Morley's grisly testimony comes to an end

I lived in Fishtown during the worst years of my young life. It was a long, long time ago, and I know things have changed. But every day, as I read the coverage of the trial, I can't help but think - that could have been me.

I hesitate to mention my memories since I know those that love the neighborhood do so from the bottom of their hearts. The neighborhood as of late has been rising like a phoenix. But this is to the dismay of some who look at those moving in as "outsiders" and yuppies. I posted a little about this way back on June 12th, 2003. The conversation ran out of control and I stopped talking about it.

I was an outsider in the neighborhood. My family moved there when I was a teenager. I have a couple broken noses, a scar on my left hand and memories of beatings just for being a "long haired, satan worshipping faggot" to remind me. The irony. Nothing against long haired, satan worshipping faggots - but I'm an Irish Catholic.

What can ya do? They say you can take the kid out of Fishtown, but not the Fishtown out of the kid. I'm inclined to believe it. Even to this day I when I hear someone running behind me I tense for a fight.

My wife once said it was like the "Outsiders" - and I was one of the greasers. Yeah. It was kinda like that. You'd get your ass kicked just for wearing a denim jacket with a heavy metal patch on it.

I know these kids could have come from any neighborhood. There are many places where such violence seems an every day occurance. It's a nightmare story of drugs, money and sex that reaches across generations and of time and place.

But when I hear of "the Trails".... damn. My mind races to a similar desolate area outside of the rec center on Frankford Avenue, just off of the Berks train station. I got one of my broken noses outside of there because of a girl I was dating. Her ex-boyfriends didn't like that she stopped seeing them (note the plurals). And I turned down a strange man who offered $20 bucks to give me a blow job as I was making my way thru the field. I said "no" and walked away as fast as I could.

My heart and prayers go out to all the families touched by this. To the neighborhood that is fighting to overcome so much. To the kids who have gotten so twisted. To Jason Sweeney. A life that was stolen from him and the world.

Justina Morley has left the building - and multitudes have breathed a sigh of relief.

After three days on the stand as the prosecution's star witness in the horrifying Fishtown murder trial, the teenage femme fatale became a star attraction inside the Criminal Justice Center.

Attorneys, court employees, professional "jurors," reporters, relatives and friends filled all available seats to see the teen vixen involved in the slaying of 16-year-old Jason Sweeney.

Hour upon hour of testimony wore the courtroom down to a frazzled, dispirited nub by late yesterday afternoon. Jurors seemed listless, lawyers were frazzled, the judge appeared drained.

Even defendant Nicky Coia sported a bruised and busted lip - the result of a beating he received yesterday morning at the hands of an offended fellow inmate.

Spectators were stunned.

...Was it her upbringing? Drug addiction? Parental neglect? DNA? Satan? Did this girl with the tiny shoulders really manipulate these three boys to do her vile bidding, as defense attorneys said, or was she just a sad, attention-starved shill?

There was no alternative but to rely on Morley's own words, read yesterday from a letter she wrote from prison to Domenic Coia:

"I'm a cold-blooded f------ death-worshipping bitch who survives by feeding off the weak and lonely. I lure them and then I crush them. It's what I've done to every boy I was with."

Philadelphia Daily News | 03/04/2005 | Morley's grisly testimony comes to an end