A high school student’s hopes for leniency from an Ohio court were dashed recently when he was sentenced to life in prison without parole for his part in a series of killings.

The 17-year-old defendant was charged with aggravated murder and attempted murder in the deaths of three men and the wounding of another. He was allegedly an accomplice in a plot hatched by an older man to lure victims with a phony Craigslist posting.

The posting was for a job opportunity doing farm labor. Three men in their 40s or 50s were killed, one near Akron and the others in southeastern Ohio at a farm where they had come expecting job interviews.

The victims were selected because they were single, out of work and unlikely to raise red flags with law enforcement if they disappeared. Robbery was the motive for the crimes, said prosecutors.

The man who escaped death was lured like the others by the promise of an employment opportunity. When the potential victim showed up at the farm, the older man tried to shoot him, but succeeded only in wounding him in the arm as he fled.

Boy Claimed Influence From “Evil” Adult

The wounded man testified at the 17-year-old’s trial, identifying him as the 53-year-old shooter’s accomplice. Prosecutors did not claim that the teen had actually shot any of the victims himself.

The older man, who has a prison record and presented himself as an Akron street minister, apparently had become the young man’s spiritual mentor. The youth claimed that he could not see his way clear to any alternatives when he was drawn into the murder plot, though he now realized that his mentor is evil.

The teen’s defense attorneys had asked the judge to consider that the youth came from a broken home and had no prior record, and to take his age into account. Additionally, the high schooler said he did not realize that his mentor intended to murder the men until he shot the first victim.

Pleas For Leniency Denied

The young man’s defense attorneys tried to negotiate a more lenient sentence in exchange for testimony against the triggerman in his upcoming trial, and sentencing was briefly delayed for talks. The attorneys had hoped for a deal that would allow the young man to be released within 20 to 30 years.

In the end, the judge said that despite any mitigating factors the defense presented, the killings were cold-blooded executions, and the 17-year-old had had an opportunity to stop them.

Every case is different, and every defendant is innocent until proven guilty. Having a capable defense attorney is a criminal defendant’s best chance for acquittal or a reduced sentence. Whatever the outcome, it is wise to engage an experienced criminal defense attorney, because life and liberty may be at stake.

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Search dogs picked up and followed a suspected gunman’s scent on a road at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, the campus chief of police said. Chief David Donaldson stated that the dogs unfortunately lost the suspect’s scent during an overnight search.

Classes have been continuing normally, even though the gunman reportedly fled to the college after a holdup, where he is thought to have escaped by car. The suspect robbed four people at a fast food restaurant and was still on the loose early last Tuesday. Students are allowed to attend classes and walk around the campus freely, but they were told to stay alert and report any suspicious activity they see.

The students that live on campus were advised to lock their doors and be extra cautious. Wilmington police used a K-9 unit and a helicopter to hunt down the criminal, who reportedly wore a red cloth over his face and was carrying a handgun. Extra police officers have been assigned to the campus as well. Dana Fischetti, the school’s spokeswoman, said that instructions were announced that advised students to stay in secure places, not long after the armed robbery.

Two safety alerts were posted on the school’s website, warning students that a gunman may be on campus. The warning was lifted the next day at five in the morning and was used as a “precautionary measure,” according to Donaldson. Police officers canvassed the area and went through the campus’ buildings, including the residence halls.

The college is located on the coastline of North Carolina and is distinguished for its marine research programs. Around 13,000 students attend UNC, and the number has grown since 2002. The school is also sometimes used as a training camp for the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats.

Last August, there was an incident with another gunman on campus. The school’s emergency alert system failed to notify students as the police searched for the suspect of the shooting at a close by apartment complex, which drew concerns from officials at the university. Donaldson had ordered a campus-wide alert to go out through students’ phones and e-mail, but it was never sent.

Officials believe this was due to human error, not a technical difficulty. The university’s emergency alert system also has the ability to interrupt television on campus and alert students through social media outlets. It was first adopted following the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech to alert students of emergencies through many different ways in a minimal amount of time.

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