Lacy Aaron Schmidt was fourteen years old when he murdered his fourteen year old ex girlfriend. According to court documents Schmidt planned the murder for several weeks before the crime took place. The night before the murder he stole a gun from the victim’s father.
On the day of the murder Schmidt would walk behind the victim as she looked on her phone and fatally shot her in the back of the head. This teen killer would be sentenced to life in prison without parole
Lacy Aaron Schmidt 2023 Information
YOB: 1996
RACE: WHITE
GENDER: MALE
HEIGHT: 6’02”
WEIGHT: 157
EYE COLOR: BROWN
HAIR COLOR: BLN&STR
MAJOR OFFENSE: MURDER
MOST RECENT INSTITUTION: HAYS STATE PRISON
MAX POSSIBLE RELEASE DATE: LIFE, W/O PAROLE
Lacy Aaron Schmidt Other News
The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction of a Columbia County teenager sentenced to life without parole for murdering his 14 year-old neighbor in Harlem. Schmidt shot and killed Alana Calahan, his friend and one-time girlfriend, at her home in January of 2011.
In February of 2012, Lacy Aaron Schmidt was convicted of malice murder, felony murder while in the commission of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of the crime, and theft by taking a handgun.
Prosecutors say Lacy Aaron Schmidt planned the shooting and stole a handgun from Alana’s father days earlier. They say he shot her in the back of the head while the Harlem Middle School student was on Facebook uploading photos, then dragged the body to the woods behind the home to cover up the crime.
Lacy Aaron Schmidt was sentenced to life without parole, five years for possession of a firearm and 10 years for theft to be served consecutive to the life sentence.
Schmidt appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court, arguing Judge Michael Annis did not let jurors know they could chose to find Schmidt guilty of involuntary manslaughter, a less serious charge.Lacy Aaron Schmidt also claimed his trial attorney was ineffective and that his sentence was “cruel and unusual punishment.”
Presiding Justice P. Harris Hines, however, says the high court has rejected all his arguments. He finds the evidence “was sufficient to enable a rational trier of fact to find Lacy Aaron Schmidt guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the crimes of which he was convicted.”
Lacy Aaron Schmidt More News
On January 31, 2011, fourteen-year-old Alana Calahan was fatally shot while in her home in Columbia County. Schmidt, who was then also fourteen years old, lived nearby on the same street and he and Alana were friends. The two were “boyfriend and girlfriend” for a brief time until Alana’s youth pastor advised her that she was too young for such a relationship. Nonetheless, Schmidt spent a lot of time with Alana and her family.
About a week before Alana’s murder, Schmidt entered the Calahan house when no one in the family was home; Alana was the first to arrive home and noticed that the door to the house was unlocked. Alana’s mother asked Schmidt how he got into the house, and Schmidt responded that the door had been left unlocked.
The mother did not believe him and angrily told him that he could not come to the house unless she or her husband was there. Schmidt was also forbidden to come over before 5:00 p. m. on week days. The family kept a shotgun and a handgun in the parents’ master bedroom, and the children were not allowed to enter the bedroom or touch the guns.
On the day of the murder, as Alana’s sister was waiting in the family pickup truck to transport Alana from the school bus drop off location to their house, Schmidt appeared and told the sister that he was not allowed to come over for the next two weeks. After the school bus driver dropped off Alana, the driver saw Schmidt walking nearby; Schmidt had his hands in his pockets and the hood from his jacket was pulled over his head. Immediately after the drop off, Alana was picked up by her sister and taken home.
About twenty or thirty minutes later, the sister left the house to pick up their brother from the bus stop. At that time, Alana was at a computer, which was located beside the house’s sliding back door. During the approximately ten minutes the sister was gone, Schmidt entered the house, shot Alana in the back of the neck, and dragged her to the woods outside the house. Alana died from the gunshot wound to her neck.
The sister returned and saw Schmidt’s shoes inside the house, along with Alana’s shoes; it was common practice for family and friends to take their shoes off upon entering the house. The sister observed that the chair that Alana had been sitting in was knocked over and there was blood, later identified as Alana’s, all over the carpet. Schmidt came into the house through the front door and told the sister that someone had taken Alana and that he did not know what to do. Schmidt then went outside with Alana’s sister and brother, ostensibly to help in the search for Alana.
Schmidt quickly said he spotted Alana, pointed in a certain direction, and led the siblings to Alana’s body. The sister did not believe that Schmidt could have seen the body from his initial vantage point. Schmidt approached Alana’s body, and tried to pull a stick out of her hair; he then “started freaking out saying, oh, my [G]od, now my prints are on her and they’re going to think I killed her.” Schmidt did not cry upon seeing the body. The sister unsuccessfully attempted to revive Alana, and called police.
The police arrived to find Alana’s sister and brother crying and screaming, but Schmidt displayed absolutely no emotion; indeed, Schmidt acted as if “there was [not] a care in the world.” During police interviews, Schmidt exhibited conduct which raised suspicion, including attempts to cry which appeared to be disingenuous. After telling the police at least five different stories about what transpired, Schmidt admitted to having taken Alana’s father’s handgun from the master bedroom, and allegedly accidentally shooting Alana with it as he stood behind her attempting to unload it.
However, it was later determined that in the position of the handgun mechanism as described by Schmidt, 13 pounds of pressure would have to be applied to the trigger in order to fire the handgun. Investigators later searched Schmidt’s residence and found a gun box, ammunition, and an owner’s manual for the murder weapon. The police determined that it was not possible for Schmidt to have brought the gun box to his home during the brief interval in which Alana was shot, and that he would have had to obtain it beforehand.
In Schmidt’s book bag, stashed in his bedroom closet, police found other items belonging to the Calahan family, including an iPod, RCA MP3 player, and a digital camera. Alana’s house keys were thought to be lost prior to her death, but were found several weeks later under mats on the floor of the Calahan family’s pickup, to which Schmidt had access.
Lacy Aaron Schmidt Resentencing
The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction and life prison sentence for a 14-year-old boy who shot and killed a 14-year-old girl in the east Georgia town of Harlem.
Authorities said the boy, Lacy Aaron Schmidt, went to his friend Alana Calahan’s house and shot her in the back of the neck in January 2011. They say he then dragged her into nearby woods, where she died from the gunshot wound, and later tried to make it appear that someone had abducted her.
Schmidt appealed his conviction to the Georgia Supreme Court, saying a judge and his lawyer had made legal mistakes, and that his sentence amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.
The court said Monday that his arguments were rejected, and his conviction and sentence were upheld.
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Lacy Aaron Schmidt is currently incarcerated at Hays State Prison in Georgia
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Lacy Aaron Schmidt is serving life without parole
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Why hasn’t he been re-sentenced to ordinary Life in prison? Life without parole for people who commit the crime before reaching age 18 was held unconstitutional by the USSC. Ga DOC website shows his sentence is LWOP as of 2/10/2021.
