See: Best description of original incident. With that said, if you wish to read the entire case it is below, but read the highlights to see how it ended (way down).11-28-1995 Georgia:
CARNESVILLE - More than a year after the Georgia Supreme Court overturned his conviction, a trial date has still not been set for a Franklin County man whose trip through the court system has taken more improbable twists than an Agatha Christie murder mystery.
Sterling Barber, who will turn 20 on Sept. 6, was convicted by a Franklin County jury in 1996 on felony murder, aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter, armed robbery and motor vehicle theft charges in the Nov. 28, 1995, slaying of convicted child molester Gerald Wyatt.
Barber admitted to stabbing the Madison County hairdresser with a large knife Barber carried, but said he did it in self-defense. Wyatt posed as a private detective, tricked Barber into going with him to a secluded Franklin County road and tried to rape him, Barber testified in his trial.
Barber's lawyer at the time brought five men who were prepared to tell the jury that Wyatt had tried to molest them when they were boys, but the trial judge, William F. Grant, allowed only two to testify.
On June 30, 1997, the Supreme Court reversed the conviction, ruling that Grant should have allowed all five men to testify.
But more than a year later, Barber remains in the Franklin County Jail in lieu of $140,000 bond. He has a new new lawyer, the state has a new prosector - the second one appointed to prosecute Barber - and even the judge in the case is new. The upshot is that the case has not been scheduled for trial, and hearing dates have not been set for several motions filed last October by Barber's new lawyer, Ed Tolley of Athens.
Tolley was Barber's original defense attorney, but had to drop the case when he was hired to prepare the University of Georgia's defense in an NCAA investigation of the UGA football program.
The daisy chain of personnel moves began in October 1996, when Tolley took over Barber's defense from Northern Circuit Public Defender Bob Lavender, who was elected district attorney. Lavender, who defended Barber in his trial, replaced Lindsay Tice. Tice had resigned to assume the seat of Grant, who retired as the Northern District's chief Superior Court judge after 1996.
When the Supreme Court overturned the convictions, Lavender disqualified himself from prosecuting because he had been Barber's defense attorney.
The case was reassigned to George Bryant, the Northern Circuit's new chief judge, and Bryant appointed Danielsville lawyer Lane Fitzpatrick to prosecute Barber. But Fitzpatrick resigned in February after Tolley filed court motions asking to have Fitzpatrick disqualified, arguing that Fitzpatrick had conflicts of interest.
Fitzpatrick once sued Wyatt in a civil case on behalf of an elderly woman swindled by Wyatt, Tolley said. Fitzpatrick also had a conflict because his law partner, Tom Camp, represented the Franklin County Department of Family and Children Services when Barber was in the agency's custody, Tolley argued.
On Feb. 24, Bryant asked the office of State Attorney General Thurburt Baker to take over prosecuting the case, but so far there has been no movement.
"We've had folks working on this for some time now. We're prepared to try it, and plan to try it," said Daryl Robinson, deputy counsel to Baker.
But so far, "We have no inkling when the trial might be," he said.
Before there can be a trial, Bryant will have to schedule hearings on Tolley's motions. Those include a motion to move the trial outside Franklin County, and a motion to throw out search warrants Franklin County authorities obtained to search Barbers' parents' home. Law officers seized Wyatt's watch, his briefcase and wallet when they executed that search warrant.
Tolley was unavailable for comment Monday and Tuesday. ..more.. by Lee Shearer
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Franklin man's tussle with law on '48 Hours'
2-10-1999 Georgia:
CARNESVILLE -- The sad, twisted case of Sterling Barber will get prime-time national exposure Thursday on the news show ''48 Hours,'' airing at 10 p.m. on CBS.
The segment, called ''A Time To Kill,'' has been a year-and-a-half in the making and explores the case of Barber, a Franklin County man still awaiting a re-trial in the Nov. 27, 1995, stabbing death of Madison County businessman Gerald Douglas Wyatt -- family man and church deacon to some, sexual molester and swindler in others' eyes.
The ''48 Hours'' story is distilled from more than 100 hours of interviews with Barber, his family, Wyatt's family and others involved in the case, said Abra Potkin, one of the show's producers.
''It's a very difficult story. There are no winners,'' Potkin said.
