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VIDEO: Lawrence King's Father Reacts to Brandon McInerney Plea

The actions of Ventura County, California school officials are under scrutiny after Monday's plea deal in the Lawrence King murder. Seventeen-year-old Brandon McInerney shot his 15-year-old  classmate twice in the head at point-blank range in an Oxnard classroom in February 2008. McInerney was 14-years-old at the time and has agreed to serve 21 years in prison.

King's mother and father have once again criticized school officials for allowing their son to explore his sexuality, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The victim's mother, Dawn King, revealed for the first time Monday that she had contacted school officials four days before the shooting in an effort to solicit their cooperation in toning down her son's behavior. She said she was told that her son had a civil right to explore his sexual identity. "I knew, gut instinct, that something serious was going to happen," she said. "They should have contained him, contained his behavior."

Witnesses have testified that King's "feminine attire" and gender identity was upsetting some students and faculty at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard. The defense has portrayed  King as sexually "aggressive" and suggested that McInerney was "provoked." The father has blamed the school for encouraging Lawrence to "act gay."

"They should have to answer for what they did," Gregory King told FOX 11. "At the end of the day Larry did not deserve to be murdered and the defense trying to paint that Larry somehow deserved to be murdered, to me, is unconscionable."

King was living in a group home at the time of the shooting. State child welfare authorities had previously removed him from the family home. King's parents filed suit against the school district after the murder ... accusing authorities of not enforcing the school dress code.

Watch news reports AFTER THE JUMP ...

Brandon McInerney Pleads to 21Yr Sentence for Lawrence King Murder

Seventeen-year-old Brandon McInerney has agreed to a plea deal for the murder of his gay middle school classmate, reports the Ventura County Star. McInerney has agreed to serve 21 years for the execution-style shooting of Lawrence King in 2008.

McInerney will serve 21 years in a mix of youth facilities and prison. McInerney pleaded guilty to second degree murder and voluntary manslaughter with use of weapon during a hearing that capped years of legal jousting and a previous nine-week case that ended in a mistrial when jurors were torn over the juvenile being tried as an adult.

The sentencing was set for Dec. 19. The judge stayed sentencing on the second degree murder trial, meaning the 21-year sentence was for the voluntary manslaughter charge only. He does not get credit for the time he already has served, and he will not get time off for good behavior. The plea spares McInerney going through another trial, where he faced a potential first- degree murder conviction and 50 years in prison.

Prosecutors were prepared to start their retrial and dropped the hate crime charges, adds the Los Angeles Times. In a series of post-trial interviews, a number of jurors took issue with the adult charges. None were convinced it was a hate crime.

Brandon McInerney shot his 15-year-old  classmate twice in the head at point-blank range in an Oxnard classroom in February 2008. More than 30 students witnessed the shooting. McInerney was 14-years-old at the time.

Witnesses have testified that King's "feminine attire" and gender identity was upsetting some students and faculty at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard. The defense has portrayed  King as sexually "aggressive" and suggested that McInerney was "provoked."

Twenty-one years? Well, at least that's an improvement over the 180-day sentence in a recent gay panic cases.

Rod 2.0's complete coverage on Lawrence King HERE.

More Jurors Express Sympathy for Teen Killer Brandon McInerney

Several more jurors are speaking out after last month's mistrial of Brandon McInerney, who killed his gay 14-year-old classmate Lawrence King. It was McInerney who was actually "bullied" and the teen killer got a "a raw deal", jurors told the Los Angeles Times.

One juror, identified only as Lisa S. because she did not want her whole name used, said many jurors came to believe that King was bullying McInerney by making unwanted sexual advances.

"This wasn't about him being gay,'' she said. "This was about bullying. There was a ton of evidence that Larry was acting inappropriately with other kids at school, and they didn't do anything to stop him. As for the new case, she added: "It was overcharged and an abuse of power, and I don't think a new jury will see it any different."

