Ben Martin Gets Life for Dousing Homeless Man with Gas, Lighting Him with Road Flare

• I knew both John (the homeless man) and Ben (the one who set him on fire). John did smell bad but he was a nice guy who would just look up at you with his dark blue eyes, and you know he was asking for help or a hand out but he wouldn't never ask. Just look at you with those blue eyes, and most of the time even though I didn't really have it to spare, I would give him what I could. Ben cut my hair once. He seemed ok, normal but when I went to his sentencing I could not help but feel that here was a guy that had know idea what he did, to himself or to John. I believe ten years from now he will say "what did I do with my life.

• Why would someone get life in prison for starting a garbage fire?

• I won't dispute that for a second, Deborah. Most homeless people are on the streets because they really do have no place else to go. However, and this is mostly true of those with mental health issues, many take to the streets because that's where they want to be. When I was more heavily involved with the national center for missing adults, I was floored to find out how many missing people were mentally ill with families who desperately wanted to find them. The story was almost always the same, the person would be home for a bit then take off, then come back, then take off again until one day they just never came back. Once the person is an adult,there's nothing anyone can do. The law takes chronological age in to consideration, but not mental age.

• Although this is true in some cases, the amount of people "choosing" to be homeless is quite low compared to the amount who actually live on the street because they have nowhere else to go.

• Just because a person has family who love him doesn't mean he will stay at home. If the person is an adult, he or she has the right to walk away if they wish. It's sad, but that's the way it is. Nobody can force someone to stay where they are safe.

• If this homeless man had family who loved him, then why was he homeless? Mental illness seems to be evident in most cases of homelessness, which is why most of them drink. It's their way of self-medicating.

• Instead of harassing the editor for more info I went looking.. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/04/man-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-without-parole-for-setting-homeless-man-on-fire.html Doesn't sound personal, and apparently the victim was harmless/well-liked (and had a family who loved him.) Honestly sounds like a hate crime.

• @John: Wasn't personal that we know of anyway, you're right about needing more info...Pete?

• @John: I based my assumptions on his pattern of escalating violence against homeless people seemingly for no other reason than that they were on the streets. I don't know why he seems to have hated them either, although I find it very interesting that you seem to imply if we knew the reason it could maybe validate his general hatred. Saying 'maybe homeless people are aggressive' is like looking at a Northern guy who attacks a Southern guy and saying 'maybe white people in the South (me) are racist and do meth'...sweeping generalization that doesn't validate any singular action, and when you kill (or defend killing) based on how a certain group generally acts, it kind of furthers the argument that this should be considered as a hate crime. This altercation wasn't personal.

• @ SomethingotherthanAnon You talk about motivations. I do not know from the scarce information given if he "hated" the homeless guy just because he was homeless or because the the homeless guy aggressively panhandled, defecated nearby and harassed customers. I have not spent a lot of time in California. While there I saw a fair number of homeless. From what I saw they were not aggressive, merely sleeping or passed out. I might have seen them at the wrong time of day. In another state I have seen & have heard that they are aggressive. Nothing like harassing newly arrived college student from a foreign country. This guy just didn't go out &say I am going to kill homeless. He was set off. He handled it poorly to say the very least. The cops handled it not at all. This guy should have figuratively beat the city council up side their head until they were at their wits end and acted.

• @John: Yes, if a group of kids kill a random homeless guy just because they're looking to kill a random person they should be charged differently than a group of kids who kill a homeless guy because they hate homeless people. Charged differently, not necessarily punished differently. Life in prison either way if you ask me. They are all guilty of murder, but it is as imperative that the law acknowledge the difference in motivation here as it would be in a case in which the homeless man was murdered in self-defense. We cannot selectively apply the law to only protect some at-risk groups. If it fits the description of a hate crime (and it does) then it should certainly be prosecuted as one.

• Ben Martins eyes are making my insides cold! also S.o.t.Anon: I agree, homeless are not disposable! They still have their inherent rights!

• I wonder if this is the case that was featured on AMW once? To me drowning and fire are the two worst ways to die because of the time it takes. So Sad. For people who look down on the homeless just know almost half the american population is one paycheck away from bieng homeless. Even without living beyond thier means.

• John.....Morethan isn't taking a "position". He/she is making a statement: crimes against homeless persons should be classified as "hate crimes". People don't get penalized 'less' for hate crimes. I submit that 'just' wanting to see someone die *is* a hate crime of sorts. People that kill others just for kicks hate *everyone*, perhaps themselves most of all.

• So if Joe average gets torched just because some some kids wanted to see someone die, the the kids get penalized less? Because it was not due to hate. They might not hated the guy, they just wanted to see someone die. It could be anyone. Your position makes no sense. What is more than life imprisonment without parole? They keep his skeleton licked up for another life term?

• If these kinds of sickening acts against the homeless have yet to be considered 'hate crimes' then they damn well should be.

• One more thing. TY ACLU. Also, churches provide out reach for this; they are not all pedophiles. I know of a church that provides housing for 20 or so men who are washed up. They are alcoholics & such. They would have no where else to go. There are 2 to a room.

• Have you been to LA? They use public sidewalks as restrooms. Watch where you step. That said he deserves the sentence. In other countries the cops would make the person disappear. So consider that. Once had a homeless woman living in a our garage for 3 months or so overseas. The garage had no garage door & was open to the street. She either moved on or the neighbors called the cops. This was overseas of course.

• Wow what a freak.

• I say turn this piece of crap into a human candle - or better yet let ole dovie have a go at him lol

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