8-Year-Old Confesses To Shooting Dad

Ariz. Boy Charged With Murder Gave Conflicting Stories, But Ultimately Confessed In Video, Police Say

(CBS/AP)  An 8-year-old boy accused of killing his father and another man is due in court Wednesday a day after prosecutors released a police interview with the boy in which he admits to firing at least two shots at each man.

The Arizona boy said that he did not fire the first shots at the men but later shot them so they wouldn't suffer.

The boy gives conflicting accounts of the shootings during an hourlong video of his interview with authorities in St. Johns, but the video ends with him admitting to pulling the trigger. He then buries his head in his jacket.

"I'm going to go to juvie," the boy says after an officer asks what he's thinking.

The roughly 12-minute video posted Monday night on Phoenix television station KTVK's Web site shows part of the questioning the boy underwent as authorities in the eastern Arizona community of St. Johns investigated the Nov. 5 killings. The station said it got the video from the prosecutor's office in Apache County, where the shootings occurred.

"There was blood all over his face, I think," the boy said in the video, referring to his father. "And I think I touched him."

Citing the boy's age and the sketchy circumstances surrounding the case, CBS News chief legal analyst Andrew Cohen said, this ranks as "one of the most egregious examples of pretrial publicity."

The boy has been charged in juvenile court with two counts of murder in the deaths of his father, Vincent Romero, and Timothy Romans, who rented a room there and was Romero's co-worker.

A defense attorney has said police overreached in their questioning of the boy, who was not represented by a family member or lawyer during the interview.

"I think they're going to have a problem getting that statement into court," defense attorney Benjamin Brewer said earlier this month before a judge issued a gag order in the case. "I believe there were many violations in regards to how it was obtained."

The gag order does not extend to the release of reports or recordings that would be considered public records in Arizona.

The shootings occurred Nov. 5 in an eastern Arizona community about 170 miles northeast of Phoenix.

[perk235]

If only the dad were armed he could have defended himself but the liberals prevented that.
gop_will_Win
--------------

The gun belonged to the dad. No-one prevented the dad from walking around his own house armed.

[missy126]

This whole thing is making me sad and angry all at once. This is an 8 year old child, yet he is interogated without a lawyer or guadian, and the police say " we''ve solved the case"!! Incrediable. So, was there gun powder residue on his hands, are there fingerprints on the gun, how about his height. Does it match up to the angle the were shot at? None of this makes sense. IF he did do it, there is a reason why. I''ve watched the videos, and every parent out there should be scared of this happening to their child! They are clearly leading him. He''s in 3rd grade for goodness sake!!! My heart goes out to this CHILD!!

[gop_will_win]

The gun belonged to the dad. No-one prevented the dad from walking around his own house armed.


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Posted by perk235
=====================
You liberals say guns should be locked up. The dad probably couldnt access his other gun in time. Stinking liberals!!!

[mahdeealoo]

Was this boy an avid video game junkie like so many kids? They are so filled with violence and killing that it is no wonder that it is hard to separate the game from reality. Not to mention TV and movie content. I unplugged my TV in 1992. Enough crud filling my children''s heads.

[getoffmine1]

This whole thing is making me sad and angry all at once. This is an 8 year old child, yet he is interogated without a lawyer or guadian, and the police say " we''''ve solved the case"!! Incrediable. So, was there gun powder residue on his hands, are there fingerprints on the gun, how about his height. Does it match up to the angle the were shot at? None of this makes sense. IF he did do it, there is a reason why. I''''ve watched the videos, and every parent out there should be scared of this happening to their child! They are clearly leading him. He''''s in 3rd grade for goodness sake!!! My heart goes out to this CHILD!!

