The Tragic Case of Lacy Aaron Schmidt: A Young Life Derailed by Violence
In January 2011, a crime rocked the small town of Harlem, Georgia. Fourteen-year-old Lacy Aaron Schmidt shot and killed his friend and neighbor, 14-year-old Alana Calahan, in a case that would raise difficult questions about juvenile justice and appropriate sentencing for minors who commit serious crimes. This article examines the details of the case, the legal proceedings that followed, and the ongoing debate surrounding Schmidt’s conviction and life sentence.
The Crime
On January 31, 2011, Lacy Aaron Schmidt went to the home of his friend Alana Calahan in Harlem, Georgia. What began as a seemingly ordinary interaction between two teenagers ended in tragedy when Schmidt shot Calahan in the back of the neck. After the shooting, Schmidt dragged Calahan’s body into nearby woods, where she died from the gunshot wound.
After shooting Alana, Schmidt dragged her body to the woods outside the house
