06/11/2008
Moller Gets 3 Years for 2007 Murder of Sean William Kennedy
Stephen Moller, who delivered a fatal punch to Sean William Kennedy after taunting him with anti-gay slurs in May 2007 outside a Greenville, South Carolina bar, appeared in court today to enter a plea and receive his sentence:
"Moller was originally charged with murder in the case. However, in November 2007 a Greenville County grand jury handed down an indictment for a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter against Moller. Moller appeared in a Greenville County courtroom on Wednesday afternoon where he pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge. Judge Ned Miller sentenced Moller to five years in prison, but suspended his sentence to three years with credit for the seven months in prison he has already served. The judge also ordered Moller to attend both anger management and drug/alcohol management classes. Moller must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole."
Disgusting.
Previously
Judge Sets Bond for Killer of Sean William Kennedy [tr]
Hundreds Attend Vigil for Slain South Carolina Gay Man [tr]
SC Hate Crime: Mother of Sean Kennedy Speaks Out [tr]
Arrest Made in South Carolina Gay Man's Murder [tr]
South Carolina Gay Man Dies in Potential Hate Crime Assault [tr]
Posted 4:30 PM EST by Andy Towle in Crime, News, South Carolina | Permalink
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WARNING! CHAS! DO NOT READ THIS! IT’S NOT A ONE LINER. YOU’LL GET ONE OF THOSE HEADACHES AGAIN!!!!
I’d say this was a perfect opportunity for the Obama and Clinton Democrats out there to tell us again why we should support the party that junked the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes bill because it wasn't expedient. And why they think we owe the Democrats a favor for junking ENDA after Barney gutted it so they could get ‘contributions’ from money grubbing bigoted business owners.
We know why Democrat apologists like that stuff. They’re the political equivalent of some of those ‘abused’ spouses who get off on getting smacked around, but why involve us in it?
OK, now’s a good time to explain why Bill Clinton wasn't a bigot when he signed DOMA and went on the campaign trail boasting about it. Or why the vast majority of Congressional Democrats voted for it were just doing us a favor.
And then tell us another story, the one about how DADT was meant to help GLBT service members by tossing them out of the armed forces and sanctioning their harassment and murder. Is that another one of those favors from Dixiecrats Clinton and Nunn and the menagerie of Republican and Democratic bigots on in Congress?
Are you supporting Obama and the Democrats because you hope they’ll be better in the future? Are you going to force them to be better? How? By wasting you vote on them? Or, as usual, will you end up begging them to be better after you waste you vote on them? And how is that helping advance the GLBT equality agenda?
Go ahead, explain it to us. After all plenty of people were stupid enough to believe apologists for Reagan, Bush and other Republican bigots. Maybe they’ll believe you.
Posted by: Bill Perdue, RainbowRED | Jun 11, 2008 7:42:27 PM
Even if Moller didn't intend to kill Kennedy, a life was lost and that can't be undone. A young gay man doesn't get a second chance. A young hateful man does. A disgustingly unfair sentence, and he may even get off a little early on parole.
BTW, it was clear to me that Chas and John in Manhattan's comments were not meant to be taken a face value, but I guess out of context they could be misinterpreted. There are trolls here, but these guys are on our side.
Posted by: Ernie | Jun 11, 2008 7:57:28 PM
The sentence is simply too short where a death resulted.
Posted by: queendru | Jun 11, 2008 8:06:29 PM
OK...Now why exactly did you address that diatribe to me, Bill? Did I miss something?
And thanks Ernie. I'm glad you got it.
Posted by: Chas | Jun 11, 2008 8:17:34 PM
On a totally superficial note, young mister Kennedy was a total babe.
Posted by: Chas | Jun 11, 2008 8:20:49 PM
And..............................................................
Posted by: Mattelboy | Jun 11, 2008 8:51:31 PM
There was no excuse for Bill Clinton's bragging about DOMA or is telling John Kerry to back a federal amendment banning gay marriage to win in 2004. It's one of the reasons why I finally decided not to support Hillary Clinton and chose John Edwards first.
As for ENDA, with enough Democrats in Congress and a Democrat will be able to pass it.
Do you honestly think that John McCain and the religious right would actually do a better job of delivering for the GLBT community??
Look at McCain's record. He's not been a friend of the gays. He also has a terrible record on women's rights (including his treatment of his first wife and calling his second wife a c*nt in public).
If you want to influence the Democratic Party, get involved more.
Posted by: noah | Jun 11, 2008 10:12:41 PM
Puddy Katz:
I believe that punishment for wrongdoing is an appropriate response. Prison sentences, though, are relatively weak deterrents. Punishment and retribution, I believe, are not one and the same. Punishment meted out as retribution may appeal to the "eye for an eye" instinct but it doesn't necessarily produce the same degree of community or social good that punishment guided by recognition that the vast majority of criminals will return home. I believe that we're better off if, punishment also includes efforts to decrease the risk of recidivism and includes some restorative efforts with the victim's family and community.
Posted by: Scott X | Jun 11, 2008 10:14:33 PM
Fact is you could rob a liquor store and get much more than this sentence. It may not be murder, but it deserves a hell of a lot longer than 3 years with time served.
Posted by: Patrick | Jun 11, 2008 11:38:39 PM
Sean Kennedy was punched so hard by Stephen Moller that it broke every bone in his face and separated his brain stem.
