Being sentenced to life in prison is a death sentence of its own because once you are sentenced you will never see the light of day ever again. This is the reality for Broward county, Florida native Lionel Tate who was given the death penalty without parole for killing six year old Tiffany Eunick at 14 years old. From this incident, Tate became the youngest person in American history to receive the death penalty without parole. Growing up Tate developed a fascination with the WWE and would enjoy imitating their moves and pretending as if he were one of the wrestlers on the screen. One day Lionel Tate was left alone with six year old, Tiffany Eunick, as they were supposed to be being watched by Eunick’s mother Deweese Eunick. While the two were downstairs alone, Deweese Eunick was upstairs sleeping. She then heard noises coming from downstairs and later urged the two to be quiet. After about forty-five minutes of them playing, Tate went upstairs to inform Eunick mother that her daughter was no longer breathing. The autopsy conducted on Eunick showed she had suffered a fractured skull, internal bruising, and a total of three broken ribs during the attack. He was later charged with first-degree murder.
Tate’s trial took place in January of 2001 and was one of the first cases to involve an adolescent suspect and the death penalty. The disturbing part of this case is that the prosecution was planning on trying to charge Tate as an adult. The defense argued that Tate was simply just mimicking what he saw on tv and was not trying to intentionally harm Eunick. During the entire trial, Tate never took the stand and a video demonstration was used in its place. However, the corner that Tate threw Tiffany into in the video was virtually impossible because in that corner was a treadmill. This led the jury to not believe Tate’s story and only made his case even worse.
Lionel unfortunately was tried as an adult and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. The victim’s mother even believed that Tate’s sentencing was too harsh. She believed that even though justice was served it was still unfair to hand a child a life sentence. The rest of Tate’s childhood was lost as he would spend the rest of his days in prison. Fortunately, in 2005 the court then ruled that since Tate was not given a psychological evaluation during his trial he was offered a plea deal of one years house arrest and 10 years probation. After accepting the plea deal, Tate soon was caught with a firearm and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Sentencing juveniles to life sentences is something I do not think I will ever be able to understand. As a kid, I did things that now that I look back on I regret so much. For example, when I was younger I ended up setting my backyard on fire after accidentally forgetting to completely put out the campfire I had started. Fortunately, no one was hurt but the fire department did have to come and put the fire out. After my parents found out, they grounded me for two months and I had all my privileges taken away. I look back at that moment and have realized that I never should have started that fire in the first place. As kids we make mistakes and I think that is what Lionel did. He made a mistake, but unfortunately it cost another person’s life. To my legal fanatics, my common readers, and my future criminals please realize that the things you do today can potentially affect your future forever. We as college students are way too young to let our lives be thrown away over avoidable behavior and situations, I urge all my fellow classmates and scholars to be cognizant of their actions and behaviors while on campus.
This was a wild ride, I had no idea that children were ever sentenced like that. It really opened my eyes to how severe things can get. I liked how you included a personal anecdote at the end of your own example of how things can get out of hand as well as your message to really think about our actions.
Greg Ousley’s case is similar, only he had planned out the murder of his own parents. It may have taken place in 1998, but he was sentenced to 60 years in prison at the age of fifteen. Only thirteen, he shot both of his parents while they slept. Children are capable of more than what most people realize, especially when they are quickly dismissed, left alone and never reprimanded, in Ousley’s case. It was the same day as the murder when he confided in his mother, telling her that he had often thought of murder and suicide. She stood up and left with a quick reply, “You watch too many movies”. It was then that he decided to go through with his plan to take their lives. Such a sad ending.
Sorry for blabbering, just some information I’ve stored over the past week. Anyway, there are more than two cases that end this way, some even ending with a death penalty.
Again, sorry for just writing on and on, I feel like this is another interest-grabbing subject!
Sincerely,
Someone who needs to take a break in her research.
“Being sentenced to life in prison is a death sentence of its own because once you are sentenced you will never see the light of day ever again. ” This is not true. PLEASE GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT. (Only adding ‘without possibility of parole’ is your statement true.) Also, YOU ARE MISLEADING your readers in that you do not state that the defendant was NOT fourteen at the time of the murder; he was twelve. Thank you.
actually he was 13, GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT
Exactly also it was proven the wrestling excuse was crap.
Also, he was sent back to prison for robbing a pizza delivery person at gunpoint (not simply “getting caught with a firearm.”)
also, they said that that the victims mother said that the sentencing was “too harsh”, yet on multiple other sites it clearly says that she made no statements and that the victim’s father actually spoke about how he’s glad that the boy didn’t get away with it and that all those who supported him (the boy) should all now be cheering for justice. 🙂
Thank you
Thanks for the information. I can’t see a huge correlation in these two cases and although lack of attention, etc. definitely can lead to unwanted behaviors and worst; the Tate case is far from one that included any intent to harm or injure. The fact that he was 12 also adds to the relevance that his behavior was far from mature as well as his ability to forsee the danger that arose from his actions.
Killing your parents with a gun and causing the death of another child during horseplay are far from relatable. We have to be honest!
Your messed up for that, your a bot.
