Convicted school shooter Jesse Osborne, who is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole, has filed a plea for his sentence to be reconsidered, fueling hopes for his eventual release from prison.
Frank Eppes, Osborne’s attorney, contended in court that the presiding judge did not sufficiently consider a psychological report in Osborne’s case. This report suggested that Osborne’s violent actions resulted from a history of abuse and that he could potentially be rehabilitated. Eppes pleaded with the judge to offer Osborne, now 21 years old, a glimmer of hope for the future. Osborne, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, himself expressed remorse for his actions, apologizing to the family of the six-year-old he killed, as well as all those present at Townville Elementary School on that day. He voiced his ambition to improve himself while serving his sentence.
However, during the hearing at the Anderson County Courthouse in South Carolina, various voices voiced strong opposition to Osborne’s potential release. These included a teacher whose class was at recess during the shooting, a parent of an injured child, the father of the birthday celebrant, the superintendent, and the school principal. Principal Denise Fredericks, who had seen Osborne outside the school with ammunition, said that although she hoped he could lead a life making positive contributions, she firmly believed that he should remain incarcerated due to the gravity of his crimes. Prosecutors disclosed that the family of victim Jacob Hall chose not to speak in court but were steadfastly against Osborne’s release.
Osborne, who pleaded guilty to all charges, is currently serving two life sentences. Prior to the school shooting, he had also taken his father’s life. On the day of the school incident, September 28, 2016, Osborne rammed his truck into the school fence and opened fire on a first-grade class, resulting in the death of Jacob Hall and minor injuries to two other students and a teacher.
In their defense, Osborne’s team asserted that his brain was still developing during his teenage years. They presented a supplemental report from a psychologist that contradicted the prosecution’s experts who had labeled Osborne as dangerous and unrepentant. Osborne’s lawyer suggested a revised sentence: a minimum of 30 years for the murder charges, additional years for the attempted murder charges, and a lifetime of GPS monitoring following release, if granted.
The judge ordered a detailed report from the defense’s expert and allowed prosecutors a 10-day period to respond.
