11-year-old charged in brother's killing

11-year-old charged in brother's killing

www.indystar.com

11-year-old charged in brother's killing
Boy is youngest to face a charge of murder in Indiana in about 90 years

An 11-year-old Morgan County boy on Friday became the youngest person to face a murder charge in Indiana in about 90 years.

Morgan County Prosecutor Steve Sonnega charged the boy with murder and criminal recklessness in the fatal shooting of his 6-year-old brother at a home south of Martinsville.

Initial reports from the Morgan County sheriff's office indicated the shooting may have been accidental, but Sonnega said investigators sometimes discover evidence that leads to

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"He (the 6-year-old) was a good kid," neighbor Jessica Purgason said. "He was quiet. He just wanted to play. That's all he was about."

The 11-year-old boy is one of the youngest defendants ever charged with murder in Indiana. In the early 1920s, an 11-year-old was charged with murder and was tried as an adult in Starke County. But he was not convicted.

If Morgan County prosecutors seek to try the boy as an adult in this case, they would have to convince the county's juvenile court judge that there is strong evidence against him, that he can't likely be rehabilitated in the juvenile system, and that waiving him to adult court is in the best interest of the safety and welfare of the community.

What a horrific situation. The police have apparently uncovered information during their investigation that led them to file charges for murder. Initially this was reported as an accident. The parents were recently divorced. What kind of anger in an 11-year-old leads to this? How very, very sad. Should an 11-year-old be charged with murder?

www.indystar.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by DancedWithWolves


Tragic. Very, very sad.

I need more information, something doesn't sit right with me...
I keep thinking about Michael Crowe

Originally posted by DancedWithWolves

"He (the 6-year-old) was a good kid," neighbor Jessica Purgason said. "He was quiet. He just wanted to play. That's all he was about."

The 11-year-old boy is one of the youngest defendants ever charged with murder in Indiana. In the early 1920s, an 11-year-old was charged with murder and was tried as an adult in Starke County. But he was not convicted.

If Morgan County prosecutors seek to try the boy as an adult in this case, they would have to convince the county's juvenile court judge that there is strong evidence against him, that he can't likely be rehabilitated in the juvenile system, and that waiving him to adult court is in the best interest of the safety and welfare of the community.

What a horrific situation. The police have apparently uncovered information during their investigation that led them to file charges for murder. Initially this was reported as an accident. The parents were recently divorced. What kind of anger in an 11-year-old leads to this? How very, very sad. Should an 11-year-old be charged with murder?

www.indystar.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

edit on 2-7-2011 by DancedWithWolves because: (no reason given)

hi
should an 11 yr old be convicted as an adult?
this is my only example i can think of

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by davesmart


I really can't get into a blanket debate over it. I think it depends entirely on the 11 year old and thats why there are professionals to deal with those individual cases.

Based on the case you cited, although they were tried in adult court, it doesn't look like an adult sentence to me, they were both released when reaching "adulthood".

However, I think this is a good example of my "individual case" theory. From reading the article it appears that Robert Thompson has been free ever since his release, because it doesn't note otherwise. It was also widely believed at the time of the crime that it was Venables who instigated it, and Venables has since returned to prison for assault and drug violations, causing Bulgers mother to call for his anonymity to be removed.

So perhaps Venables was a bad seed from the start, or both kids were misguided somehow, but Thompson was rehabilitatable (is that a word?), and Venables was not.

While some will argue that the human "brain" doesn't completely form till adulthood, some scientists say this can last till the age of 27, and what do they really know about the brain in the long run. This argument forces me to point out that MOST serial killers start out on their path at a very young age. Maybe not killing "people" but almost certainly animals.

In this particularly case, I read about a dozen different articles now, and it disturbs me that the 11 year olds 911 call gives the impression that he found his brother that way. So how do we know if it was even an accident or intentional? It seems like an optimal situation for police to implant ideas and get a false confession. While I understand its a sensitive situation with such a young child, the least they could do is tell us if he had powder burns on his hands...

And at the end of it all, I just have to wonder why aren't the parents being charged, not only for leaving these children alone, but for having a loaded firearm in the home where small children could get to it.

reply to post by DancedWithWolves


From what I've heard of this news the six year old was playing around and shot himself in the head, which is probably what really happened. . .

Originally posted by RightInTwo
From what I've heard of this news the six year old was playing around and shot himself in the head, which is probably what really happened. . .

Thats the feeling I keep having and somehow this poor 11 year old is going to get screwed.
Wondering if you have a source for that - I did google and read a bunch of articles but they're all just reiterating the same thing over and over. Can never get a straight answer from the media..

Originally posted by Forevever
reply to post by davesmart

 

I really can't get into a blanket debate over it. I think it depends entirely on the 11 year old and thats why there are professionals to deal with those individual cases.

Based on the case you cited, although they were tried in adult court, it doesn't look like an adult sentence to me, they were both released when reaching "adulthood".

However, I think this is a good example of my "individual case" theory. From reading the article it appears that Robert Thompson has been free ever since his release, because it doesn't note otherwise. It was also widely believed at the time of the crime that it was Venables who instigated it, and Venables has since returned to prison for assault and drug violations, causing Bulgers mother to call for his anonymity to be removed.

