Man Killed Teen for Walking on Lawn

[Drake]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Then again, it's hard to poison a good shotgun

True, true.

Originally Posted by Raiders Army

But a shotgun won't turn your yard into a poop minefield.

Oof. I *hate* that part of owning dogs. At least my cats have the decency to bury their crap.

Worst bit: I have three dogs, all of whom (mostly) live inside. When it gets cold, they insisting on taking their poos in the enclosed grassy bit where the hose is -- about three yards from the front door. I'll normally use chili powder to keep them out of there when it gets warm, but after the winter, they're murder on that spot.

[Rockstar]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

http://news.communitypress.com/apps/...603220484/1078

Here's what I think is a "spin free" piece from a local Cinci newspaper. Then again, I have no idea if this paper is "biased" or not, so maybe this is an opinion piece too, because, you know, there are just so many valid takes on a story about a old guy who shoots a teenage kid TWICE with a shotgun for running across his yard.


Boy shot for allegedly walking on yard
BYBY EMILY CREDITT | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER
UNION TWP. -- The "premeditated" murder of Larry Mugrage sent shock waves down Hawthorne Drive in Union Township where neighbors in the quiet neighborhood said they often saw the 15-year old, who always greeted people with a smile and a wave, playing outside.
After an earlier apparent dispute over Mugrage walking through his yard, Charles Martin, 66, 855 Hawthorne Drive, went outside with a .410-gauge shotgun and fired twice at 3:21 p.m. Sunday, March 19, before going inside to call 911.


Martin calmly told the operator, "I just killed a kid. ... I shot him with a (expletive) shotgun." He then told the police dispatcher he would unload the gun, lay it on the floor and wait outside for the police to arrive. "I'll be unarmed." Martin then hung up despite repeated requests by the dispatcher to stay on the line.
Union Township Police Department Lt. Scott Gaviglia said after police arrived, Mugrage was immediately transported to Mercy Hospital Anderson, where he died.
Brenda Knorr, who lives across the street from the house where the Glen Este High School freshman lived with his parents, said Larry always was outside playing basketball, socializing with neighborhood kids or tossing a ball with his father.
"He definitely liked to play outside. He was just a regular boy. He was a very friendly child, always smiling, very outgoing," she said.
Aaron Knorr, Brenda's husband, who was the first person on the scene following the shooting, said Larry would often play with the Knorrs' young son.
"Larry was super kind to our young son of 22 months. (He) would always offer him a ball and play gently with him whenever we would visit," said Aaron Knorr.
Many are still in shock over Sunday's events.
"Obviously, we are in shock. This is not supposed to happen and it shouldn't have happened to Larry," said Brenda Knorr.
Marilyn Ludlow, also a neighbor on Hawthorne, said people in the neighborhood knew Martin was meticulous about his yard and often saw him walking the street alone.
"It is just unbelievable," she said. "(Larry) was just a boy -- just a kid -- and kids aren't perfect. Martin was very persnickety about his yard. He was just strange."
Martin told the 911 operator he had been "harassed" by the neighborhood kids who tore up his yard for years.
He had not made a call to the Union Township Police Department since 2003, said Gaviglia.
"If Mr. Martin was having a problem, he never contacted us," he said.
The Clermont County Crisis Team was dispatched to Glen Este High School, where Larry was a freshman in the School for American Studies, said John Abbeglen, West Clermont Local School District assistant superintendent of administration and personnel.
"The crisis team was called in and did interventions and were available to talk to kids," said Abbeglen. Crisis team members also followed Larry's class schedule to be available in class if needed.
Clermont County Municipal Court Judge James Shriver presided over Martin's arraignment Monday, March 20, where Assistant Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve asked that Martin be held without bond, calling the shooting a "premeditated act."
Martin is being held without bond in the Clermont County Jail.
Gaviglia said Martin is expected to be indicted by the Clermont County Grand Jury Wednesday, March 22, and will have a preliminary hearing before Clermont County Municipal Court Judge Thomas Herman at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 23.
However, Clermont County Prosecutor Donald White said if Martin is indicted Wednesday, the preliminary hearing will be unnecessary and will be canceled.
White said Tuesday, March 22, the grand jury members would be asked to indict Martin on one count of aggravated murder. The "aggravated" was added because police and prosecutors believe Martin premeditated the shooting, White said.
If convicted, the judge has three options to consider when sentencing: 23 years to life, 33 years to life or life without parole, White said. By law, the judge has sentencing latitude depending on the circumstances and nature of the crime. The three years is added because the murder was committed with a gun.
Also, this is not a death penalty case since under Ohio law, death is considered only when there is an accompanying crime, like kidnapping or robbery, White said.
Gaviglia said police ran the serial number of Martin's gun, but nothing came up in the rifle's history. It was unregistered, a common occurrence with rifles which are often purchased at flea markets or are quite old.
Neighbors, friends and family will remember the young boy who whose life touched those around them.
The street will seem empty without Larry, said Aaron Knorr.
"It won't be the same to not hear his voice or see him playing outside," he said. "He will certainly be missed."

There was an E Harmony ad in the middle of this.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

While the additional commentary is certainly biased, I think the facts alone pretty much stand on their own, no?

No. How can you be sure? It's very easy to play loose with "facts", esp. since a reader has no/very little way of actually verifying anything. If they are willing to put in subjective commentaries, how can you really tell the difference?

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

No. How can you be sure? It's very easy to play loose with "facts", esp. since a reader has no/very little way of actually verifying anything. If they are willing to put in subjective commentaries, how can you really tell the difference?

Because I read the story from multiple sources. Perhaps they are all getting through the same filter, but the same facts from a variety of different sources (some local, some national) is good enough for me. It's as much as I will ever be able to know without having been there, but a lot of what we "learn" and "know" is based on that assumption.

[rexallllsc]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

No. How can you be sure? It's very easy to play loose with "facts", esp. since a reader has no/very little way of actually verifying anything. If they are willing to put in subjective commentaries, how can you really tell the difference?

I dunno. The guy said himself that he shot the kid. Open and shut. Murder.

[Dutch]

I think he was referring to the gun control facts. Like 29,000 homicides happen each year because the victims didn't have anything to shoot back at the criminals with and were labelled "easy targets" by the bad guys.

The other 1,000 were apparently suicides or accidents.

[illinifan999]

So I found out our neighbor was powerwashing his driveway this February during a thunderstorm. I love our neighbors.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Dutch

I think he was referring to the gun control facts. Like 29,000 homicides happen each year because the victims didn't have anything to shoot back at the criminals with and were labelled "easy targets" by the bad guys.

The other 1,000 were apparently suicides or accidents.

Mayhap he was. I certainly wasn't. I could pretty much care less about the whole gun control angle here.