Violent Behavior: A Psychological Case Study

Tyrone, a handsome 17-year-old African American youth, was charged with killing two convenience store clerks in two separate robberies. The adolescent, acting alone, fired directly at the lone clerk in each of the stores, instantly killing both of them. Videotapes from store cameras revealed that neither clerk resisted the robberies. In fact, in the second incident, Tyrone shot the clerk immediately upon entering the store.

The state indicted the adolescent as an adult with multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, and announced its intention to seek the death penalty. Prior to trial, a plea agreement was reached, wherein Tyrone avoided a possible death sentence by agreeing to plead guilty to two counts of seconddegree murder, and one count of armed robbery associated with a ...