It's what Sparks knew he wanted as his first meal on the day he was released from prison -- a day he thought he wouldnt see for decades. Even if that police officer does not think the knife is connected to the case being investigated do they not have an obligation to remove such an item from the streets? Quiroz' conviction was modified to burglary,according to our news partners The Elkhart Truth. Also, I hope to see these men leading productive, crime-free lives when theyre released. Elkhart County considered the death of Mr. Johnson a murder and charged the Elkhart 4, even though they did not kill him. All Rights Reserved. The tears coming down his face Valley Correctional Facility, Layman s grandmother one! Sentences were reduced Sparks, ) appeal from the Court of Appeals of Indiana, ) ).! Hegrabbed his gun and shot several times. . It was a very great day for all of us, said Debbie McQueen, Laymans grandmother. They planned to burglarize the house; the homeowner surprised them, firing a gun. We are going throughthe appeals process. Read this blog, your newspapers, and websites with a critical eye. On August 22, 2013, a jury convicted all three of felony murder. Ruled Layman would instead be sentenced to 55 years and Levi Sparks and Anthony Sharp to. To our knowledge no DNA or fingerprint tests were done on the knife and nothing has been mentioned in the appellate briefs about this. Blake Layman, Levi Sparks and Anthony Sharp appealed to the Indiana Supreme Court and won their appeal. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. In December 2012, Quiroz pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 45 years in prison, but the other three -- Layman, Sparks and Sharp -- decided to go to trial. Youre an idiot. Carmel Police Officer, The resident who found the knife pointed it out to a police officer on the scene. "No more 45 years hanging over our heads. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We have serious concern with a police officer at a crime scene refusing to take custody of a knife. Felony murder expands the definition of murder to include some cases in which someone dies during the commission of a felony. He was re-sentenced to 10 years in prison. It was a very great day for all of us, said Debbie McQueen, Laymans grandmother. Jose Quiroz is expected to be released in late April and Anthony Sharp in August of 2018. Well, I think that -that was an unjustly charge an sentence for each of those boys especially for Levi. img.lazyload{display:none}figure.wp-block-image Blake Layman was sentenced to 55 years in prison after being convicted of felony murder in a home invasion gone wrong. Tragically, not only was the home occupied, but the homeowner shot and killed Danzele. He was not mentioned in the appeal. Documentary follows 'Elkhart 4' in bid for freedom. We were going to fight until we had him home, says Debbie McQueen, Blakes grandmother. His family and friends welcomed him back to. And thats what I plan on doing, he said. It was eventually overturned in federal court and Sparks was released in January 2016 after serving three and a half years. but, none of these boys murdered anyone . A friend who they continue to mourn for. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Im doing what I need to do to be successful in life and thats what it comes down to, said Sparks. 53550 Generations Drive South Bend, IN 46635. His family and friends welcomed him back to Elkhart Friday night with a gathering at Hunter's Place. Layman, originally sentenced to 55 years behind bars was released after serving three and a half years in prison. Does anybody know Levis information to write him in prison??? Can get anything done, said Layman Indiana Court vacancies ; home Blake. 16 year old Jose Quiroz accepted a plea deal. Am I wrong here so far? One year after his release in March of 2016, Suspect formally charged in attack outside University Park Mall, Notre Dame football announces 2023 schedule with video game-themed promo, Man accused of armed robbery at grocery store on Hively Avenue, Desmont Upchurch announces candidacy for mayor, Water temporarily shut off in area of Wolcottville for repair, Trafficking Tragedy: How pandemic travel restrictions may have exacerbated fentanyl crisis, Trafficking Tragedy: Austin's story, how one pill can end a life, Trafficking Tragedy: DEA warns of deadly rise in fentanyl. I heard the Elkhart 4 had a gun. But, a federal court overturned the murder. Post a comment on the blog (. Im a new guy. Its gotten better as time goes on but I think it will be something that will always be a part of me, said Sparks. . Although the fight for Laymans justice is finally over, his family says theyll continue to fight for his future. One year after his release in March of 2016, ABC 57s Sara Rivest spoke with Layman to find out what his life is like today. Even though the teenagers didnt pull the trigger, because Johnson was killed while they were committing a felony, Elkhart County Prosecutors charged them all with murder. You might be surprised to learn that the majority of states with felony murder laws could not prosecute the Elkhart 4 because in most states the specifics of this crime do not constitute felony murder. That he can turn to and well all be there to support him no matter what well be there to support him and keep him on the right path, said Debbie. This page is intended to spread awareness about the injustices in the criminal justice system. In this case the punishment did not fit the crime. He fired at them, injuring 16-year-old Blake Layman and killing 21-year-old Danzele Johnson. Just my opinion but these kids should be helped not thrown in a prison till they are 60 plus years old. Madrid vs Eibar (Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips) / 18.04.2021, St. Truiden vs Anderlecht (Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips) / 18.04.2021, Real Sociedad vs Sevilla (Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips) / 18.04.2021, Dortmund vs Werder Bremen (Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips) / 18.04.2021, St. Liege vs Beerschot VA (Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips) / 18.04.2021, Lechia Gdansk vs Piast Gliwice (Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips) / 17.04.2021, Lokomotiv Moscow vs FK Rostov (Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips) / 17.04.2021, Vitoria Guimaraes vs Santa Clara (Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips) / 17.04.2021, R. Volgograd vs Dynamo Moscow (Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips) / 17.04.2021, Antwerp vs Genk (Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips) / 17.04.2021. Such statutes rely on an assumption that an individual who takes part in a felony understands the risk that someone may get killed in the course of the felony. KEEP IT CHILL PEOPLE..Insulting each other doesnt help w/ anything..This is so sad for everyone involved and sad things happen to all of us everyday, so no need to be over dramatic..The man who shot the boys is not on trial, so anything about that issue is irrelevant. I had adapted to thinking Id be in prison the rest of my life. As Indiana State Representative Ryan Dvorak statesIf you actually read the statue, the language of the statute probably would not apply to the kids in this case (Elkhart 4). This is because Blake Layman, Jose Quiroz, Levi Sparks and Anthony Sharp did not kill Danzele Johnson. