The Supreme Court issued a high profile ruling that a life sentence without parole for anyone under 18-years old is cruel and unusual punishment. The ruling means offenders who committed their crimes while juveniles can apply for re-sentencing. TV6 spoke with Dora Larson about the ruling. Larson's 10-year old daughter Vicki was raped and murdered in 1979 by 15-year old Scott Darnell.
"She had tons of friends and the neighbors loved her, because she always had this smile and you couldn't help but fall in love with that," says Dora Larson.
Larson remembers her 10-year old daughter Vicki as a petite girl, with big dreams.
"She wanted to be a gymnast and she could out run all the kids in her neighborhood," adds Larson.
For the Larson's those dreams were cut short on July 12th, 1979 when Vicki disappeared while walking home from her brother's baseball game in Andover.
"They found her little body the next day, which was Friday the 13th," says Larson, "He dug a shallow grave for her 3 days before he murdered her."
Police quickly zeroed in on Scott Darnell, a 15-year local boy, who was a family friend. Darnell confessed to luring Vicki away by saying he was going to show her a pony. Instead, Darnell raped, strangled and buried the 10-year old in a corn field.
"Scott Darnell does not deserve to be released into the community. He cannot lay his crimes on the feet of, while I was just young and didn't know what I was doing," says Henry County State's Attorney Terry Patton.
Patton does not want Darnell's natural life sentence that was handed down by a judge in 1980, to be reconsidered.
"He's not someone who can be rehabilitated," adds Patton, "Those are the actions of an evil person."
Larson has also been waiting for the Supreme Court's ruling.
"I was literally sick to my stomach, not being able to sleep, knots in my stomach."
After her daughter's murder, Larson started working to prevent crimes against children. She wants to make sure victims of juvenile offenders, with life sentences, do not get released from prison.
"Eventually, these inmates and their attorney's are chipping away little by little," says Larson, "There will come a time when we'll start re-sentencing and parole."
Scott Darnell is serving a natural life sentence for murder. He should not qualify for a re-sentencing hearing, because the judge in his case used discretion. However, since Darnell does not qualify for parole, there is the possibility he could try to have his sentence reduced.
Larson is encouraging all victims whose offenders are in prison to sign up for automatic updates from the review board. The updates will let a victim or their family know right away if a re-sentencing hearing is scheduled. To sign up for automatic updates call 217-782-7273.