Prosecutors announced earlier this week that they would re-try the now 17-year-old McInerney for murder. The teen will be retried in adult criminal court, but the hate crime charge was dropped.

In a series of post-trial interviews, a number of jurors took issue with the adult charges. None were "convinced" it was a hate crime. Random question: If being shot not once, but twice in the head at point-blank range doesn't count as a "raw deal", what in the hell does?

McInerney to Be Retried for Murder, Hate Crime Charge Dropped

Prosecutors will re-try Brandon McInerney as an adult for the murder of his gay middle school classmate Lawrence King, reports the Ventura County Star.

Prosecutors said they will retry McInerney, 17, on the murder charge with the special allegation of lying in wait, but will not include the hate crime charge. McInerney's previous trial ended in a mistrial in September when seven jurors said he was guilty of voluntary manslaughter, five that he was guilty of murder. He was charged with murder and a hate crime for the 2008 death of Larry King, 15, in an Oxnard classroom. McInerney was 14 at the time of the crime.

Ventura County Chief Deputy District Attorney Mike Frawley declined to comment on why his office chose not to pursue the hate crime charge. He said it will come out in court.

McInerney shot his 15-year-old  classmate twice in the head at point-blank range in an Oxnard classroom in February 2008. More than 30 students witnessed the shooting. Witnesses have testified that King's "feminine attire" and gender identity was upsetting some students and faculty at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard. The defense has portrayed  King as sexually "aggressive" and suggested that McInerney was "provoked."

In a series of post-trial interviews, a number of jurors took issue with the adult charges. None were convinced it was a hate crime.

REPORT: Decision Expected Today in Brandon McInerney Retrial

Ventura County, California prosecutors are expected to announce today whether they will re-try Brandon McInerney as an adult for the 2008 murder of his gay middle school classmate Lawrence King, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Jurors were unable to reach a decision in the nine-week trial and the judge declared a mistrial on September 1. Prosecutors previously confirmed that they would retry McInerney. GLSEN wants both sides to reach a plea deal.

Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, urged prosecutors and defense attorneys to reach a compromise. Trying McInerney a second time would “only dig into old wounds that have never been given a chance to heal," Byard said in a written statement.

McInerney’s emotional nine-week trial ended in a hung jury, with seven jurors voting for voluntary manslaughter and five pushing for either first- or second-degree murder.

One juror contacted by media after the trial said McInerney’s age at the time of the crime was a significant factor in the panel’s inability to find agreement. Many felt he shouldn’t have been tried as an adult, said juror Karen McElhaney. McInerney was 14 at the time of the shooting, King 15.

Brandon McInerney shot his 15-year-old  classmate twice in the head at point-blank range in an Oxnard classroom in February 2008. More than 30 students witnessed the shooting. Witnesses have testified that King's "feminine attire" and gender identity was upsetting some students and faculty at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard. The defense has portrayed  King as sexually "aggressive" and suggested that McInerney was "provoked."

The state also alleges McInerney had close ties to white supremacists, which lead to a hate crime charge. Jurors were also allowed to consider first-degree, second-degree and manslaughter charges.

One option could be returning the case to juvenile court. If convicted in juvenile court of murder, McInerney would be released "no later than his 25th birthday." In the criminal court system, the teen shooter faced up to 53 years to life in prison if convicted of first degree murder.

Will there ever be justice for Lawrence King?

VIDEO: Brandon McInerney Jurors Speak Out on Prosecution, Mistrial

Prosecutors have confirmed that they will retry Brandon McInerney for the 2008 murder of his gay middle school classmate Lawrence King. Jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision in the case and judge declared a mistrial on September 1.

Two jurors are now speaking out. Juror Karen McElhaney expressed sympathy for the teen killer:

I saw a very damaged young man. I saw I think he is a very intelligent young man and I think he would give anything to take that day back. Yes he knows right from wrong but he was only fourteen. His coping skills... 14-year-olds especially young men are not known for their good decision making. It's very emotional. A child died. Another one... his life is over basically. Let's face it. It's such a horrible thing, especially with all the evidence testimony, it could have been prevented thats the worst part.

