Where is Nathaniel Abraham now?
Nov 17, 1999 · Nathaniel was only 11 years old when he was arrested in October 1997, and is the first child to be tried under a 1997 Michigan law that …
Was Nathaniel's Act a premeditated murder?
What was Nathaniel's IQ at the time of his murder?
What was the verdict in the Nathaniel trial?
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Was Nathaniel the killer ever charged?
But prosecutors argued that Nathaniel was exactly the type of juvenile offender the 1996 law had meant to target. Police had previously suspected him in almost two dozen crimes, including burglary and assault. For a variety of reasons, however, the boy had never been formally charged.
Murderer Or Troubled Youth?
Nathaniel hardly presented the image of a deadly killer. Wearing oversized prison garb, the 65-pound boy appeared tearful and bewildered at pre-trial hearings. But prosecutors argued that Nathaniel was exactly the type of juvenile offender the 1996 law had meant to target. Police had previously suspected him in almost two dozen crimes, including burglary and assault. For a vari…
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Controversial Sentence
Although Nathaniel was charged with first-degree murder, prosecutors asked Judge Eugene A. Moore to allow the jury to consider lesser offenses. Moore did so, and on November 16, 1999, the jury found Nathaniel guilty of second-degree murder. He was believed to be the youngest American ever convicted of murder as an adult. Moore had three options for the sentence. The h…
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Suggestions For Further Reading
Bradsher, Keith. "Boy Who Killed Gets Seven Years; Judge Says Law Is Too Harsh" New York Times(January 14, 2000): Al. —. "Michigan Boy Who Killed at 11 Is Convicted of Murder as Adult." New York Times(November 17, 1999): Al. —. "Murder Trial of 13-Year-Old Puts Focus on Michigan Law." New York Times(October 31, 1999): 22. Hewitt, Bill, Champ Clark, and Amy Mindell. "A Life …
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