Killer seeks new sentence
Convicted of first-degree murder as a juvenile in 1993, impaired man petitions court to reduce life sentence
NORRISTOWN » A former Stowe man sentenced to life in prison for the 1993 gunshot slaying of his neighbor, a crime committed at the time he was a teenager, is back in a Montgomery County courtroom seeking a new sentence.
Ricky Maurice Roberts, now 43, formerly of the 800 block of East Howard Street, appeared to listen attentively Wednesday as relatives and psychologists testified about his dysfunctional upbringing, his intellectual disability, his diagnosis with schizophrenia and the maturity he’s exhibited since being incarcerated for the last 25 years.
“There is evidence of brain maturation. I think he’s come a long way. As part of his identity he accepts
he has a serious psychiatric illness,” one expert in forensic neuro-psychology testified, adding Roberts has come to understand he has a life-long illness that requires medication. “He acknowledges it’s important for him to take it.”
Roberts pleaded guilty but mentally ill in November 1993 to a charge of general homicide in connection to the June 7, 1993, shooting death of Brenda J. Rhoades in her East Howard Street home. Judge Bernard A. Moore had to decide if Roberts was guilty of first- or third-degree murder.
Moore subsequently convicted Roberts of first-degree murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment without parole.
Roberts, who was 17 at the time of the killing, recently was granted a re-sentencing hearing in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2012 ruling that mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole were unconstitutional for juveniles. In 2016, the high court said the ruling should be applied retroactively.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in a separate ruling, said prosecutors bear “the burden of proving, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the juvenile offender is incapable of rehabilitation.”
Judge Gail A. Weilheimer, who has the responsibility to fashion a new sentence, is expected to hear testimony regarding Roberts’ childhood; Roberts’ conduct during his incarceration as well as the accomplishments and strides he’s made; statements from the victim’s relatives; and applicable sentencing laws.
Weilheimer began hearing testimony Wednesday from defense witnesses during the first day of what is expected to be a threeday hearing.
The neuro-psychologist called by defense lawyer Carrie L. Allman testified that while Roberts has matured, if he’s released from prison, he would still need “wrap around services” from a treatment team to ensure he continues to take his medications.
One question raised during the testimony was whether a facility existed that would be equipped to provide the treatment and structure experts say Roberts needs if he’s paroled from prison.
Testimony, including from Roberts’ relatives, revealed Roberts had a dysfunctional childhood. Roberts’ mother suffered from a psychiatric illness and Roberts described her has being abusive toward him, according to testimony. Roberts tried to conceal his own symptoms out of fear, witnesses testified.
Relatives of Rhoades sat in the front row of the courtroom and are expected to testify for Assistant District Attorney James Price as the hearing continues.
Roberts, who was a special education student at Pottsgrove High School at the time of the killing, told authorities he killed Rhoades because “voices” told him to and because she was the only one home.
Authorities said Roberts, who was living with his grandparents on East Howard Street at the time of the killing, confessed to shooting the 26-year-old woman once in the head with a .22-caliber handgun after going to Rhoades’ home under the guise of needing a cup of sugar.
Testimony revealed Roberts has consistently measured an IQ of 70 and he was previously diagnosed as suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.
During the 1993 trial, psychiatrists for both the prosecution and defense testified that Roberts was extremely dangerous and that he may be inclined to kill again without continuous mental health treatment. The doctors maintained Roberts was not insane at the time of the killing and that he was able to form the specific intent to kill, a requirement for a first-degree murder conviction.