8-year-old murder suspect's interrogation raises concerns

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Something smelled fishy about this story from the beginning...

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/pop...13&src=news

Edited November 19, 2008 by Mister Fancypants

[Peikko 1,575]

It's wrong to release these tapes. However, interesting this might be, it's just wrong. We know nothing more and we are not in a position to know. This is terribly sad though, terribly terribly sad.

What it clearly shows is that the child has no clue what he is saying - honestly, that makes me sad.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Its pretty unethical to publish interrogation tapes - they belong in the court room.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

can't watch videos

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Its pretty unethical to publish interrogation tapes - they belong in the court room.

But that's just it, they aren't interrogation tapes. The boy was brought in as a witness, which gives the police legal protection from being required to have an adult present as an advocate of the child. What is now beginning to surface is that it appears that the police may have coerced the boy into confessing.

I personally have trouble believing that this boy did it.

can't watch videos

http://www.abc15.com/content/news/northern...39-3ef6a1489090

[Peikko 1,575]

As I said, we are not in a position to 'know' one way or another based on that tape or the little the media let us in on. It's distressing and wrong in my opinion to have this in the public domain at this point in time. I feel for that family.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Its pretty unethical to publish interrogation tapes - they belong in the court room.

But that's just it, they aren't interrogation tapes. The boy was brought in as a witness, which gives the police legal protection from being required to have an adult present as an advocate of the child. What is now beginning to surface is that it appears that the police may have coerced the boy into confessing.

I personally have trouble believing that this boy did it.

Yeah but that may not be the only evidence - as Cleo says we don't know anything for sure.

Its for the courts to decide...

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Here's some of the crime scene photos:

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Its pretty unethical to publish interrogation tapes - they belong in the court room.

But that's just it, they aren't interrogation tapes. The boy was brought in as a witness, which gives the police legal protection from being required to have an adult present as an advocate of the child. What is now beginning to surface is that it appears that the police may have coerced the boy into confessing.

I personally have trouble believing that this boy did it.

Yeah but that may not be the only evidence - as Cleo says we don't know anything for sure.

Its for the courts to decide...

I fail to see how it is unethical to publish the videos. The police have officially charged the boy with double murder. He's only 8 years old. This is a fairly rural area of Arizona. I think the local police have botched this whole case.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I hate cops sometimes. I really do.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Found this... can't confirm the source, but interesting argument:

: http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/09/child....g.ap/index.html

: Ask anyone here, and chances are they know a member of the Romero

: family. Everybody knows them because there's like 100 of them.

: They're very well-liked in the community. At St. John the Baptist,

: Romero sang in the choir and his wife had also signed up. The couple

: spent two years preparing for marriage. Romero had full custody of

: the 8-year-old boy and the marriage made Tiffany Romero his

: stepmother. The boy's mother had visited St. Johns from Mississippi

: last weekend and returned to Arizona after the shootings.

: Per the Zetas the boy is not a monster. The opposite is true. This is

: the classic picture of a sexual abuse victim, who cannot complain

: because his parents are powerful and respected in the community. In

: the case of the church-going Romero family, it was also true that the

: boy could not go to his local priest to complain, due to the church's

: attitude toward pedophilia.

: ZetaTalk Explanation 11/15/2008: While waiting psychological reports to

: be submitted to a judge in a case under seal, the curious public

: wants to know the inside story. The boy apparently had a solid family

: life, with an extended family in the community, both a stepmother and

: mother in contact with the child, and close ties to the Catholic

: church. There were no distress signals, although domestic violence

: reports were on file at the police department and rumors of some kind

: of abuse at the household. This is a classic setting where the victim

: of child sexual abuse has nowhere to go with his complaint. The boy

: was locked in on all sides, could not go to the priest, as the priest

: was in regular consultation with the father. The boy had only to

: watch the interaction with the priest to understand that no

: accusation against the father would result in rescue. Most pedophiles

: in good standing in the community take pains to intimidate their

: victims in this manner, to assure that the victim has no escape and

: no means to rectify the situation.

: The father was dictatorial, and being a good Catholic had sexual guilt

: even about marital relationships. Thus, he married sexually repressed

: women, and fought with both of them about the lack of marital

: relationships. As with pedophilia in the Catholic priesthood, lust

: finds an outlet by being turned against a child too young to resist.

: The pedophile, whether a priest or parent, forgives himself for

: having given into temptation and asks for God's guidance in the

: future. The child is boxed in as all authority is in lock-step

: against the crime being revealed or discussed openly. The sanctity of

: the confessional is extended to the pedophile's victim, as though the

: child must agree not to disclose a sin because it has been discussed

: in a confessional. The child becomes the victim once again. Did the

: family priest understand what was going on in the household? Yes, but

: this will not be divulged. Did the wives understand what was going

: on? Absolutely, and their testimony may be given in confidence to the

: judge. Why was the roomer shot as well as the father? The roomer had

: observed the boy's abuse, and done nothing. In the child's mind, he

: was thus a participant, and likely to become the boy's next abuser

: unless eliminated.

http://www.bbsradio.com/cgi-bin/webbbs/web...ames/form/24639

Edited November 20, 2008 by Mister Fancypants

[Ling Ling 22]

1. Tapes should not have been released...they've essentially tried the case in public.

This is not fair to either side. It will be impossible to find someone that hasn't been exposed/tainted by hearing or

hearsay regarding the confession. Again, not fair to either.

2. There was an expeditious need to interview the boy (as witness or suspect) however, in either case

he should have been accompanied by counsel or guardian. The "confession" will not be admissible. Fruits of the poisonous tree doctrine.

3. The state will have to throw-out the confession, and create a case based on hard physical evidence.

As said in point 1, it's highly unlikely that a fair venue will be available. The defense will most likely argue that

the tape is inadmissible, but will try to bring it up in court to show that the prosecution would go to any means,

lawful or not, to convict this child, ergo you can not trust the police or the prosecution.

The police should know better. I'm not sure if he did it or not....but we're supposed to presume that he's innocent.

Assuming that he's innocent, he was treated in a horrible manner.

Assuming that he's guilty, the police shot themselves in the foot.

Either way, it's a horrible situation made worse by Barney Fife.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Its pretty unethical to publish interrogation tapes - they belong in the court room.

But that's just it, they aren't interrogation tapes. The boy was brought in as a witness, which gives the police legal protection from being required to have an adult present as an advocate of the child. What is now beginning to surface is that it appears that the police may have coerced the boy into confessing.

I personally have trouble believing that this boy did it.

Yeah but that may not be the only evidence - as Cleo says we don't know anything for sure.

Its for the courts to decide...

I fail to see how it is unethical to publish the videos. The police have officially charged the boy with double murder. He's only 8 years old. This is a fairly rural area of Arizona. I think the local police have botched this whole case.

It risks prejudicing a future trial.

If your only context for the case is that video it creates a false impression of the evidence.

I'm generally against trial by media.

[Peikko 1,575]

I don't see how you believe Steven that you can find out enough about this case on the internet to really 'know' what went on. I have ideas about the case, as do you and my personal opinion is that NO 8 year old should ever be charged with pre-meditated murder, it goes against everything I know about that age group. However, certain US states, in their wisdom have deemed otherwise so this trial will go ahead. That being said, releasing relevant material pre trial does nobody any good, least of all the child. It's a disgrace to have this kind of thing as 'tonights' entertainment. An absolute disgrace!

[rebeccajo 14]

I smell witness tampering.

I wonder if this child has already been arraigned.