No Death Penalty for Alleged Lansdale Mother Murderer

If Warren Pennick, 54, is found guilty of first-degree murder for stabbing and slitting the throat of his 79-year-old mother Lorraine Pennick on Halloween 2012 in their Salford Avenue home, then he won’t be put to death.

Montgomery County prosecutors will not seek the death penalty against Pennick on a first-degree murder conviction, according to Carl Hessler Jr. of The Times Herald.

Criteria was not met to result in a death penalty—Prosecutors could not show that the aspects that made the killing more terrible outweighed the aspects that are in favor of Pennick, according to the article.

If convicted of first-degree murder, Pennick could get life in prison; if convicted of third-degree murder, he could face up to 40 years in prison.

Pennick's story that he told police of the reason for allegedly killing his mother is one with shines to a mercy killing—he feared he and his mother would be homeless, as they couldn't pay for repairs to their home, so he stabbed her to death and saved her from homelessness.

Pennick's lawyer told Patch that his client has suffered with a severe mental illness for 45 years.

Read more at this link.