I suppose the shear nature of a criminal law blog would have to from time to time report on things that were of the greatest degree of tragic and unthinkable. This article is no exception. As hard as it is to read, its reality and since there is obviously something wrong with our society that desperately needs fixing, I'm inclined to write about it, despite how hard it is.
In Missouri this week, a teenage girl, the ripe young age of 15, quietly sat by as her attorney informed the court of her not-guilty plea. A not-guilty plea to the charge of First Degree Murder. The murder charge stems from allegedly killing another child, a nine year old child. The prosecutors on case stated that her motive was merely that she had a desire to know what it felt like to kill someone.
The investigators stated that there were a couple holes dug prior to the killing. The holes were dug in the woods and they said it was to hide her body after the killing. The point of this information was to show the premeditation. They then said that the victim was strangled, her throat was cut and she was stabbed.
About a month ago, the court decided that she would be tried as an adult.
Personally, I can't think of anything I've seen or heard in life that baffles me more than things like this. I'm 54 and so I was well past my childhood when the Columbine massacre took place. Historically speaking, I'm not positive, but it seems that was the harbinger of these sort of things. Kids killing kids. Since then each occurrence is just as much of a mystery as the one before. When I was a kid, I can honestly say that not only did you never hear of such a thing, I do not think these sort of things were even thought of, let alone done. What on earth has happened to our society? The thing that makes this so, so horrific is that it is no longer is unbelievable. We now just read about it and although we are so hurt and pained by its occurrence, we do no longer find it hard to believe.
