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Kip Kinkel Pleads Guilty In Oregon Shootings

From a news story by
CNN San Francisco Reporter Rusty Dornin

September 25, 1999

KInkle Plea

His defense was expected to be insanity, but the decision to plead guilty came after 17-year-old Kip Kinkel met with his sister Kristen and his aunt. As relatives and survivors of the shootings poured out of the courtroom there were tears, signs of relief, and strong feelings about Kinkel's future.

Ted Taylor was asked what kind of sentence he wanted to see carried out, "The kind we saw today stay in jail till you rot"

Yvonne Attaberry is a victim's mother, "I hope he's in jail till the end of his life."

As a juvenile, Kinkel was never eligible for the death penalty in Oregon. He was 15 when he shot his parents at home after being suspended from school. The next morning he went to the school cafeteria wearing a trench coat and opened fire. Kinkel had also hidden four explosive devices at his home, including a hand grenade.

After his arrest, he lunged at a detective with a knife and begged officers to kill him.

Defense experts say a successful insanity plea could have kept Kinkel in a mental hospital and out of prison, but if that strategy had backfired there were would been no other option than life without parole.

John Burris is a criminal attorney, "If you ever want consideration at some later point for the possibility of parole, however remote, it might be you're always better off admitting your guilt."

For the parents of some victims seeing Kinkel in court was unsettling. Ted Taylor is one of the victim's father, "I felt some aggression but I calmed down there with my daughter I was just glad I still had my daughter there to hug and to hold where some people don't have their kids to hug and hold."

Kristen Kinkle is expected to testify in her brothers behalf at the sentencing which could take a week or longer.

A guilty plea by 17-year-old Kip Kinkel means it's possible he could walk out of prison in as little as 32 years if given the minimum sentence. Not something some Thurston High School students wanted to hear.

Thurston High School (student) "I hope he spends the rest of his life in prison. He took away people's lives and I think he should have his life taken away"

Other students say it's easy to paint Kinkel as a monster, but say his life is also in ruins.

Bekah Snare is a Thurston High School student,"In high school there's a lot of pressure. I feel really sorry for him actually."

Tony Case got shot in the leg. Sympathy is not part of his emotions, "First I kind of like, I wanted a trial, but hopefully he's gonna have enough years that he'll die in prison."

In Springfield, Oregon, there is relief that the town will be spared a long emotional trial. But psychologists say for survivors a trial can be therapeutic. Some need to have their day in court. At the sentencing hearing they will.

Paul Berg is a clinical psycholgist,"The ability to address the court (and) to be heard. It's part of what is known as closure. There has to be some chapter endings to a tragedy like this."

Ryan Attaberry was shot in the face and still has a bullet in his body. He didn't come to court to hear the guilty plea, but his mother Yvonne did, "I just wanted to have closure and hear it for myself."

Someone who doesn't want a trial for closure is Kristen Kinkel, Kip's sister. Her parents were killed in the shootings. In a statement she says, "I am very sad, but relieved. Sad that this day had to even happen. Sad that there are so many innocent victims. Sad that I lost another member of my family. But relieved that the painful memories of those tragic events of 16 months ago will not be revived by a trial"

Painful memories that will be revived during what is expected to be a week long sentencing. The sentencing date will be set in early November.

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