Man kills teen boy who walked on his grass

[leesmithg]

Becoming the way of the Western World.

There are those that can take the mick knowing full well they won't get told off.

If it's true he was being harassed, his neighbours were doing their upmost to annoy and intimidate him, then

I understand how he feels.

The teen trespassed on his property knowing full well he was annoying his neighbour and try to cause mental and probably physical harm.

The killer should be let off, all he did was shot someone for trespassing on his property, however till these liberal pc namby pamby do gooders quit turning the trouble makers into the victims, then this will become more the case.

I have no sympathy for teen and his family if all the facts are what the killer are stating is fact.

Edited March 21, 2006 by leesmithg

[jerzdawg]

:blink: Only in America would you get shot and kill for walking on a lawn. Someone needs to bust that old man in the head, maybe. :whistle:

geez.. the ignorant comments are flowing today...

[n30w1n]

With all due respect for human life, I don't think anyone has the right to judge the old man at this point... This article is very one sided, as everything else printed by the media. It presents the story in the way that we'd love to hear it, "Crazy old ****er murders 15yo boy for walking on lawn." And somewhere in there that fact that this neighbour claims he's been harassed by the family for years is buried in 2 words. What about that? What about the fact this guy called the police on himself right after? Doesn't that automatically take a few inches of depth away from the hole he's dug for himself?

All I'm saying is, I'd like to hear what exactly happen between these neighbours before this event. I could tell you that I shot a man for taking the last sugar packet, and you'd think I'm insane. But if I told you this man also bankrupted my company, slept with my wife, and got away with it all in court, maybe you'd have to think a bit harder.

[AionXn_]

sigh what has the world come to

[Toastyone]

:omg: W...T...F?? I guess he just lost it :wacko:

[betasp]

sigh what has the world come to

That's what I am saying. 100 years ago, it would not have been a crime.

[quigley0]

First, I believe there is a story behind every incident. I doubt this teenager was just off walking to help the blind, save the trees, and protect the whales.

I'd bet that this kid was probably cruel to this man, on a regular basis. He knew the man loved the lawn, and decided to provoke him. The old man probably told the kids parents to tell the kids to stay off the lawn, but, the parents probably laughed it off as some crazy old man.

In fact, i'd guess the parents probably encouraged the behaviour.

Bottom line, you cannot kill. Only in self defense. But, at the same time, I dont feel bad for the kid or his family at all.

Like, I hear stories from UK neowinians all the time about "Chavs" going around slapping people in public, etc. If someone flips out and kills them, I dont give a s***. Same here. Hell, I even fell bad for the old man.

[amd_dude]

Yes this is hardly typical indeed. The guy is a nutjob, but people like that can kill another without the help of a gun. He could have just as easily beat people with a tire iron.

[Aaron Veteran]

:blink: Only in America would you get shot and kill for walking on a lawn. Someone needs to bust that old man in the head, maybe. :whistle:

Is that right? Only in America are people killed for apparently stupid reasons? Ok, so the entire world is safe and sane but "only in America" do these things happen. So in a world full of Japanese child killers, German cannibals, and British axe murderers you seem to think that "only in America" do these things happen? Makes perfect sense. :rolleyes:

[gaurav]

now look he has spilled blood all over the lawn, what was the point, psycho?

poor kid. :no:

[Joni_78]

Usually when someone really loses it, it will cause a fight. When there is gun available it's just too easy to shoot before thinking.

[TC17]

The fact the some people here seem to think this is ok just proves what wackos we have in this world.

This was NOT legal 100 years ago. You still got arrested for killing someone.

Its also not like this was some self defense or something.

And as for America, we DO hve more murders over here than ANY other country. This is a fact too. Even in the city I currently live in, someone is literally murdered here every single day. We have people murder people just because they want their shoes or pants. There is so much crime here the local news is one and a half hours long with almost no sports news.

[astrokat]

Not that I agree with what he did, but he obviously has problems. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder to name a few. If he didn't "confess" to the 911 operator, he might of walked with a good lawyer. Although you can still argue that the murder wasn't pre-meditated.

Sorry, I watch a lot of Boston Legal. The wanna be lawyer in me says .. he has a chance to walk.

Personally, I think he should be punished, but I have issues with putting 66 year old and higher people in jail - providing they are not a danger to society. That point is arguable.

He can probably plead down to man 2 and get a 5 year sentence. :shiftyninja:

[TC17]

And for those of you thinking the kid was so bad, the news article says this "Joanne Ritchie, 46, said Mugrage was known as "a good kid." "

The kid also lived next door to this man. I remember growing up and coming across the old geezers who throw a fit if you even step on their lawn.

I don't care whether the kid was a jerk or not, no one deserves to be killed/shot over it. The old man could have gotten a dog or even better yet, video taped what the kid was doing if he was actually doing something bad. Then shown it to the police.

[clide]

All I'm saying is, I'd like to hear what exactly happen between these neighbours before this event. I could tell you that I shot a man for taking the last sugar packet, and you'd think I'm insane. But if I told you this man also bankrupted my company, slept with my wife, and got away with it all in court, maybe you'd have to think a bit harder.