In certain cases it is allowed hence the new sentencing hearing where the judge deemed he poised to much of a danger to allow out of prison
His case was reviewed and upheld LIKE IT SHOULDVE BEEN! Idiots like you should be locked up with this little piece of sewage. How dare you talk about the “rights” of a vile piece of trash that murdered an innocent girl because he was a loser. Why the hell should he get to live a life when he took someone else’s?! I don’t care how old he was or “how bad his childhood was.” Boo hoo. Life is hard for everyone but you don’t go shoot some poor innocent girl in the back of the head! He took her life so he would pay with his. You’re an idiot and if you have kids I hope someone murders them. Then you can come online and read comments from dumb fks like yourself who show empathy to the vile trash that murdered your son or daughter. HE HAS NO RIGHT TO EVER BE FREE! I take GREAT PLEASURE in knowing that THE JUSTICE SYSTEM AGREES WITH ME and you are fortunately the minority.
It was upheld as it should’ve been. He deserves no less than LWOP. I take great pleasure in knowing the system agrees with me and that you are fortunately the minority.
He had no priors and has been in prison since the age of 14. How can he be LWOP? I understand the gravity of the crime, but did he at that age? I sincerely doubt it. This is sad from all angles. I pray for the family of the victim and for Aaron.
His sentence was upheld as it was proved he planned the murder for weeks! That is why he still has LWOP! As he deserves! By age 21 he already had body tattoos! I know many people, young men who made mistakes and served several years in prison. They did their time as best as they could and came out tattoo free!
The evidence never proved he planned it for weeks. This is a kid who never had love from his family, he loved the Calahans, he wanted to be in a loving family, he would’nt have ruined his situation, he panicked in trying to make up a story of how it happened but it was an accident. I have an unwanted child who became a part of our family, Kids who have never seen love from their own family and who have been abused by their own family know that no one believes anything they say because the report of their abuse has never been believed by the horrible parents who raised them. How Aaron reacted is common with victims of child abuse. Why your talking about tattoos has no bering on anything here. I have tattoos I hope you dont judge me.
I agree. I’m thinking if he planned this for weeks and was still so “sloppy” for a lack of better words it jus shows how much of a child he was. My prayers for the victims but he was a child with a bad bad childhood. LWOP is not right.
It’s sick to me that they will do this to a child, a child that had a horrible beginning. Life without a chance to get out.
This is cruel and unusual punishment. This shouldn’t be allowed
My thoughts exactly, why would she even bother bringing tatoos up when they have nothing to do with his case. SMH.
This is such a bizarre thing to say. I got my first tattoo at 20. I’m a quaker pacifist, mother, wife, giver to my community, and never so much as drove a car above the speed limit. If Aaron is found by psychiatrists to be a psychopath, incapable of rehabilitation and posing a great risk to society, that is one thing. Suggesting he is morally corrupt and beyond redemption because he had tattoos by 21 is just weird.
If you watch the behind bars documentary why does this punk ass kid keep smiling? If he was a changed man why get all the tattoos? He’s a punk ass kid who hasn’t changed. He hasn’t done shit but get tats and get involved in gangs and prison politics. That’s why his punk ass got stabbed and is still in prison. The judge agrees with me.
Can you please tell me what tattoos have to do with anything. I am a 62 year old grandmother and I have never been in trouble. Yet I have 3 Tattoos.
What do his tattoos have to do with the disgusting injustice taking place here? I feel heartbroken for Alana’s family, and realize they will never get her back, But regardless of what absolutely stupid, immature, and unforgivable decisions that (horrifically abused himself) CHILD made when he was 14years old, should in no way condemn him for the rest of his life as irredeemable. There is a reason that the Supreme Courts ruled LWOP as unjust. Just the same as sentencing a minor child to Death… For all the adults posting on here, I think you should all ask yourselves what you were like when you were barely a teenager… Maybe you didn’t let your hormones run rampant and probably didn’t kill anyone, but guaranteed you are NOT the same person as you were then. With age and experience, trial and error, lessons learned, is how any of us gain wisdom in life. People CAN change! That’s the one and only guaranteed thing in life, is that THINGS CHANGE. God forbid if roles were reversed, and it was Alana’s parents dealing with the harsh judicial system because of a really stupid mistake their CHILD made, as a CHILD… I bet even they would be looking at this a whole lot differently. The only difference is, that poor boy has NEVER had ANYONE in his corner to love him and teach him how to be a good man. But what do I know, maybe he was born evil.. maybe that’s why his mom left him at 5 yrs old to be molested, raped, abused, … If that’s true then Maybe that IS JUSTICE??? I will never understand how people can be so hateful and judgemental, the Only I’m Intolerant of is Intolerance. (And the judicial system).
Everyone seems to say “Poor Aaron, never had anyone in his corner”. He got glowing comments from his teacher so she took an interest. He was all but adopted by the Calahans so they showed him some support and understanding. How did he respond? He burglarized their house repeatedly while they were away. He came up with numerous lies to attempt to throw the police off of his trail. And even in a video phone call from prison he has come up with yet another story. This time he accidentally shot her while unloading the gun, this coming at age 21 when his frontal lobes are fully developed (these frontal lobes which were so under developed and which supposedly caused all this bad behavior when he was 14). Well he is fully developed now and again all we get are lies and no real remorse. This guy is where he belongs and where he always should be. We can all sleep better.
I’m sorry but what does tattoos have to do with this,I’m failing to see what your point is
What does tatoos have to do with?doesn’t make you a bad person????
Your comment on his tattoos just shows the world how ignorant you are!
Every one of you pathetic morons crying for this little POS should be locked up right next to him. It’s idiots like you that keep criminals on the streets because you’re stupid. If any of you animals who are defending this pile of filth have kids, I hope to god they get murdered so you can feel what that poor girls fault felt. Then you can some online and read a bunch of fkheads show sympathy for the vile trash that killed your son or daughter. Morons
You poor sweet summer child, having tattoos does not make you a bad person. Being a murderer makes him a bad person and that’s it. Lets stick to the topic at hand.
Natasha,
I agree that LWOP for a child is immoral and that he should one day be parolled, but your attitude to this grieving family and callous disregard for a child who was murdered, makes you sound downright dangerous.
Just because she was brought up in a higher socioeconomic group than Aaron, whom she showed no classism too and treated as a best friend, doesn’t make her life of less value than his. I’m poor and a childhood sexual abuse survivor, that doesn’t mean my life has more merit than someone who has privilege and who was protected from those traumas, and let’s face it, those privileges did not save her.
I am absolutely stunned by your defence of Aaron. I doubt even he would agree with your attack on the Callahans- a family who showed him love, a family whom he was desperate to be a part of.
You sound like an extremely bitter person and your sense of justice is extreme- just as extreme as those who demand a life for a life.
Its really sad about what happened to this young man he was sexually abused as a young child i no he was thinking about killing her weeks earlier its really sad and i feel for her and her parents instead of locking him up for life put him in some where he can really get some help im not on his side but damn pick at his brain get him the help he needs its really sad about kids locked up for life prison is not helping them at all
You certainly don’t feel sad for the victim or her parents if you have sympathy for him. Children do not premeditate murder, execute their friends, drag a dead body and then lie about it. Plenty of people have suffered horrific abuse, but they didn’t turn around and maliciously hurt others. He was a bad seed to begin with. Alana was young too, where is HER second chance. Some kids are just no meant to grow up in a free society. He is right where he belongs.
