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Parenting Club Forums > Parenting News > 8-Year-Old Arizona Boy Kills Father

Posted by: Crystalina Nov 20 2008, 09:11 AM

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/08/national/main4586103.shtml

This story just peeves me off.

I listened to the "questioning" of this little boy last night. He started off denying everything. Said he came home, found the man and called for his father and eventually found the father as well. The two police officers kept putting words into his mouth and by the end he said he was the one who did it. You can tell by the child's voice that he was just trying to say what they wanted him to say. It's so very sad listening to him.

They kept telling him to tell the truth and he kept saying, "but I am telling the truth." They then asked how many times he shot the gun and he said 2x. They said, "you mean you shot your father two times and then the other man another 2x" and the little boy said no. I just shot 2x. What they were getting at is that both men were shot twice and they wanted him to say that. By the end he said that he "thinks" he did shoot them each twice.

No lawyer.
No family member was present.

QUOTE

In a sign of the emotional and legal complexities of the case, police are pushing to have the boy tried as an adult even as they investigate possible abuse, Melnick said.

OMG!!!!!!!

Posted by: stella6979 Nov 20 2008, 09:24 AM

It peeves me off too Crystal and from what I've read, I'm not so sure I think he did it.

Posted by: msoulz Nov 20 2008, 09:27 AM

I have to believe that they are pretty certain this boy did it or they would not put him through such things because of reactions like we have here. It is hard to imagine a boy so young could do something horrible though.

Posted by: Crystalina Nov 20 2008, 09:29 AM

QUOTE (stella6979 @ Nov 20 2008, 09:24 AM)

It peeves me off too Crystal and from what I've read, I'm not so sure I think he did it.

Oh, you should hear the tapes of the questioning. It's heartbreaking to hear his little voice saying he didn't do it.

DH says that with that tape there is no way he'll be found guilty.

I don't know why they just don't check his hands for gun powder residue. Idiots.

Posted by: Crystalina Nov 20 2008, 09:32 AM

And how in the heck can an 8 yr old gun down 2 grown men without being stopped by one of them? They were found in different areas of the house. I can see the first guy being taken by surprise but the second guy would have heard it and had time to react.

Posted by: stella6979 Nov 20 2008, 09:38 AM

QUOTE (msoulz @ Nov 20 2008, 09:27 AM)

I don't know Mary, have you ever seen The Interrogation of Michael Crowe? He was 14 and after hours and hours of questions, he finally just said what they wanted to hear. He was terrified of what they were saying and thought it was the easiest way out. They found out later it was a homeless man who broke in and killed his Sister.

Here's a link to the transcript if you're interested.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/reports/crowe/crowe2.html

Posted by: mckayleesmom Nov 20 2008, 09:44 AM

Sounds like the Michael Crowe case.....poor kid.

Posted by: Crystalina Nov 20 2008, 09:45 AM

QUOTE (msoulz @ Nov 20 2008, 09:27 AM)

I think an 8 yr old is capable of doing this but this boy doesn't even know how many times the gun was fired. His reaction to finding them was running to the neighbors and crying that his father was dead. I'm trying to find the questioning because a person really needs to hear what he says in the begining compared to what he says in the end. And people need to hear how he was being coaxed into saying certain things. The tapes were on CNN Headlines news last night but I can't find them on their site.

Posted by: lisar Nov 20 2008, 09:46 AM

okay lets say for a minute that he did do it.

1.That boy was a good shot. (at 8 very doubtful)
2. Something else was going on there that shouldnt have been going on. As in child abuse or something. No 8 year old just decides to shoot someone for no reason.
3. His mother was there the weekend before.. That to me is questionable. Did she tell him to do this? Is she involved some how?

4. I dont think they should be allowed to try him as an adult. Thats just seriously wrong. He is 8. And for the police investigating this and questioning him they should be shot. How do you interrogate an 8 year old without being like a bully. You let a professional do it and not put words into his mouth.

It pi$$es me off also.