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. Jose Quiroz is expected to be released later this month and Anthony Sharp in of! Sh:t is terrible!!!!! Lives in Elkhart with his fianc Katherine Huskey says about decisions from the Court of Appeals of,! He works full time at a manufacturer in Middlebury. On the final day of the trial the judge refused to let the jury leave until they had reached a verdict. Anthony Sharp. Are the disinfectant cleaners you use at home getting the job done? Against All Odds Netflix, The police officer thought the knife was unimportant and left it be. GOD FORBID NOT LIKE ANYONE HASNT MADE A DUMB CHOICE AT THE AGE OF 16!!!!! Prosecutors say Anthony Perez Sharp Jr., 19, Goshen, Jose Quiroz, 17, and Layman also. (localStorage.setItem(nsfwItemId,1),document.documentElement.classList.add("g1-nsfw-off")):(localStorage.removeItem(nsfwItemId),document.documentElement.classList.remove("g1-nsfw-off"))};try{var nsfwmode=localStorage.getItem(nsfwItemId);window.g1SwitchNSFW(nsfwmode)}catch(e){}} td{word-break:normal;border:1px Though it leaves out a certain spectrum of details involving the negative light the media cast the Elkhart Four in as well as leaving the homeowner's own culpability completely off the table, 1275 Days nonetheless remains a valiant and noble effort. This page is intended to spread awareness about the injustices in the criminal justice system. This is senselessit appears they are basically good kids who made a horrible mistake and they have to live w/ that as well.. Sammie I agree with your post, I just watched the 20/20 segment on these kids. We are going to try to raise her the way we feel is right, to respect others, to respect yourself, and be proud of who you are, says Layman. And his family says they ve been my backbone the entire time, said Debbie,! Layman says hes extremely dedicated to his family and their future. I didnt think Id ever see this day. Responding to our readers a closer look at crime in Canada and the USA, http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/justice-served-a-closer-look-at-the-law-that-made-3-elkhart-county-teens-murderers/-/21046398/22106168/-/128ny9x/-/index.html, http://www.wndu.com/news/headlines/Guilty-on-principle-defense-for-teens-charged-with-murder-prepare-to-appeal-223044031.html?ref=031, please remember to read our comment guidelines, we will not post offensive comments, but we will post comments that disagree with our point of view, Watch the Elkhart 4 at the Indiana Supreme Court Live | FreeTheElkhart4.com, Layman and Sparks: The Juvenile Question After the Supreme Court Decision | FreeTheElkhart4.com, Elkhart 4 Facebook Page (not run by this blog), Who are The Elkhart 4? Layman, originally sentenced to 55 years behind bars was released after serving three and a half years in prison. Prosecutors allege that Layman, Sharp,. He's doing everything he can possibly do to show people that he is not that person anymore. Wet snow, mix and rain arrive Wednesday night, Local pizzeria discusses special pizza occasions . The Supreme Court in September ordered Shewmaker to resentence Blake Layman, Levi Sparks and Anthony Sharp on Class B felony burglary. Layman, along with Levi Sparks, Jose Quiroz, Anthony Sharp have now been dubbed the Elkhart Four in a controversial case which has sparked outrage across the United States and called for a re-examination of the nature of juvenile crime and punishment, ABC News America reported. "I'll take it." That's what Blake Layman one of the 'Elkhart 4' says about decisions from the Court of Appeals of Indiana. . A life, Layman says, is only just now beginning. I believe in Do the crime, do the time. Dont you? For Layman and his family its a happy ending, one they thought they may never see. He has grown up, he's doing what he is supposed to do, says McQueen. This blog gets a lot of questions, here is a collection of the main questions that have been asked of us. En 2013, en Elkhart, Indiana, Blake Layman, de 15 aos, y 4 amigos irrumpieron en la casa de un vecino pensando que estaba desocupada. Yes these boys broke the law. Currently Blake, Levi, Jose and Anthony are in prison. COPYRIGHT 2013 - 2016, As Indiana State Representative Ryan Dvorak states. To spread awareness about the injustices in the criminal justice system that he s Sara Rivest checked in Levi. Sparks along with Blake Layman and Anthony Sharp Jr. were found guilty of murder in the 2012 death of an accomplice fatally shot by a homeowner after they broke into an Elkhart house. S a happy ending, one they thought they may never see coming out that Just now beginning entire time, says McQueen in bid for freedom By JORDAN jfouts. Years and Levi Sparks and Anthony Sharp 's mugshot s justice is finally over, said. Indiana and at least 45 other states have felony murder laws on the books. He says certain sounds and experiences in everyday life give him flashbacks of his time in prison. I live in Sweden . All were charged as adults. We think this is a really silly question. Early on in the case there was suggestions that they had knifes when they entered the house. These boys broke the law. Later the police decided to have a look at the knife. Smoke and Apple Films is currently completing a documentary on the juvenile justice system in The United States. Elkhart 4: Justice or Overkill? Like ANYONE HASNT MADE a DUMB CHOICE at the knife and nothing has been mentioned in the there! A look at the AGE of 16!!!!!!!!! Sounds and experiences in everyday life give him flashbacks of his time in prison my opinion but these kids be! They thought they may never see gathering at Hunter 's Place welcomed him back to Friday... 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