The evidence never proved he planned it for weeks. This is a kid who never had love from his family, he loved the Calahans, he wanted to be in a loving family, he would’nt have ruined his situation, he panicked in trying to make up a story of how it happened but it was an accident. I have an unwanted child who became a part of our family, Kids who have never seen love from their own family and who have been abused by their own family know that no one believes anything they say because the report of their abuse has never been believed by the horrible parents who raised them. How Aaron reacted is common with victims of child abuse. Children have premeditate murder, execute their friends and drag their bodies out and lie about it. This isn’t they case for Aaron, he didn’t premeditate the murder that was never said but only a statement the prosecutor’s made. All people handle sexual abuse differently to think that everyone should handle abuse all the same way is just ridiculous. The judge should of had that remark struck from the records because not everyone handles abuse the same way. had Alana’s brother shot her by accident her parents would of reacted the same way. Her parents are hurt but again if her own brother killed her they wouldnt be saying what they are saying. Aaron is a product of his upbringing and how he was taught he doesnt deserve to be loved. Its why children do crimes because of their bad parents actions.
As he ages, you can almost see him getting colder and harder in the pictures. Never had a chance as a child. But he is clearly where he needs to be now. So much time has passed. If he didn’t have empathy and compassion at 14, he surly didn’t learn it while in prison.
How could he ever live amongst us again?
I don’t understand how anybody says he had no empathy or compassion at 14, he cried when they showed pictures of what he had done. Children lack impulse control, especially when they are angry. As a mom, I feel for Alana’s mom because I could not imagine losing one of my kids, but I also see that Aaron was an immature, impulsive CHILD too. Alana can never be brought back but if Aaron can be rehabilitated, I think he deserves the chance to live a life.
Then why don’t you take him into your home with your family and kids?
I feel very empathetic to the families loss to Alana and forever the sadness of losing a child. I lost my oldest not as brutal as Alana’s murder but to a senseless act of a non- USA citizen driving illegally. What I do have to say because of my own childhood I thank God some of the actions I did make I didn’t make a bad decision that would affected my freedom. But mentally I was so behind for my age and NEVER taught a lot of things , never went to high school because I had to take care of myself starting at a young age protecting myself to final freedom at 16. I have to see alot in Lacy Aaron Schmidt that mentally and socially not fully matured. The non emotions people have talked about, I didn’t realize how different compared to others lives had been until one day non shalontly I was talking with someone about me and my life experiences and it was very seldom I did . When I was just chit chatting looking around and to the ground like it was nothing to me I looked up and to my surprised that other person was in tears. Stunned I asked what’s wrong reply was the fact of my life experiences. Put it this way very very seldom I talk about it now. What he did was wrong and should be punished but really for how long? Never sounded like he really has a life in the first place. Did the live he finally received after he dropped his walls and even started to really trust and reality trusted in that unconditional love compare to his age? 14 years old did he at least have 7 years? Took me 4 years to open up to my best friend after realizing how different I was. I’m affected forever one way or another. Not crazy but depression of what others had compared to what I realize I never did I got robbed. Never no sympathy I turned it to empathy. How can he think of act or coping skills if never taught. It takes years to make up for damages done to a young mind or body. When was he shown or taught what a nurtured child is about. Again he should be punished and the loss of Alana I do feel so much sympathy and empathy to Alana and her family , God Bless
Eye for an eye! You take someone’s life, prepare to forfeit your own!
I’m sorry, but all these females on here crying about why he’s serving LWOP ask yourselves, what if it was YOUR daughter, sister, niece? Would you still feel he deserves to live knowing he took a life? Another thing, NOT ONCE was he said Why OR shown remorse.
FREE AARON! I’m going to give a 3 perspective reasoning for my advocating for the defendant in this case. I’m definitely one hundred percent in favor absolutely beleive this boy Aaron needs to be recompensed for the injustices and time the system has stolen from his life. He suffered more then any other person has suffered. Enough! What’s done was done! Let him go. He will always be monitored on probation even if he was paroled. He will always have to pay for this. His life has been now beyond paid for. How much do people need to pay or suffer for you to see them as human? This is not a cold blooded calculating murderer. Not at all! This was a child!! This was very obvious some teen love accidental and combined with bad timing everything went bad. He serves more time then most rapists murders combined. And for that fact, all those people who secular abuses/abused Aaron as infant to 5 year old child are WALKING free today still abusing other childrem. So where is the justice? What justice? I’m sorry I don’t see it. This is a mistake. Can’t protect children yet you punish them? Can’t help beforehand tho? Let’s just be honest the girl he allegedly killed, which was an accident, which was over a decade ago when they were kids, I’m sorry but only reason he paid so heavily is Bc upper to middle class girl who’s dad was high up Marines and a respected family, who knew the investigators, the police as personal family freinds, the district attorney on Aaron’s case was also family friend. This is clearly social status and bias. The state of Georgia has taken public records from the open case file to restrict Aaron from having any fighting chance at a reasonable sentence. My strong voiced opinion ya sounds harsh but I’m just being strait. My findings are Based first and foremost on law. As Aristotle said, “law is free from reason”.Meaning: Emotion should not rule a court sentencing. However on this case, emotion and middle class social stays and power from the victims family completely manipulated ruled this cases findings based purely on emotion.
It’s unconstitutional and illegal to hold him prisoner as he was a 14 year old child and he is serving as an adult for a crime he had no ability in his brain to understand the consequences nor the gravity for. No proof or evidence ever stating it was intentional. It’s all hearsay.
Second perspective, It’s unconscionable that the judge & prosecuting attorney allowed grieving victims to decide Aaron’s sentence. Yes let me repeat that, the grieving parents decided Aaron at 14 without question to make his sentence. Look it up. Unprofessional and disgusting. This would never be allowed anywhere. Again, this is a injustice. That’s the South for you. Your reputation for being cruel proceeds you, this system is a joke ? I’m looking at this thinking what person with any sort of brains looks at this case and decides to send a young boy in with grown adults male inmates? yeah put a 14 year old child in with grown adults to rape him from 15 onwards. Is it justice how he was abused his whole entire life by adults then now gets punished by those adults and now still ensures more sexual rape in prison today? How is this justice for a girl who’s at peace I’m beacon probably urging humans to forgive eachother. Being raped and bullied by the real criminals is not justice for one life taken on accident. And the victims family who continues to pursue nonstop an otherwise child to undergo continuous abuse. The parents might be happier people of they were kinder or decided to forgive and maybe stop trying to make a child pay forever. It’s petty. As if this little boys life was not something to be valued. How was Alanas life more valuable then Aaron’s? Who gets to decide that?
Yes Ofcourse I think we all understand and sympathize for Alana the alleged victims family. At this point the family is not a victim anymore at all they are bullies and they are the perpetrators now. No one would expect her parents to forget her. I’d never speak on their pain. Ofcourse the parents will always view Aaron as the root of their pain and no doubt dislike him. But they refuse to forgive and continue to seek punishment for a crime committed, a crime paid for a crime done. And they are “Christian” ? right? I just see this a disgusting horrible travesty for everyone and just as much for Aaron as anyone else who suffered a loss. I’m sorry but the Callhams are not anymore of a victim to me in this case. They have freedom a good live and 5 other children so… I’m sorry you lost one. I am. I’m also wondering why they seriously felt the need to see eye to eye on this when a child is not on an adults level. I have no respect. I feel for Aaron. I seriously do. And I’d never be the type to say this but this is a strong injustice. Grant clemency. Forgive and get over it
Natasha,
I agree that LWOP for a child is immoral and that he should one day be parolled, but your attitude to this grieving family and callous disregard for a child who was murdered, makes you sound downright dangerous.
