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3mnkids1
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« on: February 22, 2009, 02:55:00 AM » |
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/02/21/boy.homicide/index.html (CNN) -- An 11-year-old boy is facing adult charges in the shooting death of his father's pregnant girlfriend, authorities said Saturday.
Police say Kenzie Marie Houk's daughter found her shot to death in her bed on Friday.
Police say the boy shot Kenzie Marie Houk, who was eight months pregnant, once at point-blank range in her farmhouse in western Pennsylvania.
The boy, whose name was withheld by CNN because he is a juvenile, was charged with one count each of criminal homicide and homicide of an unborn child in the death of Houk, 26, Lawrence County District Attorney John Bongivengo told CNN.
Houk's 4-year-old daughter found her in her bed Friday, according to police. The child alerted landscapers working near the home, who then called authorities. Under Pennsylvania law, anyone over the age of 10 accused of murder or homicide is charged as an adult. If convicted, the boy faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, Bongivengo said. well thats crazy. life in prison? at age 11? If he did this he should spend some time in prison of course but the rest of his life? 
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inthesticks
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« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2009, 03:49:27 AM » |
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I agree. Placing 11 year-olds in prison for life is inhumane and unjust. For gawd's sake, he's just a kid! Do you know what would happen to a kid in an adult prison? Besides, I don't believe that an 11 year-old is fully capable of understanding his/her actions when it comes to murder. Placing the kid in juvenile jail is enough...but a standard prison? No. Bad idea. |
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hollyjollyberry
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« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2009, 04:08:37 AM » |
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So sad... 11 years old! My daughter is 11 (she just had a b-day on Sat) and while she is old enough to know right from wrong and is certainly old enough to be held accountable for her actions, life in an adult prison for someone that age seems beyond harsh. What he did was horrifying, don't get me wrong, is there really no other way to deal with him? There must be something else going on in his life to have made him do something so terrible... he is still a child, locking him up with adults will do nothing except ensure that he becomes a lifelong offender. I thought our system was supposed to be based on the premise of rehabilitation. It's hard for me to look at this without "Mom eyes", I guess. My heart breaks for all of them and especially the 4 year old daughter who lost her mom and new baby brother/sister. I hope she gets all the help she needs to get through this.  |
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cinphi
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« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2009, 04:18:18 AM » |
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I guess since the law in Pennsylvania states that he should be tried as an adult and he goes to jail for life that's the law. I feel bad for the two lives who are now gone. I don't know why this child did what he did but then to go to school like nothing happened. Many lives are lost because of this.
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3mnkids1
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« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2009, 04:54:43 AM » |
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holly and sticks I totally agree. What he did was horrible and I feel for the victims family. That being said this child ,and thats what he is, still has a chance to turn it around. He is still young enough to change. There are people (adults) who commit multiple murders and dont end up serving the time this kid could. He could be looking at 60-70 years. I know they tried this with that child in FL.. what was his name?  He killed that little girl doing wrestling moves or something.. Lionel Tate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Tate The sentence was controversial because Tate was 12 years old at the time of the death, and his victim was 6. He was the youngest person in modern US history to be sentenced to life imprisonment, bringing broad criticism on the treatment of juvenile offenders in the justice system of the State of Florida.
Tate's mother, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper, had turned down a plea bargain arrangement which would have allowed Tate to serve a three-year term for second-degree murder and insisted on going to trial in hopes of an acquittal.
In January 2004, a state appeals court overturned his conviction on the basis that his mental competency had not been evaluated before trial. This opened the way for Tate to accept the same plea deal he originally turned down, and he was released on one year's house arrest and 10 years' probation. granted Tate has been in and out of trouble and maybe he should have spent more time in jail but not the rest of his life. I dont think this child should go away for that long either. |
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3mnkids1
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« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2009, 06:00:51 AM » |
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updated story~ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29343766/Allegations of jealousy as motive
Elisco said the boy has not confessed to the shooting. He said he didn't believe the physical evidence would support police's claim that the boy killed Houk, execution-style, with one shot to the back of her head.
Police and Bongivengo haven't discussed a motive, though Houk's family and friends told The Associated Press that jealousy might have been an issue.
