A teen girl, who at the age of 15 suffered with depression, suicidal thoughts and was medicated with Prozac, planned and executed the murder of a 9 year-old girl. Now, at age 18, A.B. has been sentenced to a life in prison with the possibility of parole, as reported by the Huffington Post.
A.B., formerly of central Missouri, was motivated by a thrill-seeking desire to feel what it would be like to murder another human being. She confessed that she had stabbed a nine-year-old girl several times and sliced into her throat after strangling her.
Pleading guilty to second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the October 2009 murder of E.O., A.B. was ordered by a judge to serve life imprisonment – with a possibility of parole – along with a consecutive 30-year term for the armed criminal action charge.
The incident occurred in the small rural town, St. Martins, west of Jefferson City. A.B. confessed to the crime shortly afterwards.
At her sentencing, with her hands shackled to her waist and feet shackled to each other, A.B. stood to face E.O.’s mother and siblings and offered her apology, “I know words can never be enough and they can never adequately describe how horribly I feel for all of this. If I could give my life to get her back I would. I'm sorry.”
P.P., E.O.’s mother appeared unmoved by A.B.’s remorse. When the trial was in its early stages, P.P. referred to A.B. as “an evil monster” and that she “hated” the teen responsible for killing her child.
Neither E.O.’s or A.B.’s family members issued a comment for the press after the sentencing.
By pleading guilty to the lesser charges – A.B. was initially charged with first-degree murder – she avoided a trial, adult prison and no chance of parole.
A.B.’s attorney argued that his client had been taking Prozac as an antidepressant – and the medication has a side effect that would have made her more apt to commit a violent act. He further contended that A.B. had attempted to kill herself once by overdosing on painkillers, as well as suffering for years with depression.
Prosecutors pursued a longer sentence by noting several facts: A.B. dug two graves in advance of the killing, she used her younger sibling to lure E.O. outside that night to play and that Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. David Rice had testified that A.B. told him that “she wanted to know what it felt like” to kill.
Prosecutors also quoted passages from A.B.’s journal that read: “I strangled them and slit their throat and stabbed them now they're dead. I don't know how to feel atm. It was ahmazing. As soon as you get over the 'ohmygawd I can't do this' feeling, it's pretty enjoyable. I'm kinda nervous and shaky though right now. Kay, I gotta go to church now...lol.”
While the search began for E.O., A.B. allegedly attended a youth dance held at her church.
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