Posted by: msoulz Nov 20 2008, 09:50 AM

Yeah, I guess I like to live in my own world where the police know what they are doing and innocent people aren't accused - especially children.

I do wonder about the gun powder on the hands thing. And I agree with Lisar, odds are something was very wrong going on for him to do this, if indeed he did.

Posted by: Kentuckychick Nov 20 2008, 09:51 AM

QUOTE (Crystalina @ Nov 20 2008, 09:11 AM)

QUOTE

In a sign of the emotional and legal complexities of the case, police are pushing to have the boy tried as an adult even as they investigate possible abuse, Melnick said.

That part... that very quote right there angers me more than anything else. How in the heck can they possibly even consider trying that child until they delve a little deeper into his past and into what may have caused him to do something so horrible. And how can they POSSIBLY consider trying him as an ADULT when they've not yet investigated.

If a man broke into my house today and I had to shoot him to protect myself or my family, they wouldn't even consider trying me -- it would be self defense. Until they KNOW why this child did this... they should really keep their mouths shut.

Eight year olds don't just go around killing people for no reason at all.

Posted by: lisar Nov 20 2008, 09:53 AM

QUOTE (Kentuckychick @ Nov 20 2008, 12:51 PM)

Eight year olds don't just go around killing people for no reason at all.

Exactly

Posted by: Crystalina Nov 20 2008, 09:56 AM

Ok! Found the tapes. http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/19/boy.confession.tactics/index.html?iref=mpstoryview#cnnSTCVideo

If you look under that one there should be other parts of the interview.

Posted by: Kentuckychick Nov 20 2008, 09:57 AM

QUOTE (Crystalina @ Nov 20 2008, 09:29 AM)

QUOTE (stella6979 @ Nov 20 2008, 09:24 AM)

It peeves me off too Crystal and from what I've read, I'm not so sure I think he did it.

Oh, you should hear the tapes of the questioning. It's heartbreaking to hear his little voice saying he didn't do it.

DH says that with that tape there is no way he'll be found guilty.

I don't know why they just don't check his hands for gun powder residue. Idiots.

Well there's one thing for certain... they can't charge him using those tapes or that confession. It is illegal for the police to question a child without a family member or lawyer present -- technically THEY are the ones who should be getting in trouble for a big part of this!

Posted by: BAC'sMom Nov 20 2008, 10:14 AM

Very sad case. I don't think he did it either. And boy did they screw up by interviewing him without a parent or lawyer.

Posted by: punkeemunkee'smom Nov 21 2008, 06:33 AM

QUOTE

If a man broke into my house today and I had to shoot him to protect myself or my family, they wouldn't even consider trying me -- it would be self defense. Until they KNOW why this child did this... they should really keep their mouths shut.

Eight year olds don't just go around killing people for no reason at all.

I second that one! If he was being abused by these 2 men then he acted in self defense and should be getting a pat on the back not a second in jail!!!

Posted by: jcc64 Nov 21 2008, 08:18 AM

Trying an 8 yo as an adult is in and of itself, insane, and I'm sure that at some point during this case, saner heads will prevail. Wth are the police thinking, anyway? What good could possibly come out of prosecuting an 8 yo who in all likelihood was abused? And fwiw, I thought the DA was the one who ultimately files formal charges, not the police. Am I wrong about that?

Posted by: My2Beauties Nov 21 2008, 01:50 PM

I heard about this case - so sad. My eyebrows raised when I heard it, I don't believe he did it. And I heard about that other case you guys brought up to where that boy finally confessed because he was interrogated so much. Sad

Posted by: Nina J Nov 29 2008, 03:57 PM

QUOTE

Eight year olds don't just go around killing people for no reason at all.

Children unfortunatly do kill. James Bulger's killer's were only 10, and they abused and left him on train tracks for no reasons whatsoever.

I don't know whether this boy did kill his father and the other man. I do think he should be tried as an adult if he did. I hope he didn't do it. It's sad to think he could be so badly abused he could kill.