“He should get the death penalty for what he’s done,” were the words of a mother, Jennifer Cloninger, directed at her own son. What has he done to warrant that his own mother wish the death penalty on him?
Last Friday, Cloninger’s son, Matthew Safrit, shot and killed his stepfather, Nathan Cloninger. In the process, he stabbed his mother as she tried to protect her dying husband from the wrath of Safrit. The family fight began over a car and quickly escalated to a murderous rampage. Safrit, who is battling depression, was high on drugs and alcohol when the incident took place.
Obviously, these were not the actions of a stable person. I completely agree that Matthew Safrit should be incarcerated and punished by law. After all, he did murder someone. Whether he was drunk and high is irrelevant, he did he crime; now he needs to be punished by law.
Lots of people get drunk and high and hate their step dad, but lots of people don’t use the family squabble as an excuse to kill their step father and stab their own mother. Of course, I’m pretty sure that mommy dearest was simply collateral damage. Junior was so engrossed in the throes of murdering his step daddy she just got in the way as Safrit tried to get to Nathan Cloninger. Safrit probably never even noticed she was between himself and his victim.
We grow our babies in our bodies, nourish them of our body, hold them in our arms and cherish then in our hearts. They may grow up but we never stop being their mother. When I look at my girls, I still see that newborn that I met on the day they were born. The love that I felt in that moment is always with me. Nothing or no one could ever alter that bond between my children and myself.
I don’t understand how any mother, no matter what her child has done, no matter how old her child is, wishing the death penalty on her own son. To me, that is the craziest part of this entire situation. As a mother myself, I would never wish the death penalty on my child. Isn’t that what a mother’s love is; unconditional love in the face of reason and all else? I’d say Jennifer Cloninger’s motherly love most definitely has conditions. Apparently, killing her husband is a condition for turning her back on her child.
Mrs. Cloninger, don’t talk to your son. Be pissed that he killed the love of your life. Shake your fists at the Gods in fury but don’t wish the death penalty on your own child.
I have a feeling there is more to this story than meets the eye. If I had to guess, Cloninger was the type of woman who put men above her child’s needs, her husband may have been a brute to Safrit and the kid just snapped. Or maybe Safrit is really just a mean, crazy asshole and he deserves to be locked up forever. He may even deserve the death penalty but I don’t think it’s right that his own mother is running her mouth on national news lobbying for his death sentence. I think his mom’s got her priorities mixed up. What about you?
Would you ever wish the death penalty on your own child?
Image via Zaldylmg/Flickr
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Comments 72
If my son was a serial killer or sexual predator then I would want him to get the death penalty. Society must be protected against those who have no conscience. If my son commited a crime I would want him punished just like anyone else. You can still love your child and know that they deserve to die for what they have done. The woman in question may be in fear for her own life if her son ever gets out of prison. It' hard to imagine what you'd do in a situation like that if you've never been in one.
When I read the headline, I automatically thought that this is a mom who cherishes men above her son, and that maybe that is why this happened in the first place. Vying for attention. Wanting his mom to see him and to care.
Tina Davis - I'm sorry your mother was like that, but just because she was, doesn't mean this woman is. I've known people that hate their step parents for absolutely no reason. I, greatly dislike my stepmother for many, many reasons. We just don't know and to assume we do is doing ourselves a disservice.
You are absolutely right.......I just wanted to present another side to a story. Obviously, it looks bad enough because of what he did to both people. I simply wanted another side presented to possibly show why he may have done such a thing.
Have any of you encountered a step-father that wanted rid of the kids? Kind of like some animals.....they don't want another man's children around, they only want their own children around? It happens more than ya think.
I do not think the mother's emotions and thought process at this time should be held against her. She is obviously grieving or suffering from PTSD. Without knowing the entire situation or her state of mind, I think it is unfair to judge her or condem her for her feelings.
Okay, wow, this is something that I don't think should have EVER been blogged about... just sayin'. One, It really is not our (by our I mean the author) place to judge a woman that watched her son kill her husband and was also nearly kill by her 'bouncing baby boy' as well. Two, the circumstances that surround the situation are unknown at this time so it is not our (again I mean the author) place to speculate on it.
That said, to answer the question presented,
Ever hear the saying 'an eye for an eye'? The boy ended a life, therefore, as the saying literally means, his should be ended as well. I am a complete advocate for the death penalty and, my son or not, a murder deserves to die. There is no nice way to put that. As a mother, if my kid almost killed me while in the precess of actually killing my husband, you bet your ass I would be lobing for him to pay for it. The punishment should fit the crime and if the crime is murder, but punishment should be death. Why should the tax-payers have to pay for him to live in prision for the rest of his life? They didn't kill anyone.