Curtis Jones was just 12, now 29, and his sister Catherine 13, now 30, when they admitted to murdering their father’s girlfriend, Nicole Speights, in 1999.
Advertisement
Two of the country’s youngest convicted killers are set to be released from a Florida prison this week.
After being charged with first-degree murder, the siblings eventually pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received an 18-year sentence and probation for life. The two sought help from their father and his girlfriend, but their pleas were ignored.
Catherine said in a 1999 interview they were both abused-“to the point where I would throw up”-by a male relative who was living with them”.
After shooting Speights, the siblings became frightened and ran into nearby woods until police located them the next morning. Prosecutors told ABC News on Thursday that the children had killed Speights out of jealousy, and that the alleged abuse came out in later press accounts that were not dealt with in court.
Florida Today (http://on.flatoday.com/1fDJkKv ) reports that 29-year-old Curtis Jones was released from the South Bay Correctional Facility on Tuesday.
Advertisement
According to the Florida Department of Corrections, Curtis had not been disciplined for any rule infractions since 2008. In 2013, she married longtime pen pal Ramous K. Fleming.
