OT: Hug your kids

[roomthreeseventeen]

Can someone who is familiar with the legal system please explain why this man is going to be charged for second degree murder? I'm not sure of the differences between first and second, but it seems to me that this was such a heinous crime that he should face the highest charges. There is also no question of his guilt because he confessed to doing it and showed the police where the child's remains were. Am I missing something?

First degree = premeditated and specific intent to kill. It sounds like this guy killed the boy because he panicked. Thus, it wasn't premeditated.

 

[sillylily]

Can someone who is familiar with the legal system please explain why this man is going to be charged for second degree murder? I'm not sure of the differences between first and second, but it seems to me that this was such a heinous crime that he should face the highest charges. There is also no question of his guilt because he confessed to doing it and showed the police where the child's remains were. Am I missing something?

They will charge him with second degree because they will claim there is no premeditation, that he killed the boy in a panic. It is a very crappy loophole in our justice system. I believe there shouild be special concessions in that law for people that kill the innocent and the weak.

 

[DWGal210]

My special concessions would involve sharp knives & extremities on his sick body, but that's just me.

But seriously, in cases this extreme, I feel they should automatically go to the charge that will give the option for the most jail time. If you cut up the body of an innocent child, your hiney should never see the light of day again. Solitary confinement in a dark, windowless room.

It is a very crappy loophole in our justice system. I believe there shouild be special concessions in that law for people that kill the innocent and the weak.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I just read on MSNBC that the police now believe the little boy got lost on his way to meet his parents, and might have been asking this guy for help/directions. How awful.

 

[mjaclyn]

I think this was premeditated.

The man may have not planned to kidnap and kill this particular boy, but the way it was carried out shows that he MUST have thought or even fantasized about killing before now. I seriously doubt anyone would kill and dismember a child just out of sheer panic. If it was really just panic he could have driven far away and simply dropped the kid off at a street corner. I think it's obvious that he must have been thinking about doing something like this for years and it just so happened that an opportunity presented itself when this innocent child asked for directions.

 

[Dustykins]

My special concessions would involve sharp knives & extremities on his sick body, but that's just me.

But seriously, in cases this extreme, I feel they should automatically go to the charge that will give the option for the most jail time. If you cut up the body of an innocent child, your hiney should never see the light of day again. Solitary confinement in a dark, windowless room.

Horrible, and scary.

Honestly, though, I don't think it matters much *what* they charge him with. Even criminals don't like people who hurt kids. If he's put in general population, he likely won't last long. (not that I would ever wish death on anyone, just an observation).

 

[Cruz Family]

Don, I do agree with you - however, city kids are a little different. They are usually more street savvy, and/or independant. Some city kids take the city bus, or subway to school by themselves, so it's not unusual for them to be walking to/from school alone.

They are however still kids. When things have happened in rural areas, you always hear people say.... we didn't think it can happen here. I think it is just as naive for city people to think kids are mature enough to deal with that kind of responsibility. An eight year old isn't even old enough to legally stay home alone (I believe its 12years in NY). Why would it be safe being out where so many more things can go wrong.

As for the second degree murder charge, that is just ridiculous!

 

[BLTLDZ]

I just read on MSNBC that the police now believe the little boy got lost on his way to meet his parents, and might have been asking this guy for help/directions. How awful.

Yep, the sicko even had the kid wait outside for him, while he PAID HIS DENTAL BILL!!!
The tape shows the child waited for the creep for SEVEN minutes .
That poor , poor family... By the time police went into the dental practice, and obtained his records, it was too late.

 

[kimisabella]

They are however still kids. When things have happened in rural areas, you always hear people say.... we didn't think it can happen here. I think it is just as naive for city people to think kids are mature enough to deal with that kind of responsibility. An eight year old isn't even old enough to legally stay home alone (I believe its 12years in NY). Why would it be safe being out where so many more things can go wrong.

As for the second degree murder charge, that is just ridiculous!

The thing is a lot of city kids have no choice. They HAVE to take the bus or subway to school - their school may not be in their neighborhood, and they may not have a mother/father able to walk with them or drive them to school because of family or work situations. Not that it is right, it just happens. My husband grew up in Brooklyn and that is the way it was then, I have nieces and nephews in Brooklyn now, and they do it as well.

 

[kimisabella]

Yep, the sicko even had the kid wait outside for him, while he PAID HIS DENTAL BILL!!!
The tape shows the child waited for the creep for SEVEN minutes .
That poor , poor family... By the time police went into the dental practice, and obtained his records, it was too late.

