Written bySNOW HILL -- A Darby, Pa., man convicted in the murder of his mother was sentenced to 25 years in prison during a Worcester County Circuit Court hearing Friday morning.
Molin said once during the address that he was sorry his mother had died "in the accident."
"That was the extent of his remorse," said Groton, who also described testimony from responders to the scene who said Molin had been "somewhat calm" while his mother was lying in the middle of the road.
"For me, that bolsters the state's argument and the jury's findings that this was an intentional act," Groton said.
Molin continued to insist his mother's death was accidental during the trial and sentencing, something Groton said he believes Molin is using as a defense mechanism to avoid the remorse he would otherwise feel for his actions.
Molin was reprimanded by Groton for his outburst.
Oglesby sought the maximum sentence of 30 years for Molin's crime, due to the state's belief that Molin had "intentionally and deliberately killed his mom."
In Molin's account, he and his mother drove from Pennsylvania to visit his father's gravesite in Berlin. Molin had taken his mother from the nursing home without permission, according to trial testimony. He told police his mother had accidentally fallen out of the car, and he had not noticed when she did.
Groton said Molin's autism and Asperger's syndrome are no excuse for what he did, and they don't prevent similar actions from happening again.
Source; http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110611/NEWS01/106110332/During-sentencing-son-says-he-didn-t-mean-kill-mom?odyssey=obinsite
Steven Molin, 58, was convicted of second-degree murder in March in the death of his 85-year-old mother, Emily Molin, after he allegedly ran her over several times with a vehicle on a rural road near Berlin. He was acquitted of a first-degree murder charge.
Before Judge Thomas Groton handed down his sentence, Molin spoke in the courtroom for more than 30 minutes about the care he used to give his mother, the amount of money he spent on ensuring her well-being and his anger with the staff at the nursing home she had been living in until the day of her death.
Molin said once during the address that he was sorry his mother had died "in the accident."
"That was the extent of his remorse," said Groton, who also described testimony from responders to the scene who said Molin had been "somewhat calm" while his mother was lying in the middle of the road.
Molin continued to insist his mother's death was accidental during the trial and sentencing, something Groton said he believes Molin is using as a defense mechanism to avoid the remorse he would otherwise feel for his actions.
During State's Attorney Beau Oglesby's address to Groton, he mentioned Molin's conviction of murder, and Molin interjected, exclaiming that "it was an accident."
Molin was reprimanded by Groton for his outburst.
Oglesby sought the maximum sentence of 30 years for Molin's crime, due to the state's belief that Molin had "intentionally and deliberately killed his mom."
The case was one of the most unusual Groton has seen on the bench, the judge said. In some ways, Steven Molin is very intelligent, he said, but it had also become clear to him that there was "a piece missing" mentally.
Groton said Molin's autism and Asperger's syndrome are no excuse for what he did, and they don't prevent similar actions from happening again.
"Killing a parent is one of the most horrendous acts," Groton said before announcing the sentence.
Molin said to his public defender, Burton Anderson, after the hearing that the outcome was "a death sentence" for him.
