Justice for baby Jessie

Recent signers:

The Issue

My 23-month-old nephew Jessie Webber was beat to death by a 13-year-old friend of our family on December 8th 2021. Just like any other night, my sister and her best friend/neighbor we're hanging out. Her neighbor's son was at my sister's house watching movies with my nephew. My sister was cleaning and her neighbor was making dinner. My sister brought her neighbor some noodles for spaghetti and came back to the house and everything was fine. Shortly after that her neighbor text her and told her the food was done. So she went over to the house to make plates. She told the boy I'm going to get dinner from your mom if anything happens come get me. They were two doors down in the same building. When my sister left her apartment to go make plates all her lights were on. Jessie had his blankie and his sippy cup and he was sitting on the couch watching TV and the boy was sitting in the recliner with no shoes on and no jacket, also watching TV. My sister left to go make plates she was gone about 10 minutes and when she came back to her apartment she opened up the door and all the lights were off except for her Christmas lights and her TV. She asked the boy "where's Jessie?" The little boy told her that Jessie was sleeping. She knew something was wrong immediately, He had his jacket and his shoes on. When she turned on the lights my nephew was laying on the floor in front of the couch that he was sitting on before she left. He was laying on his back with blood coming from his mouth and his nose. His eyes were open but he was not conscious. The boys shoe print was on my nephews chest and stomach. She asked the boy "what did you do?" And he said that he was play fighting with Jessie and immediately ran out the house. My sister called 911 and tried to save my nephew. The 13-year-old boys Aunt chased him down and caught him and his mother called 911 on her son. When the police got there they arrested him and he told the police that Jessie threw a toy dinosaur at his face and he got angry and hit him 13 times.
My sister hung out with him and his mom on a daily.This whole situation has me questioning my own judgment as a parent. How could I not see something so evil? We trusted this boy, Jessie trusted him. Never would have thought that he would do something like that to a baby.
The law in the state of Ohio says that if you are under the age of 14 at the time you commit the crime you cannot be tried as an adult whatsoever. So I'm starting a petition in hopes that if we get enough signatures, Lorain county department of justice will see that we are in desperate need of a law change. These teenagers are committing capital crimes knowing that the law will protect them as long as they're under the age of 14. I feel that law should be changed too. The minimum age a minor can be tried as an adult is 14 years old. However, no minimum age set for capital offenses. This law will allow us to rehabilitate youth that deserve to be rehabilitated. At the same time we can give teenagers that commit capital crimes such as murder and rape, the sentences they deserve. If you are capable of committing such heinous and evil crimes then you should be charged as an adult.
I would like to see required programs in middle & high school that address and prevent tragedies like what happened to Jessie.
Teach childcare skills, anger management, the truth about mental health, give them resources and show them how to find them, how to care for a family and household. There is just so much that children are not prepared for in their lives. This could have been prevented.
We must do better at home and We all must work together to Prevent, Educate, Report, and Prosecute.
Finally, our laws must be changed to reflect that we value our children. Crimes against children should become Federal Laws that will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We need to give real time in prison.If a teenager is capable of committing murder of a child then they should be monitored 24/7.
We need Justice for Jessie. I do not want my nephew to die in vain. His life mattered and If this young man is charged as a juvenile he will eventually be released and have the chance to do this to someone else's child. This law is protecting him. He will have the opportunity to live the life he stole from my nephew. He will have the chance to move on from this and pretend like it never happened meanwhile my family and I are suffering, We will be hurting until the day we die. He took something from us that we cannot get back and ruined our lives.
Jessie Webber was an angel on Earth, he had such a healing heart, he was always a happy baby with a smile that brightened your day. The youngest member of our family, he brought sunshine to our lives! We are living in darkness without Jessie. There is no light at the end of this tunnel please help us get Justice. Jessie didn't deserve this. He was innocent and pure. His murderer deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison. Change the law!!!
Please share. Together we can get #justiceforbabyjessie