Just because she was brought up in a higher socioeconomic group than Aaron, whom she showed no classism too and treated as a best friend, doesn’t make her life of less value than his. I’m poor and a childhood sexual abuse survivor, that doesn’t mean my life has more merit than someone who has privilege and who was protected from those traumas, and let’s face it, those privileges did not save her.
I am absolutely stunned by your defence of Aaron. I doubt even he would agree with your attack on the Callahans- a family who showed him love, a family whom he was desperate to be a part of.
You sound like an extremely bitter person and your sense of justice is extreme- just as extreme as those who demand a life for a life.
He gets out he will murder again. Look in his eyes they are blank-no emotion at all. The Callahan family treated him like family, they gave him love. If he could kill someone that loved him, why would you even think he should be freed. To get out and kill someone you love?
I totally 100% agree with you!!!
Sponsor him and let him come live with you and your family. Trust him around your daughter. I bet you wouldn’t
This was not premeditated. Maybe stop judging. If you look at the facts and the gross mishandling of this case, you may or may not feel differently. No I do not believe a child being thrown in with grown adults men to be raped repeatedly every night for an accident he Has LONG taken responsibility for is where he “deserves” to be. He deserves a chance absolutely. Ofcourse we feel for the victim and the family no one would ever say we don’t, but it’s also long been laid back to society and at this point this family is being a bully and letting negativity and judgment to rule their life. They’re not focused on their daughter or the victims, the dirty players are focused on keeping a case from returning to a lawsuit Bc of the gross unconstitutional crimes committed against Aaron. We get it he made a mistake it’s a sad situation but forgiveness is key for anyone to be able to live happy again. This girl who’s passed away long ago is not sitting in the afterlife wanting him to suffer more, so why should we demand or judge any of Gods children? Forgive. For you be judged.
? your awesome stupid as they come ya tattoos hahahaha wow ?
This is such an injustice to this young boy who now has been abused and raped by the system. Punishing a child. I hope pray he is released. He is forgiven. This is not an evil cold blooded killer that’s such a sick injustice by the false system. He was dealt a bad hand. This is absolutely unheard of to do this to a child. Just abolish Georgia. People forgive their crimes and others who hurt their family all the time. I’m sorry I do not feel moved by them unable to forgive something that happened so long ago when they he was 14 for gods sake. Smh
There are millions of people that are dealt a bad hand. They don’t go out and shoot a 14 year old girl in the head. Stop making excuses.
And the nerve for you to expect that family to forgive this animal makes you as bad as him.
He showed remorse in his video as an adult when he was given the opportunity to say what really happened and honesty I believe him, he didn’t to the officer’s—he was in trouble and responded like a child in trouble would respond with a repeated lie which statements that made no since and nothing connected- his body language showed he was nervous with officer when he told his story /as an adult he sounded defeated (broken) ? with the reality he took a life that meant something to Alanas family and to him. Regardless of his tattoos (the ink). They should be applying the law to everyone and stop using personal judgment in these laws and apply them to the poor (those who are already a part of the system expecially if they are male)
I can’t believe the pity for Aaron. How many other people have come from horrible backgrounds but they made the choice to over come and actually made something of their life? 14 is old enough to know right from wrong! He chose to do what he did this was no accident. What choice did Alana have in this? Aaron took Alanas life what right does he have to keep his? Aaron has paid enough and deserves a second chance? Is Alana getting a second chance to live life? I’m really sorry if Aaron suffered the childhood abuse as has been stated but that in no way excuses him from what he did. There is a child abused every minute does that entitle them to do whatever they want? If your father comes home drunk beating you up and choking you. Does that mean it’s ok for you to choke your little sister? And lastly I’m positive people would be feeling a whole lot different about this if Alana had been their little sister, their child. But then maybe not…to say they have five other children? How much colder can you get? We are not replacing a dead puppy!
Better question, how much colder can YOU get?
1) First and foremost, “We are not replacing a dead puppy”? Animal abuse is a real and serious problem. When our family dog passed, I was absolutely devastated. I couldn’t eat or sleep properly for two months. Clearly you are some sad, cold, bitter person who has never had pets, and I seriously hope you don’t get one, because based off your comment, you absolutely don’t deserve one! But who knows, if you get a dog, you’ll probably just “replace it” as soon as you get tired of it.
2) Yes, Aaron was 14 years old. That is very much a factor for this case, like it or not. Clearly, you must have been an expert orator at 14, Diane, considering the eloquence of your comment. Probably never made a SINGLE mistake in your entire life.
Yes, obviously Aaron’s mistake was a huge and horrible mistake which cost a sweet innocent girl’s life, don’t get me wrong, but a child’s actions are influenced by their surroundings. Aaron was ABUSED as a CHILD, the worst kind of abuse, so you take some time to let that sink into your brain, and please quit downplaying the severity of child abuse. Even the most hardened criminals in Supermax prisons absolutely LOATHE child abusers because they understand the severity of child abuse.
3) “How many other people have come from horrible backgrounds but they made the choice to over come and actually made something of their life?” OK, but those kids probably had other emotional and mental support, were given the proper resources, and were saved on time. Those kids are definitely NOT the norm. And based off your heartless comment, Diane, you probably still don’t understand the trauma those kids face to this day, and the fact that many of them might still be seeking therapy to this day.
We should be getting Aaron HELP!! Umm, news flash, throwing a 14 year old kid into a prison population full of a bunch of grown ADULTS doesn’t exactly construe the definition of “help”, per se, where he is constantly RAPED by the other inmates. Did you literally not see the documentary where the other inmates started ganging up on him?!?
Oh wait, I’m sorry, you do think prison is helping Aaron. Wow, I hope you run for public office one day and treat all of our abused children in our country, because you sound like the type of person to offer INGENIOUS solutions.
4) I hope you realize that the prosecution clearly has something to hide in Aaron’s case. If you actually saw the documentary, many details were left out from the trial. Aaron’s defense attorney has filed a writ to try to obtain some of the documents that the state of Georgia has hid from public view. The DA has clearly left out all probable cause that Aaron pulling the trigger could have been purely ACCIDENTAL. I mean, if he really wanted to kill Alana as quickly as possible and hide her corpse, why the heck would he take of his shoes and waste time? There is footage of Aaron crying in court, but the prosecution conveniently leaves that out for his resentencing, calling him a “cold” monster. And the DA, if you will look at her online profile, self admittedly “proudly backs the blue” in basically all circumstances. Obviously, she wants to ensue the toughest punishment possible, even if it’s towards a child, in order to butter up her CV. She’s basically a sheep for the police. Based off her history, she must have probably thought (and maybe still thinks) all police abuse against colored minorities in the US is a farce. Heck, maybe you think it’s a farce Diane? Sound South enough for ya!
