McConnelsville teen gets life in prison for murder of Malta woman
From staff and wire reportsWhile she believes God can forgive the young man who murdered her daughter, Peggy Matthews doesn't feel that mercy herself right now.
In Morgan County Common Pleas Court Thursday, Matthews told Travis L. Fischer, 18, of McConnelsville, that if it were up to her, he would die for raping and murdering her daughter, Abi S. Matthews, a 35-year-old mother of three, on June 2.
"Multiple deaths on his part would not result in equaling this thing out," Peggy Matthews said Friday in an interview with The Marietta Times. "Abi's death was horrific and pointless."
On Thursday, Fischer was sentenced to life in prison and will not be eligible for parole for 30 years. He pleaded guilty Nov. 5 to charges including aggravated murder, rape and arson. Prosecutors said he attacked Abi Matthews with a baseball bat and raped her at her Malta apartment, then stole her car and burned it.
Peggy Matthews said Morgan County Judge Dan Favreau made Fischer turn and face the family as they spoke before the sentencing. Those speaking included Abi Matthews' brother, mother and 16-year-old daughter.
Peggy Matthews said even the agony she and Abi's father feel are not as great as her grandchildren's suffering.
"That was the worst - what he's done to the children," she said.
Abi Matthews was a mother figure to Fischer and had even baby-sat him when he was an infant, her mother said.
The defendant didn't speak, though his attorney told the judge Fischer feels remorse and wants to atone.
Peggy Matthews said Fischer's sentencing ends one phase of the process, but she isn't ready to move on yet. She plans to review the case files regarding her daughter's death.
"I want to try to figure out why he did it," Peggy Matthews said. But, "I don't think there's really an answer in those files."
Of her daughter, Peggy Matthews said, "Abi was a beautiful spirit. She was just so special. There was only one Abi."
One thing Peggy Matthews said she left out of her statement in court was an acknowledgment that her family isn't the only one suffering - so is Fischer's.
"It's been a different type of pain, but their suffering is no less real," she said.
Morgan County Prosecutor Mark Howdyshell and Fischer's attorney, Daniel Sabol, could not be reached for comment Friday.
Facebook
MySpace
Digg
Stumble
Mixx
Fark
del.icio.us
LiveSpaces
|
Darby1952
|
|
|---|---|
|
11-22-09 9:42 PM
|
$1.59 deer slug would work better.... I'll spot ya the $1.50 LOLLLLL
|
|
hockeypuck
|
|
|
11-22-09 8:50 PM
|
Well, at least all the do-gooders out there are happy. They think that everyone should rot in prison, and have us pay the bill, rather than a nine-cent bullet.
|
|
Darby1952
|
|
|
11-22-09 6:37 PM
|
yup
|
|
armybrat
|
|
|
11-22-09 9:16 AM
|
Darby, sounds alright to me. To bad there are so many liberals in this society. I believe that when a crime is done against someone, then the criminal should have the same thing done to them.
|
|
Darby1952
|
|
|
11-21-09 10:14 PM
|
Hey Army,,, seems like they should let the victims dad beat the bejesus out of the little coward with an aluminum baseball bat.... seems fair to me
|
|
armybrat
|
|
|
11-21-09 7:25 PM
|
This is a case where the death penalty should be enforced.
|
|
rikrab
|
|
|
11-21-09 7:12 PM
|
Why do they call it LIFE? When freedom is possible in 30 years. There is no "justice for all."
|
|
isthisnametakenyet1
|
|
|
11-21-09 10:26 AM
|
This is horrible. My heart go out to Abi's family. How do you ever even recover from something like this?
|
|
Darby1952
|
|
|
11-21-09 7:27 AM
|
to bad they don't have public hanging
|