On one side, ''there's this kid who's in prison waiting, not knowing what his future holds,'' she said. On the other side, there is the family of the murder victim, who ''are committed to making people remember there was a murder, who want people to remember that he was a husband and a father -- a good father,'' she said.
''It raises some very important questions,'' she said.
Arrested three days after Wyatt bled to death from six stab wounds, Barber admitted from the beginning that he stabbed Wyatt to death with a large knife Barber habitually carried on his belt.
But Barber, then 17, said he acted in self-defense. Wyatt, 48, a hair dresser and used-car dealer, told Barber he was a private detective, offered him money to be his local guide and lured him to a deserted Franklin County road, Barber told investigators. There Wyatt, a convicted child molester, tried to rape him, Barber said in court.
In Barber's first murder trial, in September 1996, Northern Circuit District Attorney Lindsay Tise portrayed Barber as a cold-blooded killer who planned all along to rob Wyatt and steal his 1988 Lincoln Continental.
A Franklin County jury agreed with Tise's version of events. On Oct. 3, 1996, the jury convicted Barber of felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery and motor vehicle theft. Barber was shipped from the Franklin County Jail to Hays State Prison to serve a life sentence.
Barber was back in the Franklin County Jail within months, however, after the Georgia Supreme Court ordered a new trial for him.
The court ruled that Superior Court Judge William T. Grant had made a serious mistake by allowing the testimony of only two of five defense witnesses, all prepared to testify that Wyatt had either molested them or tried to when they were teens.
One of the witnesses said Wyatt threatened him with a shotgun, one said Wyatt threatened him with a razor, and the Supreme Court ruled that Grant should have allowed all five to testify.
CBS originally planned to follow Barber's case through his second trial, but the case has dragged on so long that the show decided to go ahead with the broadcast, Potkin said.
In the 26 months since Barber was convicted, a series of twists and turns has caused delay upon delay, and Barber has yet to get his new trial.
A month after the jury convicted Barber, the prosecutor, Tise, was elected to a Northern Circuit Superior Court judgeship, filling the post left open when Grant -- the trial judge -- retired. Barber's lawyer, Bob Lavender, was elected to Tise's post as Northern Circuit district attorney.
Lavender withdrew as Barber's defense counsel, and also had to withdraw from prosecuting the case because he had defended the young man. Athens lawyer Ed Tolley took over the case, filing the appeal that got Barber a new trial. Tolley was actually Barber's first lawyer, but withdrew when the University of Georgia Athletic Association asked him to defend them in an NCAA football recruiting investigation.
The new trial judge, Northern Circuit Chief Judge George Bryant, appointed Danielsville lawyer Lane Fitzpatrick to prosecute the case. Fitzpatrick withdrew in February 1998, however, after Tolley filed court papers accusing Fitzpatrick of a conflict of interest -- Fitzpatrick's law firm represented the Madison County Department of Family and Children Services when Barber was under DFACS supervision.
Days after Fitzpatrick withdrew, Gov. Zell Miller appointed the state Office of the Attorney General to prosecute the case.
In October 1997, four months before Fitzpatrick pulled out, Tolley had filed nearly two dozen motions, including one that asks to move the trial to another jurisdiction because of excessive publicity and another asking the judge to approve money for Barber's defense to hire an investigator and independent experts to evaluate the evidence.
The state filed its responses to Tolley's motions in August.
On Aug. 28, barely a week before Barber turned 20 -- his third birthday behind bars -- Bryant suspended a hearing on whether to reduce Barber's bond because a doctor who had treated Barber was unable to be in court to testify.
The hearing was never completed, and now Bryant himself has withdrawn from the case.
In November, 10th Judicial District Administrative Judge Penn McWhorter appointed Augusta Superior Court Judge Bernard Mulherin to prosecute the case -- the third judge the case has been assigned to.
Three months later, Mulherin as of yet has set no hearing dates. ..Source.. by Lee Shearer, Staff Writer
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Sterling Barber free on bail
2-23-1999 Georgia:
Sterling Barber walked out of the Franklin County Jail on Friday evening a free man -- for now -- after two women who had watched a television show about his case agreed to post a $175,000 bond for the Franklin County man.
Barber, now 21, still faces re-trial on murder and other felony charges in the 1995 stabbing death of Madison County businessman Gerald Douglas Wyatt.
