Money versus reputation: a woman kills a woman for sweatpants, or for reputation?

(written by Lawrence Krubner, however indented passages are often quotes)

Someone earlier today accused me of thinking that money is a more powerful motivator than reputation. I said that I knew reputation was a powerful motivator.

Then I came upon this story. 2 women work at a store, and late one night, as they lock up the store, one of the woman finds out that the other woman is stealing a pair of sweatpants from the store. So the other woman then beats the first woman to death. Is the murderer motivated because she really, really loves those sweatpants? No, of course not. She is worried about her reputation: what will be the outcome if she is accused of stealing. Concerns about social status is a powerful motivator, and for a lot of people, a lot of the time, it is the most powerful motivator that exists.

On the night of March 11, the two women closed the store, cleaned up and prepared to leave. They checked each other’s bags, per store policy, and Murray found a pair of yoga pants in Norwood’s purse. She asked Norwood about them, and Norwood told Murray she had bought them from another store employee, Chioma Nwakibu.

Norwood and Murray then left the store, heading in different directions. Murray called Nwakibu, who said she had not sold the yoga pants to Norwood. Several minutes later, Murray got a call from Norwood, who said she had left her wallet at the store and asked Murray to meet her there so she could get it. Norwood made that call to lure Murray back to the store, McCarthy said. An argument ensued, in which Norwood could be heard saying to Murray: “Tell me what’s going on.” Norwood then attacked Murray.

…
Defense lawyers do not dispute that Norwood killed Murray. They say that she snapped and that it was not premeditated murder. The distinction could make a big difference. In Maryland, premeditated murder carries the possibility of life with no chance for parole. Second-degree murder carries a maximum of 30 years in prison with a chance for release after 15 years.

Earlier in the trial, McCarthy said Norwood inflicted at least 322 injuries to Murray, and forensic examinations suggested she used an array of tools and items from the store — including a hammer, wrench, rope, knife and a metal peg used to hold up merchandise.