Josie Ratley, Savagely Beaten by 15-Year-Old Wayne Treacy, Finally Goes Home

• It's a sad day in what was once the greatest Country in the World. We the people are now protecting the criminals and persecuting the victims. 16, 26, 76; Age doesn't matter when the brutally of bashing in someones skull with the belief and arrogance that Treacy's Sociopath personality entitled him to end another persons life. Should Mr Treacy not spend a life time in prison for the crime he committed against this girl? For she will spend a life time in her own prison because she answered her cell phone in the 8th grade elementary school she was attending.

• To think that anyone has sympathy for Wayne Tracy shows that people are basically sick when it comes to women being abused. that monster deserves at the least life in prison without the possibility of parole if not the death penality. That child had done nothing wrong to deserve such a savage beating. I do not care that he was abused as a child or his brain was not fully developed that is a sickening excuse as that is all it is an excuse not a viable reason for anyone to almost kil another human being and caused her permanent brain damage. I have no sympathy for him and when he goes to prison I hope that the same thing happens to him the fucking monster. Good by you little monster and I hope you rot in hell.... F you!!!

• Heyena you are an absolute fool. This "BOY" almost killed an innocent girl OVER A TEXT MESSAGE. HER LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME, even if she did recover, it's the INTENTION not the outcome. You saying "she didn't die" is idiotic, so If I shoot my gun at you and miss or shoot at you and hit you but you don't die, it's OK? That is basically what you are saying. Her injuries DO NOT MATTER, what matters is this evil coward tried to kill an innocent GIRL over words. He intended to KILL HER, HE TOLD PEOPLE HE WAS GOING TO KILL HER. This evil coward planned it out, thought about it, and executed it(and almost her) Amazing that anyone would defend this scumbag, who almost killed a GIRL over a text message. I guess you are saying it's OK if I almost kill someone if they say something I don't like.

• Bleeding hearts are amazing, a FEMALE almost got beat to death by a MALE over a text message(words)-and bleeding hearts are here defending the male who almost killed her. Unreal. I don't care what she texted him, he should be put in jail for life. He's a dangerous person who can go into a murderous rage over words, you protect society from animals like him. And of course bleeding hearts make it possible for him to claim PTSS, to bleeding hearts nobody is ever responsible(unless it's a female victim who is almost killed)-it's always a mental disorder etc. This is just an evil guy, but bleeding hearts don't believe that, they just blame the victim and blame his brother dying(my bro died too, I found him dead, and didn't almost kill someone)

• Hyena, It does not matter what someone says to you, beating someone to near death over mere words, young or not, and a female is not normal or apart of being a kid that is the mind of sociopath, no conscience, no guilt that will take major rehab for him and he may not make any progress to make him worth anything to society. As far as, a traumatic brain injury are you kidding me?ptsd alone from an assault like that will damage you for the rest of your life it makes life feel like it is not worth living anymore, it is like being on a bad acid trip that doesn't go away. The injury was severe enough to make her have to go back to being a baby again, this happened to my aunt when she was hit by a drunk driver when she was 16 she is in her 50's now and yeah she is alive but she is mentally disabled (still healing from the brain injury)and she will never become what she could have been and no one has the right to take that away from someone and change them in this way.Alive but worth living??? Over what??

• To go off this subject for a couple of minutes::: CCCCC and CT: Both of you made me chuckle! Got a gun was good. And CCCCC i feel your pain for your mom. I am so very sorry for your loss. CT (are u from CT?) The cat and the basement stairs cracked me up! Made me remember my "old Man". At his biggest he weight 26 lbs! and healthy as an ox. Just lazy. He was attacked 3 yrs ago by a neigbor cat in our yard. We didnt know he had an abcess. When it opened, it was so bad, it rand from 1/4 up his tail from the base down to his "knee" Took 37 staples to close him up. Tons of meds ect. That was in August 2007. He was 11 yrs old. I had had him since he was 2 wks old. Bottle feed him! My baby. Anyways, he never came back right. In Jan 2008 be started getting sick and losing weight. Many days at the vets. Much money and tears. They didnt know what was wrong. All tests came back fine. By May, i was hand feeding him baby food meats. He weighted 8 lbs. When he finally pasted, at 12 yrs old and 1 month. He weight 6 lbs. My vet thinks that age, and the injury are what did him in. I i think i believe him. Blackie was a quiet cat. You could let him outside (even though he was indoor cat) and he would not leave deck driveway area. No matter how long he was out there. I would go for walk, he would go with me. He didnt like the UPS truck or the recycler truck and would growl like a dog. He would go to back door and sit and speak. OUUUUUUT I wish i had videoed that. Oh crap. now i'm crying again. Anyway, our 2 younger cats race up and down stairs. But only when we are trying to walk up or down on them. Husband swears i'm bribing them to make him fall so i can get life insurance. Anyways, your two comments made me laugh on a day of crapola! Thank you

