Charges Dropped Against 3 Teens

“Further investigation has shown that there is insufficient evidence to proceed with charges against the defendant.”

With that phrase charges were dropped against 3 of the teens involved in the case of the beating of former Mulberry High cheerleader Victoria Lindsay. Freed from further prosecution were: Cara Murphy, 16, Stephen Schumaker, 18, and Zachary Ashley, 17. They had all been charged with kidnapping and battery. There is some speculation that the 3 may become witnesses. However, Chip Thullbery, a spokesman for the State Attorney’s Office said any such speculation was premature: “At this point, it’s premature to determine who will be witnesses in the case,” Thullbery said.

Cara Murphy’s attorney, Melodie Lopez, said her client had nothing to do with the incident. Her client was at the scene of the incident, but that was all that happened.

Stephen Schumaker's father, Bob Schumaker, blamed Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, saying he had arrested the young men too hastily.

"They had nothing on the boys from the very start," Bob Schumaker said. "That's why we were so upset. Because they weren't even there."

Zachary Ashley's mother, Heidi Dease, agreed:

"It's been a long road," Dease said. "But we're very excited today."

Five girls still remain charged in the beating of Victoria Lindsay: Mercades Nichols, 17; April Cooper, 15; Brittini Hardcastle, 17; Kayla Hassall, 15; and Brittany Mayes, 17, all of whom are charged with battery and kidnapping. In addition, Mercades, Brittini and Brittany also are charged with tampering with a witness. See the video here.

For the full story on the entire incident see this posting and this update.

Lakeland Teen Gang Attack Update

8 Teenagers have been arrested and charged as adults in the brutal, animalistic beating of Victoria "Tori" Lindsay. See some of the court proceedings here. They have now all been released on bail ranging between $30,000 and $37,000 and placed under house arrest.

The parents of Victoria Lindsay, Talisa and Patrick Lindsay, speak out about the beating of their daughter:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1p0jO1EqGg]

One of the girls, Mercades Nichols, who is accused of being the ringleader of the group assault was bailed out of jail by people associated with Dr. Phil.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XBrKKuKFmQ]

This was obviously an attempt by the show to have exclusive rights to the Mercades Nichols' story and have her on the show as a guest. After receiving a lot of negative feedback they decided to cancel those plans. In an attempt at damage control Dr. Phil issued the following statement:

"We have helped guests and potential guests in the past when they need financial assistance to come on the show - assisting with clothing allowance, lost wages, accommodations, travel and necessities. In this case, certain staff members went beyond our guidelines (re: the bail being paid). These staff members have been spoken to and our policies reiterated. In addition, we have decided not to go forward with the story as our guidelines have been compromised."

A Polk County judge, J. Michael McCarthy, issued a gag order in the case after parents of some of the teens and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd appeared on national TV shows discussing the case this week.

In the meantime Victoria Lindsay is recovering slowly from the injuries she sustained in the vicious beating at her friend's house. She suffered a concussion and, even though more than a week has passed since the attack, has not fully regained her hearing and vision on her left side. However, as the swelling subsides, doctors hope those will return. According to her parents, Victoria will not return to Mulberry High school.

Florida Teens Attack Girl on Youtube

Victoria "Tori" Lindsey,16, a senior at Mulberry High School, said she learned a lesson about betrayal and friendship after receiving a severe beating at the hands of her "friends". The incident was recorded and placed on the video-sharing site Youtube. Six girls, one boy and a young man were arrested on charges of felony battery and false imprisonment.

Arrested are: Mercades Nichols, 17, Brittini Hardcastle, 17, and Britney Mayes, 17, facing charges of felonious battery, false imprisonment and kidnapping in connection with the attack. Cara Murphy, 16, Kayla Hassell, 15, April Cooper, 14, Zachary Ashley, 17, and Stephen Schumaker, 18, facing charges of felonious battery and false imprisonment.

The girl's mother, Talisa Lindsay, said it was painful to watch the video, which a Polk County sheriff's detective brought to their home days after the attack so Tori could identify the girls involved. Click on the image below to see the video.

"When you see your daughter who is not striking back to defend herself and someone keeps coming at you like that, it's a horrible thing," the girl's mother said. "I just don't understand it."

Tori's father said he didn't recognize his daughter in the emergency room. "I've never seen anyone's face disfigured like that,"he said. The teens arrested and accused of participating in the videotaped beating engaged in "animalistic behavior," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a press conference. "It's pack mentality," he said. "They lured her there to beat her." According to the Sheriff's Office, Tori Lindsey was having problems at home and was staying with a friend, Nichols, in Lakeland. On March 30 about 8:30 p.m., Tori arrived at Nichols' house on West Calendar Court and was greeted by Nichols and another girl. She went into the bedroom where she was staying, and a third girl, April Cooper, 14, began to insult and threaten her, then hit her in the face several times and slammed her head into a wall, knocking her unconscious.

When Tori awoke, she was on the living-room couch surrounded by six girls who took turns hitting and kicking her while the beating was videotaped. She told investigators that the six blocked the door, held her down and beat her for a half-hour. Sometime during the attack, her left ear and eye were injured. While this was going on, two boys, both teenagers acted as lookouts. Tori told investigators that Schumaker and Ashley knocked on the front door and warned the girls they were making so much noise that neighbors were wondering what was going on."I could be facing a year and a day in jail for something I didn't do," Schumaker said. After the beating, three of the girls drove her to another friend's house, where they told her, "If you go to the police, the next beating will be worse." Tori Lindsay has bruises, a concussion and damage to her left ear and eye, although her family said she is expected to recover.

The family would like a public apology from the girls, and they also want a law to protect kids on video and social-networking Web sites. Tori plans to continue her schooling at home rather than return to Mulberry High.

Mary Nichols, the grandmother of one of the girls who was arrested, says her family is suffering, too. The beating is alleged to have happened at Nichols' house while she was at work. Since the sheriff's office released the video this week, Nichols said, she has been receiving threatening, obscenity-laced telephone calls, and someone scratched her car.

"This is definitely traumatic to everyone, not just to Tori's family," Nichols said.

A Polk County judge issued a gag order in the case, after parents of some of the teens and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd appeared on national TV shows discussing the case. Meanwhile, a central Florida couple, Darlene and Jerry Ashley, claim they are being hounded by angry callers who mistakenly think they're connected to the notorious videotaped beating of the girl. Their phone number was mistakenly posted by a user of the YouTube video-sharing Web site, along with the numbers of the other teens charged in the beating. Callers think the Lakeland couple are the parents of one of the teen boys involved who has the same last name. They say they have gotten around 300 angry, abusive calls from all over the country.

Mercades Nichols, 17, remains in the Polk Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Bartow along with the six other minors who were arrested in the case. Schumaker, 18, was released from the Polk County Jail on bail.