I know as a judge I'm not supposed to show emotion and in 22 years I never have this is one of the worst things I've ever seen in my life in the chilling confines of a courtroom the atmosphere crackles with an electric intensity as the judge delivers a sentence that will reverberate through the annals of criminal history what happens when two minds entwined in a Sinister dance of malevolence confront the reality of a life sentence on December 19 2017 Agents from the FBI and the Cleveland Police Department located the corpse of Jordan a little child who had been reported missing earlier in the month Jordan was 5 years old as a result of the congenital handicap he was born with Jordan Rodriguez was unable to talk in the course of their investigation into his disappearance the police discovered his dead corpse inside of his own home about 3 hours had passed by the time the FBI and the medical examiners discovered Jordan's corpse in the backyard after they had been digging there the weak dead corpse of Jordan showed various symptoms of maltreatment including fractured ribs when it was examined by the authorities after Jordan's mom's boyfriend's brother phoned the police to notify them about Jordan's location the police decided to take their inquiry to a new level and investigate the residents of the missing youngster in order to find out more about what happened to him the informant made the call to the police from Pakistan and indicated that his brother Christopher Rodriguez had contacted him from prison and informed him that he and his girlfriend Lissa Rodriguez had buried Jordan's corpse in the backyard of their house or I don't know if you can basically it's kind of messed up the whole situation but my brother told me something and I just can't sleep at night as far as you know what what I don't I don't know I just kind of feel like I I need to say something for concerning the brother yeah just I know I know it sounds crazy but where um he lives off of Detroit so I don't know his direct address um basically um he told me that something happened with one of the kids and um they didn't call the cops and basically he buried him and his girlfriend buried a kid in the backyard now mind you my brother is known to lie a lot so I kind of like blew it off and I was like hey man hope Christopher Rodriguez was the brother of the informant Christopher Rodriguez is now doing time for the murder of Jordan according to Christopher he and Lissa made the decision to bury Jordan after discovering that he was unresponsive to their questions Jordan was not seen alive again until the month of September and the prosecution were under the impression that he had been brutally slain and buried around the 22nd of that month Christopher Rodriguez was in the process of serving a term of 6 months in the Medina County jail for failing to pay child support at the time that the inquiry was being conducted after the horrible facts of Jordan's murder were made public the authorities decided to place Christopher in a maximum security jail rather than a minimum security one what led to Lissa Rodriguez's detention by the law enforcement officials when Lissa Rodriguez disclosed to the authorities that her kid had traveled to Houston Texas to see his biological father the authorities began their investigation of her and began to close in on her she went on to say that on December 2nd his aunt had taken him up however she did not disclose any specific information about Jordan's claimed aunt or father including their contact information she was also unable to provide any information on her son who had gone missing Lissa Rodriguez who was 34 years old at the time of her arrest was suspected of having killed her son Jordan Lissa Rodriguez has reportedly been on the radar of the County's Job and Family Services according to the spokesperson for the county Madigan the authorities took possession of two of her eldest children some years ago and withdrew them from her care Lissa Rodriguez had successfully delivered all nine of her children before she was taken into custody during the time of her arrest four of her children were living with her while the other two of her children were living with their Dads all of her children were placed into emergency custody Anna Rodriguez who is Lissa's sister admitted that she had seen Jordan being restrained in a corner with a suck shoved into his mouth at some point in the past she went on to say that a friend of hers had said to her that a few months earlier she had seen Jordan in the closet in a very critical condition according to Anna she informed the Child Welfare Professionals in the county about both of the occurrences she felt an overwhelming sense of loss at learning about Jordan's passing irony at its highest point occurred when Lissa Rodriguez gave birth to her 10th child a baby girl while she was incarcerated awaiting trial for the death of her son the authorities made the decision to put the infant girl in a foster family the decision of Judge Nancy Margaret Russo of the kyoga County Common Police Court to impose a sentence of 28 years in prison on Christopher Rodriguez was affirmed by a panel of three judges in the eth district court of appeals Christopher Rodriguez and Lissa Rodriguez the boy's mother entered guilty pleas to charges related to Jordan's murder the counts included involuntary manslaughter felony assault endangering the welfare of a child and gross abuse of a body the pair were able to escape a trial for murder which could have resulted in a sentence of life in prison