Don was brought in for questioning and to take a polygraph, he passed with flying colors. He also said his father owned several guns which were missing from the apartment. Join Jen and Cam on this episode of 'Our True Crime Podcast' entitled Smotherly Love: Kevin Boyd. For more on this case and others like it, watch "Snapped" airing on Sundays at 6/5c on Oxygen or stream episodes any time at Oxygen.com. The first person the police wanted to question was Kevin Jr., They asked him where he was at the time of the murder. Kevin Sr. is positioned on his stomach on the floor with a pillow over the back of his head. Theres dramatic inconsistency in how states have treated their cases. Deck Watch Officer B.S. When Espree walked out of the G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility on April 6, 2017, he looked up at the sky and took deep breaths of the fresh air. I find out the next day the reason they didnt go to the burial siteis theyre too busy at the courthouse getting paper rights to take over Lake Orion Rental, Lucarelli told producers. A part of what I do reflects that, continuing to keep my word to my victims daughter and victims mother and making sure that my actions out here are accountable to that and to them.. With the number of wounds we saw there, it appeared it was definitely a crime of violence and passion, former Oakland County Sheriffs Detective Sergeant Patrick Miles told producers. On August 6, 1994, a man was disco Thats stirred fierce debate between prosecutors and defence attorneys, with some juvenile justice experts arguing the best solution would be for the US Supreme Court to ban outright all life-without-parole sentences for those under 18 at the time of their crimes. That he has developed under the adverse circumstances of incarceration truly is a testament to Antonio Esprees character and the indomitable nature of his spirit, Judge Darlene OBrien wrote in support of his petition for parole in 2016. Improbably, Kevin Sr. got to his feet, so she hit him again and again until he stayed down. The state sent him to die in prison. The Goodpods app is a great way to follow the shows and even listen to a curated playlist of their most talked about episodes!Links: www.truecrimepodcastfestival.com Goodpods: https://t.co/u1bHrjRCKPOur listener discretion is by the smooth-talking Edward October of @octoberpodVHS. Kevins funeral was on August 9, 1994. We are headed north to Lake Orion, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The blood spatter on the wall let him know it was no accident. The cousins grew up on the west side of Detroit. Lynns girlfriend subsequently passed a polygraph test, leading officers to zero in on Lynn. She told the police she couldnt take it anymore and wanted to confess. He grew up in Berkley, Michigan, but moved to Lake Orion, which was a small town nearby. Kevin Boyd. When his mother, Lynn, told him that his life would improve after his fathers death, he later said, I have to say that I think that was appealing to me.. Detectives later visited Espree in the hospital, where he had been brought in critical condition with his own gunshot wounds. Boyds lawyer, Dave OBrien, tells a different story: He says there was no physical evidence Boyd was at the murder scene. Younger inmates are more likely to commit disciplinary infractions while in prison as a result of their general feelings of hopelessness and not having the opportunity to mature in a normal environment, he wrote later in an affidavit supporting Esprees resentencing. She said late OctoberLynn admitted to her that she had killed him, Kevin, Miles told producers. College. She was convicted in a separate trial. Civil Engineering. Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. Donald Lucarelli, one of Kevin Sr.'s employees, was briefly considered a person of interestbut was cleared after passing a polygraph test. Kevin Sr. is positioned on his stomach on the floor with a pillow over the back of his head. But because of his previous actions and difficult upbringing, he was still considered a person of interest. But in April 2017, he was paroled thanks to a series of Supreme Court decisions arguing that because their brains were not fully developed at the time of their crimes, kids should face more lenient sentences than adult perpetrators. Kevin Sr. is positioned on his stomach on the floor with a pillow over the back of his head. Join Jen and Cam on this episode of 'Our True Crime Podcast' entitled Smotherly Love: Kevin Boyd. The man was Kevin Boyd, and his body was discovered by his son, Kevin, Jr. What the 16-year-old would encounter would be the absolute worst scenario. Imagine going from a setting like that and then back into society.. Mandatory life-without-parole sentences, like the one Espree had received, were unconstitutional. I believe Tony is genuinely sorry for the suffering he has causedI encouraged Tony to call or write to me, so that we both can continue to heal., When Shinetta forgave me, says Espree, it was a feeling beyond anything. https://www.patreon.com/parricidepodcast. Kevin opened a tool rental company in Lake Orion, Michigan, a former resort town which had become a bedroom community. There are parts of me that say Ive done all the things that anybody could have asked me plus a hundred more, Boyd says. The rulings, which took place between 2010 and 2016, have banned mandatory life-without-parole sentences for teenagers, giving thousands of juvenile lifers around the country a shot at release.Barbara Davidson. Both Tyler Hadley and Kevin Boyd Jr. were sentenced to Life without Parole for their parricide