Jason Keel Sweeney (July 29, 1986 – May 30, 2003) was a construction worker from Fishtown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who at the age of 16 was murdered by four teenagers for his paycheck on May 30, 2003.

Due to the manner in which Sweeney was murdered, the ages of the teens involved, and the seeming indifference of the perpetrators, the crime received national media coverage.

[4] With the promise of sex, Morley lured Sweeney to "The Trails," a wooded area of Fishtown near the Delaware River, where Batzig and the Coia brothers were lying in wait.

[5] Batzig and the Coia brothers then pummeled Sweeney, primarily on his head and face, with a hatchet, a hammer and a rock until he was dead.

[7] Before leaving the crime scene, the Coias, Batzig and Morley shared a group hug and split the money, which they used to buy jewelry and illegal drugs—heroin, marijuana, and Xanax—and then "partied beyond redemption," according to Domenic.

[2][6] Joshua Staab, 18, a friend of Domenic Coia, said that the group bragged about their plan to kill Sweeney by using Justina Morley as "bait."

"[6] A detective involved in the case and a forensic psychologist later opined that the killers' motivation went beyond robbery and stemmed from envy and resentment of Sweeney's relative success in life.

Domenic claimed he panicked when Batzig actually hit Sweeney and only participated when he feared him and his brother getting caught.

She was once admitted to Friends Hospital for cutting her wrists, knees and thighs, taking pills and displaying a suicide poem, which she penned on her door.

A psychiatrist hired by the defense team, William Russell, said the reason Morley began sexual activity at an early age "was an attempt at validation of self-worth".

Morley testified that she had sex with both Nicholas Coia and Batzig in exchange for heroin just a few days before they murdered Sweeney.

[11] Justina Morley's attorneys explained to the judge that the girl suffered through depression, suicide attempts, and substance abuse in order to get her a juvenile court trial.

Psychiatrist William Russell explained to the court how Morley attempted suicide twice by overdosing on pills only the year before the killing.

The Assistant District Attorney argued that Morley was an important part of the plot in Sweeney's murder and she had treatment before, to no avail.

[9] At that point, Morley pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in exchange for her testimony against other defendants, and was sentenced to 17 1/2 to 35 years in prison.

Therefore, the Coia brothers and Batzig all faced mandatory life sentences without parole if convicted of first-degree murder.

Defense counsel for the Coias and Batzig argued that Morley was the instigator and led the boys to commit the murder of Sweeney.

"[15] However, Morley testified that she did feel remorse for the slaying of Sweeney and that she only wrote such things so that she would be accepted by the Coias and Batzig.

"[16] The Coia brothers and Batzig were convicted on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy, robbery and possession of an instrument of crime.

In May 2005, all were sentenced to mandatory life in prison without parole for murder, plus 22 1/2 to 45 years for conspiracy, robbery and possessing an instrument of crime.

[29] The crime inspired comic artist Kevin Colden's 2008 graphic novel Fishtown, which was nominated for an Eisner Award.