Life For Killing Boy Who Tread On Lawn

(AP)  A man who fatally shot a teenage neighbor because he walked on the man's carefully tended lawn has been sentenced to life in prison.

Charles Martin, 67, must serve 18 years before he can be considered for parole, Clermont County Common Pleas Judge William Walker ordered, adding that he would urge that Martin never be considered for parole.

The man was convicted last month of murder in the March 2006 shotgun killing of 15-year-old Larry Mugrage Jr., a high school freshman.

Martin told the court he was sorry the shooting occurred but said the teen knew how much Martin cared for his lawn and provoked him.

"He stepped on it and he walked 40 feet through it," Martin said. "I cared about it. I cut it every five days."

Prosecutors said Martin had confronted the teen earlier in the day when he walked into Martin's yard on his way to a friend's house, then loaded his .410-gauge shotgun and waited more than three hours for him to return.

When the boy stepped on the lawn again, Martin fired at him twice, according to testimony. He then called 911, telling a dispatcher: "I just killed a kid."

Martin was tried on aggravated murder but convicted of murder, a lesser count, because jurors because could not agree the killing was planned.

[processor2]

I had a little neighborhood brat (aka teenager) that always tearing up my fence.

But I didn't shoot the kid

Instead, I just put poison ivy all over my fence.

Problem solved

...

[freckster]

Dear toldyouso21

Native plants and grasses are considered weeds to neighbors like mine. My natural lawn is cut once a week as required by ordinance. But the hedge he planted in the middle of the property line is ala natural on my side and manicured on his. If he wanted it manicured on both sides he should have planted it completely on his side. I let it grow to keep his motion activated light out of my house at night. Otherwise on windy nights it would be like a disco in my house.

At issue is imposing your will, values and standards on someone else. Pity the man for having such high regard for his lawn but *** him for killing over it.

[brianbwb-2009]

Also the shmucktard waits for three hours to shoot the kid, and the jurors could not decide that it was planned? Check the municipal water supply for that town, somethings wrong there, and while you're at it, fire the prosecutor. If he could not show aggravated on this one, he should forthwith apply to voluntarily be on Gonzales' list...

[brianbwb-2009]

So is this the kind of self protection the NRA is so adamant that we protect? Or do they posit that if the victim also had a .410, the incident might not have happened?
To Gary1911, if the victim were your own son, knowing that there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood, that he was basically a good kid, and the alternative is walking in the street (a potential target for drunken roadkill street artists)I think you might have a different view. In fact, even if your son was a punk (more likely, given his father's view on this incident) I think you would be looking for a sniper to tag Martin in the jailyard.

[michellem99-2009]

I am in my 50s. As a legally blind person,I have to use the white cane. I don't see persons in their yards. I did not ask for blindness.I know to use the side walk.
So old man as you sit in jail/prisom for killing a kid with a gun,that should been taked from you due to losing your mind. You hated the kid,why did you not fence your yard. Kids and adults can be punks.I never had kids so they need to walk too.

[susanhelit]

This keeps happening, and people keep falling for it. Someone gets murdered. The murderer spreads a bunch of BS to try to get sympathy. And everyone believes the word of the murderer about what happened! Think about it - who is probably telling the truth - the old guy who did have run ins with most of the neighborhood, or the rest of the neighborhood who say the young teenager was a good student, and thought of as a nice young man by the entire neighborhood?

How does it work, that you get killed, and everyone is willing to rake your name through the mud, blame you and your parents for provoking the insane murderer.

[susanhelit]

I'm not the one to call a kid a punk on the unverified word of a random murderer, trying to excuse the inexcusable.

[achadog]

Easy Susan you will pop something...

[susanhelit]

The old idiot never called the police about the kid - he did about other neighbors, other trivial little supposed 'infractions' on what he considered his exclusive domain.

No, it's not reasonable at all that kids should be taught to act like everyone has a gun, and will kill them at any slight, whether real or imagined (and this one was clearly in the 'imagined' class). You lock the nut-jobs up, not the normal people!


Hope Martin is careful walking the prison yard - wouldn't want him to accidentally step into a section someone there considers 'theirs'.

[susanhelit]

The kid was not wrong at all. First - he was a good kid - everyone in the neighborhood said so, no one had a problem with him other than this bitter old man who had problems with everyone in the neighborhood. He had good grades (IIRC, an honor student), and plans for his life.

Second - there are no sidewalks - everyone walks on the lawn.

Third - the lawn - ever seen a picture of it? It was nothing but a normal half brown patchy front yard.

Fourth - there is never, ever, in any way, any excuse, ever, no matter what is said, no matter what the kid might do to make you feel 'disrespected', to cold-bloodedly kill someone for walking on your lawn! Period!