Kathy E <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Fifteen-year-old Daphne Abdela has been sentenced to 3 1/3 to 10 years in jail for the slaying and gutting of a middle-age man in New York's Central Park last May. Abdela pleaded guilty last month to first-degree manslaughter in Manhattan state Supreme Court. Her lawyer said then that Abdela would not cooperate with prosecutors or testify against her boyfriend, Christopher Vasquez, who she blamed for the attack during police interviews. Abdela told police Vasquez was high on the hallucinogen LSD and flew into a jealous rage when 42-year-old Michael McMorrow put his arm around her on May 23, 1997, as the three of them were drinking in the park late at night. Prosecutors say 15-year-old Vasquez stabbed the older man 30 times in his neck, face and chest. The teens then allegedly pushed the corpse into the park's lake after slicing open the stomach so it would sink. Moments before hearing her fate today, she cried and told the packed courtroom, ``This is a hard mistake that I am paying dearly for, not only by this sentencing, but also with flashbacks, memories and my conscience.'' She added: ``It won't be easy waking up every day behind bars. Hopefully, it will make me a better person.'' Judge Michael Corriero replied: ``Apparently you have a grasp of the enormity of what you did. You must learn to take the energy that produces that anger to control it and tame it and live life for two people -- yourself and the life you took. You must learn to tame it twice as much and forgive twice as much.'' Abdela's parents sat stone-faced during the proceeding. McMorrrow's mother, sisters, brother and nephew were also present. -- Kathy E "I can only please one person a day, today is NOT your day, and tomorrow isn't looking too good for you either" http://members.delphi.com/kathylaw/ Law & Issues Mailing List http://pw1.netcom.com/~kathye/rodeo.html - Cowboy Histories http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/2990/law.htm Crime photo's Subscribe/Unsubscribe, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the body of the message enter: subscribe/unsubscribe law-issues