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She says son withdrew, became angry when his grandmother was sent to prison
By Bill Lilley Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Thursday, Sep 20, 2007
CANTON: The mother of a convicted killer offered nearly 45 minutes of emotional testimony Wednesday as the sentencing phase of the capital murder trial of Justin Lucas of Coventry Township was presented to jurors in a Stark County Common Pleas Court.
Lucas, 20, was convicted by a jury Tuesday of aggravated murder and aggravated robbery with gun specifications in the July 10, 2006, fatal shooting of Jason A. Halter at Halter's residence on 13th Street Northwest in Canton.
His mother, Tamitha Lucas, who now lives in Kentucky and works for the Salvation Army, painted a picture of a mostly happy childhood for Justin that she said turned traumatic on a single event.
''He was very outgoing, did well in school and played a lot sports until he was about 12,'' she said. ''It was between the time he was 10 and 12 that his attitude and life completely changed. That was when my mother went to prison because she was with a man who killed someone. She and Justin were very close and he took it very hard.''
Tamitha Lucas said her mother spent seven years in prison, and during that time her son's life went into a downward spiral.
''He became withdrawn, he became angry and sad,'' she said. ''He completely stopped playing sports. And he started doing drugs.''
She also said her husband at the time who adopted Justin Lucas when the boy was 9 treated him differently than the three boys he had fathered with her.
She said Justin further alienated her former husband when he would defend her against his stepfather in physical confrontations.
''He would knock Justin down,'' Tamitha Lucas said. ''And Justin would get back up to defend me.''
She said a Canton psychiatrist helped the youngster adjust his life with three major medications a few years later. But at 16, he ran out of the medication when the doctor discontinued his practice.
Stark County Prosecutor Fred Scott pointed out that Justin Lucas was arrested several times on different charges ranging from domestic violence to criminal trespass and had been suspended from Coventry High School nearly a dozen times.
Lucas took the stand himself to address the jury for about 10 minutes, saying numerous times that he was remorseful for what happened and would like to be able to change the events of July 10, 2006.
''It's really sad a life was taken that night and two more lives besides mine are changed because they are in a penitentiary,'' Lucas said.
Jacob Rollins and Tona De Long have also been sentenced for their involvement in the incident.
Rollins, who was 15 at the time, was tried as an adult and is serving a life sentence.
A second co-defendant, Tona DeLong of Jackson Township, received a seven-year sentence in exchange for her testimony. According to the prosecution, the 26-year-old woman used text messages to lure Halter out of his house so Rollins and Lucas could rob him.
Lucas faces four possible sentences for the aggravated murder conviction: death, life in prison without parole, or life in prison with parole possible after either 25 or 30 years. He also would face potential additional time for the armed robbery conviction.
Jurors are to reconvene today to hear further testimony and later consider what sentence to recommend to Stark County Common Pleas Judge John Haas, who can only accept their recommendation or lower it.
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Bill Lilley can be reached at 330-996-3811 or blilley@thebeaconjournal.com.
CANTON: The mother of a convicted killer offered nearly 45 minutes of emotional testimony Wednesday as the sentencing phase of the capital murder trial of Justin Lucas of Coventry Township was presented to jurors in a Stark County Common Pleas Court.
Get the full article here.
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