• Ugh! The whole situation is horrible. No one and I mean NO ONE deserves to be beaten that way no matter what was said. The boy really has no excuse in his actions. I was bullied and nasty things were said about my family when i was growing up but I did not try to kill the offender. I did smack a few and got in major trouble for it. (it was worth it!) Blaming it on his depression or whatever is just an excuse. Most of us have the ability to choose right from wrong. He knew what was happening and he chose wrong. I am still alittle stunned that some think she deserved this. Sorry if I am repeating some thing everyone has said. I can't post comments at work.

• I see what your saying Lara. I think we should work on preventing these crimes from happening. This isnt the only case when a child was brutally beaten. Remember the 6 Florida girls who beatup this 16 year and video taped it, and this 14 year old boy in Florida who these other kids set on fire, and there was a 12 year old who got beatup and video tape, there other cases like this. These kids all have parents and I would be devastated if this s&*@ happened to one of my kids. Its the perfect world we are living in isnt it. I cant wait to have kids and bring them into this world.

• * All the comments above

• I didnt read all the comment above, just the firsat ones because there is a lot to read lol. Its so horrible what happend and yes he should be punished, but not life, because as some people have said here you change and become a different person when your older. There was this kid in school who was always kicking and fighting teachers, but now hes older hes a respected man with a good job and wanting to make something ot of himself. ''Anonymous said: Hayena Killer: What if this was your son? Well I wouldnt raise the son like that, and like you. And yes Wayne Treacy did know what he was doing. I have no pity on Wayne Treacy and his lower class family at all. I cant see how anyone would. Wayne Treacy and his parents are what wrong with this world today. What about Josie Ratley parents. Josie Ratleys family is the victims too. Josie Ratley seems like a good girl from a good family. I wish I had a daughter like her. Posted 06/03/2010 at 08:54:05 PM'' This comment is just a bit harsh on the parents. When kids go to highschool parents barely reflect what the child becomes. Its all to do with what crowds the child gets into at school, so blaming the parents is out of order =/ It was the boys blame not his parents as well. Refering to a 'lower class family,' Are you refering to working class? If you are then its not fair to class people bad from a category like that..

• Yeah, worthless comments isnt worth arguing over.

• I have no Idea what I was spelling, but it should be SEVERAL, not severely.Now that's funny! Anonymous, don't let crap like that bother you. Posting on a website people talk a big talk behind their computers. If any of these people were to meet face to face not one of them would say a word to you. I know I would not take anyones crap face to face. No way in hell. Really, what are posts going to do to us anyway stop the sun from shining? Don't give LOL another thought.

• LOL, if you dont have anything nice to say dont say anything at all. Your probably one of those sad, sad people who live off on employment. Your the lazy one who have nothing else to do but post comments. Plus what does your comment have to do with the incident? How does speaking our mind on the incident make you lazy? Maybe we just like to make opinions about stuff. Your not making any sense. Your BF or GF probably dump you for someone attractive, and you are looking for someone to insult just because you think it would make you life better.

• Yes Larry I am saying that Josie's text message was NOT bad! Treacy texted Josie first. Treacy text Josie "that her Dead father was molesting HER!" Josie told Treacy severely times to stop messaging her and calling her before she text Treacy anything about his brother. Only a sick coward would stomp another persons head into the concrete. I don't know how much more clearer it has to be made for you people " TREACY TEXTED JOSIE FIRST"...................

• You're not the only one ccccc, I post from work, too. I have more down time than I'd like, heh. You can tell that most people post from work because the posts tend to slow down to a crawl after 5pm in respective time zones.

• LOL: I bet many of these people post from work. That's when you'll find me here. Unfortunately, I have a lot of down-time, & I can't be the only one.

