What do you think about this?

[Star*]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/14/...ler/index.html

40 years at age 12 for double homocide -

This kid also has a web site for support -

I think to not even HEAR his case after the life he had, the medicines he took is wrong. He got the stiffest penalty ever handed to a 12 year old. Anywhere in the US.

This could have been anyone's kid - and today they say now in jail he's a different person.

I've been following his case for years - I wish I could say I am surprised...

[everywoman]

It is heartbreaking---I vary so in my opinions. This young man had a horrible life. He was given meds to deal with his depression. But...he took a shotgun and killed two innocent people.

[totoro]

We have a couple of stories like this going on around here... It is horrible. I don't agree that this is where this young man should be. He needed help and did not get it, he is still not getting it. Unless you suffer from depression, or any other form of mental illness... and have had to deal with the highs and lows of the medication merry go round, let alone possibly some PTSD... I would say you would also want support not punishment for this young man. He is not going to get the help support any of it in prison... and yes, I do know first hand. I have had family members who are pedophiles, drug addicts, felons, in mental institutions... all of it. Prison never helped... Not the mentally ill ones. Just made them worse. 2 of them died after prison... and one learned how to be a better dealer.
I don't know the answers, the Institutions aren't much better... i have had relatives die after being in there also... Mental Health Support with some form of monitoring and limits???

[Star*]

They aren't going to give him any breaks - he is IN prison.

The jury and the pharmecutical company all agreed that you don't take Zoloft or any other anti-depressant and then go kill your grandparents with a shot gun. They say it can not happen. No way, nada - zilch.

When he first went to trial they were trying to get him help like that and the judge basically said - He's had opportunities for help - and now - he has opportunity for jail. THen gave a 15 year old boy - 40 years. He stayed in jail for 3 years before his trial.

So the time for any help is over. The atty. was just stating that there has NEVER been a child sentenced to 40 years.

That's what they were asking the Supreme court to do - listen to how 40 years is too long.

Makes you wonder what his mother's sentence should be. There were no charges against her for abandonment. I find that amazing in light of what happened to her parents.

The whole thing is just beyond sad.

[everywoman]

Totoro---
I have suffered all that that young man has suffered. My parents both abandoned me when I was quite young. I was raised by my grandparents. I never would have thought to hurt them. I hurt myself which hurt them emotionally, but never in my mind did I think of shooting them.

My parents both suffered from undx mental illness. Their illnesses does not excuse what they did. (And they were only 15 and 17 when I was born---that's not an excuse either!)

I have raised a child who is both mentally ill and a substance abuser. I have run the gamut with his med rollercoaster. But, even unstable, he knows right from wrong. He has been violent. He has committed criminal acts. His illness does not excuse him from his consequences. And I have had to let him face those consequences. He has been in jail. He has been in pysch hospitals. Neither made any difference except to keep him from commiting other crimes.

My husbands family is full of mental illness. His 1st cousin is now in jail because he allowed his mother to starve to death while he was out using all her money to buy drugs. Is he mentally unstable---yes. Is he responsible? Yes.

If this child had shot up a school or another child, would you feel the same way? I have tried to teach my son that his illness is not an excuse because I truely believe after about age 9, you know right from wrong. You know it is wrong to pick up a gun and shoot someone.

I do feel compassion for this young man. I think what he lived through was horrible. But so is what he did! Forty years is too long...but what is the right punishment?

[Abbey]

All I can say is sad, so sad on all levels.

Abbey

[witzend]

I'm with Abbey. It's so sad that the only place that nurtured this boy was a correctional facility. There are too many stories like this and potentially like this out there.

[mstang67chic]

Without having heard the evidence completely I can't say for sure whether I believe 100% that his meds caused the behavior but....

I do find it amazing that people can have an adverse PHYSICAL reaction to a med, plow their car into a crowd of people and walk away with no charges. But when it's said that a med has an adverse MENTAL reaction on a person, there is such skepticism. Granted, I'm talking about true cases....not the idiots who use the "twinkie" defense. I guess that is still part of the stigma of mental illness.

As for this boy in particular, I will say that while I agree it would be a fine line for the prosecution to walk, it sounds like they made some poor decisions. Both before and during the trial.

[Hound dog]

I admit to not knowing the background of this.

But what I do know is that a mere 2 doses of Zoloft had Travis strangling Nichole with no provocation and truthfully trying to kill her. Pdoc said it was an extreme reaction to the med. I have no trouble believing it because I have the same sort of reaction to welbutrin.

So the powers that be stating it is impossible are full of it.

As an adult I fortunately still had the presence of mind even while under the strong influence of the drug to call the pdoc. Then I had dh babysit me til it wore off. Travis as a child simply reacted.

I'm not saying that is what happened in this case, just that is is possible.

I have no problem with the boy being punished for his crimes. But 40 yrs is too long, much too long. I'm a bit surprised by it as it seems the going rate these days for murder is about 5 yrs average.

The problem is with going the treatment route, if treatment doesn't work he can kill again. Then what? Everyone would be screaming because he wasn't put into jail the first time around.

It is sad.

[susiestar]

I am not sure quite what to think. I know my gfg was very very violent while taking zoloft. But the violence did NOT occur until three months after the med started. I think Zoloft can contribute, but the boy is still responsible.

I think 40 years is a long time. BUT the boy did the crime. Yes, his life was not good. That is no excuse. I don't know if 40 years is too long. If he were an adult many people would be calling for the death penalty.

The truth is that no one knows how to fix the mentally ill. Or how to deal with the increasingly violent crimes that young people are committing. I don't think ANY system will help young people who are so mentally ill.

Maybe the best that can happen is to keep violent people away from the rest of society. But I think someway, somehow, we should find a better solution.

If nothing else there should be some safety net that protects children from abuse. I also think the mother of this boy should serve the same amount of time he did.

Susie