Posted by missy126 at 08:49 AM : Nov 19, 2008

So what should they do just let the kid go because he is 8 years old. If anything it seems like someone is coachiing him to lie to save himself, which is a crime in itself. First he said he shot them, then he said he came home and found them shot, then he said they were already shot but he shot them again so they did not suffer. Do you think an 8 year old is capable of changing his story as the evidence is presented to him?
If he did do it, which I believe he did, the reason needs to come out. If he was abused or something then I would say the kid needs help, not punishment. If he did it because his dad took away his video games or something like that he should never be allowed to be in society again, he is a danger to law abiding citizens.

[motoxmama]

This whole case is extremely sad. This is an 8-year-old CHILD! He absolutely cannot be held accountable. There have to be underlying issues if he indeed shoot the men. Interrogating him without representation of any kind is a crime in itself. This child needs to be protected. Who will help him?

[cepe10-2009]

The law enforcement persons involved should be charged and prohibited from working in law enforcement ever again. talk about contempt fo the laws of the land and these jokers know better so it was with malice. other cases they and this prosecutor have been involved with should be looked at as well.

[myopinion381]

I know that a lot of people want to blame guns for killing people. How about blaming the person that pulls the trigger? I''m not saying that this boy did or didn''t do that. There are still a lot of things that have to come out on this story.

[myopinion381]

I agree with you that it will be stupid to just blame the guns and not the people pulling the triggers. I agree that the people pulling the triggers are more responsible for the deaths than the guns. But it will be stupid to ignore the role of the guns in all these deaths. Why? Close to 70% of all homicides and close to 60% of all suicides are gun-related. Those bullets do not come out of the trigger fingers of the shooters. Guns are weapons specifically designed to kill people. Our suicide and homicide problems are closely associated with the presence of guns. How could any parent put a weapon designed for those purposes in the hands of kids? Posted by truthrocks at 09:38 AM

I also agree with your point except that guns are specifically designed to kill people. What about hunters (and unfortunately they say this guy was)? They use guns to kill animals that feed people. As far as a lot homicides and suicides being gun-related, that might be so but taking away guns will not change the fact that if someone wants to kill themselves or someone else, they will always find a way.

[tfheringer]

I would like to reply to nellybelly''s remarks. You said: "This case clearly shows us why guns are such an unnecessary part of our society."
I agree with the sentiment, that guns should be an unnecessary part of our society as you said, but the sad fact is they are a part of our society if they were not a part that cops would not need to carry a gun. You also said, "We also have police and laws to protect us." The problem is that in our society we are unable to have police everywhere they would need to be and if that was possible we would loose a lot of freedom in the trade off. You also said that "the father was truly reckless with the handling of his gun." This here is the real problem not the ownership of a gun, but the lack of safe handling of a weapon. If we do not protect the right of the people to own and bear arms we will not be far away from a fascist state much like Germany was right before WWII. This does not mean that everyone should or ought to own guns, but that you do have a right to do so if you can demonstrate you can safely handle a weapon.

[myopinion381]

White bread neighborhoods? Posted by get_it_str8 at 09:44 AM

Was wondering how long it would take before someone threw the race card into this. Color has nothing to do with life and death.

[myopinion381]

It is time to toughen gun laws, make people take responsibility for their actions, and maybe stop protecting children from the discipline they need to grow up as responsible citizens. Posted by Nellybelly52 at 09:49 AM

Agree that gun laws need to be tightened. I have guns in my home but they are secured. Also, agree that it is time for parents to be parents. Society shouldn''t be raising our children. If I would have even thought of doing something as a child, my mother would have knocked me into next week.

[rsmik]

So many posts about gun control for no reason. The kid knew exactly what shooting a gun can do, he was given a rifle and taught to shoot prairie dogs in preparation for going hunting with dad. He knew the prairie dogs weren''t going to jump back up after being shot, he knew guns can kill, and he obviously isn''t your typical eight year old, so the issue of gun control doesn''t seem to have much to do with this particular case.

