Teen in beating death: ‘I hope they can forgive me’

A teenager found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the beating death of another teen at an area group home for children was sentenced Monday to 54 days in jail.

Frank Smith, who told the judge Anthony Parker was like his own son, burst out of the courtroom following the sentencing, yelling, “Oh my God, he murdered my son.”

Lance Tiernan, 18, was also sentenced to five years probation and community service in Judge Patricia Oney’s Butler County courtroom .

The Lebanon teen beat Parker during an altercation at the One Way Farm group home on Dec. 19, 2011. Tiernan punched Parker in the head and then bear hugged him from the back and threw him on his head. Parker died a week later from his injuries.

A slow-motion videotape aired during the trial showed Parker’s head bouncing off the hard floor, and Tiernan delivered a final blow to the back of Parker’s head while he was lying on the floor. He went to bed and three hours later was found unresponsive.

Prosecutor Mike Gmoser never comments on sentencing decisions, but he said something good has come out of this tragic case.

“If there is any good to come of this, it is that One Way Farm has now established a specific protocol for dealing with head trauma incidents,” he said. “I hate to see it on the back of some young man who died as a result of this occurrence, but at least in the future there is a heightened awareness that head traumas in these facilities have to be dealt with and dealt with in a very specific way.”

The state found that One Way Farm did not violate medical emergency protocols where this incident was concerned. Parker’s adoptive grandmother Anita Smith, who faulted the home for not seeking aide for Parker immediately, has considered filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the group home. She could not be reached for comment on this issue.

Oney also ordered Tiernan to finish his high school education or get a GED, he must take anger management classes, be screened for drugs and alcohol and perform 500 hours of community service. The judge then, by law, returned Tiernan’s case to the juvenile justice system. Tiernan was originally charged with murder, which must automatically be bound over to adult court. Involuntary manslaughter is a discretionary bind-over so the case goes back to Juvenile Judge Ron Craft.

Defense attorney Charlie Rittgers said Craft can either keep the case and give out punishment under that system or return it to Oney. He said a sentence in juvenile court will likely “mirror” what Oney imposed. His time in the Butler County Jail now begins counting toward the 54 days.

Parker’s mother Kathy Sulton, who hasn’t commented on the case previously, said she wished he had received a stiffer sentence, but understood Oney did what she felt she must.

“I forgive him (Lance),” she said. “The day that this happened in my heart I know didn’t intentionally set out to kill Anthony. It’s just the grieving has been hard because Anthony was my first born, it’s been a hard road.”

Tiernan told the judge he thinks about Parker every day and he didn’t want him to die.

“It was stupid, it was very stupid on my part…,” he said. “I hope one day they all can forgive me.”

Smith told the judge before sentencing that he had nothing but hatred for the teen.

“I will never forgive him…,” Smith said. “I will hate him for the rest of my life. No matter how much time you give him, it won’t be enough. I hope they make him relive every moment for the rest of his life.”

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