• Anonymous...I dont even have to insult you, you do that all on your own. You are most likely one of the sad..sad people who LIVE off unemployment because your too LAZY to get a job. Keep it up with the comments, seeing how thats what your life revolves around. ;]

• Larry, no one said what Josie text was not bad. People have been saying yes she shouldnt text what she did. The difference is what she texted did not warrant her almost being killed and now set to live a hard life with brain damage. BIG DIFFERENCE THEIR. And y0u can hardly compare what Josie said as BULLYING. Bullying such is what happened in other cases where kids killd themselves was CONTINOUS HARRASMENT not a few intults here and there via text. What Josie and the attempted murderer had was a heated argument back and forth. They both were going back and forth hurling mean senseless insults at each other. There was no one sided bullying about it. And the attempted murderer decided to go over board and attack her from behind no less. I was no saint in junior high or high school. If i were the boy at most I would have asked another GIRL to fight Josie since I was a BOY. And thats a maybe i would have done that. And now being older and more mature I reliZe that would have been wrong and over reacting. But i would never have gone over there myself and violently beat and kick Josie almost to death. And it would have been if not for that teacher. It worries me that some of the people on here, that I am assuming are over the age of 18 are still so immature and idiotic think this type of act is justified. Since the attempted murderer said mean hurtful insults do you think it would be fair if they were both beaten and kicked within an inch of their lives, and now have brain damage forever????

• I agree with Sandy's comment. Some people is making it out that Josie provoked the beating, but she didnt. It was Wayne's choice. He could of thought no im not going to do this this isnt going to solve my problems, but he didnt think of that. If he was really upset about what Josie said about his brother he could of talk it out using words. Words are mightier than your mighty sword. But instead he choice to beat her to death. There is no excuse for his actions. If Josie wouldnt of said something to make him angry someone else would of did or said something to make him angry and he would of just beat someone else to death. This could of happened to anyone. Nobody deserve this. Josie isnt perfect. Shes a humen being and humen being say stuff they shouldnt. Josie is somebodys daughter. What if this was your daughter?

• ForlornW, I got ya, it just amazes me how anyone could defend a person that stomped another persons head into the concrete. You know that Treacy had to hear the bones in Josie's skull splitting apart while he was stomping her head into the ground? He also had to have had blood, hair and skull on the bottom of his boot. Anonymous creaks me up. Do you guys think that this kid has night mares for what he did to Josie? I wonder if the image of that girls battered head is imprinted in his brain?

• LOL, you get a life, instead of posting comments just to insult people.

• Sandy, he may choose a mate, doesn't mean a mate's gonna choose him back. LOL, that is hilarious and witty. Everyone knows it takes so long to post those of us who've posted more than once cannot possibly do anything else. I myself just spent 72 hours posting this response to you and had no time to do anything else with my life.

• This story makes me both angry and sad. Senseless violence will forever effect two young peoples lives and indirectly their families and friends.

• WOW this story interests me..but really? Do you people have jobs? Even Lives? Man, the paragraphs on this article are amazing. So amazing I cant even waste MY time to read them.

• ForlornW, and for those of us that have daughters, there are sick mosters like Larry that are preying on our children. This poor excuse for a man will one day choose a mate.

• Larry, you idiot, her texts were not mean and cruel, and certainly not on the level that his were. You're making excuses for HIM bullying HER. You have no justifiable reason to condemn her. She engaged in no system of abuse against him - though he was threatening her life three minutes into the conversation. She did not harass him (and indeed, asked him to stop contacting her). I cannot believe you are really that obtuse. I can only imagine some mean girl made you suffer when you were an awkward and loveless geek, but this girl is NOT THAT GIRL. Nothing she did or said should have in any way brought on what happened and you are doing evil by suggesting it does. People who say someone deserves to have their skull crushed because of a snide text remark (and he threatened her life after only one) are flabbergastingly stupid. And I love that you keep saying "teenage bitches". You give every impression of having a problem with women. Do you have a problem with women?

• Larry. Well your comment is interesting at best. If Treacy had committed suicide as you are suggesting that Josie could have driven Treacy to that Point of suicide, it's a sad day in Hell that Treacy didn't succeed in doing that. Josie would be a whole person today. You should read the court documents on this case they are everywhere. Treacy called Josie, Treacy told Josie that her DEAD father molested her before Josie said anything about his bother. Oh and like I said before his brother is a SOB for committing suicide in a public place for everyone to see. God I hope you don't have kids, I pray you don't have a daughter and from your post you don't have a mother.

• I dont think shes a mean girl. She seems like a good girl to me.

