Lionel Tate Pleads Guilty to Robbery

Lionel Tate, the Florida teen who at age 12 was once the youngest person in the United States serving a life sentence, has entered a plea of guilty to armed robbery of a pizza deliveryman, which could get him up to 30 years in prison.

Sentencing for Tate (pictured), now 19 years old, is scheduled for April 3. He could receive from 10 to 30 years for the May 2005 robbery and violating his probation.

Tate was originally convicted of killing six-year-old Tiffany Eunick when he was practicing wrestling moves he saw on television. He was given a life sentence, but his conviction was overturned when an appeals court ruled that it was not clear if Tate, who is mentally challenged, knew what was happening to him.

Under a plea deal, Tate agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder in the Eunick murder and was given 10 years on probation. Five years was added to his sentence in 2004 when he was found carrying a knife.

Police say on May 23, 2004, Tate called Domino's Pizza from a friend's house and pulled a gun on the deliveryman, who fled. He identified Tate as the gunman and Tate's fingerprints were found on the pizza boxes.

See Also:
Teen Killer Pleads Guilty in Armed Robbery

More Information:
Juvenile Crime and Issues

More Crime News:
Top Stories
Current Investigations and Trials
Daily Crime Headlines