GUILTY FL - Five teens for video beating of 16yo girl, Highland City, 2008

[JBean]

Statements Released In Beating Inquiry

Nichols was upset that Lindsay hadn't repaid her $4 in gas money, and Lindsay promised to settle the debt once she got her paycheck. Lindsay said she asked Nichols why she was nagging her. Lindsay said Nichols sent her a text message telling her not to talk to her like that and that she could find somewhere else to stay.

Lindsay told the detectives that Nichols warned her "when I come in the house I better not have an attitude or her or Brittany will beat my ----- and she's not going to stop it."
http://www.theledger.com/article/20080423/NEWS/804230401/0/FRONTPAGE


singing a differnt tune:

"I don't care what anybody does," Mary Nichols told a detective. "Nobody deserves to be beat like that."

Nichols, 63, was troubled that her granddaughter, Mercades, was one of eight teenagers accused of participating in the beating of the Mulberry High cheerleader that took place in Nichols' Highlands City home

snip More info:

Christine Dorsett, 19, of Orlando, was with Lindsay on the Saturday and part of Sunday - the day of the beating - and gave Lindsay a ride to the house.

Dorsett told investigators she waited about five minutes after Lindsay went into the house. Lindsay came back outside with her things because she had been kicked out of the house.

Dorsett said some girls came outside and were "cussing" at Lindsay, who was crying, and "calling her very crude names."

The girls were screaming at each other for about 20 minutes, she said. Lindsay asked the girls to let her come back for a few hours so she could find a place to go.

Dorsett said she got out of her car and encouraged the girls to let Lindsay use a telephone. Nichols agreed to let Lindsay go inside.

"So she went inside and I left," Dorsett said. "And, then, I guess, we found out the next day that they had beaten her up, she was in the hospital."

Included in the documents is a report by sheriff's Detective Ricky Newman who wrote that Schumaker changed his story when the tape recorder was turned on during an interview.

Newman wrote that Schumaker admitted previously in an untaped interview to overhearing the girls planning to jump Lindsay and posting the video on MySpace and YouTube.

The detective also wrote that Schumaker told him Ashley warned the girls to quiet down because neighbors were getting suspicious.

 

[Mygirlsadie]

A hairbrush, razor and $4.? Yeah they were just looking for an excuse to hurt Victoria because that don't even make sense. I still think it was due to jealousy. I saw all of their pictures and Victoria's pictures. Its obvious they are not even close in comparison to her. Teenage girls can be evil and vicious esp. to the beautiful ones...

 

[JBean]

wow. Nancy grace is saying the reports are showing that one mother really cussed out the cops when they called to get the cell phone. She told the cops to f -off and to come and f'ing prove it you *advertiser censored**hole.
I am looking for the police reports. There is a lot of stuff in them.

 

[JBean]

Christine Dorsett Statement

Victoria Lindsay Statement

Accused Statements

Gag order Documents

 

[RiverRat]

I can't believe that I have to breathe in the same air that tons of these Florida Freaks do. :furious: Man, do I look like Mother of the Year with Perfect Little Angels when compared to these abnormalities.....

 

[golfmom]

I thought the video was bad, reading Victoria's statement was heart wrenching.

 

[ttrachel04]

Mercedes' apparent new myspace page.

She's trying to be the good girl who wants to make a new life for herself. A stark contrast from the other myspace she still has going.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=372567782

and btw, yes, this violates the terms of her pre-trial release.

 

[SuziQ]

Thanks for the link TT. I see Nichols is paying the blame game. I love it when people like this turn on each other. And the dumb**** doesn't realize that the sheriff will probably release the entire video shortly, now that the gag order has been lifted?

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=372567782

If you to attack someone than talk to Brittini Hardcastle. She is the one punching Tori on the couch and by the front door...that part of the video they keep showing on the news.

 

[Mygirlsadie]

God she is psycho.. Why is she online? Why is she getting away with it? It's like a slap in the face (again) to Victoria if you ask me. It's like these girls can do whatever they want..and they do.

Mercedes' apparent new myspace page.

She's trying to be the good girl who wants to make a new life for herself. A stark contrast from the other myspace she still has going.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=372567782

and btw, yes, this violates the terms of her pre-trial release.

 

[JBean]

God she is psycho.. Why is she online? Why is she getting away with it? It's like a slap in the face (again) to Victoria if you ask me. It's like these girls can do whatever they want..and they do.

she can be online. She just can't communicate with those involved.