Exactly, I really doubt the man was lying when he said the kid has been harassing him for 5 years. So I really think it's unfair to make any judgement on what they guy did before you hear the nature of the harassment and what the kid was doing. I'm sure the old man gave him 5 years of warnings too, I could easily imagine a scenario where this guy exhausted all his options and was just driven mad by this kid who refused to stop being a jackass.

[PT 13]

OMFG :| this is sick

[seta-san]

well. the warnings were fair. it would probably be more funny if the kid didn't die. But we gotta remember that the law allows people to protect their property, violently if necessary.

[theyarecomingforyou]

The teen trespassed on his property knowing full well he was annoying his neighbour and try to cause mental and probably physical harm.

The killer should be let off, all he did was shot someone for trespassing on his property, however till these liberal pc namby pamby do gooders quit turning the trouble makers into the victims, then this will become more the case.

As much as I think the kid was rude / stupid for walking on the grass, and downright malicious if they were doing it to deliberately provoke the neighbour, it is absolutely inexcusable to shoot someone for it, let alone kill them. It's nothing to do with "liberal pc namby pamby do gooders" at all - that is an absurd viewpoint regularly wheeled out by bigoted conservatives in order to attack anyone they consider a liberal. Are you really saying that conservatives approve of shooting people to settle minor disputes? If so then it is you that has the problem, not the people denouncing the actions of the violent neighbour. If someone annoys you you don't just shoot them.

This shooting was for something so pathetically trivial that the guy should be jailed for life - people like that are not wanted in society. Standing up for your property is one thing, this is another thing entirely. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence can come up with more devious and effective ways to get back at them - only unintelligent hicks go and grab a shotgun. I could have understood trashing the kid's property or putting them in hospital (without using weapons)... sure they're on the extreme side but justifiable IF they are being regularly harassed.

well. the warnings were fair. it would probably be more funny if the kid didn't die. But we gotta remember that the law allows people to protect their property, violently if necessary.

Killing someone for stepping on your lawn in not protecting your property... it is murder and there are laws to protect against that too.

You can admire the man for sticking up for his property but if you think shooting a kid for walking on your lawn is reasonable or justified then you have real problems.

[Matrix XII]

Yeah no kidding, anyone who says that the guy should be let off is just insane. He just KILLED someone, who cares if it's his lawn, you just don't kill someone because they walked on your lawn.

[aximxp]

wow i can't believe the amount of zealots in this thread, you would have to be retarded to think that the man had any justification for shooting a KID. even if he was harassing him for five years (and as was said before with kids what does that constitute? egging the house once in a while? walking over the lawn?) that doesn't give a person the right to end someone's life.

and the statement 'only in america' is valid in the sense that of course you can compare america to other countries like germany or japan but the fact is their rate of violent assault and murder is so much lower that americas that what is the exception there is the rule in the US. i love how so many people instantly side with the old man saying he was provoked.. how about thinking about how this kid will never get to live to experience the other 60 years this senile old idiot was given. and with the mindset of some of the posters here i wonder if this is really such a bad thing. let me spell it out for you: there is no reason to shoot someone unless they are attempting to severely injure your person

if a couple years of your neighbour bugging you is enough to make you commit murder then maybe do the world a favour and point that gun in the opposite direction..

[quigley0]

I think the old man was wrong, but, I still dont care about the family or their loss. Its like hearing the bully from school died in a car wreck. No one really cares.

also:

and the statement 'only in america' is valid in the sense that of course you can compare america to other countries like germany or japan but the fact is their rate of violent assault and murder is so much lower that americas that what is the exception there is the rule in the US

Are you sure the rate is lower? We have states larger than germany. Of course you will hear more stories coming from america about bad things that happen, because a) we have WAY more people, and b) every major news and television network is here.

[lav-chan]

No, it actually is lower in most other countries. I don't know about Germany, but Japan has like some ridiculously low number of gun-related deaths. It's like two a year, i don't know.

[LeeNIX]

It's still tresspassing you'd get shot if you was on a farm... although it is a sad story I don't see anything terrible about it. Just a tradgedy...

[kirk26]

wow i can't believe the amount of zealots in this thread, you would have to be retarded to think that the man had any justification for shooting a KID. even if he was harassing him for five years (and as was said before with kids what does that constitute? egging the house once in a while? walking over the lawn?) that doesn't give a person the right to end someone's life.

and the statement 'only in america' is valid in the sense that of course you can compare america to other countries like germany or japan but the fact is their rate of violent assault and murder is so much lower that americas that what is the exception there is the rule in the US. i love how so many people instantly side with the old man saying he was provoked.. how about thinking about how this kid will never get to live to experience the other 60 years this senile old idiot was given. and with the mindset of some of the posters here i wonder if this is really such a bad thing. let me spell it out for you: there is no reason to shoot someone unless they are attempting to severely injure your person

if a couple years of your neighbour bugging you is enough to make you commit murder then maybe do the world a favour and point that gun in the opposite direction..

Only in Canada.... :p

[bdsams Veteran]

holy crap, i live close to there ( bout 15 mins) thats a fairly nice parta town too