Sick kid in Tucson

I've been following a local story, for several days.

Last Friday, a family living on DM Air Force Base, came home to find their 7-year-old blind toy poodle injured and bleeding. The dog had been sodomized with a tree branch. Prince's internal injuries were so extensive that he had to be euthanized.

Yesterday, a 14-year-old boy was arrested and charged with a Class 6 felony of animal cruelty because Prince was killed in a manner that caused extended suffering.

Two other youths are being sought in the incident. Due to the heinous nature of this crime and the felony charge, there is a good chance that these monsters will be tried and sentenced as adults. Hopefully, they will be locked away, for the maximum time: 5 years.



Needless to say, Prince's family is devastated. There are small children in the home and they had Prince all of his life.

How sick and twisted can people be? I can't even express what I feel reading this....

The only justice that I can see is that if these little pr***s are convicted and sent to adult jail, they will more than likely get the same treatment that poor Prince did. Only they won't be euthanized, just left to suffer.

Anyone who would hurt a poor innocent dog as severely as these kids did is absolutely gross and disgusting!!!! The word monster describes these morons perfectly!!!

That act is absolutely unspeakable! Hopefully, the punishment will be as severe as the crime calls for.

SICK! that's all I can say.

The "poor victimized kid" spin has already begun. A defense attorney is claiming that this kid has Asberger's (sp?) Syndrome, a form of autism. I, vaguely, remember reading about this in Time or Newsweek. I'm going to do some surfing, tomorrow and see if I can find out anything.

A Juvenile Court judge heas ordered this kid to be held, until trial. He must, also, undergo psychological evaluation. They are, still looking for the other two kids involved.

I did some surfing and found a definition of Asperger's Syndrome:
http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/aswhatisit.html

If convicted, he'll, only be incarcerated until he's 18. I guess they're not going to try him as an adult. Of course, all of this hinges on the psych eval.

If he isn't truly responsible, for his actions I hope that the other two get the book thrown at them. Taking advantage of someone's diminished capacity and encouraging them to do something like this is sick.

Having read what was on that website about the condition that kid has, I have a hard time believing that this would qualify as legal insanity. Of course, I'm not a lawyer, but it seems to me that the most they could argue is that he was unduly influenced by those other two perverts.

I have to say - how would you feel to be the parents of those kids? Hopefully they care enough to be bothered that the kids they raised came out like that.

This is one I wouldn't want to judge! If he has been diagnosed, and I were on the jury, I'd want to know more about the condition. I taught in part of the "Miracle Network" schools. All of our students had mental, physical, and psychological and social problems. The parents were crushed. Many volunteered at the school. Even if he is not ill, only the most uncaring of parents would be less than devastated by a child who would do such a thing. The nature/nurture argument goes on and on, but the truth is no one knows the reason for aberrant behavior when all of the other children are well behaved and make fine citizens. I think genetics plays a big part in all of this, only because of people I know who have raised several lovely children, and are at the end of their rope with one, despite all the efforts of experts. If this kid is normal, I hope he gets the maximum allowed. But keep me off this jury!

I'm not trying to sound unsympathetic but there really is no excuse. This child (if in fact, he has A/S) needed help and needed some type of monitoring and apparently he wasn't getting it. I'm not impressed. If I were on the jury and the evidence showed enough proof I'd convict him easily.

Our country as a whole is failing the mentally ill. As it is the funding is being cut and hospitals are closing. What is it they want? To allow these people to murder and mutiliate because, hey they're mentally ill and we can't make them be in the hospital so it's ok? Nah, I don't buy it. We need to get some funding into these hospitals and when someone poses an imminent danger to themselves or others they need to be hospitalized and go through proper channels. Hopefully at some point to families will have more rights as far as informing the proper authorities that hey, "I'm worried Uncle Dan is a danger to society, he thinks he hears voices and says he's ready to take a knife to the next one who says something..."

I do not believe they belong in prison--but with the country doing all the cut backs there really is no place else these days for them to go. I don't care if someone has the ability to know what they're doing or not, someone failed here--grievously. IF they want to cry that he had this then why did they leave him alone? This just wouldn't hold water with me.

JMO

Elyse

I agree that we are failing the mentally ill, but the place for the mentally ill is a hospital, perhaps for the rest of their lives, but they will get some treatment. Can you imagine what they would go through in prison?

Physical illness is terrible; I know that personally, but mental illness is worse. Of course we're not experts in the field, but what I have seen is beyond horrible. This child might not be quite that ill. My point is that a resolution of this particular case would be difficult for me without knowing a lot more than I do now. The whole case is a tragedy. My heart aches, however, for the family and little Prince. The act was horrendous.

The authorities are still looking for the two others, who may have encouraged or goaded this kid into the act. They are just as culpable, if not more so. If they are so-called "normal" kids and took advantage of this boy's reduced mental capacity, they deserve the max.

When I read your post, tears formed and it took me several minutes to get it together.
I am so sorry for that families loss, words can not express them.
What you, and the rest of this board along with myself have is the oppertunity to learn why kids do this stuff. Yes I said a few chiose words reading this post. Actualy I thought it should have been moved to the general board due to the importance of this issue.
Why learn you ask? It would be easier, cleaner and simplier to just stick this kid away along with his friends. But guess what? This kid along with all the rest who live it out, or who dont get caught at this behavior come to the age of 18 real quick. And they become your future as well as my future. They need mental health. Many detention programs dont offer it. So that ughly behavior whatever it may be sits and waits until the next time comes around. And then the innocent is preyed on. I agree some addictions are harder than others. But if never given the help we will never know.
Secondly, now that we are aware their are people who do that , we are obligated! Obligated to speak to our children, our grandchildren their friends and each other about protecting and nurturing others that can not take care of themselves.
One door closes and another opens~


Patty

Got an update: According to today's paper, Faw has been released from the Juvenile Detention Center, under house arrest and electronic monitoring. He has to under go mandatory therapy and must be accompanied by an adult, at all times. He is refusing to name the two boys who egged him on, citing a fear of reprisals. A hearing will be held, at a later date, to decided if he is mentally competent to stand trial.

More, as this story develops.

Cindy, Thanks for the update. It sounds as if the authorities are handling this awful case in a cautious, but wise way. I hope they find out who the other boys are.

Another update: today, a Juvenile Court judge ruled that the kid IS competent to stand trial. He's, still on house arrest and electronic monitoring. Trial date is Jan. 9.

He, still won't name the other two boys. His attorney claims that he is "scared to death" of them.

Charges may be dismissed. A witness' statement is being suppressed, due to the fact that she's a 9-year-old girl and there are some doubts about her credibility. There will be another hearing, next week. Still no word, on the other two, who were, probably involved.

It would be tragic if this was never resolved. The family who owned Prince must be extremely upset, and if there are a couple of bullies encouraging this kind of behavior, there's nothing to stop them. I hope the truth comes out-somehow.