Teri Rhodes was sentenced to 9 to 18 years in prison today.
Ed Palattella reports in the Erie Times News that the sentence falls in the “aggravated” range of the Pennsylvania sentencing guidelines for voluntary manslaughter, which is a first-degree felony.
Rhodes pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter this past August for the murder of her own child whom she gave birth in her Mercyhurst apartment and immediately suffocated to death. Rhodes was a sophmore attending Mercyhurst when she gave birth to the full-term baby girl on August 12, 2007.
I think that the sentance was way too harse. the state of mind and terrible fright of a teen age girl should be taken into account I dont know what possible good from a long term confinement can do in this . ANDY P
Andy how old are you because you need some spelling lessons. She got what she deserved and I'am so proud of Judge Cunningham. I read the thirty-two page letter and it was excellent. I really thought she would only get two years. Brad Foulk you should feel ashamed Cunningham showed your truly colors maybe you will think twice before thinking a murder should only get two years. Yes
I couldn't believe Brad Foulk made a plea deal with her at all. She admitted to the crime, not to mention the overwhelming evidence against her. She should have been charged with 3rd degree murder in the first place.
I feel the sentence was fair, and everyone I spoke with today thought the same. I too really thought justice would be denied.
I was very surprised and impressed by the judges decision. Way to go Judge Cunningham!
@ DannyZ: I agree but that should say something about Foulk and whether he should remain district attorney. In my opinion he has no concern for protecting the most vulnerable in our society which even Cunningham pointed out in court. If he can't protect the most vulnerable, then how can we expect him to protect the rest of us? I think it's time someone stepped up and challenged Folk and the kingdom he's created for himself. The sentence was fair for the circumstances (despite the previous deficient plea bargain) and everyone gets that except for Foulk who is supposed to represent the community and uphold justice.
I completely agree with this sentence. In this day and age, having a child out of wedlock is not the stigma it used to be. Also, every state including PA has a Safe Haven law. There are so many people who want to adopt…this girl was being selfish and thinking only of herself.
I would encourage people to read the Judge's report. It really goes into depth about what happened during the one weekend, and how Rhodes had many opportunities for confidential counseling and other services. It really is eye-opening.
wicu.com link for Judges ruling thirty-six page
After reading the Judge's report, I have to retract part of my earlier comment. The sentence was not fair. It was too lenient.
I am completely disgusted with Brad Foulk and intend to help campaign against his reelection. He is a disgrace to his elected office.
I am disappointed in Brad Foulk, but I am not ready to throw him under the bus. It is possible that he thought that was the best he could do under the circumstances, and he was afraid that seeking aharsher sentence would lead to the plea bargaining breaking down. After all, in this country, it would have been legal for Teri Rhodes to have aborted her baby just a month earlier.
I have been on a jury, and I know how unpredictable it can be. All it takes is one juror who develops sympathy for the “poor teenage girl” and can't bring himself/herself to vote to convict, and then Brad Foulk's name would be mud for bringing charges that didn't stick.
I am very glad that Judge Cunningham gave the toughest sentence he could under the circumstances, and that he pointed out that being white, college educated, and having a supportive family shouldn't lessen your guilt in the eyes of the law.
I think the sentence was TO LIGHT!!! I have friends that at 16&17 became parents. They owned up to their mistakes, and made the BEST of it. Ms. Rhodes was only thinking of HERSELF, and that poor little angel had to suffer for her mother's immature decision. I'm a 17 year old highschool student, and I couldn't be any more proud of my friends that have had children and are trying to give them the best life possible. I AM the result of a teenage mother, and I am forever thankful to her for having the sense that Teri Rhodes DIDN'T!
Who are you people? And who are you to judge anyone else's life but your own? You should feel ashamed throwing stones like you are. Get a life. Do I agree with what she did no? It's absolutely against the law.It is a very sad story for the baby and the Rhodes family.
It's interesting you should use the name Bella, as that is the name of a very good pro-life movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482463/
In any event, I am not judging her life, I am judging her actions. I hope everyone, including her, can find some sort of meaning in this. That doesn't change the fact that the Judge's sentencing report is one of the most disturbing things I've read in a long time.
I also believe the sentence was a bit harsh & also read the entire opinion the Judge wrote. Neither of the supposed “experts” did her any good, one never even spoke to her & neither of them reviewed all of the evidence. I can only think of what my state of mind would be at that age, or how my own child would react. I hope he would feel more comfortable with me & his Father to lean on us with this heavy burden before doing something so extreme that will effect everything for the rest of his life. However, I have only a son & don't have experience raising daughters. It is SO incredibly sad that she felt she had NO ONE to turn to.
I read through the entire opinion piece and had some questions and opinions.
1. In the research performed regarding Rhodes' internet searches, what were the dates on these? Had she searched legal methods of abortion, such as RU-486, surgical abortion, etc?
2. The details surrounding the supposed inception…this was fuzzy. Did she have guilt or denial about this? There is a note regarding rape. Was this the possible beginning to a decline in her psyche or conscience?
3. The delivery itself. Did she successfully induce herself through force or other means? It seems entirely too coincidental that she suddenly gave birth hours before an ultrasound was scheduled. She seemed to have experienced no (or few) complications with the birth, considering it was self birth in a dorm bathroom.
4. What did she fear she had at risk? In other words, what did she fear of others judgment regarding her pregnancy? Did she feel that she was not capable – mentally or financially – of receiving an abortion? Obviously she wished to keep the details of a pregnancy secret from those around her. What was holding her back from receiving an abortion or seeking ways to adopt the child post-birth?
