In a polarizing case, a 16-year-old girl was tried in an adult court for fatally stabbing her mother. Esmie Tseng, a talented student and accomplished pianist and athlete from Overland Park, Kansas, struggled with the pressure of meeting her Chinese immigrant parents’ high expectations. In a tragic turn of events, Esmie took her mother’s life just days after expressing her struggles on her online blog.
Following the incident, Esmie was apprehended and detained on the same day. The community, including local father Jacob Horwitz, who had known Esmie through his children’s interactions with her, was shocked by the news of her arrest. Jacob delved into Esmie’s online writings, discovering her accounts of harsh punishments and unrealistic standards imposed by her parents.
Despite the sympathy towards Esmie’s upbringing, District Attorney Paul Morrison pushed for her trial as an adult, emphasizing the severity of her actions. Esmie eventually pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and received a minimum eight-year sentence in an adult correctional facility, making her the youngest female inmate at the Topeka Correctional Facility.
While speculations arose about Esmie’s involvement in recreational drug use, no evidence was found to support these claims. Esmie’s father, Tao Tseng, chose not to criticize his daughter, expressing a desire to keep her by his side after losing his wife. Esmie was released from prison in 2012 and is believed to be employed now.