• These battles over culpability in this case are very entertaining. What I find particularly amusing is how results-based many of you are. Sure her texts were vicious and cruel, but a) they were only words and b) teenaged girls always do and say these sorts of things. I'm going to save all those comments up in a little bag for the next time a bunch of teenaged bitches send some poor child off the deep end and she commits suicide. Many of the self-same people here who stress and meaningless and harmless her words were will be howling for the blood of the mean girls who use those "harmless words" to cause a suicide. I think you're going to choke on your words of today when that happens! Also very amusing is the simpleminded linear thinking that can't comprehend the idea that the girls words and the boys response can't be condemned at the same time. You see, in some peoples small worlds, there has to be a bad guy and a good guy. Yes, you CAN condemn the crime and condemn the victim at the same time. Doesn't take much to realize that stomping on a girls head is an appalling act of violence. Also doesn't take much to see that these teenaged girls who are apparently steeped in a culture of viciousness without consequences are also committing little psychic murders all their own, as recent suicides have made pretty clear. Well, this time, it looks like the mean girl screwed with the wrong guy, and got her brains beat into the pavement for it.

• @Sugar some folks can not understand the unfortunate concept of befriending someone to take advantage of them. they conveniently forget that the creep's gf made friends with Josie. enough to get details out of her and to borrow her phone a few times. they forget that thanks to that. the gf had details of both her bf's family life and Josie's life. and had cause to start the whole thing. as in girls that age consider the bf they have. the one they want to marry. especially if the bf is the first one. enough to set up any gal they think is either making a move on their man. or the man is thinking of making a move on. she was also the one who pointed out who Josie was. in fact most likely made sure she was with her bf when he went after Josie. also in City Pages. there was a bit about a girl in a gang. when she saw her ex dating some one else. she physically beat the gal up http://www.citypages.com/2010-05-12/news/alisha-neeley-s-death-leads-to-girl-gang-truce/2 thing is, there are some folks who can not get past the childhood images of that girls are not capable of violence. that girls are always sugar and sweet. that they could never ever do anything bad.

• Patrick: I think it was wrong for him say that her deceased father molested her too. Plus he called her a slut and you dont call a girl a slut. Had anyone looked at it that way?

• I can't believe some of the people on here. Actually having the nerve to say this 15 year old girl brought this on herself because she made some stupid, idiotic comments. Kids do this thing everyday! Does that mean everyone is suppose to get beaten within an inch of their life. Because they said something that hurt someone else?? That type of thinking scares me. To think Im living around these type of people. CRAZY!!!!!!

• I don't care what kind of upbringing this boy had. I don't care if he had a hard life. I have had a hard life too. I literally watched 2 of my friends die right before my eyes as a teen 6 months apart. I have been through more pain, suffering, and tragedy in my short life than most people will ever go through. That does NOT give me the right to attempt murder! Sure, I feel bad that he had a bad childhood but, hell, who doesn't now a days? I feel bad he had to find his brother like that; but, still no excuse! That was a selfish, cowardly act on his brother's part too. No one should ever have to find a loved one in such a manner; but, apparently, his brother did not stop to consider those that he was leaving behind. Life is hard. Life is unfair. You must learn to appropriately deal w/ issues that can and will arise in your lifetime. Violence is NEVER the answer. Wayne even admitted to the cops that what Josie said was not that bad! If he is going to fly off the handle over little shit like that how will he handle the real world? How long do you think it would be before he attacks again ... and God Forbid kill his next victim?? Anyone that says Josie got what she deserves is out of their mind! Seriously?! As kids who has not said hurtful things to another that we should not have said?

• My sister died on 4/23/10. Of course it is a very very upsetting and sensetive time for me right now, however if someone text me or even called me and said somethign duragatory about my sister the last thing I would think about is beating them and kicking them in the head till they are knocked unconscience. That is no excuse! These kids were 15 years old. In the real world every kid is going to say something mean, hurtful duragatory to another child. It going to happend and more than once in each person's childhood. It the way humans are made. Its natural to say hurtful things AT TIMES to other people. With that said, there is no justification for what that boy did. I understand he had a tough childhood like millions before him. I understand he misses his brother as I do my sister, and im sure the texts were very hurtful and enraged him. However majority of children and adults do not react like that. There would be no one alive or free if that were the case cuz everyone at numerous times in their life have hurtfull horrible things said to them. If there is a human that reacts like that boy did he does not need to be around other people. He obviously has a very dangerous temperment, and is off his rocker. And has serious mental problems. And what makes it even worse, like someone was saying earlier he had time to think about it cool down, talk to someone about his hurt and he chose not to do any of those alternatives. He chose to think about what he was going to do to Josie, go down to the bus stop and attack her when she was completely unaware and unprepared. A total coward act in my book. Atleast he could have gone up to face to face and confronted her! And age has nothing to do with it. He is 15, I knew right from wrong when I was 15. And for the people that say "well maybe she shouldnt have sent those nasty text messages", see if you say that if your child gets beaten to a blood pulp and is lying in the hospital bed on the verge of death because they made a rude comment to another child! Tell your brain damaged child "well Susie, ya got what was coming to you, you shouldnt have called that boys dad a @ssh#le, maybe next time you will watch your mouth".

