Los Angeles Man Convicted in Death of Mother
According to Mercurynews.com in California, a Los Angeles man was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of his mother in 2008. 48-year-old Richard Carlton Barbera faces the maximum sentence of 15 years to life in prison for the murder of 74-year-old Mary Barbera.
According to the report, this is not the first incident involving Barbera. In two February 2008 incidents, Barbera viciously beat up his mother for a duration of roughly six hours and left her with severe injuries to her face and ribs. During the second of the two incidents, Barbera called 911 on his own accord and confessed to the crime then proceeded to slice his throat with a razor blade. Barbera recovered from the injuries he suffered as a result but, unfortunately, his mother died from the injuries that she sustained.
There is no report on the reasons why Barbera acted in this way toward his mother. However, despite what the reasons may have been, there is no excuse for treating a family member, especially an elderly family member, in this way. There is no legitimate reason for a person to physically harm a member of their own family in such a manner as to cause their death. The sentence that Barbera faces for his crime seems appropriate as this kind of treatment toward an elderly individual should be punishable to the highest extreme.