So perhaps Venables was a bad seed from the start, or both kids were misguided somehow, but Thompson was rehabilitatable (is that a word?), and Venables was not.

While some will argue that the human "brain" doesn't completely form till adulthood, some scientists say this can last till the age of 27, and what do they really know about the brain in the long run. This argument forces me to point out that MOST serial killers start out on their path at a very young age. Maybe not killing "people" but almost certainly animals.

In this particularly case, I read about a dozen different articles now, and it disturbs me that the 11 year olds 911 call gives the impression that he found his brother that way. So how do we know if it was even an accident or intentional? It seems like an optimal situation for police to implant ideas and get a false confession. While I understand its a sensitive situation with such a young child, the least they could do is tell us if he had powder burns on his hands...

And at the end of it all, I just have to wonder why aren't the parents being charged, not only for leaving these children alone, but for having a loaded firearm in the home where small children could get to it.

edit on 2-7-2011 by Forevever because: usual typo

hi
u are right
its a controvercial case
but still shocking
i will never forget it

reply to post by Forevever


I don't have the source

I heard it on the radio a few times. Reportedly the little boy heard a loud pop, and went into the other room and saw his six year old brother on the ground shot.

But I agree, if that's what really happened then the situation is beyond devastating. This poor traumatized little boy just found his little brother dead on the ground and now he's being deemed responsible for it. It's sick.

Prayers for everyone involved.

Tragic that kids had to be involved.

IMO, the article is just too vague to determine what really happened. And being a juvenile we probably never will.

Did the child purchase the gun? I am a Canadian and not for guns being around recklessly, though respect Americans right to have them, they would need to be kept very well. How many kids:

1. see guns as toys.
2. don't see death as permanent. so they yell, I hate you and i want to kill you. I have 5 boys, and often their friends over as well. This is normal child development.
3. have emotional fits, changes in preteen years, usually 11, 12, etc, where they have a lot of physical play, if they're boys, and lots of accidents.

No he's culpubable. Its Nazi-ism if the SS state finds him so and as his parents I would not allow that to happen.

But he did seem to access to a real gun, not his nerf one. Guns should not be easy for emotional and quick to act, kids to grab.

I think the boy is too young to be charged. But the parents should be charged with parental neglect.

My only question is:
Where were the parents?

It's not being discussed in the article, saying they will deal with that later.
I also don't think an 11 year old should be charged as an adult.

This statement in the op article by Morgan County Prosecutor Steve Sonnega concerns me:

"Murder can be knowingly or intentionally," Sonnega said. "There is a slight difference. Knowingly means when you engage in conduct you know there is a high probability of the outcome."

Is this statement suggesting or implying that murder charges were brought against the 11-year-old because he "knew" the gun was in the house or "knew" the 6-year-old had the gun and what "probable" accidents could occur?

Details are still unclear, as the circumstances surrounding the shooting are "confidential." Why I'm not sure as they released their names. The link doesn't use their names in the story and I agree with that policy until the "circumstances" of the shooting are not considered ATS.

A Morgan Superior Court judge ordered that the circumstances surrounding the shooting be kept confidential, but Sonnega said details might be revealed Wednesday when the boy appears for an initial hearing in juvenile court. The boy was being held in a juvenile detention facility Friday, he said.

Thank you all for the additional links and thoughts on this. Questions remain...sad ones.

ETA: another source with video.

Very tragic indeed....It breaks my heart.

Try to imagine being one of ther parents... so sad

Originally posted by Unity_99
Did the child purchase the gun? I am a Canadian and not for guns being around recklessly, though respect Americans right to have them, they would need to be kept very well. How many kids:

1. see guns as toys.
2. don't see death as permanent. so they yell, I hate you and i want to kill you. I have 5 boys, and often their friends over as well. This is normal child development.
3. have emotional fits, changes in preteen years, usually 11, 12, etc, where they have a lot of physical play, if they're boys, and lots of accidents.

No he's culpubable. Its Nazi-ism if the SS state finds him so and as his parents I would not allow that to happen.

But he did seem to access to a real gun, not his nerf one. Guns should not be easy for emotional and quick to act, kids to grab.

edit on 2-7-2011 by Unity_99 because: (no reason given)

Lol.
If a kid doesn't know a gun isn't a toy at age 11, he's a DUMB Em EFFER.
PERIOD.


I used to see guns[my uncles hunted] when I was 8 or so and I knew what it was.
Stop trying to make excuse for dumb ass kids

reply to post by DuceizBack


Okay, not everyone's 'uncle used to hunt'. There's a difference between being a "dumbass kid" and being a young child whose cognitive abilities are NO WHERE NEAR fully developed. Learn to tell the difference for your own sake.

Originally posted by DancedWithWolves
Should an 11-year-old be charged with murder?

Good question... I guess what needs to be determined is does the 11 year old have the mental capacity to know his actions were wrong? Are there any mitigating circumstances in play that influenced his actions?