Queena Phu: Who Attacked Her? What Happened After The Attack?
This article contains information on graphic violence; please read the trigger warning.
The night of April 24, 2008, attacker of Queena Phu, a survivor of the Bloomingdale Library attack, was identified as 16-year-old Kendrick Morris. He allegedly attacked Phu late at night in front of Bloomingdale Regional Library. The following evening, Queena, then 18 years old, drove to the library to return the book she had borrowed. She was raped and assaulted severely.
When a search team arrived at the scene, they discovered her car door open, her phone on the ground, and blood. She was discovered unconscious, crippled, and blinded behind the public library by her worried family and friends. The tragedy shocked the formerly tranquil town of Brandon, Florida.
Morris was sentenced to 65 years in jail in 2011 after being found guilty of raping two women who were born ten months apart. The assault case of Queena Phu will be reviewed in Lifetime’s true-crime series #TextMeWhenYouGetHome more than ten years later.
Kendrick Morris, Queena Phu’s assailant, received a new life sentence
Due to new rules that overturned antiquated regulations governing the punishment of children found guilty of serious crimes, Kendrick Morris was hauled before the judge a second time in 2017. The U.S. and Florida Supreme Courts have outlawed sentences that provide young people no realistic chance of achieving freedom in a number of decisions.
In response, the state government changed the law to provide life sentences on the proviso that judges must consider the defendant’s age, maturity, and intellectual capacity. The new law also requires that adolescents who have received life sentences have their cases reviewed after a predetermined amount of time.
Morris made his opening statement and court appeal in the thick of everything. The judge occasionally showed emotion when deciding on a new sentence, pausing to explain the facts of the s*xual attack on Queena Phu, the victim’s injuries, and her continued physical restrictions. Morris remained still behind his public defender for the duration of the 40-minute session.
The defense requested that Judge Chet Tharpe reduce Morris’ sentence in light of decisions that found severe punishments for adolescents without the chance of release to be illegal. Tharpe, who had earlier given Kendrick Morris a 65-year jail term in 2011, instead granted him a life sentence.
As reported by Judge Tharpe:
“These were especially heinous and terrible crimes. These crimes were not committed when they were young. This is the kind of case that begs for a life sentence more than any other.”
Anna Donato, Queena Phu’s sister, commented on the sentence:
“In no way is it a happy time for us right now. Queena will require constant care, therefore we will always have to return home. I would like to claim that it is a win, but that seems incorrect. I feel terrible for him. But I think the verdict was fair. Although we feel sorry for him and forgive him, we do not agree that he should be released from prison.”
She continued, getting emotional as she described Phu’s current situation.
“We believe she is serving a life sentence and will never be eligible for a resentencing, and there are many things she is unable to do that he is.”
Currently serving a life sentence in jail is Kendrick Morris, who was found guilty of raping two women, an 18-year-old Queena and a 62-year-old caregiver at a Clair-Mel daycare. According to rumors, his case will be reviewed in 2031.
This Monday, August 15, at 9 p.m. ET, #TextMeWhenYouGetHome on Lifetime will screen episode 10, which will explore Queena Phu’s narrative.