Fla. Teens Charged In Taped Beating

Mistaken Identity: Wrong Family Getting Harassing Phone Calls

(CBS/AP)  The Polk County State Attorney's Office says it will charge all eight teens believed to be involved in the beating of a classmate as adults. The suspects will have their first appearance in a Polk County courtroom on Friday.

Being charged as an adult carries with it much stiffer penalties, possibly including up to life in prison on the kidnapping charges. Facing charges of battery, false imprisonment and kidnapping are Mercades Nichols, 17, Brittini Hardcastle, 17, April Cooper, 14, Cara Murphy, 16, Britney Mayes, 17, Kayla Hassell, 15, Zachary Ashley, 17, and Stephen Schumaker, 18. The two boys are accused of acting as lookouts outside the house in which the beating took place on March 30.

Meanwhile, a central Florida couple says they're being hounded by angry callers who mistakenly think they're connected to the notorious videotaped beating.

Darlene and Jerry Ashley's phone number was mistakenly posted by a user of the YouTube video-sharing Web site, along with the numbers of the other teens charged in the beating.

Callers think the Lakeland couple are the parents of one of the teen boys involved who has the same last name.

They say they got around 300 angry, abusive calls Wednesday.

A judge has ordered most everyone involved with the case to stop talking to the media.

The videotaped beating released on Monday by the Polk County Sheriff's Office was just one of five fights filmed over a period of 30 minutes. At one point the victim's head is slammed into a bedroom wall and she's knocked unconscious. Investigators say the beating happened on March 30th in Lakeland while the victim was spending time at a friend's house during spring break.

Portions of the video were released by the sheriff's office and posted on CBS affiliate WTSP-TV.

"There was talk about apparently after the fact, apparently there's other students that knew that they were going to post this just for the thrill of everyone to see it," the victim's mother, Talisa Lindsay, told CBS News' The Early Show. "Which is just outrageous."

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The victim's parents have decided to have her home-schooled, they explained on The Early Show Wednesday. To watch that interview, click here.

"When we had them in custody at the station, they were laughing about it, saying, 'Well, I guess this spring break we won't go to the beach," Judd told The Early Show. "One of the suspects asked the detective, 'Am I going to get to go to cheerleading practice tomorrow?"

"They showed absolutely no remorse at all," Judd said.

Lindsay was taken to the hospital by ambulance and treated for a concussion, damage to her left eye and left ear, and numerous bruises, the report said.

The victim's father, Patrick Lindsay, said the teens' motivation for the attack was to produce a video that would become popular on YouTube, a video-sharing Web site.

He told The Early Show that he has not been able to watch the video, that he is too distraught, although his wife has.

[ranger1948]

libsrweak
This is true, however then they would still be with their own kind, more criminals.

[libsrweak]

Try the ones they can as adults and throw them into adult prison. Actions have consequences and the real crime would be the example society sets for other teens if we let them escape without serious punishment.

Posted by SgtRDS at 05:40 PM : Apr 11, 2008
+ report abuse

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wont happen.a lot of your fellow bleeding heart liberal would not allow that..THEY RATHER GIVE ANY CRIMINAL ACTION A SIGN OF AGREEMENT AND DEMAND A NEW LIBERAL REALITY SHOW ABOUT THIS.

[libsrweak]

LibH8er
If they are convicted as adults when they get out of prison they will not have the right ot vote and cannot register as democrats or anything else.

Posted by ranger1948 at 09:01 AM : Apr 13, 2008
+ report abuse

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that is true..however that would not stop them ACTUALLY IT WOULD ENCOURAGE them more to think and agree with the liberal democrats..

[ranger1948]

LibH8er
If they are convicted as adults when they get out of prison they will not have the right ot vote and cannot register as democrats or anything else.

[newsterl]

Someone needs to THWAPP them upside the head.

[sgtrds]

Try the ones they can as adults and throw them into adult prison. Actions have consequences and the real crime would be the example society sets for other teens if we let them escape without serious punishment.

[michellem99-2009]

Yes Dear..WE CAN ASK WHY /HOW COME TIL THE COWS COME HOME..WE STILL NOT KNOW..Ye can''t hold food from them..They can be grounded..Yep..and that is not abuse..It mean no tv,with friends,computer for school work only etc..I was just in Safeway and some little girl was naugty and she was allowed to do as she pleased..Well can we blame the children when parents won''t be parents...

[libh8er]

These girls and boys are beings bereft of decency and need to be taught a lesson by unconventional means!
Posted by woodydx at 01:52 PM : Apr 11, 2008

So, so true. And why did they do it? So they could be ''somebody'' on Youtube. They will no doubt grow up and register as democrats.....once free from prison.

[gramane]

Thank God my kids never did anything like this to anybody else (my son was bullied at school but never to this extent) I say put them in a work rehabilitation program!! Work their behinds off and let them know if they don''t work you don''t eat!! I used this philosphy when my kids would accidentally miss the bus, they would call me and ask what needed to be done. If they act like this now I am sure someone will come along and give it to them the way they gave it to that girl (whom I hope is doing better)you know what they say about Karma

[woodydx]

LibH8er: Try them as adults, convict them as adults (including kidnapping), and make the little social rejects do hard time. They will get PLENTY of like treatment once they meet ''''Gertrude'''' - who likes to sleep on top!

I love it! Some of them were laughing about the whole incident inside the holding cell according to the Sheriff. I wonder how much laughing they will be doing in prison inside a cell with a mean hardened cellmate with a crewcut named Bubbette! These girls and boys are beings bereft of decency and need to be taught a lesson by unconventional means!