I completely agree that our criminal system is committing an injustice when it considers an 18 year-old as an adult in many of our laws. Science has been telling us that the brain doesn’t reach maturity until we’re 25. The part of the brain that makes us consider the consequences of our actions. The writer’s story about his “accidental” fire making skills as a teenager was a perfect example. Most of us adults have experienced a similar fire story firsthand or through storytelling with friends. We have all heard of other moments we wouldn’t dear repeat to our children. But I’m happy to say that in my 50 years of life I’ve never heard of or personally knew someone who killed another human being, even by accident. Towards the end of this article, the writer states, “As kids we make mistakes and I think that is what Lionel did. He made a mistake, but unfortunately it cost another person’s life.” I don’t know what terrifies me more, Lionel’s act of violence or the author describing it as “a mistake” made by a child. Did Lionel intend to kill Tiffany? I don’t know. Did Lionel intend to cause Tiffany physical pain beyond that of a regular schoolyard fight? Yes he did. He was over 3x Tiffany’s weight and a bully. I wouldn’t have let him near my child. Does his mother share the blame for his behaviour? After absolving Lionel of any wrongdoing in Tiffany’s death, I would say 100% yes. Is sentencing Lionel to a lifetime prison sentence the right answer? Nope. Did his time in jail play a role in his future crimes? Maybe. Would he have committed them anyways? Probably. Whatever the answer is, intense psychological therapy needs to be part of it.
❤️
I just want to say, this boy may not have meant to hurt the girl and may have been young. But you do not play with a young child like that, a friend your age maybe. I know that the girl could not have gotten so much damage done to her body if she was wresting with the boy and he hit her head. This boy had been sentenced a while too long, but I hope he learned. I have friends who do that with me, but i am now 15 so i wouldn’t be hurt. And I have a HUGE problem with the mother of the boy who was supposedly ”watching/babysitting” her. Who would leave the kid they are watching out of their sight other than a bathroom trip?
Your perspective on this is absolutely absurd. You are just ignorant. This was not a childish mistake. This was a 160 pound grown boy that beat the living hell out of a 6 year old girl until she died. And then he tried to lie about it. Then they released him, and he got put back into prison for robbing someone with a gun. Get your head out of your rear.
Tate was twelve years old when the incident happened, and weighed much less than 160 pounds, I can assure you. It may have been maliciously carried out, but definitely not as violent as you make it sound. If you had looked into it yourself and did the research, he had indeed been practicing the wrestling moves, but with the knowledge that it would hurt the six year old he was using as a dummy. Please think before you write next time. 🙂
Sincerely,
A seventeen year old doing research for an essay.
You’re wrong
Thank you Noname and Anonymous. The textbook, The Color of Justice: Race, Ethnicity, and Crime in America mentions that in 2005 he was arrested for robbing a pizza delivery man at gunpoint. It too left out some of the details about the arrest and how the murder occurred.
Stop being rude you don’t even know the truth
12 year olds are NOT GROWN no matter how much you think they are. If they were, then they wouldn’t need parents duhhh. Get your head out of other people’s rears
Totally agree
Juveniles that are put into adult confinement are lacking what were to have been given to them if they were to be put into the juvenile court system. They have high rates of reoffending because the juvenile courts focus on rehabilitating instead of simply confining them. There’s probably a reason why he reoffended, so instead of insulting the author do your own research so see multiple possibilities, to me that is ignorant. Also, maybe you should look more into child psychology and see why children lie in big situations, that might help you conclude.
For someone who says they did some research on this, you got a couple of things wrong. First, it was not the girl’s mother that was babysitting… It was Tate’s mother. Second, yes he was 160 lbs as stated in various articles. Yes it’s quite large for someone his age but it doesn’t mean it’s not true. Newsflash: people (or kids) can be overweight
I concur. Completely.
I totally agree. First of all Tiffany’s mother never even babysit them it was Lionel’s mom. This website should be blocked.
I just watched this on youtube and thought that Tate’s mother had a bit of a role in the 6 years olds death. Negligence and burying her head in the sand about her sons behaviour.
It was not true. The first paragraph is a lie. Tifffany’s mom was not watching them it was Lionel’s mom who was watching them. This website is a lie or only in the first paragraph. Please check your information before you download something on the internet.
Thank God someone said this! As I read that sentence I cringed at this “journalist’s” lack of factual information. Poor mother of Tiffany getting her name dragged through the mud as though she were neglectful!
This website is fake. Only weird people post this.
I am not a mother or a model
I was just trying not to get you to know how much I love you ❤️
I was just thinking of what you would have never said to me and that he said you wer a bitch
Another snowflake trying to excuse another ninja’s demonic actions.
wow this is one spicy comment section. I just dont think that it is worth all this fucking time to be polite and say get your head out of other peoples rears. Just say ass lol
i don´t agree with his sentence, i mean he deserves to get punished because of what he did but he was only 13 years old… he is not gona live his life, he is not gona explore, learn, do anything and i dont think that this is right. it could or not been an accident, it could or not been a murder but we can go back in the past, he did it and its wrong but imagine yourself in his position… imagine yourself in his parents position… i know that this is the law (which 1/25 inmates who get death row are innocent) but he was a kid, he wasn´t thinking and everyone deserves a second oportunity at least considering his age (srry for my english ahah)
I know this is old but think about it. He was tried as an adult and can you imagine what affect of what he had done has on a 12 year old psychy? Then throwing him in prison. They let him out after 3 years, some of his formative years. His mind is stuck, he should have gotten help. Of course he is still going to get in trouble. Imagine if that was you.
Should have given him the death penalty
You are a credit to Penn States Mock Trial program. I see at huge career at CNN for you. I would however correct a few minor discrepancies in your article. I would start by reading over the actual case and repeating some of those details instead of making something up. You might also consider learning the definition of a few words as they pertain to your article. All in All, you are proof that Darwin was wrong. That is no minor accomplishment as his theory is widely accepted in academia. Good job.