Sad story. Don't see how this isn't a hate crime against gays.....

[Dems4HowardDean]

Solicitor to explain charges in bar death
Victim slain because of sexuality, some say

Published: Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 2:00 am


Greenville, South Carolina.....


By Eric Connor
STAFF WRITER
[e-mail]


Thirteenth Circuit Solicitor Bob Ariail said Friday he will explain Monday what charges a Taylors teenager will face in connection with the killing of another man outside a Pelham Road bar.

Stephen Andrew Moller, 19, of 705 Pine Croft Drive, had initially been charged with murder in the May 16 death of 20-year-old Sean Kennedy, who authorities said was assaulted because of his homosexual orientation.

However, Kennedy's relatives said this week that they were told by authorities that a grand jury on Tuesday handed down a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.... more

http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071020/NEWS01/710200326

[dsc]

1. There is no hate crime law there to charge him with

Sadly I think the jury was pretty close to the right charge here. I would have thought voluntary manslaughter would have been more approrpriate.

[Ken Burch]

3. You may be right. And, given that this was in S. Carolina,

Every registered Republican in the state would probably buy the killer a drink.

The rest of the world's in the 21st Century and S.C. is still trying to stop the birth of the 20th.

[China_cat]

4. You're too kind.

I live in SC and it's only recently been dragged, kicking and screaming, into the the 19th century.

[icymist]

2. Sadly, The laws in the South differ from the Northwest, where I'm at.....

<SNIP>
Kennedy was punched once in the face outside Brew's on Pelham Road in the early morning hours of May 16, according to a Greenville County Sheriff's Office incident report.

Kennedy's head hit the ground and deputies found Kennedy bleeding and unresponsive. He died of head injuries at Greenville Memorial Hospital later that day.

Authorities said his attacker uttered slurs regarding Kennedy's homosexual orientation.


Outragous!

[Beerboy]

5. The Federal Government should execute

everyone who commits hate crimes. It's the one instance where torture might be justifiable, to find and root out the rest of the fascist nest. There's no reason homophobes who terrorize people should be allowed to live, and the sick fucks who stick up for/hide them should be aware that they're the same as the Nazis they protect.
The death penalty isn't always wrong.

[xchrom]

6. they kill us out of hate -- but they can rest assured that the state

won't seek maximum penalties because killing gay folk is always justifiable.