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'I Was Mad, And I Felt Bad,' Videotaped Beating Suspect Says

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By RAY REYES and SAMARA SODOS

The Tampa Tribune and News Channel 8

Published: June 25, 2008

LAKELAND - One of the girls charged in the videotaped beating of Victoria Lindsay told an assistant state attorney that she did not realize the scope of the incident until she was released from a juvenile detention center and watched the local news at home.

"I was mad, and I felt bad," Kayla Hassell, 15, said in one of four interviews with the teen defendants that the Polk County State Attorney's Office released Wednesday.

"Everyone was saying all this stuff about us," Hassell said. "Because I was in the video, they felt the need to write me letters then send them to my house saying when this is all over, they're going to kill me."

Hassell, April Cooper, 14, Brittany Mayes, Brittni Hardcastle and Mercades Nichols, all 17, were arrested in April, accused of attacking Lindsay and recording the beating on video.

Each of the girls is charged with kidnapping and misdemeanor battery. Mayes, Hardcastle and Nichols are also charged with witness tampering.

Charges were dropped June 14 against the two boys accused in the incident, Stephen Schumaker and Zachary Ashley, as well as Cara Murphy.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office said the attack on Lindsay, 16, was in retaliation for online trash-talking with some of the girls.

In her interview, Hassell said it was never any of the girls' intention to post the video on MySpace or YouTube.

Lindsay was staying with Nichols in a Lakeland home owned by Nichols' grandmother. According to Schumaker's account, which was also released Wednesday by prosecutors, Nichols and Lindsay bickered because Lindsay did not help out around the house.

One day Lindsay left to go the beach without telling Nichols, Murphy said in her interview. Nichols did not know when Lindsay would return and Nichols' grandmother told her that when she did, Nichols had to kick her out the house, Murphy said.

Hours later, Lindsay arrived — and the beating was recorded. Murphy said it started when Cooper and Lindsay began arguing in a bedroom about Lindsay's trash-talking.

Cooper then "just hits her in the face," Murphy said. "I guess she got mad."

Lindsay tries to leave, but she's confronted by Hardcastle near the front door, Murphy said. The beating continued in the living room.

Hardcastle was trying to provoke others to hit Lindsay, Hassell said.

"I turned around and I said I'm not hitting her," said Hassell, who added that she feels bad "at least two or three times a week" about what happened.

"If I had the chance to sit down and talk" to Lindsay about the incident "or write her a letter without getting in trouble, I would," Hassell said.

Assistant state attorneys asked her why she did not stop Hardcastle from punching Lindsay. Hassell said that Hardcastle "was so mad" and if she got between the girls, she also might have been struck.

"Being how little I am, she would do worse to me" than to Lindsay, Hassell said.

Hassell was then asked whether anyone apologized to Lindsay as she was leaving the house.

"No," Hassell said.

News Channel 8 reporter Jennifer Leigh contributed to this report. Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 259-7920 or rreyes@tampatrib.com.

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