In mother's murder, Molin gets 25 years

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http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110614/OPI01/106140353

In mother's murder, Molin gets 25 years

Despite conviction, defendant maintains his innocence

Jun 14, 2011

SNOW HILL -- A man convicted in the murder of his mother was sentenced to 25

years in prison during a Worcester County Circuit Court hearing Friday morning.

Molin, 58, of Darby, Pa., was convicted of second-degree murder in March

after he killed his 85-year-old mother, Molin, by running her over several

times with a vehicle on a rural Worcester County road. He was acquitted on a

first-degree murder charge, meaning the jury became convinced he killed his

mother but did not plan to do it.

Before Judge Groton handed out his sentence, Molin spoke in the courtroom

for more than 30 minutes about the care he used to give his mother, the amount

of money he spent on ensuring her wellbeing and his anger with the staff at the

nursing home she had been living in until the day of her death. Molin said once

during the address that he was sorry his mother had died " in the accident. "

" That was the extent of his remorse, " said Groton, who also spoke of testimony

from responders to the scene who said Molin had been " somewhat calm " while his

mother was lying in the middle of the road. " For me, that bolsters the state's

argument and the jury's findings that this was an intentional act, " Groton said.

Molin continued to insist his mother's death was accidental during the trial and

sentencing, something Groton said he believes Molin is using as a defense

mechanism to avoid the remorse he would otherwise feel for his actions. During

State's Attorney Beau Oglesby's address to Groton, he mentioned Molin's

murderous actions, and Molin interjected, exclaiming that " it was an accident. "

Molin was reprimanded by Groton for his outburst.

Oglesby sought the maximum sentence of 30 years for Molin's crime from Groton,

due to the state's belief that Molin had " intentionally and deliberately killed

his mom. "

In Molin's account, he and his mother drove from Pennsylvania to land to

visit his father's gravesite in Berlin. Molin had taken his mother from

the nursing home without permission, according to trial testimony. He told

police his mother had accidentally fallen out of the car, and he had not noticed

when she did.

The case was one of the most unusual Groton has seen on the bench, the judge

said. In some ways, Molin is very intelligent, he said, but it had also

become clear to him that there was " a piece missing " mentally.

Groton said Molin's autism and Asperger's syndrome are no excuse for what he

did, and they don't prevent similar actions from happening again.

" Killing a parent is one of the most horrendous acts, " Groton said before

announcing the sentence.

Molin's public defender, Burton , mentioned the late Dr. Jack

Kevorkian in his statement, saying there are legal terms that validate

euthanasia as either justified or unjustified. Kevorkian gained fame for going

on trial eight times for euthanizing terminally ill people who had told him they

wished to die.

" The argument the state presented was unjustified (euthanasia), but it got to

the point where it was simply in order to alleviate her pain and suffering, "

said of Molin, who was in poor health and had suffered from

Alzheimer's disease for nearly a decade before her death.

Molin said to after the hearing that the outcome was " a death sentence "

for him.