as a result of the plea agreement that was reached with prosecutors the couple's attorneys and the prosecutor have come to an agreement on the suggested punishment for both defendants which is between 20 and 20 5 years in prison in a hearing that took place immediately after the sentencing of Lissa Rodriguez Russo decided not to follow the advice of the prosecutor and instead imposed a sentence of 25 years in prison on Christopher Rodriguez after prosecutors showed her images of the boy courts judge Russo said it was the first time in her 22 years on the bench that she had shed tears Russo broke down in tears she addressed Christopher Rodriguez with the following words I don't know how you live with yourself I know as a judge I'm not supposed to show emotion and in 22 years I never have this is one of the worst things I've ever seen in my life and I don't understand Mr Rodriguez why you don't want to cleanse yourself and tell the truth about what happened here and I hope someday you do whatever this child life was supposed to be you make sure it didn't happen you and Lissa I look at friends and family people who are desperate to have children and want to have families and you two have babies with no consideration you just keep having them having them disregarding the value of their life disregarding their purpose in life like they're less than an object no regard I didn't even hear you say you were sorry I will not accept the recommendation for Mr Rodriguez these crimes are horrific there's no question in my mind that this child was abused it's clear that you did everything you could you and to hide evidence to protect yourselves you had every opportunity at so many points to make a difference to get help to stop beating somebody to call the police to ask for help to try to take him to the hospital thank you for joining us on this intense and thought-provoking journey if you found value in these narratives consider subscribing for more content that challenges the boundaries of understanding my life for Austin I loved him a lot I'm sorry for what Happ but like Dylan Shoemaker was playing with Ashley Smith's kids while she was at work at a restaurant on March 19 2013 bad news spread quickly through the small town of Springville di Shoemaker had beaten his girlfriend's 2-year-old son so badly that he could not live she went back to his boyfriend's house and found that his older son Austin had died he was caught by cops at home the terrible way he was killed made his story go public everyone in New York was talking about the same story he had been killed Dylan shaker from Springville was a normal teen the news about this event spread very quickly he became popular very quickly after that horrible event Dylan was taking care of Ashley Smith's two young boys that terrible night while she was at work it was sad that Austin the bigger boy who was about 2 years old died at the end of the night Ashley Dylan's girlfriend went to work happy that night because it was a beautiful evening she gets home late most of the time it started St like any other night but who knows when this night in Springville will stop being great at that time most people in town were asleep many were at work and others were spending the night with their families at Dylan's house were his mother father and Ashley's two boys who are very pretty in the past Dyan was in charge of watching the kids at the start of the night there were no strange things going on as the night went on something went Went Wrong by the time Ashley got back her kid Austin was no longer responding he had been beaten badly and the scars would not heal everyone was shocked when they heard the news because they could only think how hard he hit the baby boy never hurt anyone before he's my baby brother like he can't do this Dylan's Shoemaker was arrested quickly and then charged with second deegree murder everyone in the country heard his passionate please for help I can't take back what was done I wish I could I give my life for Austin what he did made him very angry but nothing could stop him from killing someone a well-known saying goes it doesn't help to feel sorry for yourself after birds have eaten the farm a lot of people paid attention to the hearing a lot of family members reporters and other interesting people crowded into the courtroom it was used as an excuse that Shoemaker was old and upset he he was upset during the ruling and said he didn't mean to kill Austin the prosecution said that Shoemaker was cold and well planned their presence showed how badly Austin was hurt there were calls for more witnesses including medical workers who talked about how bad Austin's injuries were I didn't mean to kill Austin actually I really didn't you think I Dyan cried when the ruling came out he said he loved Austin and didn't mean to hurt him he said sorry to his partner and the court while crying tears of shame but none of the jury believed him I am a 16-year-old blonde probably all I have to do is cry in front of the jury and they're going to feel sorry for me Justice M William bowler called Shoemaker a manipulator and deceiver in a very harsh way he talked about how Shoemaker planned his actions and how he tried to sway the judges by crying Shoemaker was given a term of 20 Years to Life in jail for killing Austin in the second degree when this woman was sentenced in 2017 a video of her crying while her mother wailed when viral she was back in court trying to get her guilt and term thrown out candrea cook failed Anthony Candela her lawyer asked the judge