John Henry Spooner was found guilty yesterday of first degree intentional homicide in the death of Darius Simmons, age 13. Today, the jury was hearing testimony as to whether Spooner was sane at the time of the shooting.
Spooner mostly spoke in a calm voice but sounded anguished as he recounted how he confronted Darius and shot him in the chest. He recalled that someone had stolen four shotguns from his home two days earlier, and he was frustrated by a limited police response.
Gimbel asked him what caused him to shoot the boy.
"I wanted my guns back," Spooner replied, squeezing his eyes shut and resting his head against his fingertips. "I just wanted them back so bad."
Why had Spooner, handgun aimed, shot Darius as he was backpedalling away from Spooner with his hands up?
A Milwaukee man who killed his 13-year-old neighbor last year testified Thursday the shooting was "justice" because he thought the teen had broken into his home and stolen weapons...
A prosecutor alleged that Spooner traded the boy's life for guns in a desire for revenge.
"I wouldn't call it revenge. I would call it justice," Spooner said defiantly, drawing audible gasps from the courtroom. Darius' mother, Patricia Larry, threw up her hands and muttered, "Oh my god."
It doesn't get any worse than this.
Darius died a few moments later across the street, in his mother's arms.
Or does it?
Williams asked whether Spooner felt bad about taking Darius' life.
"Not that bad," he replied softly.
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UPDATE: Spooner Found to Be Sane.
Via a comment from dragonlady
From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
John Henry Spooner, 76, knew what he was doing and knew that it was wrong when he shot and killed his 13-year-old neighbor, a Milwaukee County jury decided Friday.
The jury rejected an insanity defense mounted by Spooner after he was convicted Wednesday of first-degree intentional homicide for fatally shooting Darius Simmons. The verdict ends the second phase of the weeklong trial and effectively ensures Spooner will spend the rest of his life in prison.