Paducah Families Accept Shooting Settlement

P A D U C A H, Ky., Aug. 3 -- The families of the three girls shot to death at a Paducah, Ky., high school have agreed to a $42 million settlement from their killer. But they may never see the money.

Michael Carneal opened fire with a .22-caliber pistol in the lobby of Heath High School on Dec. 1, 1997, shooting eight teenagers during their morning prayer circle meeting. Jessica James, Kayce Steger and Nicole Hadley were killed. Five other students were wounded. One girl’s wounds have left her paralyzed from the chest down.

Carneal, now 17, pleaded guilty but mentally illto the shootings and is being held at a juvenile detention center inwestern Kentucky. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole in December 1998.

On Wednesday, attorneys for Carneal offered to settle, and this afternoon plaintiffs’ attorney Mike Breen issued a statement saying the families of James, Steger andHadley had accepted.

Carneal has noassets and whether the families would be able to collect any moneyis uncertain. His family’s insurance company, Kentucky Farm Bureau,has insisted in court motions it is not liable for his actions.

Breen acknowledges that it’s not clear where the money will come from.

“That will be the subject matter of a lawsuit against Michael Carneal’s insurance company, Kentucky Farm Bureau,” he said. But he also said that the lawsuit was about more than money.

“The primary goal of the families when they filed suit was tolearn as mush as possible about why Michael Carneal shot eightstudents,” he said.

50 Defendants Were NamedThe parents of the three girls originally filed a lawsuit thatnamed more than 50 defendants, including the boy’s parents, schooladministrators and entertainment companies. A judge hadsubsequently removed everyone but Carneal from the lawsuit.

Breen says the families find today’s settlement bittersweet.

“On the one hand there is a sense of relief because they were becoming anxious about the trial,” which was scheduled to begin on Monday.