Maximum Sentences In W. Va. Torture Case

Two Defendants Receive 20+ Years For Vicious Trailer Assault On Black Woman

(CBS/AP)  Two defendants charged in connection with the torture of a black woman in Logan County last summer have received the maximum sentences possible.

Forty-six-year-old Karen Burton and 49-year-old Frankie Brewster were sentenced Thursday for their roles in the kidnapping and assault of Megan Williams. Both pleaded guilty last month.

Brewster and Burton were among seven white Logan County residents who were charged in the Williams case.

Logan County Circuit Judge Roger Perry sentenced Burton, of Chapmanville, to three consecutive sentences. She received separate 2-10 year sentences for malicious assault and assault during the commission of a felony and 10 years for the civil rights charge.

Brewster received a 10-to-25-year sentence for second-degree sexual assault.

Authorities say Williams was held captive for several days last summer at Brewster's trailer in Big Creek. In addition to the beatings and assaults, authorities said Williams was forced to eat animal feces and stabbed.

The 21-year-old Charleston woman was rescued by Logan County sheriff's deputies on Sept. 8 after they received an anonymous tip.

Williams and her parents were in the courtroom Thursday and wept as the sentences were read.

Carmen Williams, Megan's mother, and several of her supporters following the sentencing. They told CBS News affiliate WOWK-TV in Huntington that they are not satisfied with the outcome and they say they have not seen justice in the case.

"I just believe the (prosecutor Brian Abraham) shouldn't have plea bargained with any of them," her mother Carmen Williams said during a press conference after the sentencing, according to the Charleston Daily Main. "She (Megan Williams) wanted them to do life."

Two other defendants had already pleaded guilty and been sentenced.

Burton's 23-year-old daughter, Alisha, and George Messer, 27, both of Chapmanville, both pleaded guilty in February to kidnapping and assault and received 10-year sentences.

Felony charges including kidnapping and sexual assault are pending against Brewster's 24-year-old son, Bobby of Big Creek, and Danny Combs, 21, of Harts.

A seventh defendant, Karen Burton's son, Linnie Burton Jr., 21, was indicted on a misdemeanor battery charge.

The Associated Press generally does not identify suspected victims of sexual assault, but Williams and her mother, Carmen, agreed to release her name. Carmen Williams has said she wanted people to know what her daughter had endured.

[grammawhamma]

This story sickens me. The people that did this to Megan are the lowest forms of scum.

[michellem99-2009]

Oh yes and they won''t like it...This is 2008. This is worse today then when was a child/young adult. We repsected each other. Today it is a me, myself and I thing or looking out for no 1.

[michellem99-2009]

My late Aunt taught me a lession that has remained with me. Being child at the time I asked what colour is my skin. I am legally blind. She said white. But she told me there is one race..Human beings of all skin colours. Black,white,yellow,red,it don''t matter We are HUMAN. A human animal to be truthful. We can think and do. This is unaccepable. The lady at the centre of this is a disabled person whit the mind of a very young girl. They used that against her. They should have gotten longer time. They make me sick.

[trybeingreal]

It is 2008 and this kind of craziness is still going on. That is so scary. Sometimes I wonder what people are thinking when they do the things.
This world is in trouble, we need to pray more and together.

[knyghtwolf]

DirtyDuzzin, no animal species other than human does this kind of behavior. All these idiots look like they possess the combined IQ of a PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE running for president.

[gmond]

I''m sure their new roommates have already planned a special welcome for them.

[dbsavoy-2009]

bookwerm314 said: And I TOTALLY don''''t care if this is a black, white or green person.. doesn''''t even occur to me.. so if you are up in arms about Blacks being ignored, and Whites getting front page.. well, that often happens, and I agree it is defective.
--------------------------------

OK. Exactly. That is what I was up in arms about. Gotta say that you sound pretty lukewarm on the "front page" issue, otherwise known as pretty white girl syndrome. I''d imagine it makes black folks'' blood boil. I do happen to care what the colours are -- tangentially. As weird as it sounds, I''m tryin'' to observe my own racist tendencies over here! Don''t get me wrong -- it absolutely does not matter outside my own skull what colour anyone is. I can''t pretend thought that very, very many people really think it does matter.

[undermyboot]

McCain just lost two more "traditional Republicans"... ROFLMAO

[my2centss]

As bad as this case is, and it is very bad. Why does the national news ignore cases like the Wichita massacre and Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom. Two much worse cases that never made it on here.

[dirtyduzzin]

People all over are just acting like animals.

[gheemaster38]

So where are the comments here? All you up-in-arms white guys commenting on the UNC Shooter file, where are you? If this was a white girl victim with black criminals, I quite doubt that I could so easily post the first post here. I got no conclusions for nobody, I''''m just sayin''''. Where the **** are you. Sincerely, a white boy.


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Posted by dbsavoy


they are over at the other blog. the one about the white guys that yelled racial slurs and broke out the black guy window, then entered his dorm room and started a fight and broke his nose so he defended himself and stabbed them.. They are fusing about it being murder not self defense.

[bookwerm314]

Hey, you want comments? Ok, here ..

The sentences are too short, I agree, there should have been no plea bargaining.. ample evidence all around, no reason for it. I think a bullet in the back of the head is appropriate for these sub humans, but it is what it is. To me, once you violate the "contract" with humanity doing acts such as this, child molestation, incest, rape and the like, you should be sent to the pound and put down.. but hey that is me.

And I TOTALLY don''t care if this is a black, white or green person.. doesn''t even occur to me.. so if you are up in arms about Blacks being ignored, and Whites getting front page.. well, that often happens, and I agree it is defective.

[makemyday2da]

The sentences were too short. They should ALL serve no less than 20 years each for their roles. They should have received attempted murder charges since you can''t help but wonder if she hadn''t escaped, what would they have done with her? SWP!

[zuser-2009]

They should all rot in hell after rotting in a cell. The death penalty would be appropriate too. And yes, I am a white man and thoroughly disgusted by what they did.

[dbsavoy-2009]

So where are the comments here? All you up-in-arms white guys commenting on the UNC Shooter file, where are you? If this was a white girl victim with black criminals, I quite doubt that I could so easily post the first post here. I got no conclusions for nobody, I''m just sayin''. Where the **** are you. Sincerely, a white boy.