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American Morning
Tate to Plead Guilty to Second-Degree Murder
Aired January 29, 2004 - 08:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A Florida boy, Lionel Tate, who had been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing a 6-year- old playmate, is expected to publicly admit his guilt this afternoon. It's part of a plea deal that could finalize his release from prison.
John Zarrella has details. He joins us this morning from Fort Lauderdale.
John -- good morning.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, Monday, Lionel Tate was in court at his bond hearing. Today, he and his mother return to court for the formal change of plea hearing. It has been assumed and expected that the judge will accept this change of plea to second-degree murder. And finally, Lionel Tate and his mother will walk out of court, perhaps for the last time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA (voice-over): For Lionel Tate and his mother, Kathleen, the teenager's release from prison is a rebirth.
KATHLEEN GROSSETT-TATE, LIONEL TATE'S MOTHER: This is a new chapter in our lives, and we're just going to go on forward.
ZARRELLA: But Lionel will have to watch where he steps. Although out of jail, he is far from free.
When he goes before the judge for the second time this week, Tate will be pleading guilty to the reduced charge of second-degree murder. In addition to time served, he must still serve one-year house arrest and 10 years' probation.
DEWEESE EUNICK, VICTIM'S MOTHER: He definitely needs to remember what happened, that he took a life.
ZARRELLA: DeWeese Eunick is a mother with a gaping hole in her heart. Her daughter, Tiffany, was just 6 when Lionel Tate killed her in 1999. Tate's defense? It was an accident. He was acting out wrestling moves he had seen on TV when he killed his playmate.
It bothers DeWeese Eunick that Lionel, convicted of murder, never accepted responsibility. She'd like to remind him of how her daughter died.
EUNICK: Just to remind Lionel about all of the injuries that he gave Tiffany, all the blows, all those pinches and everything else. Just to remind him that that's why we're here today. That's why you're sitting there. That's why I'm here and Tiffany is not here.
ZARRELLA: When they leave the courtroom, Lionel Tate and his mother will be preparing for their future together -- a future DeWeese Eunick will be facing alone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Now, DeWeese Eunick has always says that she didn't want two lives to be lost, that she believed the original life without parole sentence was too much, and she accepted this plea deal.
Now, this could be a very emotional hearing this afternoon starting at 1:00, because DeWeese Eunick is expected to testify, along with her daughter's grandmother. So, Soledad, this afternoon could be very emotional here in Fort Lauderdale, Florida -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: John Zarrella for us this morning. John, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired January 29, 2004 - 08:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A Florida boy, Lionel Tate, who had been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing a 6-year- old playmate, is expected to publicly admit his guilt this afternoon. It's part of a plea deal that could finalize his release from prison.
John Zarrella has details. He joins us this morning from Fort Lauderdale.
John -- good morning.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, Monday, Lionel Tate was in court at his bond hearing. Today, he and his mother return to court for the formal change of plea hearing. It has been assumed and expected that the judge will accept this change of plea to second-degree murder. And finally, Lionel Tate and his mother will walk out of court, perhaps for the last time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA (voice-over): For Lionel Tate and his mother, Kathleen, the teenager's release from prison is a rebirth.
KATHLEEN GROSSETT-TATE, LIONEL TATE'S MOTHER: This is a new chapter in our lives, and we're just going to go on forward.
ZARRELLA: But Lionel will have to watch where he steps. Although out of jail, he is far from free.
When he goes before the judge for the second time this week, Tate will be pleading guilty to the reduced charge of second-degree murder. In addition to time served, he must still serve one-year house arrest and 10 years' probation.
DEWEESE EUNICK, VICTIM'S MOTHER: He definitely needs to remember what happened, that he took a life.
ZARRELLA: DeWeese Eunick is a mother with a gaping hole in her heart. Her daughter, Tiffany, was just 6 when Lionel Tate killed her in 1999. Tate's defense? It was an accident. He was acting out wrestling moves he had seen on TV when he killed his playmate.
It bothers DeWeese Eunick that Lionel, convicted of murder, never accepted responsibility. She'd like to remind him of how her daughter died.
EUNICK: Just to remind Lionel about all of the injuries that he gave Tiffany, all the blows, all those pinches and everything else. Just to remind him that that's why we're here today. That's why you're sitting there. That's why I'm here and Tiffany is not here.
ZARRELLA: When they leave the courtroom, Lionel Tate and his mother will be preparing for their future together -- a future DeWeese Eunick will be facing alone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Now, DeWeese Eunick has always says that she didn't want two lives to be lost, that she believed the original life without parole sentence was too much, and she accepted this plea deal.
Now, this could be a very emotional hearing this afternoon starting at 1:00, because DeWeese Eunick is expected to testify, along with her daughter's grandmother. So, Soledad, this afternoon could be very emotional here in Fort Lauderdale, Florida -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: John Zarrella for us this morning. John, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
