A South Carolina man who shot and killed his father and a child when he was a teen wants out of prison early.
Jesse Osborne, now 21, received a life sentence without parole for the 2016 shooting incident at Townville Elementary School in Anderson County. As CrimeOnline previously reported, Osborne was 15 when he shot and killed his father, Jeffrey Osborne, before fatally shooting a 6-year-old at his former elementary school.
Osborne admitted to shooting his father before carrying out the shooting at the school, resulting in the death of Jacob Hall. He was sentenced to an additional 30 years for attempted murder after targeting teacher Meghan Hollingsworth and two students.
In court on Monday, Osborne’s lawyer, Frank Eppes, emphasized that Osborne has shown good behavior during his incarceration, NBC 2 reports.
Eppes acknowledged the heinous nature of the crime, stating, “This crime was terrible, horrific. It occurred just 20 days after he turned 14. He lacked the capacity to comprehend his actions. He committed a terrible, terrible act, and he understands he must face the consequences.”
Osborne showed remorse for the shooting during the hearing, apologizing to the students and teachers present during the incident, Fox Carolina reports. Osborne said he wished he could change the past and admitted he needed help. This marked the first instance in court where he apologized to the victims.
A 48-page transcript released after the shootings in 2016 indicated that Jesse recalled how he kissed his bunny and three dogs after killing his father. He then called his grandparents before a volunteer firefighter tackled him at the elementary school playground.
Osborne told investigators that on the night before the fatal shootings, his father was angry and he took it out on him and his mother.
“And he was getting up in my face and stuff. And whenever he’s drunk, he always, like, says he wants to fight me… And then my mom will have to step in and get fussed at, too. And last night, he was just worse than he’s ever been,” Osborne said at the time.
The ordeal continued into the following morning when Jeffrey Osborne became upset that his son hadn’t finished his math homework. That’s when Jesse Osborne said he shot his father three times before driving about three miles to the school.
Following his sentencing, Osborne’s attorney filed a motion asserting that abuse and family conflicts played a role in his mental state. The defense argued that expert testimonies, unaware of whether Osborne’s personality disorder could pose a future threat to society, influenced the decision to sentence him to life in prison.
Osborne’s lawyer is now asking for a revised sentence of 30 years for the murder charges and an additional 15 years for the three attempted murder charges.
According to their proposal, if Osborne were to be released from prison, he would be subject to lifelong GPS monitoring. However, a judicial review after 10 years could potentially lead to the monitoring removal.
“Give Jesse some hope to live with,” Eppes said.
Judge Lawton McIntosh requested a comprehensive psychological report from the defense expert within the next month, allowing prosecutors a minimum of 10 days to provide their response.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: FILE – Jesse Osborne waits for a ruling at the Anderson County Courthouse, Feb. 16, 2018, in Anderson, S.C.. Osborne, a school shooter serving a life sentence without parole for killing a first grader on a South Carolina playground when he was 14 is asking a judge to lessen his sentence so he can eventually get out of prison. On Monday, May 22, 2023, Osborne’s lawyer asked Judge Lawton McIntosh to reconsider his sentence so Osborne, now 21, could have some hope of freedom in his late 50s or even 60s. (Ken Ruinard/The Independent-Mail via AP, Pool, File)]
