NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: A wave of outrage has sparked as three of the four Louisiana teens accused in the carjacking and subsequent dismemberment of Linda Frickey landed a plea deal.
All four teenagers initially faced life in prison after being charged as adults with second-degree murder in connection to the death of 73-year-old Frickey, who was dragged over a block when her arm got stuck in her seatbelt.
But on Monday, November 20, Briniyah Baker, 17, Lenyra Theophile, 16, and Mar'Qel Curtis pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempted manslaughter.
Now, the trio will be sentenced to 20 years in prison as part of the plea deal. The three teens will serve a minimum of 15 years each.
In court, one girl's lawyer offered prayers, while the other two expressed regret. Not included among those who pled guilty for reduced sentences, was 18-year-old John Honore.
How did Linda Frickey die?
Frickey, who lived in Westwego, was jumped by the four teens in March as she was leaving a business in New Orleans’ Mid-City neighborhood.
“The lady was trying to put something in her vehicle, the guy jumped in and kicked her out and she got caught in the wheel well,” an eye-witness told WWL-TV, adding “I heard screaming, like, ‘you’re about to die’ screaming!”
As the robbers were committing the crime, Frickey’s arm got stuck in her seatbelt and she was dragged for nearly a block.
The teens briefly stopped the vehicle to open the door and kick the grandmother into the street - after her arm had been severed and clothing torn off.
As Frickey was abandoned on the road, a neighbor named Leanne Mascar picked up a sheet to cover her. “When I looked down her body was already there, and her arm was - it's just not something you expect to see,” Mascar told Fox 8.
“She was laying there naked, and I thought the indignity she just suffered, was already too much,” she added. After initial examination, Frickey’s cause of death was listed as "blunt force injuries."
After recovering Frickey's gray SUV, police released surveillance footage of the suspects, and two of the teens were turned in by their own parents.
How Linda Frickey's family reacted to teens’ plea deal
Following the guilty plea, Frickey’s family expressed that they hope the teens would use their time to reflect. “We appreciate that they did admit their guilt and accept their punishment and hopefully as time goes on, everyone can heal,” Frickey's sister-in-law, Kathy Richard, said, as per Daily Mail.
Of Honore, she said: “We'll give him the same mercy he gave Linda: none.” Richard hopes the girls will "get involved in programs" while incarcerated to "be an example that there are consequences for your actions."
Similar emotions were voiced by Frickey's sister, Jinnylynn Griffin, who said “When they were saying they were sorry, I'm sure they were. Unfortunately, they did it and they have to serve the time.”
“We want him to get the maximum. He drove the car. He stomped on her,” Griffin said outside the court, adding “The girls, they were all there for the ride, but the issue we had with them is they didn't do anything to stop it.”
Internet reacts to teens’ plea deal
The news of the teens’ plea deal has garnered immense social media attention, with users protesting for stricter punishment for them.
“This is pathetic they should get life in prison!!” one user said. “Manslaughter? Are they not on the hook for second-degree murder?” the second user wrote.
“Horrible. Once you calculate good time, which they have been accumulating while in pre-adjudication for over a year, they will likely serve less than 10 years. And the victim's family won’t be notified when they get released insanely early,” the third user fumed.
"DA dropped the ball again. I want to know if the victim's family is okay with it,” the fourth user asserted while the fifth stated “Attempted manslaughter?!? Where is the justice for HER family? What an absolute disgrace!”
“How on earth can it be "attempted" manslaughter. For heaven's sake, the woman is dead. They didn't attempt, they succeeded!” one more user wrote.