I didn't want to post on this thread because some of the previous comments here appall me. But the poster Kipp's comments are not accurate.
Kennedy didn't just hit his head. Moller intended him grave harm just for being gay.
This sentence is a travesty.
Posted by: FASTLAD | Jun 12, 2008 12:33:15 AM
It figures, South Carolina is super backwoods deliverance style place...
Do not go there.
Posted by: Ty | Jun 12, 2008 12:36:41 AM
SCOTT X,
and yada, yada, yada... your next.
NOAH and BILL should get a room. they're so perfectly delusional, so perfect for each other.
Posted by: nic | Jun 12, 2008 12:39:26 AM
sorry about the "your/you're" mistake.
Posted by: nic | Jun 12, 2008 4:24:35 AM
Disgusting, but this is South Carolina, so why should I even be surprised.
Posted by: DarienStyles | Jun 12, 2008 5:14:36 AM
Oh Chas and John, what knee slappers you are. I can barely see my laptop screen for tears of laughter! Actually, few things are sadder than people who think they're funny, but are not. And dear Christ: you two losers are as funny as nails down a blackboard. Like bad body odour someone needs to take you aside and tell you before you witlessly bore one more person. OK, it's me: GET A CLUE.
Posted by: Jimbo | Jun 12, 2008 6:39:14 AM
Hey, I used to live in South Carolina. It's not Eden; there's a lot of bigotry, a lot of ignorance, and a lot of racism/sexism/homophobia. But pretending that injustice like this only happens in the "backwoods" South is delusional. I now live in the "gay paradise" of Boston, and I've heard my share of gay slurs spewing forth here, just in a different accent. I haven't seen anybody get punched in the face yet, but that's just three or four beers away.
Posted by: JORDY | Jun 12, 2008 9:07:06 AM
No one who has posted on this thread is insensitive to the injustice of what happened to Mr Kennedy. No one. We deal with injustice and persecution in our own ways.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Jun 12, 2008 9:34:38 AM
I am absolutely disgusted by this and ashamed to be a native South Carolinian! Maybe Moller DIDN'T mean to kill Kennedy but the sad fact is he did and has not been properly punished...The article in The Greenville News this morning only reiterates what a hateful, bigoted asshole Moller is.... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25103613
Posted by: helenvanderhelen | Jun 12, 2008 10:14:19 AM
Oh the bitching...Maybe if you guys stopped bitching and started doing something?
MAYBE?
a
Posted by: otto | Jun 12, 2008 12:37:50 PM
BTW-I was born in SC-so for all the idiots out there. I went to Oxford and Harvard. Visit SC sometime-you may learn something. We are tired of the 'Guido' defense. Yawn.
Posted by: Andrew | Jun 12, 2008 12:42:56 PM
Of course Kennedy's death is an unfortunate tragedy, and the douche that punched him needs to do some time. HOWEVER...according to the evidence, he did not "murder" Kennedy. He punched him in the face, and Kennedy unfortunately hit his head on the concrete and died. This is different (though no less tragic) than if he had shot him with a gun or something. Knee-jerk reactions don't help "our cause," and putting this dude in jail for life for murder would DEFINITELY have been asking for "special rights" for gay victims.
Posted by: Ugh | Jun 12, 2008 1:02:31 PM
If there was no intent to kill him, then it actually is involuntary manslaughter. I don't agree with reducing his sentence, but if the intent (which is what such laws are based on) wasn't there, then he didn't deserve to be charged with murder.
Legally speaking...
Posted by: Jeanluc | Jun 12, 2008 2:26:08 PM
I am just in utter shock that my friend was punched in the face for being gay. I feel that Moller did not intend on killing Sean, but he still should spend more time in jail then he will. I also think the case wasn't handled in the best of terms either. For example, Moller's friends that were with him that night got immunity and didn't get charged with anything. Also the people that were at the bar that night had refused to testify to what had happened that night. That is what kills me to this day is that the whitenesses that were there are/will not come forward. This just proves that SC needs a hate crime bill. The problem with the south is that people want to make just a gay issue, it isn't its a human right issue. I knew Sean personally and it still kills me to this day that he is gone. He was one of the most loving and caring people I have ever met. So many people cared for him! Over 300 were at his wake last year! I urge everybody to support Elke in this fight!
Posted by: Danni | Jun 12, 2008 9:11:30 PM
I am just in utter shock that my friend was punched in the face for being gay. I feel that Moller did not intend on killing Sean, but he still should spend more time in jail then he will. I also think the case wasn't handled in the best of terms either. For example, Moller's friends that were with him that night got immunity and didn't get charged with anything. Also the people that were at the bar that night had refused to testify to what had happened that night. That is what kills me to this day is that the whitenesses that were there are/will not come forward. This just proves that SC needs a hate crime bill. The problem with the south is that people want to make just a gay issue, it isn't its a human right issue. I knew Sean personally and it still kills me to this day that he is gone. He was one of the most loving and caring people I have ever met. So many people cared for him! Over 300 were at his wake last year! I urge everybody to support Elke in this fight!
Posted by: Danni | Jun 12, 2008 9:11:48 PM
I appreciate various forms of humor, but in my opinion this particular story is not the place for many of the comments posted which purport to be ironic commentaries.
So many posts until Danni hit the nail on the head, the lack of a hate crimes bill in SC is the reason the jerk only got 3 years.
Posted by: Ted | Jun 13, 2008 12:29:56 AM