Authorities had taken into custody Wednesday night one of the three boys – ages 9, 10 and 11 – believed to be involved in the horrific assault in the town of Kerrville. The unnamed juvenile was charged with first-degree arson, Culp’s aunt, Tanya Kasper, told FoxNews.com. But Culp’s family is also hoping additional charges will be levied, particularly because they believe the incident was premeditated. “All the kids are talking, saying, ‘Hey, they set out to do it on purpose,’” Kasper said. Kayden sustained first- and second-degree burns to nearly a quarter of his body, and, on Thursday, doctors were performing biopsies to determine the degree of skin grafts he would need, Kasper said. Read more: Fox News
This story makes me cry because I have grandsons in this age group and I picture them. It's just a very tragic story all around....seems the one boy was a troublemaker and probably had issues and should have gotten help....maybe if he did this wouldn't have happened. Boys this age should know that burning someone will not end well...no excuse.
When I think of the things that were considered cruel when I was a child, and then read something like this, it's hard to imagine.
Times have sure changed....we had bullies too, but nothing ever like this. There was a bully in every school or grade that I recall. Even some girls. In 7th grade, there was a new girl in school and she was sadly ugly, buck teeth, on the dumb side, not obese but chunky and they were on the poor side. She was made fun of constantly. I never did but I didn't become friends with her either, sadly. Anyway, it was cooking class and some girls tied her apron with her in it to her chair and she didn't notice and of course that's when we had a fire drill and she couldn't get up. It was only a drill so thankfully no harm but nobody confessed so we all got in trouble. I still remember that because that's the worse weve ever done as kids. Later I heard her dad (a prison guard) was killed by an inmate. Maybe a year later... I found the story in an old article about the prison. http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/s_293059.html The event elicited bittersweet comments from a handful of prison officials, former workers and current employees spending their last day on the job at Western Pen, and relatives of guard Cliff Grogan Sr., who was stabbed to death by an inmate on Nov. 12, 1965. "He died doing his job -- what he liked doing," said daughter Linda Grogan, 54, of Bellevue. "He's a hero to me." Yep...Linda Grogan, the girl we all made fun of in 7th grade. She was the oldest, had a younger sister Diane and a brother Cliff. Dang, now I feel bad....although I never was mean to her myself, I didn't defend her either for fear of Being treated the same probably.
There has to be something horribly wrong in the brain of a ten year old who could conceive and carry out such a deed. Watch all the bleeding hearts come in and say, "Oh, the poor kid just needs counseling." .... Maybe. But I think that for the safety of society, he should be locked safely away until (and if) he can be successfully treated. Personally, I don't think he can be successfully treated.
This is a terrible story. As a person who had 2nd. degree burns on my face and hand, I can attest to the agony encountered as the skin sloughs away, dead, and weeping lymph solidifies forming crusts which crack and add to the pain. I had no grafting, though. The pain was not only physical, but very mental, as well. Almost can't imagine what that poor boy will go through, assuming he survives. Frank
I feel for you @Frank Sanoica. I've received a couple very bad burns, but no larger than a three inch circle of area. I can't imagine that kind of pain over large portions of your body. About 28 years ago I met a young lady that had a child of only three, but he was sadistic to those around him. I remember being shocked that I could think such a thing, but you could see the pleasure in his eyes when he did things to hurt others. He is a man now, and he terrorizes his family and even the people he works with. He's gotten caught several times, but because those around him are so afraid they don't press charges, or if they do the courts give him counseling. The physiologist have told his family that they need to take precautions, that this man will eventually kill someone. I can't imagine having such a child. What would you do if you had a child like these boys?
Those 3 rascals seem to have the faces that I see on the streets. It is common here for minors to commit crimes because they know that they have the protection of the law. Minors who are murderers and thieves are not jailed but only held in the confinement area of the government agency tasked to handle juvenile delinquents. Can you imagine how those kids would grow up with the feeling that they have committed crimes and were not fully punished?
@Ina I. Wonder Harsh as this may sound, I think I would arrange for an extremely unfortunate accident to take place.
@Corie Henson Yes, I can. Could this recent poo-pooing of youthful criminal activity possibly explain why as these kids grow older, the prison populations become burdened with extreme misfits? Competing gangs of youthful thugs attempt to kill competing gang members, often successfully. When that happens, invariably family members of the dead cry out for more protection of their progeny, neglecting knowledge of what led to their kids' deaths. I am at a loss trying to assess this trend. Frank
I think we need to do a better job of recognizing which children are pulling 'old style' pranks/mischief and can benefit from being treated as juveniles and given therapy/treatment, versus those that are real problems. There are a lot of kids running around these days who haven't had normal upbringings and don't seem to have consciences. I don't want to run into them on the streets, or anywhere else for that matter. I'm tired of the families of murderous thugs crying about what angels they were, and how it's everyone else's fault their 'child' is in jail, dead, etc. In many cases, if those same relatives had taught the child right from wrong, given him/her consequences for negative behavior, and a solid home with a lot of structure and also some love, the story might have ended differently.
While I was living in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, the Harlingen police department was being berated for not doing a better job of policing teenagers downtown, after a young boy was stabbed in a gang thing. Their response was to point out that the same mothers who are rightfully upset because they have been unable to control the streets are the same ones who charge them with harassing their children if they pick them up on the street at 3:00 am. For the most part, our police departments are only able to get involved after the fact of a crime being committed. It's up to parents and communities to control their children, and it's up to people to protect themselves.
I do often wonder what in the world is happening. Would this ever have entered your head at that age to do such a heinous crime. Is everyone including children becoming desensitized. We see so much violence in the media in films as though it is the norm. I am not sure what the solution is though. Awful act of cruelty. I hope the young lad makes a good recovery.