Is McInerney's "life over"? Wasn't aware of that ...

Brandon McInerney shot his 15-year-old  classmate twice in the head at point-blank range in an Oxnard classroom in February 2008. More than 30 students witnessed the shooting. McInerney was 14-years-old at the time.

Prosecutors to Retry Brandon McInerney for Killing Gay Classmate

Prosecutors have confirmed that they will retry Brandon McInerney for the murder of his gay middle school classmate Lawrence King in 2008, reports the Los Angeles Times and Ventura County Star. Jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision in the case, even after considering the options of convicting McInerney of murder, second degree murder or the less serious offense of voluntary manslaughter. A judge declared a mistrial on Friday.

McInerney shot his 15-year-old  classmate twice in the head at point-blank range in an Oxnard classroom in February 2008. More than 30 students witnessed the shooting. McInerney was 14-years-old at the time. McInerney was tried as an adult.

Jurors reportedly took issue with the adult charges, reports the Star.

Jurors were apparently torn over how severe McInerney's sentence should be. The nine-woman, three-man panel said they took a series of votes - the last one with seven in favor of voluntary manslaughter and five jurors supporting either first-degree or second-degree murder.

Prosecutors said Friday that they planned to ask Ventura County Superior Court Judge Charles Campbell for a new trial during a hearing scheduled for Oct. 5. Over the next month, prosecutors will decide whether to pursue the same set of charges or drop some of them, said James Ellison, the chief assistant district attorney.

"We don't know at this point if we will modify the charges," Ellison said. "The jury's inability to reach a verdict in this case will be a factor. We'll consider everything."

Also:

The district attorney's office was criticized in a report last month released by the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice that showed cases involving youths under the age of 15 are nearly 14 times more likely to be tried in adult court than anywhere else in California.

One option could be returning the case to juvenile court. If convicted in juvenile court of murder, McInerney would be released "no later than his 25th birthday." In the criminal court system, the teen shooter faced up to 53 years to life in prison if convicted of first degree murder.

Witnesses have testified that King's "feminine attire" and gender identity was upsetting some students and faculty at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard. The defense has portrayed  King as sexually "aggressive" and suggested that McInerney was "provoked." Prosecutors sought to quash McInerney's "gay panic" defense.

Will there ever be justice for Lawrence King?

McInerney's Fate Uncertain After Mistrial in Lawrence King Murder

Will prosecutors retry Brandon McInerney on first degree murder charges for shooting his gay classmate Lawrence King in 2008? Or will they take a different strategy after last night's shocking mistrial verdict? The 17-year-old shooter's fate remains uncertain for several weeks, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Jurors deadlocked 7 to 5 in favor of voluntary manslaughter in the emotional two-month trial in the case of the stunning 2008 shooting inside an Oxnard classroom. Defense attorney Scott Wippert said McInerney was disappointed by the mistrial because his fate was left hanging. Prosecutors probably won't announce until next month whether they will try the 17-year-old a second time, and whether he again will be tried as an adult.

McInerney sat stiffly and silently at the defense table as Ventura County Judge Charles Campbell declared a mistrial. His mother, Kendra McInerney, sobbed into her hands. The parents of victim Larry King, Greg and Dawn King, stormed from the courtroom with other relatives, even as the judge was still addressing the jurors.

But jurors universally rejected the prosecution's contention that the shooting was a hate crime carried out by a youth filled with white supremacist beliefs and a hatred for homosexuals, Wippert said. He said jurors told him that it had been an emotionally raw and gut-wrenching case and that, in the end, they couldn't agree on a conviction.

McInerney shot his 15-year-old gay classmate Lawrence King twice in the head at point-blank range in an Oxnard classroom in February 2008. More than 30 students witnessed the shooting. McInerney was 14-years-old at the time.

