Judge: 12-year-old boy killed mom after arguing over chores
The boy is guilty of shooting his mother eight times in premediated murder, a judge ruled after a court hearing on Friday.
Prosecutors said that after the boy argued with his mother, 34-year-old Sara Madrid, last August, she briefly left the family’s home in southern Arizona, the Associated Press reported. When she returned, the boy was waiting for her — with a .22-caliber pistol that he had gotten from her bedroom closet.
A defense lawyer argued that the boy had not intended to kill his mother. Attorney Sanford Edleman said the child, who is not being publicly identified because he is a juvenile, only wanted to get back at her for yelling and slapping him.
Although prosecutors wanted the boy tried as an adult, a judge kept the case in juvenile court after psychiatric experts said that there was some evidence that the child had been verbally and physically abused and could be rehabilitated in the justice system. As a result, he can only be held until he turns 18.
What a punk. This kid is in for a lifetime of troubles. Hopefully the little bastard will get hwat he deserves. He cold heartedly killed his mom and it was planned.
If he gets what he deserves, he will be rehabilitated and re-enter society as a normal, functioning person with a tragic childhood.
He was twelve. Nobody wins when “society” takes vengeance on a kid.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME. THIS MOTHERS LIFE IS WORTH SO MUCH MORE THAN SIX YEARS OF THERAPY FOR HER KID. IF YOU THINK IT IS SOCIETY TAKING VENGEANCE ON A CHILD, I’D LOVE TO SEE YOUR RESPONSE WHEN HE KILLS SOMEONE ELSE AT HIS JOB FOR TREATING HIM BAD OR HIS GIRLFRIEND FOR CHEATING OR SLAPPING HIM FOR CHEATING. WHY NOT HE’S LEARNING AT AN EARLY AGE HE DOESN’T HAVE TO RESPECT ANYONE AND IF HE’S NOT HAPPY WITH THINGS KILL WHO EVER MADE YOU FEEL BAD. HE’LL EXPECT A SLAP ON THE WRIST.
WOW! AMAZING AND SCARY.
To try a 12 year old as an adult is preposterous. The child had probably suffered some pretty harsh abuse if gun violence even crossed his mind as a way to solve a problem. By no means did the mother ‘get what she deserved,’ but I think there’s something to be said for how abused he must have been in order to take it to that level.
Why is the issue of gun regulation not brought up? This is the most direct cause of the mother’s death, because if the boy had not been SO EASILY able to get a hold of a weapon, he would never have killed her.
Thats what happends when kids grow up in a world as violent as it is today. Children killing parents over chores is just one of hundreds of murder cases being investigated in the United States. Maybe if the parents learned to get their priorities straight, they wouldn’t have trouble raising the children today. Kids steal because parents are greedy with their money, Kids fight because they see the parents doing it in the home, kids start using drugs because their parents exposed them to these types of people. Not saying that all parents in households do this, but I’ve seen good kids turn to crap overnight. This is just another incodent to open up the eyes of Tucson’s parent community
I worked with attorneys for 25+ years and I have 6 kids, 14 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren. I was born in the 1950’s when a parent could still discipline a child with the swat of a belt. Kids now a days have no discipline, no respect and no social manners. Parents have been subjected to “abuse” laws that prohibit the proper discipline in some cases. With the threat of CPS taking your kids because you spanked them, children take advantage of threatening their parents. Schools have also been deprived of disciplining a child for fear of being sued. I remember my father only spanked me twice in all my first 18 years and my mother slapped me once. And basically, I deserved that and much more. I also remember Sister Daria welcoming us to her classroom with a ruler in hand. I think that in all my years of reading criminal case files, sitting in trials, interviewing witnesses and defendants, a murderer is a murderer no matter what his age is. Every child needs to know that there are things he needs to do around the house or yard for his parents. Giving a child chores to do is a preparation for them. We all have to do things we don’t like to do - for kids it is chores. Killing his mother for being asked to pick up his room, throw the trash, help dust or something else did not warrant his mother’s death. The child should have been tried in all fairness as an adult. Kids may learn some behavior from watching their parents. They also learn from neighbors, friends and the rest of society. It ultimately comes down to choice. A child can choose not to be like that or commit a crime. My grandaughter is 2 years old and she knows when she is doing something wrong, she tells herself ‘no,no,no’. So, don’t tell me kids don’t understand the concept of right and wrong at age 12.
LET HIM WITH OUT SIN BE THE FIRST TO CAST A STONE wow how stong the words sound yet almost everyone that has replyed has casted their stone I pray that your children or grand children don’t ever commit a crime because you will then know the pain of being condemed no the mother should not have died by any means and thank God the judge let him be tried as a juvenile because who knows what will become of him any way. and to Ana thats great that your granddaughter is so smart and knows the difference between wrong and right would you really feel she deserved to be tried as an adult if she committed such a crime remember all today it’s them for tommorow it could be us god bless everyone and bless all our children