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Man gets life term for killing toddler with 'wrestling' assault
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - A Medford, Ore., man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter in a brutal wrestling match.
Circuit Court Judge Lorenzo Mejia found 30-year-old Benjamin James George guilty of murder by abuse and first-degree assault in the death of Kacy Sue Lunsford.
The judge sentenced the former Marine on Thursday to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years for the murder charge.
The little girl was nearly 3 when she died on June 15, 2010, at a Portland hospital, five days after the assault.
Prosecutor David Hoppe said previous episodes of abuse ended in one night of "ultimate wrestling moves" by the 230-pound man that left the 30-pound child with collapsed lungs, a lacerated liver, internal bleeding and massive head wounds.
Man gets life term for killing toddler with 'wrestling' assault | KATU.com - Portland News, Sports, Traffic Weather and Breaking News - Portland, Oregon | Local & Regional
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Life sentence handed down in killing of young girl
By Sanne Specht
Mail Tribune
A Medford man offered no reaction and expressed no remorse as he was sentenced Thursday in Jackson County Circuit Court to life in prison for killing his girlfriend's daughter during a brutal wrestling match that resulted in multiple fatal injuries to the toddler.
Judge Lorenzo Mejia found Benjamin James George, 30, guilty of murder by abuse and first-degree assault in the killing of Kacy Sue Lunsford. He sentenced the former Marine to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years for the murder charge, and seven and a half years for the assault charge. Mejia ordered the two Measure 11 sentences to run concurrently.
A charge of murder by abuse applies when a person, recklessly or with extreme indifference to the value of human life, causes the death of a child younger than 14 through a pattern of abuse, torture or neglect.
Mejia did not find George guilty of an additional murder charge, saying the state had not proven its case beyond a moral certainty. But prosecutor David Hoppe said he was relieved by the verdict, noting the prison time would likely have been the same with all three convictions.
"Hopefully the verdicts will bring a small measure of solace to Kacy's family," Hoppe said.
Kacy's family cried quietly as Mejia read his verdicts. But they made no statement in court, and left the building immediately after Mejia announced his ruling.
Medford police Detective Katie Ivens was also tearful at the trial's conclusion. She expressed relief at the judge's decision and hoped it would provide some small bit of closure for the family.
"I don't think I'd be speaking out of turn to say the family was supported by us all the way," Ivens said. "They know we were not only investing our time, but our hearts as well."
After an emotional three-day trial, Hoppe broke down during closing arguments as he discussed the brutal assault George inflicted upon Kacy, who was nearly 3 when she died on June 15, 2010, at Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland five days after the assault.
Seven previous incidents of abuse, in which the 230-pound man had pulled out patches of Kacy's hair, stepped on her and caused her to be terrified of him, had culminated in one night of "ultimate wrestling moves" during which the 30-pound child suffered collapsed lungs, a lacerated liver, internal bleeding and massive head wounds.
In an ultimate act of aggression, George had thrown Kacy "like a piece of garbage" across a bed and into the bedroom wall, Hoppe said.
What George was detailing to Medford police Detective Katie Ivens during six hours of taped interviews at the police station was summed up by a tearful Hoppe.
"It's a murderer describing how he killed a child," he said.
George's defense attorney, Robert Abel, had argued his client was a victim of genetic mental illness exacerbated by a traumatic childhood and compounded by a problematic relationship with Kacy's mother, Michelle Lunsford. The pair had met while Lunsford was working as an "erotic masseuse," Abel said. George was fearful she was still engaged in prostitution, and that she would leave him. George's extreme emotional distress was a mitigating factor in this case, Abel said.
The final day of the trial was filled with hours of testimony from conflicting mental health experts. For the defense, Dr. Norvin Cooley, a psychologist from the Willamette Valley, stated George suffered from serious mental deficits, including severe depression and post traumatic stress disorder, which should be considered as mitigating to the charges. He had a history of suicide attempts, a borderline intelligence and major abandonment issues, Cooley said.
The fact that George could calmly recite to police the way he had choked Kacy from behind, body slammed her over his head and pinned her by putting his full weight on the tiny child while simultaneously pulling her leg as hard as he could was a clear indication of his cognitive failings, Cooley said.
"His behavior was bizarre," he said. "It was amazing."
George was recently placed on anti-psychotic medication and seemed to be doing better, Cooley said, adding he had performed a series of interviews with and tests on George.
Prosecution expert Dr. Michael Sasser, a Medford psychiatrist, interviewed George only once, but he rejected Cooley's assessment. George was a "malingerer" who was faking hallucinations about "little green men" to get off easy, he said.
"His hallucinations are bogus," Sasser said. "He's trying to make himself look like he has an impairment."
George showed neither anger nor remorse over what happened to Kacy, he added.
"There was almost a cavalier indifference," Sasser said, adding he believed George intended to hurt Kacy that night and possibly kill her.
Mejia said neither of the men's testimony was helpful to him in making a ruling.
"Both testified more as hired guns than as objective (medical experts)," Mejia said.
George's ex-wife, Amanda George, was the last witness at the trial. The pair had met in high school, married and eventually had two daughters. She'd tried to break off the relationship several times, she said. But Benjamin George would become suicidal, driving into traffic and overdosing on pills. Constantly accusing her of infidelity, eventually he became abusive toward her and the children, punching holes in the wall, pushing the children and pulling their hair, she said.
She left the marriage. George, who was twice ordered by the court to receive mandatory parenting and anger management classes, continued to drive past her house and once tried to kick down the door, she said. She slipped out the back with her children.
"I slept with knives and mace. Eventually I did purchase a gun," she said.
