Despite being sentenced to death for this crime by a jury in [[Missouri]], and despite the sentence being upheld by the Missouri Supreme Court, the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] overturned this punishment as unconstitutional because the defendant was only 17 years old rather than over 18. | Despite being sentenced to death for this crime by a jury in [[Missouri]], and despite the sentence being upheld by the Missouri Supreme Court, the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] overturned this punishment as unconstitutional because the defendant was only 17 years old rather than over 18. |