5) “If your father comes home drunk beating you up and choking you. Does that mean it’s ok for you to choke your little sister?” You tried giving an analogy, but it really makes me wonder about the messed up scenarios that play inside your depraved mind to even be thinking of such a horrific situation.
6) My final thoughts and prayers go out towards Alana’s family, and I know that they must be in immense pain and suffering from the loss. I hope and pray that they find the strength for the future, and I hope that they are doing well.
But I also feel for Aaron’s family and Aaron as well. Aaron’s conviction was not purely altruistic, rather there were some political motives as well. I hope Aaron pays for his mistake, and realizes the pain and suffering he has caused. I am in NO WAY advocating for a light sentence or early release. He needs to serve his time. But Life without parole is just ridiculous. 40 years? Sure, I would choose that, and then have him reform himself when he is in his 60s and actually contribute in some capacity to society.
And prison is HARD TIME. Looking at your comment, Diane, you probably think state prison with other murderers and rapists is like Disneyland, with fairies and gnomes and princesses, magical and glittery. Well, guess what, it’s not, and I don’t think I needed to elaborate myself. After a long sentence like 40 years, Aaron will have done his time, definitely learned a lesson, and I do believe he can be rehabilitated.
So yes, Diane, I do feel pity for Aaron.
Insightful and well said!
Sad and pathetic. Please do not reproduce and please get some counseling.
Wow yur dumb
my question to all of you is this: have you even watched his story on “Kids Behind Bars:Life or Parole “?his own grandmother stated at the resentencing hearing that when she confronted Aaron’s mother about his allegations @ the age of 7 of serial abuse by the babysitters she denied that he had told her…typical drug abuser statement..am sorry but i truly feel that our judicial system let him down because of the fact that if this had been brought up in the 1st trial & they were aware of it maybe he wouldn’t be still in prison….
Well actually this kid had a horrible traumatic childhood and was only 14. The human brain on males doesn’t even mature until in the beginning to mid 20’s. Yes he did something horrific, but he also didn’t really know what he was doing and I believe him when he said he didn’t mean to shoot her he was unloading the gun and squeezed the trigger at the same time and it went off. Go out back and take the exact same gun and try to unload it by racking it back and see if it is at all possible to squeeze the trigger and fire a shot. And if the answer is yes it could maybe be possible, that my fried is reasonable doubt
I am horrified by some of these comments. Everyone is entitled to their opinions but wow lol. Thinking back to when I was 14, I knew right from wrong, I had my own issues and also experienced abuse. I am not saying he was the same as me and very likely he has some sort of disorder/diagnosis on top of everything. But are you kidding me? Let’s pretend this was 14 year old me. I steal a gun from my friends family’s house. Why am I doing this? For what purpose? Why was I also continuously breaking in and stealing things? I’m either mentally not right or up to no good.
I sure as you know what was smart enough up to this point to be able to get away with it all. I’m not some idiot child.
Why do I then feel the need to carry this gun on my person and bring it back to the house I stole it from? The same house where I ALWAYS follow the no shoes in the house rule but have decided to ignore the whole… don’t be there without the parents being there rule. What could make this better!? I decide to also bring my stolen gun with me while breaking that rule.
Then, why do I feel like playing with this gun right behind my best friend’s head!? And then oh crap it went off! Geez I’m sorry.
I’m sorry people, but something here doesn’t make sense. This is not an accident. Or maybe he just wanted to hold a gun up to her head just to see and then “Woops” it went off. Pretty nutso either way. He either needs to be in prison or a psychiatric institution long term.
Some serial killers started out by breaking into homes and just stealing personal items people wouldn’t really notice. This isn’t normal child with trauma type behaviour. Many serial killers also experienced sexual abuse. All the bleeding hearts, if they could magically get him out of prison, I hope they invite him to live in their homes with their loved ones and children. And pray to god the rest of us aren’t right about him.
Thank God there is still hope people have common sense anymore. People on here saying poor Aaron can’t see the forest for the trees. That kid was furious Alana told on him for being there while the parents weren’t home. She took away the only attention he had in his life so he wanted revenge. He has had enough training in prison to mimic empathy and to come up with a good story. He still hasn’t told the truth. Many people are abused but they do not kill. Every single person in favor of letting this monster out should provide a year each of sponsorship for Aaron. Then if he murders again they should do the time right along with him. If they were given these stakes then I don’t see anyone backing his release from
Aaron needs to be honest about Alana’s death. He stole the fathers gun & brought it back & shot her between the 15-30mins the older sister is gone. He was angry about the mothers new rules the Wed. before her death. Alana told her mom he was in the house which was locked. I do agree Aaron should not have received a life sentence but how can the parents forgive when Aaron has not been truthful? Why would he try to unload the gun when Alana was right there??? That he stole from her father? When he was not supposed to be there? Ill feel sorry for Aaron when he is more truthful.
Amen…. I might be wrong but this young man does not seem to have no remorse for what he did.. This family treated him like family and in turn he turns around and kill their daughter.
He is where he belongs and needs to stay there. I was beaten and molested many many times in my childhood I was never wanted by anyone till I was 29 year’s old and found someone to love me and be there for me. You don’t see me killing people and if he wanted to kill anyone why didn’t he kill the one that abused him instead of an innocent girl who only tried to show him compassion and caring about him that whole family was there for him. And you want to say poor him well I don’t think so. He is a psychopath and let him rot and die right where he is at. I feel bad for his sister cause she tried to show him love and compassion and I can see it hurts her he will never be outside of prison I can understand her pain but the family that lost their daughter sister granddaughter will never hear her voice or her smile or never be called mom dad and she will never have children or have her Daddy walk her down the isle at her wedding ? at least his sister can see and hear him once and a while. So yeah leave him where he is.
Hopefully all the Aaron supporters have one of their family members murdered. Then we’ll see how they feel about Aaron.
They should partition the court to let them
have Aaron move in with them and their families. See what happens then?
I could no have said it better myself….other then I could careless that he had a bad childhood, so did I…He is where he needs to be and stay there for l7fe
He should be in a high security mental institution for the remainder of his life
I’m not an aaron supporter, I just watched the episode so am scrolling thru these comments. But I do have to say that you’re a piece of shit. You literally just wished not only death but murder on a bunch of people you don’t know anything about. I seriously hope that you’re a child, saying something like that but even most children don’t say shit that fucked p. Talk about someone that needs locked up with the key thrown away. smh. \
No one can say that they are the same person they were at 14. Having no parental guidance this kid was in trouble from the beginning… but to take a gun and carry it inside when it’s loaded… and to have it aiming toward someone. Just doesn’t sound smart at all. He probably felt cool having it. Who knows maybe he was going to threaten her with it to get back with him… at 14 you are very immature and do stupid things. Planned or not now this poor 14 year old girl is gone. I know someone that shot someone on accident and the person died and all they got was 3 years and they were much older than 14. Idk if Aaron got the proper sentencing at his age but I do think he deserved something.