Kathleen BanburyPetition Starter

Media inquiries

5,886

Recent signers:

The Issue

My 23-month-old nephew Jessie Webber was beat to death by a 13-year-old friend of our family on December 8th 2021. Just like any other night, my sister and her best friend/neighbor we're hanging out. Her neighbor's son was at my sister's house watching movies with my nephew. My sister was cleaning and her neighbor was making dinner. My sister brought her neighbor some noodles for spaghetti and came back to the house and everything was fine. Shortly after that her neighbor text her and told her the food was done. So she went over to the house to make plates. She told the boy I'm going to get dinner from your mom if anything happens come get me. They were two doors down in the same building. When my sister left her apartment to go make plates all her lights were on. Jessie had his blankie and his sippy cup and he was sitting on the couch watching TV and the boy was sitting in the recliner with no shoes on and no jacket, also watching TV. My sister left to go make plates she was gone about 10 minutes and when she came back to her apartment she opened up the door and all the lights were off except for her Christmas lights and her TV. She asked the boy "where's Jessie?" The little boy told her that Jessie was sleeping. She knew something was wrong immediately, He had his jacket and his shoes on. When she turned on the lights my nephew was laying on the floor in front of the couch that he was sitting on before she left. He was laying on his back with blood coming from his mouth and his nose. His eyes were open but he was not conscious. The boys shoe print was on my nephews chest and stomach. She asked the boy "what did you do?" And he said that he was play fighting with Jessie and immediately ran out the house. My sister called 911 and tried to save my nephew. The 13-year-old boys Aunt chased him down and caught him and his mother called 911 on her son. When the police got there they arrested him and he told the police that Jessie threw a toy dinosaur at his face and he got angry and hit him 13 times.
My sister hung out with him and his mom on a daily.This whole situation has me questioning my own judgment as a parent. How could I not see something so evil? We trusted this boy, Jessie trusted him. Never would have thought that he would do something like that to a baby.
The law in the state of Ohio says that if you are under the age of 14 at the time you commit the crime you cannot be tried as an adult whatsoever. So I'm starting a petition in hopes that if we get enough signatures, Lorain county department of justice will see that we are in desperate need of a law change. These teenagers are committing capital crimes knowing that the law will protect them as long as they're under the age of 14. I feel that law should be changed too. The minimum age a minor can be tried as an adult is 14 years old. However, no minimum age set for capital offenses. This law will allow us to rehabilitate youth that deserve to be rehabilitated. At the same time we can give teenagers that commit capital crimes such as murder and rape, the sentences they deserve. If you are capable of committing such heinous and evil crimes then you should be charged as an adult.
I would like to see required programs in middle & high school that address and prevent tragedies like what happened to Jessie.
Teach childcare skills, anger management, the truth about mental health, give them resources and show them how to find them, how to care for a family and household. There is just so much that children are not prepared for in their lives. This could have been prevented.
We must do better at home and We all must work together to Prevent, Educate, Report, and Prosecute.
Finally, our laws must be changed to reflect that we value our children. Crimes against children should become Federal Laws that will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We need to give real time in prison.If a teenager is capable of committing murder of a child then they should be monitored 24/7.
We need Justice for Jessie. I do not want my nephew to die in vain. His life mattered and If this young man is charged as a juvenile he will eventually be released and have the chance to do this to someone else's child. This law is protecting him. He will have the opportunity to live the life he stole from my nephew. He will have the chance to move on from this and pretend like it never happened meanwhile my family and I are suffering, We will be hurting until the day we die. He took something from us that we cannot get back and ruined our lives.
Jessie Webber was an angel on Earth, he had such a healing heart, he was always a happy baby with a smile that brightened your day. The youngest member of our family, he brought sunshine to our lives! We are living in darkness without Jessie. There is no light at the end of this tunnel please help us get Justice. Jessie didn't deserve this. He was innocent and pure. His murderer deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison. Change the law!!!
Please share. Together we can get #justiceforbabyjessie