Behind the Headlines

Gigi and Greg Sr., L.G.'s parents, think that while some punishment is appropriate, the 12-year sentence L.G. originally received for the second-degree murder conviction was too harsh.

"I want everyone to know our hearts do go out to the Rourkes, and we know that this was a mistake," Gigi says. "We know, and my son knows, this was an accident. He didn't intentionally go to that baseball field to harm Jeremy."

They say that the media portrayal of L.G. was never accurate. "He's not that monster that he's been portrayed as. He's a very kind-hearted person, a good kid," Gigi says.

They say that the reason L.G. pulled the bat out of his bag was that he was scared of Jeremy, who was older and bigger. The Harrises say Jeremy weighed 190 pounds and L.G. weighed 87 pounds. "I think it was more of a fear factor for him with the size difference, and it just escalated," Gigi says. "[The teasing] would not stop; it just kept going and going. And he didn't know how to get himself out of the situation ... because he hasn't been in a confrontation [like that]. He's well liked; he's a very confident kid."

"He was just scared," Greg Sr. says. "I think that's really what bothers us the most about [the second-degree murder] they [originally] charged him with."