• I look at this from a different view ... this young man had plenty of time to calm down, instead, he premeditated to murder a little girl. Being the coward that he is, he attacked her from behind. HIS INTENTION WAS TO KILL HER! He made that plain and clear. Had that teacher not reacted when he did Josie would probably be dead. One more kick or stomp and he would have accomplished his goal. Some say he's just a kid? Well, if he did this much damage at the age of 15 and was unable to control his rage now what do you think he will be like in 5 years? Do you really think he will change? I think he will be worse! He certainly had the ability to sit and stew over his emotions. He had the ability to text his friends telling them he was going to kill Josie. He had the ability to think clearly to put on steel toe boots in order to do maximum damage. He had the ability to ride his bike 3 miles to the middle school. I don't see this as a crime of passion at all. There was too much time, too much thought and premeditation put into this. I think he was a ticking bomb waiting to explode on someone. We should not give him the opportunity to explode on anyone else. Technically, Josie did not die. However, she was an artist and a normal, typical teen girl. She may never be able to resume her art work. She may never be able to care for herself alone, get married, have a child, hold down a job. Her life as she knew it ended that day. I had 2 friends that received head injuries in auto crashes when I was a teen. They have never fully recovered. They can not take care of themselves and will never have a family of their own or even work for a living. They have the mentality of a child and that will never change. I'm willing to bet Josie's head injuries were much more severe than those of my 2 friends. It breaks my heart because I feel as if I do not recognize them now. One I was best friends w/ in 3rd grade. She functions at about a 3rd grade level now. It has been beyond devastating for everyone that knew and loved her. We lost our friends when they received their head injuries. They were never the same people. I really believe that sentences for people that commit crimes should be similar to the crimes they commit. In an ideal setting, Wayne would be jumped from behind, have his face slammed into the pavement, and his head repeatedly stomped and kicked. Then, he can spend weeks in a coma and wake up w/ severe brain damage. Josie will never make a full recovery. She can not "serve time" and then resume her life. Wayne should not be able to do that either.

• Ok, I understand that she was beaten within inches of her life but she should not have made that comment about his dead brother. That is something that effects a person mentally. She did not think there would be any repercussions for the text and there was. She now has to live with that for the rest of her life. That is the problem with people today. People are so quick to run their mouth and disrespect people, whether it's on the road, on the phone, or in person and they think that nothing will happen until someone pulls out a baseball bat and beats you senseless for giving them the finger! You never know what type of day the person has had or more importantly what mental state the insultee is in. That is a chance that you take. If you can't handle what might happen than keep your mouth shut. There is never a need to curse at someone or disrespect them. I guarantee that Josie will never disrespect a human being ever again. Hopefully people will look at this and reevaluate how they treat other people...especially strangers they do not know.

• There's nothing wrong with having empathy, Hyenakiller. I get aggravated when people assume having empathy for the criminal means we ever should blame a victim or diminish what they've been through. Wayne Treacy had a life I wouldn't wish on anyone. Anyone who can imagine that boy's life before this and not feel a little heartbreak isn't anyone I could understand. The problem is sometimes people have terrible lives and they overcome it or at least survive it and become functional on some level - and sometimes people break under that strain in ways that leave them scarred, dangerous, and predictable only in that they have learned to try and control through anger and fear, and they will continue to do so. Therapy only works on the willing. Rehabilitation only works on the sincere. Until there's some evidence this boy is either of those things, one must assume, for the safety of one's community, that this young man is broken and dangerous as an abused animal. This is also very, very heartbreaking. Unfortunately when it comes to violent/raging criminals, it's also a truth. As I've said in other places, at some point all that's left is damage control. My life isn't that terrible. I am also aggravated by a few people who've discussed this case and said now Josie's life isn't worth living. My life may not be how I pictured it, but it's still a life worth living, and I hope Josie gets to find the same. Heck, I hope Wayne gets to find the same. Only... more often than not, violent criminals remain dangerous. People can and do contribute to life around them and their communities while institutionalized/imprisoned, and are unable to ever hurt someone else again. I don't agree with life in prison for teenagers. They're too young to really grok what that means. but I do agree that some people are too dangerous to ever really be free, too. My biggest beef with your comments isn't that you want some compassion shown to Treacy - it behooves us as adults and as humans to show compassion, but in comments suggesting you blame Josie for his very abnormal reaction to her normal (but unpleasant) behavior and in comments suggesting you're not taking seriously the damage done to this very young woman.

