Prosecutors said that a teenage girl showed no remorse after killing her friend over a dispute about sweet and sour sauce from a McDonald’s fast food restaurant in Washington, D.C.
The 16-year-old was convicted for stabbing Naima Liggon, also 16 years old, in August after a house party they had attended. On Thursday, she was given the maximum sentence allowed and will stay in custody until she turns 21 years old.
Prosecutors said text messages she sent after the stabbing showed she had no remorse for her actions. They also said that surveillance video showed the girl could have simply walked back into the McDonald’s for more sweet and sour sauce.
The defense tried to argue that the girl acted only in self-defense because two people were trying to jump her. They also claimed that was had experienced past trauma and had been triggered in the lethal reaction.
Naima’s mother, Joy Liggon, responded to those claims in an interview with WRC-TV outside the courtroom.
“I don’t know what this young lady went through,” she said. “I don’t know what her life experience was, but I know she committed a crime, and she took someone away from my family.”
“That she called a friend,” added Wallace Liggon, the father of the victim.
The teenager issued a statement to the Liggons in court.
“Sorry to the friends and family. I am sorry to cause you this pain,” she said in part. “I still think about the victim and I want to apologize to Naima’s mother. I am a very genuine person and I’m not a bad person.”
Joy Liggon went on to say that she was relieved the girl got the maximum sentence but added that it wasn’t enough. She had asked for prosecutors to file a first-degree murder charge, but instead, they agreed to a plea deal with the girl for a lower charge.
“You have to realize that your kids have free will and free choice to do what they want, so just keep encouraging them to do the right thing,” she continued. “Walk away from conflict. Some things are just not that serious — definitely sweet and sour sauce.”
Read more at: theblaze.com