Witnesses have testified that King's "feminine attire" and gender identity was upsetting some students and faculty at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard. The defense has portrayed  King as sexually "aggressive" and suggested that McInerney was "provoked."

McInerney was tried as an adult for the murder. Jurors were allowed to consider first-degree, second-degree and manslaughter charges. McInerney faced up to 53 years to life in prison if convicted of first degree murder.

Yet another promising life to violence and hatred. Yet another murderer who avoids justice by playing to a jury's homophobic fears. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Jury Unable to Reach Verdict in Brandon McInerney Murder Trial

The judge in the Brandon McInerney trial has ordered jurors to continue deliberating "even though they have been unable to reach a verdict" despite repeated attempts, report the Los Angeles Times and Ventura County Star.

Judge Charles Campbell told the jury to deliberate further and come back at 2PM. If they can't reach a verdict by then, the judge said he would declare a mistrial.

The jury foreman said it didn't seem like more votes or deliberation would change the outcome. The trial lasted eight weeks and the jury has been deliberating for about 15 hours. The jury got the case on Friday, but several days they deliberated for only two to three hours.

If the jury can't reach a decision and a mistrial is declared, the Ventura County District Attorney's office could re-file the murder charges against McInerney or they could offer McInerney a plea deal to avoid another lengthy trial. Previous offers of 25-years to life were rejected by McInerney's lawyers because of the "to life" part.

McInerney shot his 15-year-old gay classmate Lawrence King twice in the head at point-blank range in an Oxnard classroom in February 2008. More than 30 students witnessed the shooting. The trial was moved to Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley because of pretrial publicity in Ventura County.

Witnesses have testified that King's "feminine attire" and gender identity was upsetting some students and faculty at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard. The defense has portrayed  King as sexually "aggressive" and suggested that McInerney was "provoked."

McInerney is being tried as an adult for the murder. The state also alleges McInerney had close ties to white supremacists, which has led to a hate crime charge. Jurors can consider first-degree, second-degree and manslaughter charges. McInerney faces up to 53 years to life in prison if convicted of first degree murder.

All decisions must be unanimous or the jury is hung.

Rod 2.0's complete coverage on Lawrence King HERE.

Jury Deliberations Continue in Brandon McInerney Murder Trial

Jury deliberations continue this morning in the Los Angeles trial of 17-year-old Brandon McInerney. The teen shot his 15-year-old gay classmate Lawrence King twice in the head at point-blank range in February 2008.

The jury began deliberating on Friday after eight weeks of testimony and nearly 100 witnesses. Some testified that King's "feminine attire" and gender identity was upsetting some of the students and faculty at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard.

The defense has portrayed Lawrence King as sexually "aggressive" and repeatedly suggested that McInerney was "provoked."

Scott Wippert, a defense attorney, closed his argument Friday morning by asking jurors to consider the mind-set of a 14-year-old boy and the humiliation that King was inflicting on McInerney with his aggressive flirtations. Teachers had protested to the administration but no one stopped King's increasingly audacious behavior with boys on campus, Wippert said, winding up a more than three-hour presentation.

"Remember the boy who couldn't cry," said Wippert, gesturing to the silent defendant, who was dressed in a lavender shirt and slacks. "He wasn't allowed to cry. He was a 14-year-old-boy who shot Larry King because he didn't know what else to do to make it stop."

Prosecutor Maeve Fox, in her rebuttal, urged jurors not to let sympathy sway their deliberations. She noted that Wippert brought up the defendant's youthful age at the time of the shooting 39 times during his closing argument. "You're a human being, emotions come in," Fox said. "But you have to check them at the door. The law requires you to do that."

McInerney is being tried as an adult for first-degree murder.The state also alleges McInerney had close ties to white supremacists, which has led to a hate crime charge. McInerney faces up to 53 years to life in prison if convicted of all charges. Jurors also can consider a conviction of voluntary manslaughter, which carries a maximum 21-year term.

Rod 2.0's complete coverage on Lawrence King HERE.