• This kid deserves to be taken out to a field and shot like the coward dog he is. Couldnt even do this to a boy of equal strengh, had to do this to a physically weaker little girl over stupid stuff all kids say to eachother when they are young. I dont care what any of you guys say, this is not a normal reaction for a 15 year old boy to have. A rational person does not kick and beat someone within an inch of her life over a few nasty text messages. If that were the case, all kids would be in prison or dead or like poor Josie and have permanent brain damage. This boy doesnt deservce to be walking around free in 5 or 10 years. I think the gravity of his offense is being down played by a lot of people. Criminals are so so lucky i dont run the justice system. If I did i would get in those prisons and clean them out. Oh your CONVICTED of rape, molestation, murder or attempted murder, sorry off with your head. They would be done. We wouldnt have over crowding in prisons. We would have early release for rapist and murderes. Decent law abidign citizens wouldnt have to pay their hard earned money to support these douche bags. And tell ya what, people woudl think twice before killing, raping etc. I think the US is just to scared of being tough on crime and to politically correct. We are to into making sure everyone's rights are being given. If I ran the justice system you would forfeit your rights as a citizen as soon as YOU decided to commint a violent crime. The US violent crime rate would plummet if I was in there. Just like any other countries that have very low crime rate. Cuz they dont deal with that kind of stuff. And their citizens know it!

• CT- I feel your pain. I have a 22 lb cat. I can't let her out in the summer because she wheezes. She's on weight loss food, and we control the portions, so I just don't get it. I actually broke my hand, though, tripping over my ginormous dog. Try and place nice people! We won't always succeed, but we can keep trying right?

• No gun here but but I do have a 23 pounder for a cat who seems hell bent on me falling down my basement stairs so I imagine he will get me before anyone on here. Though I will say, damn, there has been lots of name calling and BS about "hurting feelings" galore on here lately.

• CT- It's cool. And even if I didn't own the gun, I'd still pity the fool that messed with me. As far as posting an obit here, containing personal info, if some nut-job really wanted to track me down, my comments on this site are way less likely to inflame some weirdo than the other more visible stuff I do.

• ccccc - sorry about your Mom - but your "I own a gun" comment made me chuckle.

• My bad. 2 is next to the 3. 20 years. This was in the paper, is available online, and I own a gun, so I don't mind it being printed here: Linda E. Martin, 39, of 2174 Seminole Avenue, Springfield, died at 5:45 p.m. Saturday, August 23, 1997 in the emergency room of Community Hospital. She was born in Springfield on November 18, 1957, the daughter of Leo and Barbara (MCKEEVER) MARTIN. She was employed in the produce department at Big Bear for the past 21 years. She was a member of Greenpeace. Her survivors include her father and stepmother, Leo and Vicki MARTIN, mother and stepfather, Barbara and John BRUCE; two daughters, Cara and Andrea CHATFIELD; maternal grandmother, Virginia MCKEEVER, all of Springfield; three brothers and spouses, Tom MARTIN of Springfield, Rick and Mary MARTIN of Waldorf, Maryland, and Rob and Peggy MARTIN of Springfield; sister and spouse, Sherri and Tony WALDEN of Springfield; loving friend, Bill Myers; THREE NIECES; AND THREE NEPHEWS. Friends may call from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday in the Conroy Funeral Home. Private funeral services will be held at the convenience of the family. Linda was a caring and unselfish person who will be sadly missed by all of her family and friends. It says she died in the emergency room, but she was dead in the car.

• RE: ccccc How could your mom have been employed by the same company for over 30 years and have died at the age of 39?