Barber's case was featured in the Feb. 11 broadcast of the CBS News show ''48 Hours,'' and more than 100 calls offering financial help flooded in the next day to the home of Judy Barber, Sterling Barber's mother, and Ed Tolley, his Athens lawyer, they said.
The two women who posted Barber's bond -- one from Warner Robins, one from Habersham County -- had seen the TV show, Judy Barber said Monday morning.
The women, who did not know the family before the TV show, asked to remain anonymous, she said.
Barber, now 20, threw a baseball around a little on Saturday morning, but spent much of the weekend visiting family and friends, including a Saturday night welcome home celebration at Ryan's restaurant in Commerce, his mother said.
After watching the movie ''The Man in the Iron Mask'' Sunday evening, Barber went to work Monday morning, laying brick with the same Habersham County brick masonry company that employs Barber's stepfather, Darrell Berthelot, she said.
''It feels like waking up and you're not in the war zone,'' said Judy Barber of her son's return. ''I cherish every second. It's just absolutely wonderful.''
Meanwhile, Barber will continue to wait for developments in his second trial on murder and other charges in the stabbing death of Wyatt, a convicted child molester, on Nov. 27, 1995. Barber was 17 at the time.
In 1996, a Franklin County jury found Barber guilty of felony murder, armed robbery, motor vehicle theft and aggravated assault in the case. The jury reduced another charge -- malice murder -- to voluntary manslaughter.
The Georgia Supreme Court overturned the conviction and Barber's life sentence and ordered a new trial in 1997, however. The court said the trial judge should have allowed the jury to hear more evidence about Wyatt's predilection to molest young boys, including the testimony of several men who said Wyatt had attempted to sexually molest them when they were teen-agers.
Barber has admitted that he stabbed Wyatt to death with a knife Barber carried on his belt. But he said he did it in self-defense after Wyatt tried to rape him on a dark Franklin County dirt road.
Prosecutor Lindsey Tise portrayed Barber as a cold-blooded killer who planned all along to rob Wyatt and steal his 1988 Lincoln Continental.
Barber has been behind bars since his arrest days after the murder in Thomasville, where he fled after the killing.
The case has not moved forward in the court system in the 20 months since the Supreme Court overturned Barber's conviction, however. The trial judge retired, and was replaced by a second judge, who has since been replaced by a third judge, this one from Augusta.
Barber's defense lawyer during the trial, Bob Lavender, was elected Northern Circuit District Attorney to replace Tise one month after the jury's original verdict. Lavender was replaced as defense lawyer by Ed Tolley of Athens, who could not take the case originally when he was hired by the University of Georgia Athletic Department to investigate charges of cheating in football recruiting.
A new prosecutor was also appointed to replace Tise, who is now a judge, but that prosecutor, Lane Fitzpatrick of Madison, withdrew after Tolley filed a motion to have him thrown off the case because of conflict of interest. Former Gov. Zell Miller then appointed the state Office of the Attorney General to prosecute the case. ..Source.. by Lee Shearer, Staff Writer
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Local lawyer says charges should be dropped in murder case
9-15-1999 Georgia:
Murder charges should be dropped against a Franklin County man who stabbed a Madison County businessman to death in 1995, a lawyer for the defendant argued in court papers filed Tuesday.
According to Athens lawyer Ed Tolley, a jury in a previous trial handed down inconsistent verdicts in the case, which Tolley said is a reason to dismiss murder charges against the Franklin County man.
Tolley filed the papers in Franklin County Superior Court Tuesday.
Sterling Barber was convicted in a 1996 trial, but the verdict was thrown out and a new trial ordered by the Georgia Supreme Court in 1997.
In the 1996 trial, a Franklin County jury found Barber guilty of felony murder, armed robbery motor vehicle theft and aggravated assault. The jury reduced another charge -- malice murder -- to voluntary manslaughter.
In the new case against Barber, the state should follow that jury's example and reduce the malice murder charge against Barber to voluntary manslaughter, Tolley argued in Tuesday's court papers.
By reducing the charge against Barber, the 1996 jury found that there was no ''malice'' in his actions -- therefore the malice murder charge should be reduced to voluntary manslaughter, Tolley said.
The 1996 jury's verdicts were inconsistent, however, according to Tolley.
In choosing a voluntary manslaughter conviction, the jury was saying Barber did what he did in response to provocation by Wyatt. But the jury also found Barber guilty of felony murder, or murder committed during the commission of another felony. The underlying felony in Barber's case was armed robbery, because he drove Wyatt's car away and took other items after the slaying.