to deny her move but the judge said no I just want to say that I'm sorry M that her get sh I didn't even know get sh candela's main point was that her former lawyers had not done enough to help her case in March 2017 cook put his face on a meet me app page to trick Perry naida of Palm Coast into going to a meeting where he would be robbed he brought his friend Emanuel Manny purel from Palm Coast with him to the meeting in South Daytona Kendrick bass Cook's partner and boyfriend at the time shot and badly hurt purel during the attempted carjacking police say cook and bass worked together to steal another car just two days later at the time cook was a student at Mainland High School she thought she would get probation when she was sentenced in June 2017 because that's what her defense lawyer told her would happen Circuit Judge Matt foxman instead gave her 20 years in jail that's what made the video of cook and her mom reacting in court go viral after she was sentenced Steven Robinson and Kelvin Daniels two new lawyers took over her case for free in August 2017 cook was able to change her plea because based on what her lawyer had told her she thought she would get probation Robinson and Daniel said in court that they were trying to get the prosecutors to agree to a sentence of 8 to 10 years as part of her plan to get her term reduced cook took part in a controlled call to bass but things got more difficult when she called bass even though the court had told her she couldn't accept for the managed call I think he got in I think he got potential side that as a result of his no contest plea cook was found guilty of aggravated abuse with dangerous weapon attempted carjacking with a deadly weapon and carjacking with a deadly weapon it was decided that she was guilty she could have spent the rest of her life in jail after that she got 11 years in jail and starting in April 2018 20 years of probation at the same time when cook went on the stand no one cried she said no one told her she could go to court instead of going to jail for 11 years she did say though that she agreed to spend 11 years in jail based on Cook's claim that she wasn't told she could go to trial SCH all right um the uh 30 days is probably the idea before we have it but your attorneys are going to talk to you about this um just cooperate with that process cuz I want to know Circuit Judge Karen foxman agreed with her foxman also said that Robinson and Daniels made smart choices based on the evidence against their client which included the fact that she broke a judge's order Karen foxman is married to Matt foxman and took over his case load when judges were moved around in 20121 bass who is 22 years old was later given a 20-year sentence the Department of Corrections says he will be free in December 2037 cook is supposed to be freed in January 2028 to kill Austin actually I really didn't think I did I didn't mean to hurt him in the dley lit courtroom tension hung thick in the air as the judge's gavel [Music] echoed delivering a verdict that would reverberate through the lives of the youngest gang m MERS in the city is not sufficiently substantial to call for leniency and that a natural life sentence is appropriate as the heavy doors clanged shut a collective gas escaped from a gallery of onlookers echoing the disbelief that gripped the room the accused whose faces were marked by a mix of defiance and fear stood Frozen in the harsh reality of their Fates we'll start with Brandon Spencer I'm not a bad person but I made mistakes but I'm not just some gang banger that she tried to betray me as a 21-year-old guy was given a 40-year to life term for shooting and hurting four people outside of A USC Halloween party in 2012 after firing shots outside of the black student assembly sponsored party on October 31 2012 Brandon Spencer was found guilty of four counts of attempted murder during the trial the prosecutors said that Spencer shot someone because he was in a fight with a rival gang member and that he was a documented well-known gang member himself he begged the judge to be lenient asking for a second chance at life 3D this is to be concurrent with the principal term as count he became angry when the judge told him his sentence according to officials early this year Spencer heard that he had been found guilty he then threw over a chair and begged the officers to shoot him but I'm not just some gang banger that she tried to betray me as because none of the four people who were shot were USC students including Spencer the school now makes all guests register before they can come on campus between 9900 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. next up we have dant Wright this year was supposed to be a year of celebration of senior pictures with prom and graduation and parties instead it was a nightmare an Ann aror man was sentenced for the shooting death of a high school student in Ann Arbor during the hearing the judge in wona County took away his smile Judge David S Schwartz of washon county trial court I'm very tempted to just say I'm not going to accept this sentence agreement we'll go to trial and if you're convicted of felony murder you'll go to prison for the rest of your life that means you'll die there let prosecutors think again about their plea deal in term of 25 to 52 years in jail after seeing 17-year-old dent arri right smile sentenced by the parties but watching you sit there smile and laugh and shake your head like this was no big deal while the mother of murdered Pioneer High School student Jordan CLE cried