bad she wasn't Hispanic or Black. They'd be firing up old Bessie by now.

[bbridges1962]

You mean ole Sparky...

[hortonhearsawho2]

Slinging Tortillas Amigo...

[freeus]

plus, we'd never hear about her.
however if she were a richer and hotter blond and not dishwater white-trash looking, she might not even be locked up.

[Chaimirija]

soooooooooooooo true

her rich lawyers would make up some ridiculous story and the jury would buy it

literally

[marko77]

"Too bad she wasn't Hispanic or Black. They'd be firing up old Bessie by now." by hootie1fan
__________________________________________________________________

No, Old Bessie wouldn't be fired up. People from all ethnic backgrounds get away with murder, although some are prosecuted. What about the "no snitching" policy that frustrates detectives in urban areas resulting in murder and mayhem without any consequences.

[Fudgefase]

How can you get past the 'no snitch' culture. It's the culture of fear. The only way to actually get past it is to allow the police free rein to go into these areas and get rid of the people they know who are destroying the community. Unfortuntately, in a society where many, many people have guns, and most of the villians do, you're talking about an armed asault on inner city areas, which can never happen. It's more likely, that in time, entire areas will be walled off and left to go to hell.

[Chaimirija]

and that is exactly why I am against the d.ea.th penalty

[hortonhearsawho2]

Young Ann Coulter...

[Norge]

That is a rediculous sentence to place upon 3 young persons clearly insane. Whether they can ever be brought out of their illness can only be known after some years though through health care the possibility does exist.
When humans do such horrific behavior to their own, it is clearly over the boundries of sanity.

[BlueStateMan]

Either tat... or they are just @$$#OLES.

[jonmonbuckeye]

BS. They should give them a nice needle or a firing squad.

[Norge]

jonmonbuckeye,

You have your learned additude perhaps from the friends you keep. A firing squad is fine for everyone else as long as it is you who is pulling the trigger. Though it is the American way to solve problems with the primitive methods.

Ironic is it not that you are innocent simply because of your ignorance.

[hortonhearsawho2]

Execute her once, she will never do it again..promise you.

[Norge]

hortonhearsawho2,

Ok if you go for that solution, then who executes the excutioner, the murderer who murdered her.? Then who executes the executioner of the executioner?

It is not difficult for you to understand how simply dumb and primitive such responses are if you reflect on it a bit and set aside your "learned from someone" ideas.

[DaveTheMouse]

You say they are clearly insane. Show me the proof. Show me where they did not know right from wrong.

Such behavior is not "clearly over the boundries of sanity", but it is surely a sign that one has no regard for life, human or otherwise. These are just more people raised to believe that their wants and desires should come before all else because they are special.

[Norge]

Dave The Mouse,

The proof is in their behavior. They did not know and were unable to comprehend the consequences.

[Martha12]

A choice between prison, or an institution (prison) for the criminally insane are the only choices. There are no such things as "health care facilities" for criminally insane convicts. Ask Charles Manson.

This was a premeditated conspiracy, not an insane outburst.

You said;When humans do such horrific behavior to their own, it is clearly over the boundries of sanity.

If that were true every military on the planet should be "in treatment', along with every head of state.

I think you should take a trip to Darfur and report back your solutions to that.

Evil does exist and it is just that, evil.

[EuroHuffPoFan]

eremite . . .

In an overview of child and adolescent well-being in rich countries . . .
American children and adolescents came out
most unhappy and least well-being
of all industrialised and economically advanced nations.

Research 2007 on :
Health . . Education . . Protection . . Equality ect. . .

http://www.unicef.nl/upload/127547_822_1171444462885-irc.pdf

[DaveTheMouse]

I read the report you linked.

The following is one of the criteria: "percentage of children living in
homes with equivalent incomes below 50% of the national median"

That criteria show me that this report was done incorrectly. The proper way measure this would have been to use the mean income, not the median. In poorer countries and in countries with artificially depressed upper income the median will be closer to the mean, what you would call the average.

This glaring misuse of statistics is but one example which shows the invalidity of this report.

[Chaimirija]

parents have to stop putting their corporate job before the well being of Johnny and Jane

I never understand loyalty to a corporation

they just use you and discard

[captainindustry]

when huffpo covered a fight at the mall a few days ago, half the posts were about those young black male criminals.

I don't see any similar posts here about all those young crazed murderin' white crackers.

[darker]

That is G.W.BUSH's Texas, for you. STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES.
They're vinctictive and stupid in Texas. Stupid enough to elect Bush-boy frat brat as governor.
And as president--yikes.

They should let her go!
And sentence GWBush to 700,0000 life-terms in prison for his crimes.
Cheney gets double!

[Geoffreys]

There is no need to stereotype Texans. We're not all idiots any more than all Californians are airhead beach bunnies and all New Yorkers are shallow fashionistas - so please don't be ugly.

Are you suggesting that a different state would not have charged these children with murder? Or that they would let them just go free?

[Chaimirija]

Umm, New Yorkers are not shallow

As for neurotic, well...

[freeus]

rather than elect, you might call it 'select'

our democracy is not one

redistricting much?

[DaveTheMouse]

Do you refer to the redistricting that was started years ago by democrats and civil rights activists?

Gee, is it only wrong when it goes against your team?

[RoseMerry]

"I think it was a just sentence. Everyone is pleased with it."

I have to agree. A 17 year ago knows that murder is wrong and needs to be accountable.

Good verdict.

