Matthew
Bent, now 17, was convicted of aggravated battery against former junior high
classmate Michael Brewer in 2009. Bent orchestrated an attack on Brewer in
which he and two fellow students doused Brewer in alcohol and then watched as
one of the others, Jesus Mendez, set him on fire with a lighter. The burns that
immediately ensued were severe and affected roughly sixty percent of Brewer’s
body; he survived after jumping into an apartment complex pool in an attempt to
extinguish the flames. The attack left
Brewer in the hospital recovering for months. Brewer stated that he simply
stood there and allowed the alcohol to be poured on him in attempt to avoid
confrontation. According to the prosecution, Mendez used a lighter to set his
15 year old classmate on fire immediately after. Prosecutors also argued that
Bent lead the attack and persuaded the others to join him in pouring the
rubbing alcohol onto Brewer, and to set fire to him over a dispute that was
allegedly over money. Brewer supposedly owed Bent money, but he claims that the
conflict occurred when Bent attempted to force him to buy a pipe for smoking
marijuana and he repeatedly refused. The two accomplices have already pleaded
no contest and are serving prison sentences. Denver Jarvis received eight years
in prison and twenty-two years probation. Mendez received 11 years in prison
followed by a nineteen-year probation period.
One of the young men testified that Bent had in fact offered both of the
others cash for their role in the incident. This money however was offered to
them in an attempt to get them to help beat up Brewer. The boys had stumbled
upon the alcohol by chance and had not initially planned to burn their
classmate.
Victim Michael Brewer in court
Brewer talked extensively in court, and described how he
believed he was going to die while he was being pulled from the pool that may
have in fact saved his life. He also recalled seeing the skin hanging from his
arms in the aftermath of the attack.
Brewer also discussed being bullied around the junior high and how he would often fake illness to avoid having to see his harassers in school.
Brewer also discussed being bullied around the junior high and how he would often fake illness to avoid having to see his harassers in school.
Bent was charged with attempted second-degree murder, and
was sentenced to 30 years in prison. While Bent was only fifteen at the time of
the attack, it is very apparent that a money motive existed and he fully
intended to get it from Brewer by any necessary means. There were repeated
threats and incidents of harassment before the attack on Brewer finally occurred.
Is thirty years too harsh for the role that Bent played in this vicious crime,
or is it fitting for his extensive plan to attack classmate Michael Brewer? Should
age have played some sort of factor in sentencing considering that these boys are
and were minors at the time of the attack, or would you argue that fifteen is
old enough to hold accountable for a heinous crime like the burning of another
minor?
No comments:
Post a Comment