Florida Teen Pleads Guilty to Strangling His Mom and Burying Her Body After Argument Over Grades

A 17-year-old teen pled guilty this week to murdering his mother and disposing of her body after an argument about a "D" he received in one of his classes.

florida teen murder
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florida teen murder

A Florida teen pled guilty this week to murdering his mother during an argument about his grades and later disposing of her body. 

According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Gregory Ramos was charged as an adult after being accused of strangling his mother on November 2, 2018, when he was 15 years old. Ramos later buried his mother, 46-year-old Gail Cleavenger, behind a church near their home. The now 17-year-old agreed to a guilty plea for first degree murder in exchange for a 45-year prison sentence and lifetime probation, instead of potentially facing life in prison. 

Investigators also accused Ramos of enlisting the help of two friends to stage a burglary at his home, where the murder took place, and bury her body. In addition to the guilty plea for murder, the teen entered two additional guilty pleas for abuse of a dead body and tampering with evidence.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Ramos confessed to authorities after calling 911 and claiming that his mother went missing following a robbery, which was staged by him and his friends. He admitted to strangling his mother for 30 minutes after a fight about a “D” he received in school. 

Assistant Public Defender Matt Phillips, who defended Ramos, told the newspaper that Ramos can seek early termination of his probation after 10 years. He can also have 15 percent of his sentence reduced for “good behavior." The teen will be sentenced on January 22, 2021. 

Ramos’ two friends were also charged, as “adults with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder.” They each face up to 30 years in prison if they are convicted. 

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