On January 11, 1983, Mary Jo Hovendick was closing after her normal shift at the local doughnut shop in Blair, Nebraska. Just outside, 16 year old Brian Smith and 17 year old Dale Nollen were planning on breaking into the restaurant for extra money. When seeing Mary inside the restuarant, they decided to take her money instead. The two teenagers then abducted Mary, robbed, raped and murdered her. The two young men tied her with the apron she had been wearing that night, locked her in her car, and pushed into the freezing Missouri river. The two men were caught after being found walking the bridge on Highway 30. They were arrested and accused of the kidnapping, rape and murder of Mary.
Dale Nollen plead guilty to the murder and was sentenced to life in prison. Brian smith plead guilty to the kidnapping and robbery and was sentenced to life in prison. Unfortunately, there is a chance that these men could now be released from prison. Back in August of 2015, a local judge ruled that Dale Nollen's case must be re-sentenced because of a 2012 Supreme court ruling that states: "mandatory life without parole sentences for juveniles convicted of murder were unconstitutional."
The now 49 year old Brian smith could also face parole because of a separate supreme court hearing that states: mandatory life without parole sentences for juveniles convicted of robbery, kidnapping and rape were unconstitutional.
Should these men be able to walk free? Why?
How would you feel if you were a relative of Mary Jo Hovendick?
I do not think that these men should be re-sentenced. They were old enough at the time to know what they were doing was wrong. Letting them out could cause more trouble in Blair. If i was the family of Mary I would not want these men to walk free. They committed multiple vicious crimes that night and should receive no clemency.
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Replies
Well done!
Even though it is the law, I don't think that they should be re-sentenced. They committed the crime, and need to pay for what they did, even if it was all those years ago. I would not want these guys to have the sentence of their crime changed if I were a relative of Mary's, and like you said, it could cause more trouble in Blair.
I do not think that these men should be allowed a re-sentence and they should spend the rest of their life in prison. These two teenagers robbed this women, subjected her to torture, and murdered her and I feel they should face the full consequences of their choices. Even though they were teenagers when they committed this murder, they should have had enough common sense and a conscience to understand the evilness of what they did and realize the consequences that would be a result of their choice. If I was the family, I would made sure that they'd stay in prison as a matter of justice and to make sure no on else would become one of their victims.
No i think the should serve the time they need they don't get the right to do that to a person.. I make sure they deserve what they to my relative and make sure they do. It just not right.
I agree. They shouldn't be let out on the streets, being able to do this again.
I dont think they should because they did a cruel thinh to this woman so they should be in for life.
I would be ferious and I would make sure that they stayed in there till they died.
I think they should have another chance. People mess up and that was a long time ago. Everyone makes mistakes and deserves at least one more chance to change. I understand what they did was very wrong, and I agree they may have known what they were doing, but I also do not think having LIFE in prison is necessary.
Putting this is perspective, how would you feel if you were the family of Mary? People can be put in prison for life for just murder. These men also kidnapped, raped and robbed this woman.
These men should definitely not be able to walk free, they plead guilty! They were sentenced to life in prison because there was enough evidence to convict them of the crime, so they should be put in jail- no questions asked. If I was a relative to Mary Jo Hovendick, I would be appalled that these men could possibly be walking free. That would remove any sense of closure that the family had. The men should be put in jail- no clemency for them!
They definitely belong to be in prison and letting them be able to walk free would be horribly wrong! I hope the judges realize how bad it would be to not put them in prison. If she was one of my relatives I would be very shocked and wouldn't understand why two teenagers wanted to kill an innocent woman.
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