8 year-old Charged in Two Killings

[Lainy68]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/08/child.charged.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories (http://http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/08/child.charged.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories)

FLAGSTAFF, Arizona (AP) -- It's a crime that police officers in a small eastern Arizona community can hardly fathom yet have to deal with: an 8-year-old charged in the fatal shootings of his father and another man.

"Who would think an 8-year-old kid could kill two adults?" St. Johns Police Chief Roy Melnick said Friday.

The crime that unfolded Wednesday evening sent shock waves through St. Johns, a community of about 4,000 people northeast of Phoenix. The boy had no disciplinary record at school, and there was no indication he had any problems at home, prosecutors said.

"It was such a tragedy," said the boy's defense attorney, Benjamin Brewer. "You have two people dead; you have an 8-year-old in jail. It tugs at the heart strings. It's a shocker, no doubt about it."

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. The boy faces two counts of premeditated murder.

[ChristianGal]

Very sad. I guess we'll have to wait to understand why the boy did this. We must keep this child and his family in our prayers.

[*Rachel1234*]

I have an 8 year old child, and I don't think she TRULY understands the permanence and finality of death.

Our dog recently died, and she kept asking me if the dog was ever going to come back from heaven to visit us. She didn't seem to "get it" completely.



So I don't know that the 8 year old boy in the above article truly comprehends the gravity of what he has done.

So sad.


:(

[Seemomgonuts]

My first thought when I read the story was that they boy had been getting abused. :( We'll have to wait and see.

[WickIsTrimmed]

Definitely praying for this boy and his family. Very sad.

[CharlotteCow]

My first thought when I read the story was that they boy had been getting abused. :( We'll have to wait and see.

Me too. Praying for the boy. An 8-year-old would be in second grade - I don't think I had ever even heard of murder when I was that age. If he was not directly abused, then something awful must have influenced him.

[><>KarateMom<><]

My first thought when I read the story was that they boy had been getting abused. :( We'll have to wait and see.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That was my very first thought too since there were two men living in the house with him.:idunno
I pray they find out why this happened. It may have been justifiable...in the eyes of the child.

[Seabird]

What a tragedy. That young boy has to go through a lot for someone so young. Hard to believe.

[Jacksmom]

that was my first thought too the he was abused

[Biblenuggetlady]

My first thought was abuse too, the investigation so far shows no history of any calls to the house due to problems, no contacts to/by DFS, no school records indicating abuse-but I'll tell you from experience, even though neighbors say they would never have thought abuse was a factor in the home-families are very good at putting on a false front-no one would have assumed my house was what it was either. That said, for an 8 year old to go to this extreme is very strange and shocking. There are also news reports this morning they may try him as an adult.

:pray