 

[JBean]

Mercedes' apparent new myspace page.

She's trying to be the good girl who wants to make a new life for herself. A stark contrast from the other myspace she still has going.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=372567782

and btw, yes, this violates the terms of her pre-trial release.

I thought she couldn't communicate with others involved. if they post on her page or she posts on theirs I can see a violation. But I don't know that having a myspace is a violation is it?

 

[JBean]

I am not sure but in some cases if the victim does not want to press charges the school doesn't even have to call the police.

As an aside here are the conditions of bail:

Cowden limited the eight teenagers' movements as a condition of their release on bail. They are prohibited from:
•Contacting one another, the victim or the victim's family.
•Visiting Mulberry High School or any school-related functions.
•Visiting MySpace or any other social-networking site, chat room or forum on the Internet.
•Visiting the Wing House restaurant in Lakeland, where Lindsay has worked as a hostess for the past month.
Cindy Sarcen, Wing House general counsel, said from the company's Pinellas County headquarters that Wing House will comply with the judge's order and is considering whether additional security will be required.
"The Wing House does not condone any of these actions," Sarcen said. "We think they are horrible, especially in light of the fact that our organization's charitable efforts focuses on helping women and children in need.
"Our primary concern is for our employee and her safety. We will do whatever we can to support Tori and do whatever we can do to see that she gets back to work."

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/apr/12/me-high-bail-set-in-beating-case/

more:

Since their arrests, the teens who were students have been withdrawn from their schools, Bridges said.
The responsibility for their education has been turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice, he said.

Looks like you are right ttrachel04. According to my own post they are prohibited from visiting myspace.

 

[ttrachel04]

Looks like you are right ttrachel04. According to my own post they are prohibited from visiting myspace.

in my opinion, mercedes should be locked right back up for this!

1) remember guys the original change in her page ... when she told people to look out and that she and her mom could take them and i think she said that tori deserved it

2) her original myspace page ... it's clear that she has been regularly visiting the sight. it says when the "last login" was and keeps changing and is always pretty recent!

3) this new page is, in my opinion, clearly a way to obtain support, to make her 'friends' out to be the villians, (probably to make tori look bad ... i wouldnt be surprised) and to make her look like a good girl caught up in a bad situation. looking at her other page and the original update of her first page, that's clearly not true. i sincerely doubt she changed THIS much in such a short period of time!

 

[TopGunner]

Looks like you are right ttrachel04. According to my own post they are prohibited from visiting myspace.

Wow, I can't believe how much I missed today, thanks for the new links everyone, and especially JBean.

Nichols has the same run of the mouth disease as her Mama. You know, I do feel bad about the situation these kids have gotten themselves into. How do you raise kids to think that this behavior is acceptable? I really have a hard time understanding. I'm not a PERFECT mom, not by a long shot, but OMG...I think I'd have to really make an EFFORT to turn my child into this.

I can't belive the dummy has violated court orders, like her Mom violated the gag order. That explains some of this, rules are for everyone else.:furious:

 

[Jaded]

Mercedes' apparent new myspace page.

She's trying to be the good girl who wants to make a new life for herself. A stark contrast from the other myspace she still has going.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=372567782

and btw, yes, this violates the terms of her pre-trial release.

Wow, I can't believe how much I missed today, thanks for the new links everyone, and especially JBean.

Nichols has the same run of the mouth disease as her Mama. You know, I do feel bad about the situation these kids have gotten themselves into. How do you raise kids to think that this behavior is acceptable? I really have a hard time understanding. I'm not a PERFECT mom, not by a long shot, but OMG...I think I'd have to really make an EFFORT to turn my child into this.

I can't belive the dummy has violated court orders, like her Mom violated the gag order. That explains some of this, rules are for everyone else.:furious:

Methinks that she needs to be told on. I'll gladly do it.

 

[TopGunner]

Methinks that she needs to be told on. I'll gladly do it.

You go girl!!!!

Do you need Gloria's addy? lol.........



More about Nichols:

The injunction, filed by Jacob Johns of Mulberry in November, was for protection against Mercades Nichols for dating violence, the report said.

Nichols violated the injunction Feb. 14, after she sent numerous text messages to Johns' phone and delivered him a Valentine's Day gift through friend Brittany Hardcastle, another suspect in the beating.

