Two brothers who allegedly stomped on the chest and broke the neck of 17-year-old Ethan Liming at LeBron James’ Promise School in Akron, Ohio got a ridiculously light sentence for the boy’s death.

The brothers were sentenced in October for killing Liming. That came one month after a jury could not decide unanimously on a count of first-degree felony involuntary manslaughter that one of the brothers was charged with.

WKYC reported that 21-year-old Deshawn Stafford was sentenced to 18 months and six months after being found guilty of aggravated assault and assault. The two sentences will be served simultaneously.

His 20-year-old brother, Tyler, was found guilty of assault and got six months in jail. The two boys were both found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

(Video Credit: WKYC Channel 3)

“Both Stafford brothers had each initially been charged with murder, but those charges were reduced last August when a Summit County grand jury issued new indictments,” WKYC noted. “A third suspect charged in the case — Donovan Jones — previously pleaded no contest to two counts of misdemeanor assault and was given a suspended sentence of 180 days.”

“The elder Stafford had faced an additional count of first-degree felony involuntary manslaughter in connection to the death. A jury in September was unable to reach a unanimous decision on the charge, leading Summit County Common Pleas Judge Tammy O’Brien to declare it a mistrial,” the Post Millenial reported.

Liming’s family was devastated by the sentencing. The family’s attorney said that they “feel their son was murdered yet again.”

“They’ve been brutally victimized by these individuals that night,” the lawyer said according to the Post Millenial, “and now they’ve been victimized again by the system.”

(Video Credit: 19 News)

Ahead of the sentencing hearing, Liming’s family members gave emotional victim impact statements.

“Every time I drive by the I Promise School I am filled with absolute heartache and fear. If only I could have been there to help my child that night. If only I could’ve held my son in my arms one more time, but you stole that opportunity away from me,” Liming’s father Bill Liming told the brothers.

Liming’s aunt, Krisit Lang, spoke at the hearing of the pain and suffering the family had endured.

“You have shattered our family. We were once so close sharing weekly family meals, celebrating every birthday and holiday. Now we can barely get together because the loss of Ethan hurts so much and we have no words to comfort each other. We feel lost because he is absent and he will never join us again,” she stated.

(Video Credit: WKYC Channel 3)

The Stafford brothers were playing basketball at the school in June of 2022 when the incident occurred. Liming and his friends pulled up in a car and started shooting a SPLATRBALL Water Bead Blaster at them. That ignited a brutal fight and Liming wound up being punched unconscious.

An investigation was conducted into Liming’s death and determined that his chest had been stomped on. The official cause of death was blunt force trauma to his head.

After beating the boy to death, the brothers stole Liming’s car and took off with it. They evidently weren’t charged for that either.

The ruling fueled disbelief and anger on X:

Heartbreaking and insane. I am so sorry for the victim’s family.

— emily (@coolsarabug1) January 9, 2024

Two tiered justice. Praying for Ethan’s family & loved ones.
This won’t be the last time these violent offenders will be before a judge

— Suzy Trades (@SuzyHopeful) January 9, 2024

How were they found not guilty? And who found them not guilty?

— Citysue (@Citysue6) January 9, 2024

My heart aches for his parents. Our judicial system needs a complete overhaul.

— Ozarks Curly (@BertLeaverton) January 9, 2024

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