But according to that felony murder verdict, the jury believed that Barber set out to rob Wyatt -- which is inconsistent with their voluntary manslaughter verdict, Tolley argued.
Barber admitted from the time he was arrested that he stabbed Wyatt to death with a large knife he (Barber) carried on his belt.
But Barber contended he killed Wyatt in self-defense after Wyatt posed as a private detective, asked Barber's help in finding a rural address, then tried to rape Barber on a dark and lonely Franklin County road.
Barber was 17 at the time of the slaying.
The trial judge should have allowed jurors to hear more evidence about Wyatt's history of molesting young boys, the high court ruled when overturning Barber's conviction.
Specifically, the testimony of several north Georgia men who came to court ready to testify that Wyatt had molested them as young boys should have been allowed, the justices ruled.
After more than three years behind bars, Barber has been free on bond since Feb. 19, a week after the CBS News show ''48 Hours'' featured the case. Calls offering financial help flooded in afterward, said Barber's mother and his lawyer.
Barber's case has been in limbo in the court system as more than two years have passed since the high court threw out his conviction.
The trial judge who sentenced Barber to life in prison retired. A second judge was appointed, and that judge asked to be excused from the case. Barber's case is now assigned to an Augusta judge.
Barber's defense lawyer in the trial, Bob Lavender, was subsequently elected Northern Circuit District Attorney, so Lavender had to withdraw as Barber's attorney and was replaced by Tolley.
Tolley intended to take Barber's case from the beginning, he has said, but was unable to do so after being hired to conduct an investigation of alleged cheating in University of Georgia football recruiting.
The man who prosecuted Barber, then-Northern Circuit District Attorney Lindsay Tise, is now a judge and therefore cannot prosecute the case.
Danielsville lawyer Lane Fitzpatrick was appointed to replace Tise, but withdrew after Tolley accused him in court papers of conflict of interest. Former Gov. Zell Miller then appointed the state Office of the Attorney General to prosecute the case. ..Source.. by Lee Shearer, Staff Writer
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Barber pleads guilty to manslaughter
10-20-1999 Georgia:
Franklin County man maintains his innocence in high-profile case
Ending a four-year drama that attracted national attention, 21-year-old Sterling Barber of Franklin County pleaded guilty Tuesday to voluntary manslaughter in the Nov. 27, 1995, stabbing death of Gerald Douglas Wyatt, a Madison County businessman.
Barber entered the plea to avoid the possibility of a life sentence if a jury was to find him guilty of felony murder, according to his lawyer, Ed Tolley of Athens. The plea came as the result of negotiations between Tolley and Stacey Hydrick, the assistant state attorney general prosecuting the case.
Barber was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by 12 years on probation, by Senior Judge Bernard J. Mulherin Sr. Mulherin was appointed to hear the Barber case because the first judge to hear the case has retired. The sentence was handed down Tuesday morning in Clarke County Superior Court.Barber went to prison following a 1996 trial in which a Franklin County jury found him guilty of felony murder, armed robbery, motor vehicle theft and aggravated assault in Wyatt's death. At that time, Barber was represented by Bob Lavender, who was appointed to the case by the Franklin County Superior Court.
Mulherin gave credit to Barber for the 39 months he has already served in connection with the case, meaning that he will serve only an additional 21 months in confinement.
Tolley accepted Barber's case after the convictions and successfully appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court for a new trial. The Supreme Court decision to overturn the convictions was based on its view that the trial judge should have allowed jurors to hear more evidence about Wyatt's history of molesting young boys.
Prosecutors contend that Barber fatally stabbed Wyatt while robbing the Madison County businessman on a dark Franklin County dirt road in 1995.
Barber admitted to stabbing Wyatt with a knife he kept on his belt. He has contended that Wyatt, posing as a private detective, asked for his help in finding a rural address and tried to rape him in the secluded location.
The guilty plea that Barber entered Tuesday is known as an ''Alford plea,'' based on a 1970 U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case of North Carolina vs. Alford.
In that case, a man facing the death penalty for a 1963 murder told the trial judge he would plead guilty to second-degree murder, even though he still maintained his innocence, to avoid the death penalty. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison on the second-degree murder charge and later appealed his case to the Supreme Court.