He 100% should have gotten the life sentence and it should never be overturned. Clearly mentally there is something wrong with him and may a prison isn’t where he should be the whole time. Maybe a stint in a mental hospital would maybe do him some good so he can finally tell that poor girl’s parent the truth about what happened and why he did it. I know it is believed he did it because the mom said he couldn’t come there anymore and was angry. We as parents say things sometimes and then change our minds. Her mom probably would have let him back over again at some point but to take the life of someone he considered family is horrific after the family had made him a part of their family. My heart goes out to her parents and siblings.
That is the most ludicrous argument I have ever heard. What the hell does ink have to do with his state of mind at the time of the murder? Moron.
Is so easy to Judge, first he totally has the right to appeal, any brain and soul is not the same is obviously that his life make him cold a way to survive, the system and family failed to him because he needs therapy for all his life, big mistake, Alanas family needs to feel that her daughter is waiting for them, I have seen cases of family of only one daughter murder and forgive the killer! Incredible big lesson, this life is only for a while, this guy never is going to be normal from he was a little boy. His new lawyer seems very good!! Let’s see if the system help resocialize… We are part of a society We are Alitalia responsible of actions and consequences, help others make better days and the difference!!
What does having body tattoos have to do with anything you judgmental idiotic f@ckwit. Do you feel the same disdain towards people who hang paintings in their homes as ones who choose to paint their skin. Wake up!
But, for many people, tattoos carry a stigma and they particularly do in prison.
I kinda agree, my take, and purely MY OPINION SO NO HATERS, is that they saw as the kids were getting older, maybe he was showing more than a “friend” interest in her and put new rules in place. What I can’t wrap my head around is the gun, why steal it and carry it back?? With the abuse from his childhood, I can see him turning violent if she rebuked his advances, IF he even made any, but why the gun?? And I am sorry, the only tears that seemed genuine to me were in court when he had to look at the photos of what he had done. And yes, I speak from familial bearing to childhood abuse, not me, just close family. I understand every person reacts a different way to abuse, however, he stole the gun, carried it back and what was the result? I dont think he would have carried her father’s gun back to the house and “shown” it to her, wouldn’t she haeknown it was her dad’s? but idk, I wasn’t there. In the interview, he didn’t seem to be remorseful at all, and I am going off what was shown on the show. He was more like I know they miss Alana (and continued on with her full name) instead of just saying her name like it actually meant something. Again, just my opinion on what I watched. Do I think he needs to be in jail for life? I am on the fence, he was a very young man, but there was “some” thought process behind his crime and I DO think more than 8 years are justified. With that being said, if I were her family I might think differently….I was raised as a christian and am able to forgive……could or would I forgive that??? Idk, thankfully I have never been in that position, but I do think he is where he needs to be right now as long as he is getting therapy. Keeping in mind I don’t know anything about the prison system and how it works.
Everyone is different when it comes to suffering from some sort of trauma/abuse. Lets take soldiers for example, look at how many have seen death and other horrible things but are totally fine while others have suffered from PTSD and went on to kill themselves, Aaron was failed as a child especially by his mom who suffered no consequences for what happened to him. It is a shame and disgusting people mess these kids up so bad that they turn out screwed up like this and while the kids suffer the people who mess them up go unpunished. I am torn on if he deserves life. Part of me thinks he deserves it but then the other part thinks due to his background he deserves a little chance at having a life outside of prison but I would say he should atleast be locked up until he is in his 40’s. I also believe he should be getting some type of help in prison, to many people go to jail or prison and receive no help at all
Are you kidding?… wait you have a problem with him because he has “body tattoos”? So only bad people have tattoos?! That has NOTHING to do with anything. I do believe he planned to kill her, but it was because he was afraid of the only family has ever known being taken away. In his traumatized and adolescent mind he had to make sure that didn’t happen. But to bring up his tattoos just makes you sound ignorant.
what do tattoo’s have to do with this?? I don’t have any but people with tattoo’s aren’t murderers! this has nothing to do with anything
What do tattoos have to do with someone’s character? I know doctors, lawyers, business owners and even scientists that have tattoos!!! What is your point?
Bleibt bei den Fakten, hinterhältiger geplanter Mord, da bleibt es bei lebenslänglich. Jedes weitere Statement dazu ist eine weitere Ohrfeige an die Hinterbliebenen.
Apparently the prison he was in before being moved to Georgia prison was infested with gangs and if you watched the documentary you can see he was controlled by those people. He was in with adults at a young age and I’m sure he was terribly victimized. He’s had to survive with gangs all around him. I doubt you know what that’s like!
I’m a 38 year old female. Born and raised in Atlanta. I came from a close family but by no means normal. More like the reality show of ozzy osbournes family that use to come on. That’s my family to a “T” All my siblings have at least one tattoo if not more and i personally love body art and I’m heavily covered from full leg sleeves to arms and I can’t even kill a spider!! Cause I would feel bad. So whoever said that if I have tattoos your a killer or more likely to be a criminal. And, like someone mentioned above… my ex husband had a motorcycle wreck at 21 yrs old and had to have his arm amputated because it had gone septic… and guess what??? The amazing doctor who saved his life and many others has full sleeves on both arms (sleeves mean totally covered) and he’s saving lives not killing people .. what if he was the doctor that God Forbid was in charge of saving your life??? Would u judge people with tattoos than? You really need to step out of your judge mental bubble that U live in, and think before you speak. I hope they give this guy a chance. 14yrs old is so!!!! young. I understand completely why he lied and I don’t think he was cold and unemotional in my OP, I think he was a scared child that caused a beautiful girl her life and was also losing any stability family wise by taking their daughter and sisters life, I can’t imagine losing any loved one like that. But if it was me especially at 14yrs old I’d just shut down in every way! including emotionally. He’s scared. He doesn’t know where he’s going, what’s gonna happen, the judgement from an adoptive type family he wanted so badly to be apart of …plus, thinking about his own family.. of course he looks un-emotional. The Kids in shock and checked out I’ve done that before not murder but when I’ve gotten in trouble and got caught and confronted about it, especially when I was being drilled.. you are feeling so many things u just check out. I pray for both families and I hope they let him out and have him live in a controlled halfway house to help him get back into society. It’s only my OP.. so please respect that.
Hi Samanda I agree with you and would love to talk to you about Aaron. I live in Miami. How can I contact you? I would like to help him. This kid does not have a family and I believe everything been hard on him without a family support. I believe he’s been abused in prison too.
if i was Alana’s father i’d want him freed……………..so i could kill him slowly and painfully.
My teenage son was violently assaulted this week. He didn’t do anything to deserve it. My first desire was to go out and find the young man who did this to him and respond in kind, within a moment, reason set in and I had to stop my adult son from going out and exacting revenge. I don’t believe in an eye for an eye. I believe in Gandhi’s statement that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
I know who attacked him and I know he is a very damaged young man. We are hoping police intervention will get him the support he needs to heal and to prevent recidivism, but I feel that’s quixotic and worry that instead of our system repairing broken people, they simply break them further. Revenge isn’t the same as justice. Revenge perpetuates violence.
That said, had someone murdered my child, I think I would never be able to forgive them. I would want them held on a lengthy statement and I would want to know that, should they ever be released, they had been fully rehabilitated first and would never inflict that pain on another family again.
