8-year-old accused of killing father, another man

[rocks 494]

Please stop baiting other members. Thanks.

Eh???

AK got a warning (:

it's about time too.

[rocks 494]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27600105/

FLAGSTAFF, Arizona - Police in this small eastern Arizona community are looking into the possibility that an 8-year-old boy who is charged with killing his father and another man with a rifle had been abused, the police chief said Saturday.

The boy, who faces two counts of premeditated murder, did not act on the spur of the moment, Police Chief Roy Melnick said.

"I'm not accusing anybody of anything at this point," he said Saturday. "But we're certainly going to look at the abuse part of this. He's 8 years old. He just doesn't decide one day that he's going to shoot his father and shoot his father's friend for no reason. Something led up to this."

On Friday, a judge determined there was probable cause to show that the boy fatally shot his father, Vincent Romero, 29, and Timothy Romans, 39, of San Carlos, with a .22-caliber rifle. Under Arizona law, charges can be filed against anyone 8 or older. The judge ordered a psychological evaluation of the boy.

Melnick said police had responded to calls of domestic violence at the Romero home in the past, but police were searching records Saturday to determine when those calls were placed.

Melnick said police are pushing to have the boy tried as an adult, but he acknowledged it's unlikely a judge would grant that motion.

"This is a severe double homicide, premeditated, and that's the right thing to do," he said. "We're going to use every avenue of the law that's available to us, but we're also looking at the human side."

there's no mention of the mother anywhere, i wonder where she is or if she is even around?

[PlatyPius 5]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27600105/

FLAGSTAFF, Arizona - Police in this small eastern Arizona community are looking into the possibility that an 8-year-old boy who is charged with killing his father and another man with a rifle had been abused, the police chief said Saturday.

The boy, who faces two counts of premeditated murder, did not act on the spur of the moment, Police Chief Roy Melnick said.

"I'm not accusing anybody of anything at this point," he said Saturday. "But we're certainly going to look at the abuse part of this. He's 8 years old. He just doesn't decide one day that he's going to shoot his father and shoot his father's friend for no reason. Something led up to this."

On Friday, a judge determined there was probable cause to show that the boy fatally shot his father, Vincent Romero, 29, and Timothy Romans, 39, of San Carlos, with a .22-caliber rifle. Under Arizona law, charges can be filed against anyone 8 or older. The judge ordered a psychological evaluation of the boy.

Melnick said police had responded to calls of domestic violence at the Romero home in the past, but police were searching records Saturday to determine when those calls were placed.

Melnick said police are pushing to have the boy tried as an adult, but he acknowledged it's unlikely a judge would grant that motion.

"This is a severe double homicide, premeditated, and that's the right thing to do," he said. "We're going to use every avenue of the law that's available to us, but we're also looking at the human side."

there's no mention of the mother anywhere, i wonder where she is or if she is even around?

She visited shortly before the incident, apparently, according to the updated MSNBC report. She was on her way back to the area as of the last report I read.

[rocks 494]

She visited shortly before the incident, apparently, according to the updated MSNBC report. She was on her way back to the area as of the last report I read.

that has to be related...

edit: oops, i missed this part at the bottom. you're right.

Romero had full custody of the child. The boy's biological mother visited St. Johns during the weekend from Mississippi, and returned to Arizona after the shootings, Carlyon said.

i know from having divorced parents that custody battles are never pretty and always end up affecting the child.

Edited November 8, 2008 by rocks

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/07/child....index.html'

FLAGSTAFF, Arizona (AP) -- An 8-year-old boy is charged with murder in the shooting of his father and another man in a rural community in eastern Arizona, authorities said Friday.

The boy was charged with two counts of premeditated murder in the death of his father, 29-year-old Vincent Romero, and 39-year-old Timothy Romans, St. Johns Police Chief Roy Melnick said.

Police arrived at the home within minutes of the shooting Wednesday, Melnick said. They found one victim just outside the front door and the other dead in an upstairs room.

The boy, who prosecutors say had never been in trouble before, initially denied involvement in the shooting but later confessed, Melnick said.

Police have not said what they think the boy's motive was.

Defense attorney Benjamin Brewer argued Friday that police overreached in questioning the boy without representation from a parent or attorney and did not advise him of his rights.

"They became very accusing early on in the interview," Brewer said. "Two officers with guns at their side, it's very scary for anybody, for sure an 8-year-old kid."

A judge determined at a hearing Friday that there was probable cause to believe the boy committed the killings. He is being held at the Apache County juvenile detention center.

St. Johns is a community of about 4,000 people about 170 miles northeast of Phoenix.

You can bet that if the two men had conspired to kill the 8 year old, they would be on death row already, but I bet the little ####### gets away with it. His lawyer is already posturing.

We don't *really* know that he "conspired" to kill them - or what it was that actually led to that chain of events. Speculation and accusation aren't particularly useful in that respect - and the tendency towards sentimental outrage tends to blinker people. Which is why I prefer to reserve judgement.

[Ling Ling 22]

We don't *really* know that he "conspired" to kill them - or what it was that actually led to that chain of events. Speculation and accusation aren't particularly useful in that respect - and the tendency towards sentimental outrage tends to blinker people. Which is why I prefer to reserve judgement.

One can not "conspire" alone.

It takes 2 or more to conspire.

Thinking criminal thoughts = legal

Discussing or planning crimes with someone else = conspiring/illegal

One does not have to execute a plan to be guilty of conspiracy. The discussion or planning of an illegal act is enough to be found guilty of

the crime of conspiracy.

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

One can not "conspire" alone.

It takes 2 or more to conspire.

what if someone has multiple personalities?

[Ling Ling 22]

One can not "conspire" alone.

It takes 2 or more to conspire.

what if someone has multiple personalities?

Then you really can't trust yourself can you?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

We don't *really* know that he "conspired" to kill them - or what it was that actually led to that chain of events. Speculation and accusation aren't particularly useful in that respect - and the tendency towards sentimental outrage tends to blinker people. Which is why I prefer to reserve judgement.

One can not "conspire" alone.

It takes 2 or more to conspire.

Thinking criminal thoughts = legal

Discussing or planning crimes with someone else = conspiring/illegal

One does not have to execute a plan to be guilty of conspiracy. The discussion or planning of an illegal act is enough to be found guilty of

the crime of conspiracy.

I'm not sure how that addresses what I was talking about - but if you don't like that word feel free to swap it for "pre-meditation" or something similar.

People seem to like these kind of stories so they can point fingers, shake fists and demand medieval retribution against the perpetrator. I don't go in for that - so perhaps I don't understand it.