Michael Kennedy Poured Gasoline On His Ex-girlfriend, Lit Her On Fire, Killed Her

[n0longerinuse]

Michael Kennedy

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Alabama - A Jefferson County woman doused with gasoline and set on fire by her ex-boyfriend early Sunday has died.

Deborah Diane Prater, 49, was pronounced dead at 12:12 a.m. today at UAB Hospital, according to the Jefferson County Coroner's Office. She had been in the hospital's trauma and burn unit since she was attacked at her Edgewater home early Sunday.

Initially she was in serious condition, but authorities said that her condition deteriorated late Monday and she died early today.

[...] "It takes a special kind of evil to do something like this. The kind of evil that has no place existing in our society."

Prater's ex-boyfriend, 48-year-old Michael Kennedy, is charged with attempted murder. Sheriff's officials said today they will seek to upgrade the charge to capital murder and ask that Kennedy be held without bond.

Kennedy, who has a history of mental illness, was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Midfield on Monday afternoon.

Jefferson County sheriff's deputies were dispatched just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday to a report of a house fire [...] When they arrived, they found Prater with extensive burns to her head, arms, upper body and legs.

Investigators learned she had been dating Kennedy for the past three years. The woman ended the relationship about a month ago. Kennedy returned to the home early Sunday and an argument erupted.

Kennedy poured gasoline on the victim and set her on fire. The fire also burned some of the carpeting in the home. Kennedy fled in Prater's SUV.

[...] recovered the SUV Sunday night when someone flagged down an Alabama State Trooper about 6 p.m. and showed him the vehicle.

Deputies went to the site [...] and had the vehicle towed. Evidence technicians are processing the vehicle to obtain any evidence that might still be inside.

Court records show Kennedy was charged with first-degree robbery in 1995, but was found not guilty by reason of insanity. He was arrested again in 1999, and ordered to be remanded back to a mental health facility.

He also was arrested in 2007 on burglary and unlawful breaking and entering of a vehicle charges, but court records show those charges against him were dismissed. He was arrested again in 2009 on a charge of receiving stolen property but that charge, too, was dismissed.

http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2014/07/woman_doused_with_gasoline_and.html#incart_river

 

[Krystal]

"It takes a special kind of evil to do something like this. The kind of evil that has no place existing in our society."

Well said, sums it all up right there.

 

[Momzilla]

I can't imagine the pain- I hope for her sake she was not conscious for those last days, RIP.
To him, RIH!!!

 

[AllElseFailed]

Court records show Kennedy was charged with first-degree robbery in 1995, but was found not guilty by reason of insanity. He was arrested again in 1999, and ordered to be remanded back to a mental health facility.
He also was arrested in 2007 on burglary and unlawful breaking and entering of a vehicle charges, but court records show those charges against him were dismissed. He was arrested again in 2009 on a charge of receiving stolen property but that charge, too, was dismissed.

IMHO, if someone keeps committing crimes and getting off because of mental health issues, SOMETHING needs to be done to keep this person out of normal society. I don't have a solution, but something needs to change.

 

[n0longerinuse]

IMHO, if someone keeps committing crimes and getting off because of mental health issues, SOMETHING needs to be done to keep this person out of normal society. I don't have a solution, but something needs to change.

This crime clearly deserves the death penalty.

 

[AllElseFailed]

This crime clearly deserves the death penalty.

I agree completely. I meant something should have been done to keep him out of society after all of his previous charges. Then maybe THIS crime could have been prevented.

 

[lithiumgirl]

I can't imagine the pain- I hope for her sake she was not conscious for those last days, RIP.
To him, RIH!!!

She would have been put into a medically induced coma. And hopefully and thankfully blissfully unaware of the trauma to her body and wound to her soul.