I do not understand the replies to this which condemn the Callahans. I live in a country in which we do not give children LWOP sentences. Aaron wouldn’t have received that sentence here. I think that is correct. However, we had the brutal murder of a toddler called James Bulger by two children. When they were released in young adulthood with new identities, one of the offenders seems to have lived a quiet life without reoffending, the other, however, has reoffended and is a paedophile. There needs to be more oversight by psychiatrists and psychologists to determine the likelihood of recidivism (reoffending) before release. There also needs to be more work here and in the US to ensure the system doesn’t just create worse people, both before and after offences.
I think condemning the Callahans because they cannot forgive Aaron for brutally robbing them of their child are cruel. There is no balance in those comments between understanding that yes, Aaron is a human being and he was a child at the point of the offence, but so was Alana. Her humanity is being ignored in those comments. She was a warm girl who showed Aaron love and support and brought him into her family. She was funny, warm, loving. She is gone. They will never hold her, see her or hear her again. Their pain cannot end. The loss of a child is an unimaginable pain. My mother in law is in perpetual pain from losing her son to cancer. She always will be. I cannot begin to imagine what that pain is like when it wasn’t God or nature which took your child, but instead a person who chose to rob them from you. They’ve not just lost a child, they’ve lost birthdays, graduations, weddings, grandchildren. They’ve lost a future that they were meant to have.
Does anyone know if he got out on the second trail or did they make him serve his life sentence?? Jus wondering jus now what’s the show and it didn’t tell if he finally got out or not
He was resentenced to life without parole
No they upheld the original sentence & he’s still in prison.
This resentencing is a Complete Injustice!! Yet it Is Georgia, where the good ole boys & corruption thrives. I hope his attys take this further!! He deserves at least a parole date!!
My teenage son was violently assaulted this week. He didn’t do anything to deserve it. My first desire was to go out and find the young man who did this to him and respond in kind, within a moment, reason set in and I had to stop my adult son from going out and exacting revenge. I don’t believe in an eye for an eye. I believe in Gandhi’s statement that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
I know who attacked him and I know he is a very damaged young man. We are hoping police intervention will get him the support he needs to heal and to prevent recidivism, but I feel that’s quixotic and worry that instead of our system repairing broken people, they simply break them further. Revenge isn’t the same as justice. Revenge perpetuates violence.
That said, had someone murdered my child, I think I would never be able to forgive them. I would want them held on a lengthy statement and I would want to know that, should they ever be released, they had been fully rehabilitated first and would never inflict that pain on another family again.
I do not understand the replies to this which condemn the Callahans. I live in a country in which we do not give children LWOP sentences. Aaron wouldn’t have received that sentence here. I think that is correct. However, we had the brutal murder of a toddler called James Bulger by two children. When they were released in young adulthood with new identities, one of the offenders seems to have lived a quiet life without reoffending, the other, however, has reoffended and is a paedophile. There needs to be more oversight by psychiatrists and psychologists to determine the likelihood of recidivism (reoffending) before release. There also needs to be more work here and in the US to ensure the system doesn’t just create worse people, both before and after offences.
I think condemning the Callahans because they cannot forgive Aaron for brutally robbing them of their child are cruel. There is no balance in those comments between understanding that yes, Aaron is a human being and he was a child at the point of the offence, but so was Alana. Her humanity is being ignored in those comments. She was a warm girl who showed Aaron love and support and brought him into her family. She was funny, warm, loving. She is gone. They will never hold her, see her or hear her again. Their pain cannot end. The loss of a child is an unimaginable pain. My mother in law is in perpetual pain from losing her son to cancer. She always will be. I cannot begin to imagine what that pain is like when it wasn’t God or nature which took your child, but instead a person who chose to rob them from you. They’ve not just lost a child, they’ve lost birthdays, graduations, weddings, grandchildren. They’ve lost a future that they were meant to have.
I just watched this series in May of 2022 and was literally taken aback. Being a sr. citizen I always taught my kids to respect the law but also their rights as well. Street law. Was that a pic from the day of shooting? Where’s the blood splatter? On the walls and carpet but not him? You can tell he was in shock and checked out of reality.
Why wasn’t the gun locked in a gun safe? Was a police report filed when the gun was stolen?
Was he interrogated by two well seasoned detectives? While he’s underage with no parent/guardian/poa present?
And the judge would have considered life with parole but the parents of Alana had a say so in sentencing.
smh.
You’re right he should have n ver been questioned without his adult sister/guardian there. They brought him straight to the police station. The only blood was on his socks. No other blood on him. My brother was murdered and his killer only got 5 yrs
I’m not too sure if I believe the gun story but he was a child it is proven your brain works differently its funny though Cuz they give rapist a lesser charge but give him life for a mistake made as a child this is stupid they should revaluate him an go from there like seriously no one really thought about that ….
thank goodness the judge has more sense than a lot in this comment section.
Life without parole is an absurd sentence for a 14 year old. There are adults convicted of murder or even murders who get FAR less prison time than he did. How does that make any sense? What is the point of having a juvenile justice system if we just charge kids as adults whenever the hell we feel like it? Look, I don’t think anyone is saying that Lacy Aaron Schmidt should be let off scott-free or even with a slap on the wrist. I actually do believe he intended to kill Alana… However, the degree of planning is much more questionable. At the very least, his plan was so bad that it perfectly illustrates his cognitive immaturity. I mean, he gave himself zero time to clean up the crime scene or to leave the crime scene or change his clothes or stash the murder weapon or do much of anything beyond killing Alana. The time it takes for the sister to drive to the bus stop and back (a couple minutes at best); thats all the time he gave himself. Does that sound like the plan of a remotely rational person with the mental capacity of an adult? And what kind of murderer takes their shoes off at the crime scene & leaves them there? An idiot kid who lacks the mental capacity to see around corners or predict consequences of his actions. The crime was beyond sloppy and ill-planned- exactly what you get when a stupid kid loses their temper, does something incredibly stupid, & subsequently panicked. He clearly did not stop to think about how to get away with it. This screams second degree murder, not first.
Also, kids should NEVER, at any point, be interrogated without, at minimum, a guardian present & arguably, legal counsel. (Honestly, no one should ever talk w/o a lawyer if they are smart). Cops can read a kid their rights all day but someone that young doesn’t fully understand them. Some adults don’t even fully understand them but kids certainly dont. They wont understand the potential long-term, catastrophic consequences of talking to the cops w/o a lawyer or choosing not to remain silent. Do you honestly think this kid had the foggiest clue a life sentence was even possible? I sure don’t. Hell, most adults would not have thought it possible for a 14-year-old. I also doubt he realized he was being filmed the entire time he was in that police station. Children certainly aren’t going to be privy to the head games cops play. They don’t know cops can lie to you & claim to have evidence they do not have. They don’t know that when a cop claims that he’ll help you if you confess, its all bullshit unless its in writing nor would they know the DA is the only one who can agree to a deal giving you a lighter sentence in return for a confession. Kids are more susceptible to psychological pressure or bullying than adults to begin with. Plus, while this young man may have been 14, he was almost certainly psychologically & emotionally stunted by the horrific abuse he faced in childhood. If abandonment & abuse is how adults dealt with him for the better part of his life (even adults- like his mother- who should have loved & protected him), is it any wonder that violence might be the only way he knew how to deal with his problems at 14? Kids learn by observation. Is it really that surprising that the sting of this subsequent perceived abandonment by his girlfriend & her family might have effected him more than it would have affected another 14-year-old who had not had the kind of abandonment issues his mom inflicted upon him? Is it really shocking that, with all that in mind, he might have made a really bad decision he regretted? I dont think so.
