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Woman pleads guilty to helping shooting death suspect
Posted: Jun 30, 2016 10:11 AM EDT
Updated: Jun 30, 2016 10:24 AM EDT
Wendy Morris
Wendy Morris
Gregory Smith
Gregory Smith
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, Vt. (AP) - A Vermont woman has pleaded guilty to charges she helped a suspect in a 2015 slaying evade capture.
The Valley News reports that 26-year-old Wendy Morris of North Springfield will report to a South Burlington jail on Friday to serve a nine-month sentence. She accepted a plea deal on June 7 and pleaded guilty to obstructing justice.
A police affidavit says Morris helped Gregory Smith, her boyfriend, hide in April 2015 after a warrant for his arrest was issued in connection with the shooting death of Wesley Wing in Springfield.
Police say several interviews were conducted with Morris concerning Smith's whereabouts. Authorities later located Smith and Morris at her brother's camp in Londonderry, Vermont.
Smith has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in Wing's death.
Nine months...out in three. Hope she has Cable TV, Internet, conjugal visits and help with her disabilities.
ReplyDeleteSeems a bit light for what amounts to accessory to murder, ya think?
ReplyDeleteOn its face, this seems too lenient. I hope there was some necessary testimonial evidentiary reason for this, and for the charge of second rather than first degree murder. Deals such as these are causing a damaging lack of faith in the Vermont judiciary, as this was not a simple possession of drugs charge but a person aiding and abetting a violent person.
ReplyDeleteWhat is needed are Chinese judges. Do this "stuff" in China (Asia) and see where it gets you.
DeleteThe evidence showing that she, ah, contributed to his decision to do the murder was probably inadmissible in court. He may have not been charged with 1st degree murder because the 'plan' was too stupid to be a plan.
DeleteThe things we do for love. . .
ReplyDeleteFor most unacceptable behaviors, once is a mistake, twice is stupidity and three times is criminal.
An example: George W. Bush as a presidential candidate admitted to using drugs, but seemed to have learned from the experience.
We won't really know if this woman has learned anything from the experience until a few years after she gets out.
Only a liberal could see murder and conspiracy after the fact as a "learning experience."
DeleteSome acts are evil, not mistakes.
DeleteLack of consequences for bad behavior only encourages more of it. We are breeding a culture of lawlessness and a society of criminals.
ReplyDeleteLeave no child behind. Gota love that philosophy.
DeleteChildren lost a father, a Mother lost her husband, Wes lost his life. She may not have pulled the trigger, but her actions lead to this murder. She lied to police officers and hid a murderer. Her punishment is not sufficient.
ReplyDeleteThe guillotine, the guillotine...
DeleteAs I have stated many times on this forum, and I agree with the vast majority of commenters here, that our whole justice system seems to exist in a vacuum and is certainly out of synch with the best interests of our citizens. It is absolutely incredible that any judge would sign off on a plea deal like this one.
DeleteI took a Criminology course once where I learned that roughly one-third of our nations economy is related to law enforcement, and that if all crime ceased, the economy would collapse. Different people will see this in different ways, of course, but it is food for thought.
DeleteAs much as we all object to this absurdly lenient sentence, and even worse, the parole board unleashing murderer Gregory Allen Smith as a non violent offender, the majority of Springfield votes time and again for the same liberals that appoint these public servants. Don't expect to see Emmons or Forguites demanding justice. So suck it up cupcake. We have exactly the government and judiciary we deserve.
ReplyDeleteThe Western concept of justice has as one of its aims closure for the victims' family. Without this, society is likely to have family and clan feuds galore. What the woman gets as punishment might satisfy Wes' family, and it might not, but we have to hope that it is enough to keep them from planning revenge. What the rest of us feel about it does not carry weight.
ReplyDeleteThat said, we can only hope that the woman learns something from this. If she doesn't, clearly she has a problem with being either stupid or being criminal. We'll find out.
When an elected official says that the feelings of his constituents carries no weight, is that criminal or stupid?
DeleteThat's why elected officials never say that, 8:00.
DeleteNow, let's say a Turkish nut attempts to assassinate the Pope. Billions of Catholics around the world scream for the Turk's head on a pike. The court disagrees and sentences the man to twenty years. Five years later, the Pope visits him in prison and tells him he is forgiven.
The fact that a billion Catholics might still want the man's guts for garters doesn't matter-- the victim has been satisfied with the punishment.
If on the other hand, the man had been executed, satisfying the billion Catholics, yet the Pope commissioned a hit team of monsignors to kill the man's family in revenge, it would have been an instance of a legal system having been unable to bring about closure for a victim.
I hope this clarifies things for you, Anonymous.
As usual, nothing you say is clarifying, or even relevant. Just another cheap shot at someone's religion to divert attention away from yourself and your foolish rantings. You said what you said, it's there for all to see. Your callous disregard for others is appalling. Ginning up sympathy for drug addicts and criminals by minimizing their crimes, then bashing the people who question you. You like to suggest reading materials, so here's one for you. "The Criminal Personality" by Dr. Samuel Yochelson. Then look in the mirror.
DeleteYou mentioned Catholics...you know who is going to comment now...with his/her cut and paste laundry list of Catholic Church "achievements"...
DeleteWhen you measure the "achievements" of atheism over the last hundred years, such as the 40 million people who died under Joseph Stalin, or the killing fields of Cambodia, I'll take the Catholic Church any day, with all its faults.
DeleteChuck, nobody has mentioned revenge killing except you - it's a false analogy. The justice system would be killing the "nut" for good reason, and if the pope then killed the family, the system would serve the same justice on him.
DeleteWhat is needed is a justice system that protects innocent people better, and making sure serious criminals can't commit further crimes is a logical idea. Sure, give fallible human beings second chances and third, and help them lead better lives, but once they knowingly harm others, which it's valid to assume they were aware was wrong, then let's stop wasting resources on them and turn attention to people more deserving, or at least less underserving.
Philip, at least YOUR response got through. What I said (correctly, I will add) is that Chuck's post was nothing more than a diversionary tactic, one he uses quite often. Revenge killings, as you pointed out, are irrelevant, as are the Turks and the Pope. Just a device to change the subject, and nothing more. It almost worked, as the following reply was, in fact, about religion. If we are going to have a serious discussion about these issues, we must refuse to be distracted.
DeleteAmerican history is full of revenge killings where the judicial system was inadequate to address the needs of the victims-- Hatfields and McCoys, for one.
Deletehttp://mashable.com/2015/09/30/pope-john-paul-ii-assassin/#XzBYRpXVgkqV
DeleteWell look at her face, she gets the last laugh
ReplyDelete.