Fla. man gets 30 years for fatal homeless beating

Fla. man gets 30 years for fatal homeless beating

By KELLI KENNEDY
Associated Press Writer


Published: Friday, October 24, 2008 at 5:49 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, October 24, 2008 at 5:49 p.m.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The final defendant in the 2006 attacks on three homeless men - including one beaten to death with a baseball bat - was sentenced to 30 years in prison Friday, in a case that outraged homeless advocates nationwide.

Prosecutors said Brian Hooks, 21, and two others decided to "beat up some bums" on Jan. 12, 2006, when they beat Norris Gaynor so badly they crushed his skull and broke his nose and five ribs, killing him as he slept on a park bench. The three had been drinking vodka and smoking marijuana, prosecutors said. The first assault on Jacques Pierre, 61, was recorded on video.

Hooks, who had just turned 18 before the crime, remained stoic throughout the trial. But he became emotional Friday as his parents, sister and coaches testified he was a loving but immature teenager who made a horrible decision.
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