According to Nichols' mother, Christina Garcia, it was not the first time the injunction had been violated.

Following the restraining order, Johns and Nichols continued to have contact. He also had been sending her text messages.

Johns and his mother, Peggy Smith, could not be reached for comment late Saturday night.

Garcia said Smith pressured Johns to file the restraining order because she did not approve of the relationship. Garcia also did not approve of the relationship, she said, because Johns was also violent toward Nichols. The two had dated for about a year after meeting in agriculture class at Mulberry High School, Garcia said.

They spent all of their time together, despite frequent physical and verbal fights. In the summer of 2007, the two decided to have a baby because they felt that would keep them together, Garcia said. Nichols told Garcia about the plan after she got pregnant, Garcia said. But about two months later, the two got into another fight and Nichols had a miscarriage, she said.

Nichols had thought about filing an injunction about the same time Johns petitioned for one against her, Garcia said, but the mother told Nichols it would look like retaliation if she were to file for one.

Following the Valentine's Day incident, Nichols was charged with violating the injunction, a first-degree misdemeanor, and aggravated stalking, a third-degree felony, the Sheriff's Office report said.

"It speaks for itself," Garcia said of the report. But she said she was angry about the media's focus on Nichols' past. "These are teenagers, they all have teenage mentalities ... None of these children are angels, including the victim," she said.

Mercades and five other teen girls are accused of beating Lindsay on March 30 as two boys stood outside the house as lookouts. The girls filmed the beating while threatening to post it on YouTube and MySpace, the Sheriff's Office has said.

They are all charged as adults with battery and kidnapping.

"Trash-talking" on MySpace between Lindsay and the other girls led up to the beating, according to the Sheriff's Office

 

[JBean]

I really want to find the portion of the police report that talks about the mom cussing out the cops when they call to retrieve one of the cell phones. I guess it was realllllly bad. If anyone finds it that would be terrific.
I am not even sure which mom it is.

 

[JBean]

Lots of info at this link from some of the kids POV.
Some Lawyers in Beating Case Speaking Out

With gag order lifted, they seek to present different views in incident

LAKELAND | Now that the gag order has been lifted, a few of the lawyers representing the eight teen suspects in the March 30 beating of Victoria Lindsay they have decided it's time to talk.
snip
On Thursday, Melodie Lopez, who represents suspect Cara Murphy, said that all eight lawyers had agreed to challenge the gag order because they felt it was time their clients had their say.

"It's something all the defense attorneys agreed to," Lopez said at a news conference outside the Colon & Lopez law offices in Bartow. "Everything we've heard so far has come from law enforcement."

A circuit judge lifted a gag order Wednesday that had restricted Polk Sheriff Grady Judd and others from disclosing information in the videotaped beating of Lindsay, 16.

James "Rusty" Franklin, who represents Zachary Ashley, had argued that disclosures to the media, in particular comments made by Judd, were creating the "substantial likelihood" that his client could not receive a fair trial.

On Thursday, Lopez said that the initial attention drawn to the case resulted in the decision to charge all the teens as adults, rather than juveniles, regardless of how involved they were in the beating

SNIP
Although the teens' pre-trial agreement prohibits them from using Internet chat rooms, social networking sites or forums, a profile claiming to belong to Mercades Nichols has appeared on MySpace.

Peace signs decorate the background of the recently-updated site, which also includes a black-and-white photo of Nichols and statements about starting anew.

"To Everyone, We all did some dumb stuff and now our futures are ruined," one paragraph reads. "Im just asking if yall can just wait until court to hear the truths and lies. I am currently moving on with a new life.[sic]"

The writer also says suspect Brittini Hardcastle is to blame for the beating.
http://www.theledger.com/article/20080425/NEWS/804250398/1039

 

[SuziQ]

Okie Dokie, these attorneys really went to law school and passed a bar exam? They are wanting their clients to talk? They want their clients case tried in the media and in the court of public opinion? Ok, then. By all means, let them run their mouths and dig a deeper hole.

 

[Mygirlsadie]

My views on these losers has not changed one bit. Actually since the gag order was lifted I even feel worse towards them. I hate the fact that they were ordered not to use myspace yet continue to do so. They have the mentality that they are above the law I guess. Unless the judge gets wind of her using myspace by someone else I doubt the judge will know. I doubt the judge visits myspace regularly lol..