• ForlornW - I am sorry for your injuries. It is easy for me to sit not as a victim and say these things. If I was the victim or my family member was a victim, I probably would not be so eager to forgive. I was a young man with a temper, I never beat anyone almost to death, but I did have a temper. I also have a son, he is two, but I can tell he has my temper. I see this boy that did this to that girl and I imagine what if that was my son? I hope I raise my son to not act like this boy. But things happen sometimes, and people do things without thinking about them first. Does this boy deserve to have his whole life taken from him? It is an unfortunate series of events for both parties. And in this instance I feel compelled to give the boy some opportunity to turn his life around.

• She was 39.

• I've got a true story regarding health care: My mom had a rare lung disease that reduced her lungs to scar tissue. She needed a transplant. Although she had been employed by the same place for 30 years and had always had insurance, her insurance would not cover the cost of a transplant. When I was a teen, I answered the phone and a representative from her insurance company was on the line. They asked me why she kept going to the doctor, as they had no plans to pay for additional visits. They told me that I needed to get used to the idea that she was going to die. The last time she was in the hospital, she had to be released early as insurance would only cover so many consecutive days in the hospital. She was released only to die minutes later, on her way home from the hospital, in the car without her family. Hopefully I need not explain the impact this had on me. Certainly a life is worth more than money.

• I have no idea what punishment this kid deserves. I just know that her mother isn't getting back the daughter she knew. And it's more than sad, because- whether Josie is aware of her loss or not- her mother will always be keenly aware.

• This girl did not deserve this in no way shape or form, but we have to keep in mind, she taunted him also. It wasn't just "Oh hey Im going to kick the crap out of some girl at a bus stop" She could have just done the mature thing and called the cops instead of repeatedly fueling what was obviously a mentally disturbed boy. I read the transcript, as Im sure you all have. Two lives were ruined over text message. That girl will probably never get all motor skills back, and that boy is going to prison to learn how to be even worse. If this happened to my daughter, I would be devastated. And Im sure his parents are wanting to bury themselves in a hole. So before we all start choosing sides, lets look at the bigger picture here. Two young lives were destroyed within a matter of minutes......

• Hey Hyenakiller, why don't we talk. I was born in the ghetto, and know street trash when I here it. All you got is a big mouth. Let's talk then.

• What Wayne Tracy did was horrible and wrong, and he SHOULD be punished. However, and especially with a case like this, there needs to be a system to teach/mentor/etc. people with anger issues as to WHY what they did was wrong. Tracy will receive punishment, of that there is no doubt. But for how long? 10-15-25 years? Tax dollars will pay for WHEREVER he is going. But I doubt he will be in the slam for his entire life. That is why there should be a system to instill values in people so they understand why their actions were unacceptable. Tracy, and others similar to him, will come out of prison just as angry as they went in, and most of the time even worse. Should he be in prison? Yes. Should he become institutionalized and be of no value to society? No. Any suggestions?

• <i>This girl will recover, and lead a normal life, </i> You're kidding me. I had repeated relatively minor brain injuries and I am still struggling more than a decade after the largest one. You know people who recovered from brain injury, huh? Do tell. Let me share a little about life with a brain injury no where near as severe as this child's: I can't cook if no one is home with me because I forget I'm cooking, and start fires. I often cannot dial the phone because I transpose numbers. I am reduced to tears far more easily than I was pre-injury, and I suffer from anxiety that cripples me at times and is related to the brain injury. I have no sense of time. I have no sense of direction. I cannot always understand what people are saying. I forget words constantly and have to try and describe the word I've lost. People must be patient and intuitive with me. I'm tired all the time. I feel frail. My balance is poor, my hearing is damaged and I have no sense of smell because of the brain injury. I didn't have to relearn to walk; what I've had to relearn was far more subtle - things like what is appropriate to say and who you can trust, the brain injury reduced me to a far more child-like and dependent state. I cannot tell my left from my right. I have excruciating, disabling headaches that come out of nowhere with no warning. *I'm* "recovered" and from a relatively mild injury. Josie's future is likely nowhere near as rosey. Hyena, you've said some obnoxious things about how Josie somehow deserved this, but your dismissal of the severity of her injury and the bleak future she faces is revolting.

• Hayena Killer: What if this was your son? Well I wouldnt raise the son like that, and like you. And yes Wayne Treacy did know what he was doing. I have no pity on Wayne Treacy and his lower class family at all. I cant see how anyone would. Wayne Treacy and his parents are what wrong with this world today. What about Josie Ratley parents. Josie Ratleys family is the victims too. Josie Ratley seems like a good girl from a good family. I wish I had a daughter like her.