The court maintained that the man was acting within his rights in pleading guilty to a criminal charge while not admitting guilt for the crime.
''To risk the unknown with a possible jail sentence of 14 years to life, we weren't going to bet against the house again,'' Tolley said Tuesday, explaining the plea decision.
''Sterling continues to maintain his innocence in his plea today based on the probability or possibility that a jury could convict him in a trial. We maintain his innocence under the law but bought out of that risk (of a life sentence).''
Although Barber pleaded guilty to the voluntary man slaughter charge, Tolley said Tuesday that Barber continues to claim he is innocent and killed Wyatt in self-defense.
Tolley said Barber's age was a consideration in his recommendation that his client plead guilty.
''He's 21 years old now,'' Tolley said. ''You can start your life over at 2212. It's much harder to start your life over again at 50.''
Later, Tolley said, ''I think he can have a bountiful life after all this. After all of this, Sterling has become very religious, which I believe is sincere.''
Barber's mother, Judy Barber, wept after the sentencing of her son.
The Barber case made the national spotlight on Feb. 11, when it was featured on the CBS News show ''48 Hours.''
After the show, more than 100 telephone calls were logged by Tolley's office and by Judy Barber, offering monetary help in posting a $175,000 bond to free Barber while he was awaiting a retrial. Barber had been free on that bond since Feb. 19.
Tolley said he expects to be second-guessed by many armchair lawyers on the wisdom of a plea bargain in the Barber case.
''This decision (by Barber) was based solely on my advice,'' Tolley said. ''The simple fact is they (people who might second-guess the decision) wouldn't have to do a life sentence if the jury found him (Barber) guilty of murder.''
Hydrick had no comment Tuesday. ..Source.. by Greg Martin, Staff Writer
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From Yahoo Answers:
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker---------------------END of STORY-----------------------
I just registered here for this. It meant that much to me too. I called the Franklin County Sheriff's office, 706-384-2525, to get an answer. He plead guilty to manslaughter, got credit for time served and is still on probation living in Alabama. There. My good deed for the day. Best to ya!
2 years ago
23 comments:
I've seen this case on ID and was very happy to see that Sterling has been released and is able to get on with his life. On a different note, I seriously pity the wife of Wyatt. I cannot believe how much in denial she was in regards to her husband's actions. She says, "I understand that my husband had problems, but he wasn't a child molester". (not exact quote but basically what she said) Complete blindness to reality. An inappropriate touch to a minor child IS CHILD MOLESTATION. She KNEW what her husband was doing. She was with him when they confronted the parents of the child next door that he molested. He called it an "affair". Sick. I wonder what she would call it if some pedophile had done to her son/daughter what he did to other people's children. I consider her an accessory to her husband's actions the same way a person who knows her husband killed someone and says/does nothing can be an accessory after the fact. After all, he basically "killed" the carefree innocence of childhood those boys he came in contact with should have had. His wife is in need of some serious therapy. Wearing rose colored glasses is perfectly o.k. but wearing complete blinders to the criminal conduct of her husband shows a severe break from reality.
Had this been a 17 year old girl who stabbed this man to death, no one would have questioned it at all. This was pure stupidity that Sterling was accused of murder. And that wife was loser. So are the children.
WE KNOW PEOPLE CAN BE IN COMPLETE IGNORANCE OF REALITY SHE IS OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE REALLY IGNORANT ONES. JUST LIKE THE FAR LEFT IN THIS COUNTRY WHAT SHOULD APPLY TO THE REST OF US THEY THINK THEY ARE SPECIAL. SHE SHOULD HAVE FELT GUILTY OF THE FACT THAT LITTLE BOYS WERE BEING MOLESTED BY HER HUSBAND AND SHE KNEW HE HAD THIS PROBLEM
should have gotten life.
