Focus: Kayla Marie Hassall

Charges:
Felony Kidnapping with intent to terrorize and/or cause bodily injury
Misdemeanor battery

Facts:
15-years old.

Wearing a blue top in the video.

Was not seen hitting the victim in any of the released videos.

Was a cheerleader at Mulberry High School.

Gave a deposition with the State Attorney's Office on June 11.

Was with Mercades Nichols on the day of the arrests according to the police report.

Gave Talisa Lindsay, the victim's step-mother, sarcasm and excuses when confronted about the video according to the police report.

Analysis:
Will cut a deal and testify against the others. Has already begun to cooperate with the prosecution.

Deposition Summary:
On June 11, Kayla discussed the case with prosecutors in a deposition.

She claims Stephen Schumaker and Zachary Ashley were NOT lookouts. She claims she was able to see the porch from the window and that nobody was there.

She claims there was no plan to post the video to YouTube or MySpace.

She claims Brittni Hardcastle requested a copy of the video. She claims she did not oblige such a request.

She expresses remorse for the incident, and says she would "sit down with" and/or "write a letter to" the victim if she were allowed (pre-trial conditions currently forbid her from doing so).

She claims she feared being hit by Brittini Hardcastle, and that is why she did not help the victim. Kayla can however be seen getting in the face of the victim and yelling at her in the video.

She says only one device was used to capture the incident on video: her mother's phone.

She admits that capturing the incident on video escalated the situation.

She says she was mad about the news coverage and claims to have received death threats.

She claims April Cooper contacted her saying she had told police that she had not seen the victim for a month, and instructed Kayla to do the same. Kayla claims that she refused to oblige April's demand.

She claims that when Mercades Nichols was driving her and the other girls to the house prior to the incident Mercades made negative remarks about the victim and was looking for a way to make her stop staying with her.

She claims she and the victim were involved in a spat in school over a boy. Kayla references a "Demarcus" in the video while yelling at the victim.

Links:
Her MySpace