offenses. Lynn hit him over and over with the bat, and then he went crazy with the knife. He works for a philanthropic center on campus that helps incarcerated women take college classes, and he speaks regularly about juvenile justice. It's very difficult to review this case, as there, The FBi has been murdering people for years since their, Clearly its hard for some people to understand that although, What is taking so long? His killers had hoped to collect on a $500,000 life insurance policy. He was in disbelief, says Meagan Dreher, a paralegal who had come to meet him. Years later, he tutored himself with history and law books. The ruling drew from a flurry of new research into brain development showing that teens are more impulsive than adults and more influenced by peer pressure. The next morning he came home and discovered the body. The police also did not charge Andrea with giving false statements. Kevin said he stayed over at his girlfriends house. Its real; theres still shit I dont know.. He earned his GED certificate and enrolled in college classes. Soon shell live in a halfway house. Kevin met Lynn in the 1970s, they fell in love and got married in 1975. It's us but for your ears. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners. This individual went inside of the apartment, turned on the lights and saw Kevin Sr. basically lying in a pool of blood, former Oakland County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Mark Bilkovic told Snapped.. Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. Kevin Jr. ran from the apartment, desperate to get some help. We are headed north to Lake Orion, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The knife was wrapped in a medium shirt, believed to have been Kevin Jr.s. Thats part of the reason he always felt like a brother to me, Bailey says. How did that happen? Join Jen and Cam on this episode of 'Our True Crime Podcast' entitled Smotherly Love: Kevin Boyd.We are going to the True Crime Podcast Festival in Dallas this year. But in Michigan, where 363 juvenile lifers were serving mandatory sentences in 2016, there is no such requirement, and prosecutors have argued that nearly two-thirds of juvenile lifers are those rarest offenders who should be kept in prison for good. . "The prosecutor in Oakland County sought to resentence Kevin Boyd, a named class representative, to life without parole. Can you solve it? The man had fought furiously to escape his killer, as demonstrated by all the injuries on his face and body. Shes like a baby all over again, Espree tells the caller. Any son that would be willing to help his Mother murder his own father so savagely for a $500 insurance policy sounds like their both twisted F***s you cant cure what they are! The next day, he stopped at a Catholic high school, where he wanted to thank a group of students who had written a legal brief on his behalf. Even supermarkets were overwhelming; the first time he went shopping, he asked whether he could pick up a tomato to inspect it before buying it. The man was Kevin Boyd, and his body was discovered by his son, Kevin, Jr. What the 16-year-old would encounter would be the absolute worst scenario. I fully admit that. Oakland County prosecutor Jessica Cooper says a dysfunctional childhood is no excuse for committing murder and notes that many teens have terrible upbringings but dont resort to crime. Inexpensive, too! While Boyd Jr. was not at the murder scene, the 16-year-old knew of his mothers plan. He drank and smoked, tried to commit suicide, and went through 10 different schools before dropping out, according to the Detroit Free Press. WHEN Kevin was 16 years old, he helped plot the murder of his father at the hands of his mother. Died: May 29, 2020 (aged 37) Born: January 9, 1983 . Boyd says that four years later, when he and his mother discussed the murder plot and she told him his life would improve after his fathers death, I have to say that I think that was appealing to me.. In 2012, a Supreme Court ruling vacated the life sentences of over 2,500 juvenile offenders. Kevin Jr., on the other hand was struggling. . Kevin and Lynn were both found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. They separated in 1988. They had their son Kevin Jr., in 1977, and they seemed happy at first. However, Lynn kept referring to Julie as a he. The police believed that Kevin Jr., had really helped Lynn, and they were trying to frame Julie. Later, we stop by a nearby convenience store, where he buys a lottery ticket. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? There was no point in time to where my hands were tied that I couldnt have picked up the phone and warned my dad what was coming his way or called the police, he says. Lynn told the police that she and Julie had killed Kevin, and that Julie was the mastermind. View the profiles of people named Kevin Boyd Jr. Join Facebook to connect with Kevin Boyd Jr. and others you may know. Lynn struggled with alcoholism and Kevin Jr. would later claim that indeed both his parents were alcoholics, the, Kevin Jr. told investigators that he had spent the previous night at his girlfriends after a fight with his dad, according to. On November 23, 1994, Julie, Lynns girlfriend, requested a meeting with the police. His apartment showed no signs of a break-in, but it did look like someone had gone through the apartment. View the profiles of people named Kevin Boyd. Now its happening. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Even though Kevin Boyd Jr. was a minor when his fathers murder took place, he was tried and sentenced as an adult. Lawsuits are pending in Michigan to do just that. This helped investigators narrow down the time of the murder to between 11 p.m, when the musician arrived at his gig, and 3 a.m., when he left. As a result, Kevin Boyd Jr. was resentenced in 2019 to 25 years in prison, making him immediately eligible for parole. He felt entitled to the freedom, money, and control that his dad seemed to have. What Kevin didnt know is they had recovered one of the guns that Kevin took and had sold to someone in Flint, Michigan. They married in 1975, and their son, Kevin Jr., was born in 1977. Investigation Discoverys Diabolical: Sins of a Mother is an episode that explores a small-town murder in Michigan that ended up rocking the entire state. In the winters, he and his friends would play in the snow; during summers it was tackle football, or theyd build go-karts out of wood and race them down the streets. Lynn told the police that she and Kevin had an amicable relationship, mostly for the sake of Kevin Jr. She also said that while she doubted someone in his shoes could transition well on their own after so many decades in prison, living with his cousin would give him every chance of succeeding., Espree was lucky, says Cuauhtemoc Mexica, a postdoctoral researcher at Arizona State who spent more than seven years in juvenile detention himself for violent crimes committed as a teen. Kevin Sr.s wallet still contained cash and his credit cards, ruling out the possibility of a robbery. He and Lynn were tried separately in 1996, where prosecutors said their motive was the $500,000 payout from Kevin Sr.s life insurance policy. Terms of Service apply. The on screen text a the end of the episode said Kevin said he is not a reflection of who he used to be.. But while Kevins work life prospered, his home life was falling apart. Donald Spice murdered his girlfriend Lori Marie Vargis, a mother of two children from Michigan, with a hammer in 2015. When Clemmie Hooper, a midwife, unmasked herself as an online troll, many called for an official misconduct hearing. Professional Science Masters Environmental Policy & Management. This was just a few months before Kevin Sr., would be killed. The T-shirt belonged to KevinJr. and the knife matched the wounds on his fathers body,the Associated Pressreported at the time. . When the US Supreme Court banned mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles, it didnt completely eliminate the punishment but said it should be confined to the rarest of children whose crimes reflect irreparable corruption.. His parents eventually decided he might do better living with his father. Join Jen and Cam on this episode of 'Our True Crime Podcast' entitled Smotherly Love: Kevin Boyd.We are going to the True Crime Podcast Festival in Dallas this year. Improbably, Kevin Sr. got to his feet, so she hit him again and again until he stayed down. Unfortunately, Kevins world started falling apart when Lynn told him that she wanted a divorce in 1988. He had the personality to match, sister Lynette Heide told. Kevin Jr. ran from the apartment, desperate to get some help. After the funeral, Lynn never came up there, little Kevin never came up there, to the burial site. claimedLynn struck his father several times with the bat. Studied at U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Will you sit down and listen so we can fix it? If I get natural life again, its because they wouldnt listen. All times AEDT (GMT +11). Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! It was a steady business. His mom, Lynn Boyd, agreed - she wanted what Kevin Sr. had, too. James Garbarino, a psychologist and expert witness in murder trials who focuses on adolescent development, notes in his book Millers Children that many juvenile lifers come from rough backgrounds79 percent saw violence at home and half were physically abused, according to a survey by the Sentencing Project. You just kind of get tired of walking in that same circle, he says. The answering machine was also missing. During this time, the family moved to Lake Orion, a former resort town, where Kevin opened up a tool rental company. Its not just about their age. The police asked her if she knew of anyone whod want to hurt Kevin. And she had a plan that would give her what she wanted. Boyd points to his two-decade prison record as evidence of his rehabilitation. Their life from the outside seemed simply idyllic. In Oakland County, north of Detroit, Boyd is among 44 of 49 juvenile lifers whom prosecutors are seeking to keep locked up. Boyd was born in 1951 and grew up in Berkeley, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Detectives subsequently retrieved one of Kevin Sr.s guns, which his son had asked an associate to dispose of for him. Even Henry Montgomery, the plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case, isnt free. Nurses wouldnt let the detectives talk to their patient, a minor, without his parents there, so Espree says he didnt find out that his bullet killed a man until a later court hearing. On August 6, 1994, a man was discovered on his apartment floor. Lynn Boyd persuaded her teen son Kevin Boyd Jr. to help murder his father - Diabolical investigates Tue Apr 07, 2020 at 4:37pm ET By Jerry Brown - View Comment (1) In 1994, at Lake Orion in Michigan, Kevin Boyd Sr. was savagely murdered in his home. Lynn Boyd and Kevin Boyd Jr. were tried separately for the murder of Kevin Boyd Sr. in 1996. When his resentencing hearing comes, Boyd says he plans to explain what he claims was his limited role in his fathers death. 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