I'm appaulled that Sterling had to spend any time at all. Molesting a child scars them for life, molesters are monsters taking away the innocence of children. I just saw the 48 hours episode & I'm so mad at our "justice" system. I'm sure that judge would have understood if it were his own child. This young man lost 3 years of his life for defending himself. There is no telling what he had to go through in prison too. Why weren't the other victims of Wyatt allowed to speak at the trial....I'm sure if the jury had heard from them Sterling would have never gone to prison. Sad...we the people of the United States can't defend ourselves from a sexual attack without going to prison. They ask why he stabbed him 6 times, but they should put themselves in his place. They would be angry, scared, and disgusted just like he was. Unlike other victims of Wyatt, Sterling just had a way to save himself from being raped. It was very kind of all of the people who pitched in to get Sterling bonded out, it shows there are still plenty of people in this world willing to help a total stranger. It's just too bad 48 hours hadn't aired this show sooner.
i hate the judge...he is an idiot judge
I just watched this on tv & must say I realize his wife loved him but come on lets be real.How would she feel if it were her child that was molested? Although I sympothize with her ignorance one can't help but look at this guy. Even in jail child molesters don't stand a chance. Even prisoners realize true evil. I'm glad the boy is out of jail now but it's ashame he spent as much time as he did there.
I personally hope this young man Sterling is going on with his life and I hope it is a good life. I think the wife of the man Sterling killed should be put in jail and tried herself for knowing her husband was a child molester. I wonder if foster care ever did anything about the man that molested Sterling when he was 6 years old? Sterling gave up a huge part of his life but in doing so he probably saved many other children from this child molester. I can't for the life of me understand why a woman wouldn't take her own children and walk out the door forever when she found out her husband was a child molester. God bless Sterling's mother and everyone else that helped him.
Don't EVER live in Franklin county Ga!!!!
What a bunch of 'scary' people....from the police, jury, prosecutors and judges! Do they ALL condone child molestation? Are they all that backwards and ignorant. VERY STRANGE! Sterling Barber is a HERO!!!!! Wyatt deserved EXACTLY what he got! Too bad someone didn't do it sooner. Of Course his wife would view the whole situation as she does....she STAYED MARRIED TO HIM! VERY ODD.
Thank God Sterling is now free!
I was drawn to this case and I was glad to see Sterling get out of jail finally. I would love to be able to talk to him because he is a hero and a brave man. Within the first five minutes of watching 48 hours, I knew he was not guilty. I'm glad the justice system finally decided to do it's job and set him free
Gerald Wyatt's wife is in total denial, I really feel sorry for her if she has never accepted that her husband was a sick, sick person.
Is he really out? or just out on bond like 48 hours said pending a trial...was he ever given that 2nd trial and set free? i cant find the accurate updated info! great comments on everything. I agree and couldnt say it better myself. Sterlings Mother is a workhorse and deserves recognition,along with his family in getting this case nationally recognised.(i cant spell im sorry)Only thing that wasnt mentioned was state of GA in 96 did not view child molestation a VIOLENT crime until after this case..so wyatts past history of child molesting went unheard in his original case...(no past victims heard in court, and not even the tape of wyatt admitting -where his "blonde/blind" wife was present as well during this meeting with neighboorhood parents!-where wyatt was admitting an affair with the neighbors 12 yr old boy was played in court).When the jurors of that case found out Wyatts past after the case were furious they just sent an innocent boy to jail. I believe, if u have crimes in your past-that is public record anyway-jurors should be told NOT to judge that person on their past offenses, but take their repetitive criminal behavior into concideration when deciding on a case. I think it should NOT be up to a judge to say what can and cant be said in court when it comes to past behavior.(so many innocent people in jail b/c of this! and so many guilty walk free b/c of this judge discretion as well!) Maybe, if it (offenders past crimes)wasnt repetitve in nature, or wasnt anything more than mistimeanor charges, ya, overlook that all-but repetitive convictions of child molestation or violent behavior SHOULD HAVE BEEN HEARD BY THE JURY IN STERLINGS CASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND sorry i cant spell :( Go BARBER FAMILY_U R ALL HEROS
JUST FOUND AN UPDATE: Edit: It turns out that the second trial took place shortly after Sterling was released on bond. He pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter and served an additional 21 months. I still think that's ridiculous, but at least he's free now.
The wife of that pervert should be held partially responsible for his horrible behavior. You know that she knew what he was doing. Now she's embarrassed because everyone else knows what was going on too. She is as sick as he is. I feel for their children. There's no telling what they had to put up with from their father while their mother stood in silence. Shame on her.
Whose to say her own children were not molested. If he did it to other boys, he probably did it to his own. Perverts are not selective. They go for whoever is around. She's as guilty as he is.
Probably a friend of the wife of the pervert.
Glad Sterling is out and free!!! Wyatt is where he belongs in the dirt!!