"He actually told my son that he wanted to do that to her," Houk's brother-in-law, Jason Kraner, said Saturday. "There was an issue with jealousy."
Elisco dismissed the claims, saying "there's no animosity." hmmmm. and he didnt think it might be a good idea to notify someone? or here is an idea.. how about getting rid of the loaded gun in the house. geez, you have a kid who supposedly says something like this and he doesnt say anything to anyone. yeah ok. sounds to me like he is lying. Patricia Papernow, a psychologist from Hudson, Massachusetts, and expert on blended families, said tensions from combining families, as Brown's father and Houk were doing, were "pretty normal in a new stepfamily."
"It looks awful from the outside and sort of unspeakable, but these are the kinds of feelings that are pretty normal in a new stepfamily," Papernow said. "You just hope there's not a loaded gun around." I think there is a lot more to this story. get the kid out of the adult jail, get him evaluated and go from there. |
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lidarkside
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« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2009, 11:47:35 PM » |
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The problem wasn't a loaded gun being in the house. The problem was the gun not stored in a lock box/safe made for storing weapons, and the boy have obvious mental problems. He could have just as easily have smashed her skull in with a baseball bat or stabbed her to death with a kitchen knife.
Obviously, you can't keep all possible weapons out of reach; but this boy clearly should have been taken in for evaluation and counselling.
If they did, this probably could have been avoided.
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cinphi
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« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2009, 11:54:24 PM » |
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The problem wasn't a loaded gun being in the house. The problem was the gun not stored in a lock box/safe made for storing weapons, and the boy have obvious mental problems. He could have just as easily have smashed her skull in with a baseball bat or stabbed her to death with a kitchen knife.
Obviously, you can't keep all possible weapons out of reach; but this boy clearly should have been taken in for evaluation and counselling.
If they did, this probably could have been avoided.
I thought the same thing about the gun. He could have stabbed her. My question to anyone who says guns are the problem. Did the gun fire on it's own? Let's say you picked up a gun and pulled the trigger then it would mean people kill people not guns. I bet if someone were attacking you or your children and you had a gun you'd use it. |
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lidarkside
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« Reply #8 on: February 24, 2009, 12:13:28 AM » |
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I thought the same thing about the gun. He could have stabbed her. My question to anyone who says guns are the problem. Did the gun fire on it's own? Let's say you picked up a gun and pulled the trigger then it would mean people kill people not guns. I bet if someone were attacking you or your children and you had a gun you'd use it.
Long Island has a high rate of home invasions including a woman having her head cut off. So, darn if we aren't allowed to protect ourselves from these deviants. We have a one-story house, so we can't have open windows at night. During the day, I only open the top portion of the windows to make it a little harder to get in just in case. Of course, they can break the window; but I'd be locked and loaded by then!  ...and all these stories of children accidentally shooting each other are in homes where guns weren't properly locked up, hidden from the children, and where the children weren't properly educated in proper use and safety. |
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3mnkids1
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« Reply #9 on: February 24, 2009, 12:17:06 AM » |
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My point wasnt about gun ownership. My point was that the gun should have been put up out of his reach. If he said that he was going to do this someone should have done something. at the very least get rid of the gun. Maybe if he had to get up close and personal say with a bat or knife he might have had time to change his mind. Its much easier to pull a trigger.
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cinphi
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« Reply #10 on: February 24, 2009, 12:21:25 AM » |
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I thought the same thing about the gun. He could have stabbed her. My question to anyone who says guns are the problem. Did the gun fire on it's own? Let's say you picked up a gun and pulled the trigger then it would mean people kill people not guns. I bet if someone were attacking you or your children and you had a gun you'd use it.
Long Island has a high rate of home invasions including a woman having her head cut off. So, darn if we aren't allowed to protect ourselves from these deviants. We have a one-story house, so we can't have open windows at night. During the day, I only open the top portion of the windows to make it a little harder to get in just in case. Of course, they can break the window; but I'd be locked and loaded by then! ...and all these stories of children accidentally shooting each other are in homes where guns weren't properly locked up, hidden from the children, and where the children weren't properly educated in proper use and safety. Yep that's all true. I read the story about the guy beheading his wife because she wanted a divorce. |
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