[cornagainstsorcery]

I think it would be a just sentence if 17 year old people were then treated like adults all across the board, and not just in murder cases. If 17 year old people can be tried like adults they should be able to vote, drink, and be automatically emancipated from their parents' guardianship. Of course, whenever I propose all these other adult treatments to people they say, 'but a 17 year old isn't mature enough to do those things'. Sounds like a double standard to me.

[kbella]

Knowing right from wrong is very different from being mature enough to drink responsibly or take care of yourself financially. I have no problem with the voting thing, but the other two are very important. However, I'd say most teenagers know the difference from right and wrong...especially when it comes to murder. It isn't a double standard in any way.

[adey]

amen

[JahLenin]

Texas. Again.

[rich misty]

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt

This is a good place to post comments on the war ^^^

[Highwind]

Excessive sentence for a kid under 18. Two words: Cognitively Immature! Why is it that when kids commit murder they get the book thrown at them. But we see children as naive and innocent when some person over 18 has sex with them. Why are they suddenly immature then and mature when they commit murder? Is anybody following me on this? Children are either immature under 18 or they are not! Period! Our brains are not even fully grown until we are 25. The fact they she followed her boyfriend around and decided to commit these crimes shows her immaturity. I remember when they sentence that 12 year old boy to life in prison for accidentally killing this girl he did a wrestling move on her! That's insane!

[Chaimirija]

if she were 7 years old, I could see your argument...

[damnadamson]

The kid was likely brainwashed by her boyfriend .... now she'll just end up learning how to commit crimes and not get caught when she gets out. Our tax dollars paying for the miseducation of another sad poor American.

[Celldumceen]

Is that what you got from this story? Did u miss the part that said she won't be getting out until she'll almost 60?

[luluLA]

sorry, I disagree.
"The Kid" sat by when 2 friends went into her home and Murdered her Mother and 2 brothers.
Hello? Because she's a girl she must have been the victim of her boyfriend?
Are you kidding? She helped plan this horrific event, and you automatically want to blame the boyfriend? Your crazy. She should never get out.

[luluLA]

and just one more thing....
people need to start being held accountable for their actions. I am so sick and tired of everyone blaming someone or something for their own stupidity and lack of judgement.
nuff said-

[SouthPrairie]

Something is very wrong with our country when we seem to keep pumping out kids like this. All this violence that is pervasive and accessable to our kids seems to be twisting their ability to develop a moral compass.

[eremite]

What's amazing is that you think this doesn't happen in other countries.

[longfeltwant]

We're not pumping out kids like that, we're producing them at a lower rate than ever before. That's why we have the lowest crime rates in the history of the country. A small number of young people have always done horrible misdeeds; thankfully, that number is smaller today than in the past; hopefully it will be even smaller in the future.

[martiniandabotoxchaser]

The girl was obviously not close to her parents and they had very little control over her behavior as she was able to be influenced to commit murder by her boyfriend. Yes, she will suffer and deteriorate in prison but do you want a person who is this troubled to attend school with your children. Like it or not, while some of the reason for imprisonment is penal, and a little may even be rehabilitative, most of it is about the protection of society. What do you feel was the correct solution to this situation?

[SiberianRat]

Sadly, this type of story happens all to often in the US--there is some sort of sickness permeating our society where violence is resorted to so frequently and for such small things.

[jimdog1954]

Seen any good movies lately?

[Rumplestiltskin]

This story happens all over the world. It just isn't printed on HuffPo. Get out a little bit. Goggle honor killings, research women killed over dowry issues in India, you ever read the news about what happens in the Congo? One of my favorite cities, Rio, has all kinds of bads things happening routinely.

[JahLenin]

Oh, cool.

So what's your point?

a) we're not as bad as other countries, or

b) other countries are as bad as us?

Nice logic. You voted McCain, didn't you?

[brooklyncitizen]

What is your point?

This is all the more horrific because it is so rampant in the "leader of the free world".After the stolen 2000 and 2004 elections we certainly earned the status of Banana Republics but to hold Brazil, India and the Congo as the measure for civilized society is ridiculous pathetic and sad.

This is alarming because we are not those countries;it's an entirely different culture yet a young girl thought it was acceptable to kill her mother and young siblings- not over a dowry, not over money, not over anything that may motivate killings in other parts of the world. She killed over a strictly American problem-her parents didn't like her boyfriend.Big Deal.

[clsmithj]

this sh--t doesn't happen all the time.

[Rumplestiltskin]

Google "honor k.illings".

[x004Ronin]

Google "Deir Yassin Massacre"

[CaptainHowdy]

Yep... look at all the depraved, brainwashed, misinformed sickos defending Israel on other threads here.

Americans are a sad lot indeed...

[Rumplestiltskin]

Right arm. They should be defending the honorable, democratic, freedom loving, friends of the US, H.amas.
Enough g.lue s.niffing can result in various kinds of ab.normal thoughts, and be.havior. Just a h.eads up.

[YouDisgustMe]

sad but true

[Mykel]

Yep. And don't forget all those who voted against gay marriage, too. Then, too, are the Americans who think they can live a suburban, car-addicted lifestyle at the expense of millions of Arabs in the oil-rich middle east. Or those who think nothing of melting the very icecaps that will cause the death and dislocation of billions. Or those who eat meat and even teach their kids to McMurder billions of animals.

The list goes on and on.

Perhaps one day, before it's too late for our species and our planet, we will figure it all out.

[TXfemmom]

Capital murder in TX with a teen being tried as an adult would have meant life without any chance of parole. She plead guilty to get the chance for parole when she is 59 years old. Prison shortens one's life. It is doubtful that she will live to see the light of day.

Health care is not very good in prison, and any diseases which appear are not treated aggressively so many women die in prison on long sentences from forms of cancer which are treatable.