5. Did she inflict anything upon herself to end the pregnancy previously to delivery? With search methods of “herbal abortion” and such, is it possible that she made an attempt?
6. Why did those around her not make a more forced attempt to help her. Her denial and psychology aren't necessarily “new.” Many teen mothers try to conceal pregnancies to avoid judgment. Considering the circumstance, why did her roommate not say “okay, screw you, I've had enough, I'm busting into that bathroom whether you like it or not” Who knows. That thought entered my mind a few times while reading that…
As for the psychiatrists involved, a quick google search will yield you a plethora of information regarding Dr. Kaye, a foremost forensic psychiatrist who specializes in neonaticide. I think his letter on this would be quite an interesting read into her mind…
I thought, some time ago, she would receive at least 5-10 years for this. I agree with the sentence.
The Judge did not issue an “opinion piece”. He entered into record a Statement of Sentencing Rationale. It outlined the facts of the case as they were presented to the court, and other matters of relevance to the case.
What occurred was premeditated murder. That much seems clear to me.
Well, do you really think she had no one to turn to? I think she had plenty of people to turn to with school, coaches, parents, friends, anonymous hospital workers…ANYONE……SHE CHOSE NOT TO TURN TO ANYONE in order to avoid DEALING WITH CONSEQUENCES!!! I can't speak for her past, but the things many children lack these days is the ability to deal with the consequences of their actions……It is incredibly sad, but the punishment easily fits the crime……even her quote at sentencing proves it. she said “there isn't a day that goes by I don't think about what happened/” What? What happened? She STILL acts as though something happened? SHE CAUSED THE DEATH OF AN INFANT. She suffocated her newborn baby and then took a shower?!?!? What happened is she just got a dose of reality…….That's what she is sorry for, the consequences.
Read the last sentence of my post – I agree with the sentence. No reason to get huffy puffy about it! Regardless of whether I agree, I had some legitimate questions regarding the case to which I wish a bit more light had been shed. Call it opening up another can of worms, call it whatever, my analytical mind digested the judge's document and was curious about the above details.
end. of. story.
I guess you showed Andy how to spell with your “truly” colors. What ever that means.
The girl should not be in the same place with someone who has committed a street murder as she will learn things she has no business learning in an institution like that. Will the world be a better place with her being put in prison, no! Maybe helping society by being made to work in shelters for 5-10 years, that, we would benefit from!
We have to remember to make the punishment fit the crime and somehow we should benefit by the punishment whenever possible.
Regardless what she pled to, the crime committed was 1st degree murder. The people of Pennsylvania have determined the punishment for this crime is life. Are you saying it should be otherwise?
Prison is about punishment and protecting society–not rehabilitation, not benefitting society. Should this be different? Possibly. But most people either don't care, or don't think so.
Ok, from what I understand of this case, she had many months to decide on what to do with herself and the pregnancy. I just moved to PA and am not certain of the available facilities but I do know that Planned Parenthood and other locations provide low cost abortion. I know that these can be done to a certain point in the second trimester. If you don't have the money, you can sign up for Medi Cal, and they in some instances will provide the money for the abortion… or the prenatal care! If there are no Planned Parenthoods, or other facilities like it… I'm sure that there ARE a lot of people willing to adopt the child of a young person who has made a mistake. I had a friend many years ago that did that. And OBVIOUSLY there are those safe rules, where you can drop off a child at a hospital. NO QUESTIONS ASKED!!!!!
Now, instead of doing one of the abovementioned arguably conscientious things, this lady instead researched ways to abort a fetus and did NOTHING until the baby could be pushed out and murdered. Because it WAS murder if the baby took a breath, and the woman (she's an ADULT, get it straight) had planned in advance to snuff out its life. If this were another adult she killed, it would be 1st Degree murder and she'd be in prison a lot longer… but because we thing “Oh, poor kid, she must have been stressed out and hormonal”, people get all lenient on her. Is what she did so very different than shooting her own classmate over bullying? It was planned, premeditated murder. I hope that in the next x amount of years she is in prison, she has time to think of the lives she wasted… both hers, and the life of her child who will never go to school, never give her a hug… her or any one of the many other people would have loved to have her.
I also am curious of things as Melissa above. The Judge on page 5 of his rationale said Rhodes was 19 yrs. of age in Dec.'06… that is incorrect. She would have just had her 18th birthday in Oct.'06. Noted she was very shy and believe was indeed a “rape” at drunken party she was part of. I feel sentencing was very harsh and nothing to be gained to send to prison that number of years.
I also feel that how could parents, family, friends not have intervened and taken their daughter for medical intervention if they suspected she was pregnant. This day and age, we take our children to ER's for a hiccup, orthodontists,dermatologists,beauticians,plastic surgeons, tutors, extreme sports camps and the like. To give them every opportunity and more than we had as young adults. How could her parents have sent her back to her coaches/volleyball team for sophmore year… when she was visibly pregnant?
Her coaches upon arrival for new school year should have done more than just question her.
This young adult, who left to start her freshman year of college out of state, was only 17 yrs. old. She is not the only “adult” at fault in my opinion. Many aadults were available to her, but for some reason she could not ask for help. Yet, no one intervened or cared enough to get involved. Truly a tragedy!
I don’t see how anyone can find this was too harsh. She gave birth to a baby and killed it – what kind of individual does this. If you ask me it was not harsh enough.
We put murderers in jail for life all the time. Why should she be any different. All she had to do was put it up for adoption and someone would have loved her baby and gave it all it ever needed.
She is a sick twisted person and I am glad she will not have an opportunity to have another child for a long time.