Man Sentenced for Scissors Attack on Elderly Woman in West Philadelphia
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A 43-year-old West Philadelphia man was sentenced today to 9-20 years in prison for a vicious home invasion attack on an 87-year-old neighbor and her adult son in July of 2012.
Both victims were stabbed and beaten, but survived (see related story).
Prosecutor Kristen Stretz says defendant Jimmy Morrison confessed to police after he was arrested (see related story) and has now pleaded guilty to what he says was a robbery to get money for drugs.
According to Stretz, the elderly woman, Yvonne Gaines -- a city committeewoman -- is still suffering too much physically, mentally, and emotionally to come to court.
But Stretz spoke on her behalf, "mostly that she is just so ashamed that he committed that crime. She felt like she really took care of him, like a mother figure. Ms. Gaines is now 89 years old. She tells me she wants to live to a hundred, and this incident obviously is not making this easy."
Gaines and her son, a Vietnam War veteran, were stabbed with scissors. Morrison fled with a necklace.