If anything else, I hope that this serves as an opportunity for all parents to go over the "never talk to strangers" rule with their children. If you have made the decision as a parent to let your children walk by themselves or take public transportation, then I feel the parent should provide the child with a cell phone for emergencies such as this.

 

[Cruz Family]

The thing is a lot of city kids have no choice. They HAVE to take the bus or subway to school - their school may not be in their neighborhood, and they may not have a mother/father able to walk with them or drive them to school because of family or work situations. Not that it is right, it just happens. My husband grew up in Brooklyn and that is the way it was then, I have nieces and nephews in Brooklyn now, and they do it as well.

I understand every situation is different, but everyone makes choices. I have friend who lives in NYC and she is a single mom. She has gone as far as changing jobs just to be near her childrens school so she could bring them each day. I live in a city (not as big) and I know plenty of people here who let their children walk. It's just not something I agree with. Ten years ago my husband switched his hours at work to start at 5am just so he would be out early enough to pick up our boys. He continues to do this even though my youngest is 13 and the school is only a few blocks away. Its just what we feel we need to do.

 

[kimisabella]

I understand every situation is different, but everyone makes choices. I have friend who lives in NYC and she is a single mom. She has gone as far as changing jobs just to be near her childrens school so she could bring them each day. I live in a city (not as big) and I know plenty of people here who let their children walk. It's just not something I agree with. Ten years ago my husband switched his hours at work to start at 5am just so he would be out early enough to pick up our boys. He continues to do this even though my youngest is 13 and the school is only a few blocks away. Its just what we feel we need to do.

That is certainly true, every situation is different and every parent has different parenting styles/rules/regulations/morals, etc... I recently didn't allow my 11 1/2 year old daughter to walk with her 5 friends about a half mile away to the beach a couple of weeks ago - she cried and told me she wasn't a baby and they were all allowed to walk, why wasn't she?? I did feel bad, but not bad enough to let her walk.

Unfortunatley, these parents did make the decision to let the child walk part way home and they will have to live with their decision for the rest of their lives.

 

[darrengs]

These parents nor this boy did anything wrong!

This is indeed a terrible tragedy, and there is no way I am passing any judgement on anyone except the scumbag that murdered this innocent child.

 

[The_Alice]

I can't in good faith fault these parents for giving their child a little bit of independence. I just think what an awful thing that a child can't walk 3.5 blocks in a city, ask a person for directions, and not have to worry about being kidnapped and murdered.

Will I second guess my decisions to let my child walk places unguarded, yes. I wouldn't be a mother or a human being if I didn't learn from this tragedy that lesson. It's in our natures to preserve what we have based on experiences of not just ourselves but others.

I will pray for this family, that their pain and suffering at losing their child is assuaged in some small way though I know it will never be removed. It's a tragedy that this happened, and having a boy that exact age myself I can't help but hold him and my younger one even more tightly.

 

[sayhello]

These parents nor this boy did anything wrong!

This is indeed a terrible tragedy, and there is no way I am passing any judgement on anyone except the scumbag that murdered this innocent child.

I totally agree with this. We can do all the second guessing we want, but in the end, it was a horrible random act by an evil person. No one to blame but the evil person.

Is it silly of me to be angry that half the media folks haven't even bothered to find out how to pronounce the poor child's name? It's Lay-bee (most likely short for Leibel, pronounced Lay-bul) not Lee-bee as I've heard folks on MSNBC & other outlets call him. It seems like a small thing to honor him by at least getting his name right...

Sayhello

 

[Cruz Family]

Of course this monster is the only person to blame! I just hope after such a tragedy there is something to be learned.

 

[kimisabella]

No one is blaming the child or the parents. There is only one person to blame, and hopefully he will be punished to the fullest extent of the law for his crime.

 

[sayhello]

No one is blaming the child or the parents. There is only one person to blame, and hopefully he will be punished to the fullest extent of the law for his crime.

No-one here is. But, unfortunately, there are a lot of folks on other media webpages that are. It's really sad.

Sayhello

 

[kimisabella]

No-one here is. But, unfortunately, there are a lot of folks on other media webpages that are. It's really sad.

Sayhello

We all know how the media loves to sensationalize things...

First thing our news station said last night is that this will spark a lot of conversations between parents and children with regard to approaching/going with strangers. I hope some good can come of this.

 

[sayhello]

We all know how the media loves to sensationalize things...

Actually, it was the commentors, not the media themselves...

First thing our news station said last night is that this will spark a lot of conversations between parents and children with regard to approaching/going with strangers. I hope some good can come of this.

Amen!

Sayhello