Wright seemed to be comforted by a loved one in the courtroom as C's grandfather her crying mother Karen CLE and her cousin gave a victim impact statement Wright smiled and shook his head they talked about how much the Pioneer High School student loved Sports including the prom and holidays he would have missed they also talked about how sad they were about his death Jordan has no future Jordan can no longer choose to go to college Jordan can no longer choose to change when Reich got to speak he told the judge that all he wanted was his plea deal and sentence and he was going to be home soon he also said he loved his family and rip Keon tell y'all I'll be home soon rip Keon I love my family which seemed to be a reference to the death of Keon Washington in 2014 which was thought to be connected to gangs now we will talk about Carpio Brothers gang members were sentenced today for killing a teenager on a high school campus in the valley two teenage boys were given their sentences for their part in the death of a student by stabbing at Cleveland High School in Rosita in 2013 two men Anthony Carpio and Michael Steven Carpio were each given 16 years to live in prison the two Carpio were both in a street gang each of them was found guilty of killing Kevin Orana in the second degree Oreland was not a part of any gang a third codefendant 21-year-old Michelle panita was given 2 years in county jail after pleading not guilty to one criminal count of being an agent after the fact with knowledge of a crime as Orel played volleyball at Grover Cleveland High School on April 24 2013 the brothers came up to him the prosecutor said according in to the evidence in court the suspects made a gang dare which led to a fight people who were there said that Anthony Carpio stabbed Orana during the fight Marcus said that the Carpio Brothers then hit a car that pan was driving Randy page of CBS 2 said that the Carpio brothers were expressionless in the vanise courtroom when Judge Martin hovitz gave the sentence all he was doing Marcus read a victim impact statement that oran's family had written before he was sentenced as parents we can't wait to dance at their wedding as a parent we plan to dance at their wedding celebrate their promotion and maybe even have grandchildren celebrate a promotion look forward to possible grandchildren as the statement said the last thing we would ever think about is having to plan their funeral thought we would ever have is that we'll have to plan their funeral the boys won't be able to get out of jail until at least 2028 lastly we will discuss the case of Martis Fuller took a few hours for a jury to convict a kosha tetine of murdering his former girlfriend Martis Fuller became emotional after the verdict was read this afternoon Kaylee juga was killed in Kenesha County in 2019 Martis Fuller was found guilty and given a life term without the chance of release Fuller was charged as an adult with criminally causing death attempting to cause death and breaking into a house with a gun he told the police that he was not guilty in March 2021 a jury said he was guilty we the jury find the defendant guilty of first-degree intentional homicide is the government says that juka's ex-boyfriend Fuller broke into her house shot her and killed her she had music on in her bedroom at the time Stephanie juga told the judge I miss my daughter so much at her sentencing she was always with me whether we were shopping going to the gym going to Starbucks watching Netflix listening to music and the car or just dancing around the kitchen we were shopping going to the gym going to Starbucks watching Netflix jamming in the car to music or just dancing like crazy in the kitchen she was always by my side and she was my biggest cheerleader Jenga said she was my biggest fan now I am lost Michael gravley the DA for Kenesha county says this is a case of domestic abuse his attorney read a statement that Martis Fuller wrote in court he said he was sorry but didn't say why pefully I am sorry about the pain you've all suffered through he just said he's innocent the lawyer read out loud for Fuller but I have to continue to stand innocent because I am but I have to continue to stand innocent because I am and I know that I haven't shown much emotion during my time however the real reason is that it's hard to cry when I think about how my mom lost a son one of her children Fuller's lawyer asked the court if if there was a chance that he could be under more control in 25 to 30 years the judge agreed with the state and gave Fuller a life term without the chance of release when judge Mary K Wagner spoke she said that Fuller did not have a damaged childhood or a background of mental illness jaga's mom says she heard her daughter scream from upstairs in 2019 she talked about how she stood next to Fuller while he pointed a gun at her and told him you don't have to do this his answer was yes I have to at the time they were both 15 years old and top students at Bradford High School the mother also told the police that Fuller shot her several times when she tried to close the door after that she locked herself in the bathroom and called the police Stephanie juka's mother spoke in court about her daughter if this video has left you with questions or stirred a desire for Action consider engaging in conversations that go beyond the surface share your thoughts in the the comments below remember to subscribe for more thought-provoking content That delves Into the Heart of societal issues thank you for joining us on this emotional Journey