Bresha Meadows Reaches a Plea Deal
Photo courtesy of Twitter.
Photo courtesy of Twitter.
Bresha Meadows, the 15-year-old Warren, Ohio teen who shot and killed her father — a man who had a history of abuse against her and her mother — has accepted a plea deal.
Bresha pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter; she was sentenced to a year and a day to juvenile jail, plus six months at a mental-health facility. Bresha has spent nine months in jail and gets credit for time served, so she should be released to a mental health facility in July. Her record will be expunged by the time she becomes an adult.
One of the issues is that Bresha Meadows' family will have to cover the cost of the mental health facility. The tab is steep, with reports saying that expenses can cost upwards of $68,000, and the family has a GoFundMe to accept donations.
Bresha's case has been complicated. On July 28th, 2016, she fatally shot her father, Jonathan Meadows, while he was sleeping. Bresha was soon charged with aggravated murder.
After the incident, Brandi Meadows, Bresha's mom, called her daughter "a hero." She said that Jonathan had a long history of abusing both her and daughter and that Bresha saved their life. In fact, in 2011, Brandi filed a civil domestic violence protection order against Jonathan, writing that she was in fear of her life. That protection order was dismissed after the couple got back together.
Jonathan Meadows’ family denies that he was abusive. Lena Cooper, Jonathan's sister, submitted a victim impact story, where she said: “He did not abuse his family. He did not abuse his children.” However, it was reported yesterday that Bresha's cousin Ja'Von Meadows-Harris said that he was also abused by Jonathan.
The case became a national story after gaining traction on social media, where the #FreeBresha hashtag has constantly trended. Supporters were disappointed with the outcome, saying that Bresha should not have even spent one day in jail.
H/T: HuffingtonPost, WFMJ, Cleveland, FreeBresha
