Two Teenage Girls Sentenced to Life in Prison Down Under

On Wednesday, May 9 2007, Two seventeen year old girls have been sentenced to life in prison for their "merciless" murder of a fifteen year old girl, Eliza Jane Davis.

The murder of Eliza Jane Davis occurred on Sunday June 18, 2006 in the West Australian coal mining town of Collie. The three teenagers stayed in the same house after a party on Saturday night. The two girls slept in one room and Eliza slept in another room by herself. Apparently during the morning of Sunday, the two teenagers discovered that they both were curious about how it felt to murder someone. Thus they decided to murder their friend, Eliza, by strangling her to death with speakers wire. The two murderers then buried Eliza Jane Davis under the house. Afterwards, they reported Eliza as missing, and pretended to help with a search for her. They later turned themselves in to police, believing they would eventually be caught.

The girls told police that they knew it was wrong to kill, but it "felt right" and did not feel bad about Eliza Jane Davis' death. The two teenagers also added that while they regret the impact the death had for Eliza's family and friends, they still do not feel sad about Eliza's death itself.

They "planned the murder with calmness, consideration, emotional detachment and the desire to have the experience of killing someone," said prosecutor Simon Stone. Also adding that the teenager girls' utter lack of remorse is what was so starling about this case. Experts were baffled as to the reason why the girls decided to kill.

"It was gruesome and merciless in the extreme," Judge Reynolds said. Reynolds also mentioned that while drugs formed an integral part of their lifestyle and psychological health, they were not the "catalyst" for the murderous behavior of the girls on the morning of the killing.

Court judge Dennis Reynolds sentenced the two teenage girls to life in prison, with a minimum of fifteen years from today to be served before they are eligible for parol.

Outside the courthouse, Eliza Jane Davis' grandfather, Ron Davis, said that the family were upset and unhappy with the sentence. "They will be free to run away in 15 years, and I've lost a granddaughter," Mr Davis said. "I will never get her back. She is gone for ever. We've lost her", he said. "They have shown no remorse. It's all a big joke to them."