Thursday, May 15, 2008

Family Questions Double Murder Case


Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 12:25 PM Updated: 05:40 PM

By Tuquyen Mach tmach@wmbb.com


Bay County, FL -- An attorney says a Bay County man accused of murdering his parents in their Fountain home back in February will likely enter a plea agreement at the end of this month.

Ricky Allen Morris, 25, is accused of killing his parents, Raymond and Debra Morris, at their home on Cardinal Avenue.

The Bay County Sheriff's Office says Morris apparently shot his father twice and his mother once with a rifle on February 3.

Jeffery Morris, Morris's uncle, is concerned, because he says no one in their family has been contacted about the case. Jeffery Morris is worried about whether his nephew is receiving proper medication for his mental illness.

"I think that Randy and Debbie would want Ricky to still be ok, you know. That they wouldn't want him to be... if he's sick he needs to be in a mental institution, then that's one thing. If he's going to be incarcerated, are they going to give him his medication or is he just going to get lost in the system?" says Jeffery Morris.

His uncle says the family weren't even aware of a possible plea deal in the case until they read the newspaper.

Public Defender Walter Smith says the State Attorney's Office is willing not to pursue the death penalty in exchange for a guilty plea. Smith says Ricky Morris is facing a mandatory life sentence for the two counts of first degree murder.

The State Attorney's Office says any talks about a plea agreement are still in the preliminary stages, and they plan to meet with the Morris family to make sure they understand the plea deal before it goes through.

A court hearing on the plea deal is set to take place on May 28.

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