I am incredibly sorry for what happened to Alana & for her family’s unimaginable loss. I dont blame them for being angry or even for wanting him put under the jail for all eternity (although I hope they can find peace one day). However, there is a reason the victim’s family isnt the one who chooses or imposes the sentence. Grief tends to erode one’s capacity for impartiality & the ability to differentiate justice from vengeance- & understandably so. But shame on Georgian court system. I always find it ironic that these deep red, bible belt states seem to be so unwilling to consider the possibility that someone could change or be redeemed. Jesus’s whole thing was forgiveness, was it not? Even your enemies? Even when its hard? That seems to be all Lacy Aaron Schmidt & his legal team are asking for: a chance at redemption & to prove that a minute or two of incredibly poor decision making does not have to be the end all, be all of his life, especially not when those minutes happened when he was a kid. In my opinion, they should have cut his sentence AT LEAST to the length of what many adult killers receive for second degree murder: so somewhere between 15 and 25 years. Then mandate him to ongoing therapy to deal with his childhood trauma & have his parole officer monitor him closely when he is released. If he fucks up even a little, violate his parole- just like they would anyone else. But dont lock him up forever when the original offense happened when he was a literal child. That is cruel & unusual punishment. I know for a fact that many people who commit violent crimes can & do change their lives. I have witnessed it first hand
You’re clearly an absolute moron, and the system agrees with me so go cry somewhere idiot. LWOP is exactly what this little piece of trash deserves.
I don’t understand why Americans hold on to their weapons so much. No one should be allowed to have a weapon without a license. So many accidents happen because every person thinks he has to defend himself. I’m sure many murderers could be avoided by a stricter weapon policy. Sorry about my English, I am from Germany.
I hear what some of you are saying. But I’m going to tell you something. I was beat & molested by my father, then my father commits suicide. My mother remarried a Baptist preacher who was also a pedophile. To escape prison, my preacher step dad put me in a mental hospital in Atlanta, Georgia called, GMHI at 11 years old. I was abandoned there. It’s the same hospital where they filmed, ‘Hawkins Lab’ from ‘Stranger Things’. (Interesting how the main characters name is, ‘Eleven’ when I was abandoned at 11). Many more awful things happened to me even after that but I don’t know why, I never thought of killing anyone. I thought of killing myself but not anyone else. No matter how much someone treated me like garbage, I never did drugs and I became a wonderful wife and mother. I learned that forgiveness is not always a kind act and so I never speak to my mother or any of my supposed ‘family’. It took years but I healed and made a new life for myself. Forgiveness is not a kind act, it’s an act of dying of who were were and ‘killing’ relationships which no longer serve our new self.
Mary, I’m very sorry for what happened to you. But can you imagine how differently you might feel, if you were STILL locked away,… For the rest of your life??? No kids. No husband. No life. Just MORE and MORE punishment and abuse done to you, FOREVER! No one to care that it was an injustice to put u there in the 1st place. But because you chose not to be compliant at age 11 about the abuse you were being subjected to,… Let’s add a punishment and more abuse for the rest of your life? Would you still make the same decisions ? Knowing what you know now, would you do Anything different? …. Maybe you would have spoke up sooner? Maybe you would run? Maybe we all grow up and are Not the same people we are when we are young, and we’re not a lost cause to be thrown away and forgotten. You went thru what you did, but at least you got out and made a good life in spite of it all. Some never will.
Why aren’t the parents charged for leaving a gun unlocked in the home while minors are left alone at home?
The gun was dismantled and locked up in Alana’s home. Lacy broke into the home, stole the gun, put it together and then would use it the next day
Live by the sword, die by the sword.
Don’t blame the parents they shouldn’t have to worry about some bad ass kid breaking in and stealing their shit. They didn’t do anything wrong so why would they be charged HE BROKE IN THEIR HOME. YOU JUST SOUND STUPID. PLEASE DONT POST ANYMORE COMMENTS BECAUSE YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE NO COMMON SENSE
What I can’t seem to understand is how not one of you has even mentioned that had it not been for the Ease of Access to the f*¢king Gun in the first place, ALL of this could have been prevented!!! It was her FATHER’S LOADED HANDGUN, that went MISSING FOR AT LEAST A WEEK AND NEVER REPORTED??!!!? That killed his daughter!!! Does it matter who pulled the trigger??? NO GUN/GUN ACCESS=NO SHOOTING!!! If the gun was LOCKED PROPERLY SHE WOULD STILL BE HERE!!!
I saw a documentary on German television about Lacy and his crime.
I think that because of his age at the time of the crime, he deserves at least the possibility of being released someday.
As sorry as I am for the victim’s family, I am not saying he should be released immediately, but at least he deserved the possibility of parole someday.
To everyone bashing the lady that said something about his tattoos. I don’t think she was meaning that him having tattoos makes him a bad person. What she’s saying is he is an adult now and the fact that he is in prison getting tattoos which is illegal and against the rules shows that he still does not follow rules and has not used his time in prison to change but to focus on getting tattoos which alot of young ppl get while they are in there to give off a prasona that he is cool and tough. So the fact that he’s doing this in prison shows that he hasn’t changed and still has a disregard for rules. Yes he was 14 but he knew what he was doing. He stole a gun from their house then went back to the house with the same gun that was loaded. I think he had every intention of killing Alana. If he didn’t why would he not unload the gun before going there. Why would he drag her body outside and try to hide it. I personally think he walked in the house caught her off guard and shot her while she was not expecting it. How does a semi automatic gun go off accidentally when you are trying to unload it. You don’t put your finger on a trigger to unload it and also if she knew he had the gun then I doubt she would have kept her back turned to him. I think she broke up with him and he could not accept that someone he loved was deserting him again. So he killed her. Ppl need to quit making excuses for these juveniles just because they were 14 when it happened and the fact that he still obviously lies about what happened shows that he still lacks remorse for the family of Alana. I don’t care I don’t think him serving 8 years is enough for what he did despite his age. You know right from wrong when you are 14.i think he had it planned. Why else would he steal the gun why else would he take the gun loaded back over their when that’s where he stole it from. He waited for the right time to get her alone and then acted out of rage and anger for her leaving him. Quit coddling these violent juveniles and making them believe that what they did was ok because of their age. What if that was your daughter would you still feel the same way. I heard he got stabbed in prison. And from the looks of it he’s someone’s girl in prison because when he was on the video call in the tv show two dudes came up and grabbed on him and put their arms around him. He got what he had coming and he deserves it. He shows no remorse for what he did and would probably do it again. Have fun in prison buddy despite your tattoos you still look like a soft b….., You deserve your life sentence. A little advice for ppl keep your guns locked up and secured so ppl can’t steal them and never put your finger on the trigger while unloading. We know that’s a lie though. So ya he got what he asked for. You reap what you sew.
May he live to be 95 and SUFFER EVERY SECOND OF HIS PATHETIC EXISTENCE!