Virginia Teen Sentenced in Beating Death of Elderly Tempe Man. He'll Be a Free Man When He's 21 | Valley Fever | Phoenix | Phoenix New Times | The Leading Independent News Source in Phoenix, Arizona
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Virginia Teen Sentenced in Beating Death of Elderly Tempe Man. He'll Be a Free Man When He's 21

A teenage Virginia murderer was sentenced today for his role in the brutal beating death of an 81-year-old Tempe man last year. However, because the boy is a teen, the "rotten little bastard" will only do about seven years behind bars.After pleading guilty last month to first-degree murder in the...
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A teenage Virginia murderer was sentenced today for his role in the brutal beating death of an 81-year-old Tempe man last year. However, because the boy is a teen, the "rotten little bastard" will only do about seven years behind bars.

After pleading guilty last month to first-degree murder in the death of 81-year-old George Baker, of Tempe, a judge in Lynchburg, Virginia sentenced the boy, now 14, to a juvenile detention center until he's 21.

Baker had been in Lynchburg on September 5, of last year to attend his granddaughter's wedding.

Baker had a blast -- at one point during the reception Baker reportedly told the pastor that if he died that day, he would die a happy man. Baker didn't die that day, but thanks to three teenage punks, he died the next day.

About 10 p.m. the night of the wedding, Baker decided to walk from his hotel to a nearby restaurant. That's when he crossed paths with the three thugs -- 16-year-old Kenneth Davis, Vernon Jackson, also 16, and the 14-year-old, then 13.

One of the older boys was trying to impress a girl and apparently thought beating the shit out of an 81-year-old man with the help of his two friends was a good way to do it.

The three teens beat Baker in front of the restaurant patio, breaking his ribs and causing severe head injury.

He died the next day.

Davis was tried as an adult in March and was convicted of first-degree murder. The case against Jackson is pending.  

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