NEW ORLEANS — There was intense testimony at the sentencing hearing for the teen convicted of carjacking and dragging Linda Frickey to her death Friday. John Honore was sentenced to life in prison.
After sentencing, family members were relieved with Honore's sentencing, "we got justice," one family member said. "He is responsible for beating and killing her, and he could've stopped at any time,". "They participated in carjacking and that's what they were punished for," she said.
DA Jason Williams also weighed in, "we cannot live like this in a civilized society", he said. "Young people need to understand and adults need to understand that," he explained.
Williams said Judge Kimya M. Holmes, made it clear herself. "This was a mandatory sentence, because this crime was just that horrific," he said.
"We'll be there to show the parole board his nature and see if 25 years if he has any remorse or a chance, cause he'll still be a young man," the family member said.
Defense attorneys raised issues and a few relatives testified that John Honore had a traumatic childhood that included abuse, witnessing abuse, moving from house to house and poverty.
Angela Robertson, an aunt, described a time Honore went to New Orleans police for help.
"They called me to pick him up, and he begged me to let him come live with me," she said. "Due to circumstances, I couldn’t take him in."
Robertson was crying as she said that if she had been able to take him “we wouldn’t be here right now.”
Frickey’s family, as they have been since the death of their loved one that rocked the city, wanted no mercy shown to the young man who they say showed their loved one no mercy.
Linda Frickey, 73, died when she was carjacked by Honore and three young women. Video shows Honore beating Frickey to try to get her out of the car and then tossing her out. Her arm got caught in the seatbelt and she was dragged to her death, with her arm severing.
"When you take your last breath, may the only thing you hear be the hell hounds coming for you, to drag your a— back down to where you belong," Frickey’s sister-in-law Kathy Richard said. "Personally, I hope you don’t make it out of there (prison), and that those hell hounds come after you quick."
The young women who were at the carjacking with Honore and had various levels of involvement, entered plea deals for their roles in the case and were sentenced to time in prison. Honore was convicted last year of second-degree murder, which carries a mandatory minimum of life in prison.
Judge Kimya Holmes showed no indication that she planned to stray from those guidelines.