Family of murdered teen delivers emotional statements to killer

<p>The family of a New Jersey teenager killed by a Seattle man as part of a &ldquo;jihad&rdquo; delivered emotional messages to him during his sentence hearing.</p>

News 12 Staff

May 1, 2018, 9:39 AM

Updated 2,180 days ago

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The family of a New Jersey teenager killed by a Seattle man as part of a “jihad” delivered emotional messages to him during his sentence hearing.
The family of Brendan Tevlin, 19, told admitted killer Ali Muhammad Brown that the killing was senseless. They called him a monster.
“This animal called what he did a mistake. This was no mistake,” said mother Allison Tevlin.
Brendan Tevlin was a University of Richmond student who was home for summer break in 2014. Investigators say that he was shot eight times by Brown while waiting in his car at a traffic light in West Orange.
Brown later said that he killed Brendan as punishment against the United States for its foreign policy.
The Tevlin family says that their grief has been unbearable since Brendan died.
“It’s the heartache I felt every night in the summer of 2014 when my mom would climb into bed with me and cry herself to sleep,” said sister Mikala Tevlin. “Or my dad would get home late at night, go to our family room and silently sob because he thought no one would hear."
“That monster decided to play God. In the process of playing God, he hurt, beyond repair, a family, countless friends and many communities,” said aunt Kathleen McNair.
Brown delivered his own statement to the Tevlin family during the hearing.
“I am a human being. Allow me to be a human being and don’t just judge me as a beast,” Brown said.
Brown pleaded guilty just as jury selection began in his trial. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Brown also admitted to killing three other people in Washington State just prior to killing Brendan Tevlin, but has not formally pleaded guilty to those charges.


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