• Russell said: I thought O'bamacare was going to take care of things like this. Obamacare got circumscised by the Republicans. To the point that we now have the 'profits protectionism' parts still in place.

• Hey thanks Pete :D

• I thought O'bamacare was going to take care of things like this.

• OK I'll settle on 20 years. If he will "not be the same person" in 5 years lets see how great he'll turn out in 20. So great that maybe he can run for President and fix healthcare so Josie's family wont go bankrupt. And I'm sure by then Josie's family would love for him to come help with Josie's long term care. I read the text messages and I've said way worse things to people. He had HOURS to cool off, but he WAITED for her. This was CALCULATED and now I'm back to thinking he needs life.

• I'm fairly certain Treacy will not spend the rest of his life in prison. I agree with Hyena; He deserves to face consequences for nearly killing someone, but not to be locked away forever.

• I know many people that have had brain injuries that have recovered. She is talking, and is responsive from the reports that I have read. As far as the "old Josie being dead" that is all fine and good. She the person; is STILL ALIVE... And to lock this boy up for life is just stupid. This is my opinion. I think he owes this girl a lot and could probably do more for her outside of prison then inside. He needs to be punished, he needs to know that what he did was wrong, but life? Hell no.

• Cool that your brother found redemption and is making amends, CW. That's an entirely standup and class move. It's the walk toward absolution.

• I don't know if it's permanent, CCCC. But it doesn't sound like she'll ever lead a normal life -- at least not a truly normal one. I can't believe that she'll reach her full mental capacity with that kind of injury. And without your full mental capacity, you're pretty much screwed. But I do think Hyena makes a point about Treacy being a kid. It's that he kind find mercy for Treacy. I just can't find anything for a kid who does this against a little girl. His sins are just too great.

• Hey HyenaKiller-I can understand what you're saying. On a similar note one of my older brothers in his younger years wasn't a very pleasant person, never physically hurt a woman but didn't treat them very well either. Now many years later he is a different man and has tried to find those affected by his bad behavior and make amends. Unfortunately if/when Treacy goes behind the wall for 5-10 years he will be a different person entirely when he gets out. Maybe worse...maybe not but usually it's not a change for the good.

• I never once got the impression she will be able to recover enough to lead a normal life like the one she had. I did get the impression that she had permanent brain damage. Please correct me if I'm wrong as I don't want to be misinformed.

• HyenaKiller: Just wanted to point out that the old Josie IS dead, and the new Josie is brain-damaged so badly that she has to relearn basic life skills.

• Too all the people that say this BOY should get life in Prison; YOU SUCK. First the girl is NOT dead, secondly, he is a boy with a boy mind and in 5 years will not be the same person. The boy should pay; both financially and with some prison time, but life in prison is way too harsh and it does not fit the crime. I would like to see both of these kids recover from this terrible incident and still be able to lead productive lives. This girl will recover, and lead a normal life, this boy will always have this over his head and will have a hard time trying to explain it anyone and everyone that knows about this situation. Many criminals that are highlighted on this site are deserving of life in prison or even Death. I just feel this is one case that does not fit that description. What if this was your son? He made a mistake, a bad one, but she is not dead, and will be able to live a mostly normal life. Give him 5-10 years then let him go.

• Hey John Smalls-that is a great idea. Treacy isn't worth a plug nickel in my opinion and any money he earns should be given to Josie to be used however she sees fit.

• Preach it, Pete. You are so right on the money.

• This is so sad. this poor child is not going to be able to accomplish to much on out patient care. Our lovely Healthcare sux! and these corporate run places dont care about the people. Only the dollars. I hope their lawyer runs all kinds of suits against the medical community. And Wayne nor his family will help. They are on state aid as well. And i know in MA, the victim's advocate can only reimburst for 60% of damages once a case has been tried and a conviction has been entered. With the care this child will need, I can't see to much progress. I wish the entire best for Josie and her family. But unless they come up with huge amounts of donations. And they have a reputed person in charge of it, they will run out ot the money they now have within a month or 2. Poor child. Think i will send a donation. Thanks for the information Pete.

• Good Luck Josie~I hope Wayne gets life in prison.

• I hope Wayne Tracy gets life and all 42 cents he makes a day in prison gets garnished into a account for Josie's medical expenses.

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