Life sentence handed down in killing of young girl | MailTribune.com
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - A Medford, Ore., man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter in a brutal wrestling match.
Circuit Court Judge Lorenzo Mejia found 30-year-old Benjamin James George guilty of murder by abuse and first-degree assault in the death of Kacy Sue Lunsford.
The judge sentenced the former Marine on Thursday to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years for the murder charge.
The little girl was nearly 3 when she died on June 15, 2010, at a Portland hospital, five days after the assault.
Prosecutor David Hoppe said previous episodes of abuse ended in one night of "ultimate wrestling moves" by the 230-pound man that left the 30-pound child with collapsed lungs, a lacerated liver, internal bleeding and massive head wounds.
Man gets life term for killing toddler with 'wrestling' assault | KATU.com - Portland News, Sports, Traffic Weather and Breaking News - Portland, Oregon | Local & Regional
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Life sentence handed down in killing of young girl
By Sanne Specht
Mail Tribune
A Medford man offered no reaction and expressed no remorse as he was sentenced Thursday in Jackson County Circuit Court to life in prison for killing his girlfriend's daughter during a brutal wrestling match that resulted in multiple fatal injuries to the toddler.
Judge Lorenzo Mejia found Benjamin James George, 30, guilty of murder by abuse and first-degree assault in the killing of Kacy Sue Lunsford. He sentenced the former Marine to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years for the murder charge, and seven and a half years for the assault charge. Mejia ordered the two Measure 11 sentences to run concurrently.
A charge of murder by abuse applies when a person, recklessly or with extreme indifference to the value of human life, causes the death of a child younger than 14 through a pattern of abuse, torture or neglect.
Mejia did not find George guilty of an additional murder charge, saying the state had not proven its case beyond a moral certainty. But prosecutor David Hoppe said he was relieved by the verdict, noting the prison time would likely have been the same with all three convictions.
"Hopefully the verdicts will bring a small measure of solace to Kacy's family," Hoppe said.
Kacy's family cried quietly as Mejia read his verdicts. But they made no statement in court, and left the building immediately after Mejia announced his ruling.
Medford police Detective Katie Ivens was also tearful at the trial's conclusion. She expressed relief at the judge's decision and hoped it would provide some small bit of closure for the family.
"I don't think I'd be speaking out of turn to say the family was supported by us all the way," Ivens said. "They know we were not only investing our time, but our hearts as well."
After an emotional three-day trial, Hoppe broke down during closing arguments as he discussed the brutal assault George inflicted upon Kacy, who was nearly 3 when she died on June 15, 2010, at Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland five days after the assault.
Seven previous incidents of abuse, in which the 230-pound man had pulled out patches of Kacy's hair, stepped on her and caused her to be terrified of him, had culminated in one night of "ultimate wrestling moves" during which the 30-pound child suffered collapsed lungs, a lacerated liver, internal bleeding and massive head wounds.
In an ultimate act of aggression, George had thrown Kacy "like a piece of garbage" across a bed and into the bedroom wall, Hoppe said.
What George was detailing to Medford police Detective Katie Ivens during six hours of taped interviews at the police station was summed up by a tearful Hoppe.
"It's a murderer describing how he killed a child," he said.
George's defense attorney, Robert Abel, had argued his client was a victim of genetic mental illness exacerbated by a traumatic childhood and compounded by a problematic relationship with Kacy's mother, Michelle Lunsford. The pair had met while Lunsford was working as an "erotic masseuse," Abel said. George was fearful she was still engaged in prostitution, and that she would leave him. George's extreme emotional distress was a mitigating factor in this case, Abel said.
The final day of the trial was filled with hours of testimony from conflicting mental health experts. For the defense, Dr. Norvin Cooley, a psychologist from the Willamette Valley, stated George suffered from serious mental deficits, including severe depression and post traumatic stress disorder, which should be considered as mitigating to the charges. He had a history of suicide attempts, a borderline intelligence and major abandonment issues, Cooley said.
The fact that George could calmly recite to police the way he had choked Kacy from behind, body slammed her over his head and pinned her by putting his full weight on the tiny child while simultaneously pulling her leg as hard as he could was a clear indication of his cognitive failings, Cooley said.
"His behavior was bizarre," he said. "It was amazing."
George was recently placed on anti-psychotic medication and seemed to be doing better, Cooley said, adding he had performed a series of interviews with and tests on George.
Prosecution expert Dr. Michael Sasser, a Medford psychiatrist, interviewed George only once, but he rejected Cooley's assessment. George was a "malingerer" who was faking hallucinations about "little green men" to get off easy, he said.
"His hallucinations are bogus," Sasser said. "He's trying to make himself look like he has an impairment."
George showed neither anger nor remorse over what happened to Kacy, he added.
"There was almost a cavalier indifference," Sasser said, adding he believed George intended to hurt Kacy that night and possibly kill her.
Mejia said neither of the men's testimony was helpful to him in making a ruling.
"Both testified more as hired guns than as objective (medical experts)," Mejia said.
George's ex-wife, Amanda George, was the last witness at the trial. The pair had met in high school, married and eventually had two daughters. She'd tried to break off the relationship several times, she said. But Benjamin George would become suicidal, driving into traffic and overdosing on pills. Constantly accusing her of infidelity, eventually he became abusive toward her and the children, punching holes in the wall, pushing the children and pulling their hair, she said.
She left the marriage. George, who was twice ordered by the court to receive mandatory parenting and anger management classes, continued to drive past her house and once tried to kick down the door, she said. She slipped out the back with her children.
"I slept with knives and mace. Eventually I did purchase a gun," she said.
Life sentence handed down in killing of young girl | MailTribune.com