I think Gerald probably molested his own children in the past and the children were thinking "he did it to us and we didnt kill him." Similar to the Menendez brothers case the wife sticks with a sick man. Must be something in the water in Franklin county
I just watched this episode on ID, what an amazing station. But, this 48 hrs really got my attention. Finally Sterling is out. What a HERO, what a real man for standing up defending himself and not letting this Wyatt jerk get away with this again. I would like to praise his mother for standing beside her son. Can you imagine knowing what this disgusting man was capable of doing to your son and stand back and do nothing. His mother did everything in her power for him. Hours of working on her sons case ( not in the best of health)but never giving up how ever long it took. Sterling, you have an AWESOME mom always be thankful for her.
I hope today you are doing GREAT, going on with life as you should. Never look at yourself as a prisoner, but as a hero and having a heart by never letting this monster get away with this again. God has his reasons for everything, and he wanted YOU Sterling to be the bigger person and stop this devil . You truely are an ANGEL!!!!!!!
I agree whole heartedly this was a horrible injustice. Absolutely horrible. And i also would like to know if Sterling is still free and did he ever get that new trial?
THERE IS NO WAY ANYONE GETS ACCUSED OF PEDOPHILIA SOME 6 RIMES AND NOT BE A PEDOPHILE YOU FIND ME ONE CASE WERE A PERSON THAT HAS HAPPENED TO.DID HE STAB HIM TO MANY TIMES WELL LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU AFTER YOU WAS MOLESTED AS A CHILD AND IF YOU ARE STILL ALIVE YOU TELL ME. ARE YOU GOING TO STAB THAT PERSON THEN STOP AND SAY DO I NEED TO STAB YOU AGAIN OR ARE YOU DONE NOW.OR ARE YOU POSSIBLY BE IN FIGHT OR FLIGHT MODE.IF YOU ARE IN FIGHT MODE YOU FIGHT IF IN FLIGHT YOU RUN. AND PEOPLE DO HAVE CONVINCING DOUBLE LIVES.WYATT MAY HAVE BEEN A LOVING FATHER AND A PEDOPHILE.OBVIOUSLY.
Im going to comment not because of what this person did that's Dead,But what the young person did prior to the murder, Sterling was at the Petro Truck Stop, Everything was based on Sterling's word, He claimed the person claimed to be Law Enforcement but Sterling was in a high traveled area and this person did not display a Badge, Sterling was a Broke teen in waiting,He was waiting for a money making moment,Sterling could have turned away,Ran, caught the attention of the Hundred or more people inside the Petro Truck Stop, He had that large knife for a reason, Protection and he knew that Truck Stop there were plenty of Men there, Sterling made himself available and rode off with the person, I say person because he was indeed a person, Older Man preying on young teens.
Sterling ends up riding off with the person, And Sterling told the only story available because a Dead man can't speak, Sterling ended up killing this person,That means he positioned himself with the knife ready to Murder the person. Sterling formed a story with plenty of time thinking what he would say, Had this story been believable Sterling would have done what was needed to escape,Maybe use the knife once ,This person according to Sterling was pinning him in the car, Sterling lured this person from the Petro Truck Stop and knew he was going to rob or walk away with money,Sterling probably used his age once there to blackmail the person and everything got out of control,
Sterling stole the persons car, The wallet and watch, Sterling went to the restaurant and ordered a steak dinner, This teen knew what he was doing,This person was preying on younger victims and I believe that with out a doubt, But taking the time to steal everything, And going to a Restaurant after you just murdered a person ?? Sterling was not that young innocent teen from Georgia,He was a teen that knew what he was going to do,And knew being a Truck Stop 90 percent of the people there were from somewhere else traveling, Sterling had he not stolen the car wallet and watch, My views would have been more favorable towards Sterling, Remember a Dead man does not Speak.
So the fact that 4others said he had"to stop and relieve himself" and came back with his pants still unbottoned was a coincidence? No! Sterling had the exact same story. He was doing what he thought had to be done to survive. That child molester would have been killed before that for molesting his neighbor. That father of that innocent little boy who life wyatt ruined should have killed him right then and there when he recorded that convo. Which wyatts dumb denial wife was sitting right there! If sterling didnt kill him then I think it would have been a matter of time before someone did! Plain and simple if the justice system worked the dude would have been in jail where he belonged and Sterling would have never been in that whole situation!
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