Jeremy Strohmeyer

American homicide; age 18 when he sexually assaulted and murdered seven-year-old Sherrice Iverson. Jeremy was born in a mental hospital to a teenager who already had one son and after Jeremy, had another; a girl with drug and psychological problems. His dad was in prison. At 18 months, he was adopted by a well-to-do and loving family and he grew up in a stable environment, to all intents, well adjusted and highly intelligent. Shortly after Jeremy entered high school, his folks moved to Singapore. In spite of the rigid legal system of Singapore, he got in with a fast crowd and learned to drink. When the family moved back to Long Beach in 1996, he hit the fast lane with amphetamines, booze and staying up all night. He had his nipples pierced and wore the costume of the day, oversize pants, baggy shirts and a baseball cap turned backwards. He later said that he was seduced by the Internet, spending hours downloading child porno. On 5/25/1997, he and a pair of buddies went to Las Vegas with the father of one of the boys. While the adult gambled, the boys spent hours in a video arcade. About 3:25 PM, he was struck by a wad of paper. Two little black girls were throwing spitballs in playful fun. Jeremy, with a grin, began chasing one of the girls, Sherrice. He followed her into the ladies' room. She was getting frightened and swung a Wet Floor sign at Jeremy, when something "went haywire" in him. He grabbed the girl and dragged her into a stall, where he sexually assaulted her. When someone entered the room, he kept her quiet with his hand over her nose and mouth and the weight of his body. When the women left, he broke the child's neck and casually walked out of the restroom. Worrying about being caught, Jeremy spent the next few days asking advice from his school mates. He had cause to worry; a security camera had recorded the entry of Sherrice and Jeremy into the Ladies' Room, and three of his concerned schoolmates reported his story to the principal. At a sentence hearing on 10/14/1998, three days after his 20th birthday, Jeremy said he barely remembered the crime, blaming drugs, his childhood, the casino and the Internet. He was sentenced to life in prison. Link to Wikipedia biography