[happyass3]

I''m not a big gun fanatic and think that in a lot of ways the NRA is nuts, but I think it is totally appropriate for children this young to be taught how to properly handle and use weapons. I think the allure of weapons to children is the fact that they are taboo to touch. If you have a gun in your home then by all means take your children to hunter safety courses and teach them how to respect the weapon and handle it properly.

[evian_ycnan]

This confession will be tossed so fast it''ll make your head spin. That 11:00:00 on the tape was MIDNIGHT of the day he was "detained".

They are sooo leading this kid. This confession is so bogus.

[evian_ycnan]

Missy126 at 08:49 AM : Nov 19, 2008 posted, "This whole thing is making me sad and angry all at once. This is an 8 year old child, yet he is interogated without a lawyer or guadian, and the police say "we`ve solved the case"!! Incrediable. So, was there gun powder residue on his hands, are there fingerprints on the gun, how about his height. Does it match up to the angle the were shot at? ..."

If you are expecting any forensic evidence to match the supposition, you can forget it. This is an Barney Phife podunk police department who probably stood around the crime scene in muddy boots, drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes.

They`re satisfied.

[evian_ycnan]

Citing the boy''s age and the sketchy circumstances surrounding the case, CBS News chief legal analyst Andrew Cohen said, this ranks as "one of the most egregious examples of pretrial publicity."


Ya THINK! Barney Phife strikes again. Hell, Barney was a genius compared to these yokels.

[kitty000]

Something about this doesn''t pass the smell test. When I heard the interview I thought.....there''s no way he did it. Why if they have him taped confessing is that not shown? They say the boy said he shot them "to put them out of their misery" that sounds like something he''d been told by his father "if you''re ever out & see wounded animal put it out of it''s misery." Too bad he didn''t teach him to call 911. I didn''t see all of the interview but I did see how there''s a stepmother involved. The boy would tell his mother about what the stepmother was doing & he was threatened "what goes on in this house stays in this house." All the more reason I honor my father who was smart enough to never get married again. Most blended families are sheer hell.

[credibility2]

The voice of evil disguised in the body of a child. A wasted life if there ever was. There''s no excuse for what this kid premeditated doing. The kid knew exactly what he was doing. Evil.

[biger-e]

Sell your guns now! Obama cometh! --------------------

Posted by CBSNews53

That should read "Buy your guns now! Obama cometh!"
he is not going to protect you.

[heero78-2009]

OJ did it.

[shanev137]

"I think I shot him"

[evian_ycnan]

Posted by zombo13 at 11:22 AM : Nov 19, 2008

I would rather a good confession be thrown out than a bad confession be the centerpiece of a prosecution.

Almost every juvenile confession obtained under the circumstances of this one ARE BAD. Look on the internet start with the "Central Park Jogger" case. There the police obtained multiple confessions from youths who were later shown by DNA not to have been involved.

These cops and prosecutors should ALL be fired. Now, they are trying to slant the public.

[debie_0202]

My heart goes out the rest of the surviving family members if any. But the 8 year may know how to point and shoot, but I know that he did and does not know completely the understanding of death or what he has done! My grandson is almost 8 years, (no he doesn''t know how to use a real gun), but understanding death, he does not. When you play shooting, you and die and then get up and play some more!!!! This 8 year old little boy needs professional help, not jail time! He will need help understanding exactly what he has done that he has to live with the rest of his life. By the way why did he shoot them??????

[violist47]

If you watch the longer version of the "confession" on KTVK''s website, you''ll see a very confused, tired, miserable little boy being asked leading questions by very kind-seeming interrogators. You''ll see a child at first speaking believably about finding his father''s friend and his father already shot when he comes home. Only at the end does he say he "thinks" he shot them. It''s unbelievable that the police could perform an interrogation like this. That they released it to the public is appalling, on the one hand. On the other, well, at least we can judge for ourselves. My judgment is that this child is innocent.

[beader59]

I thought there was a gag order. Doesn''t this taint the jury pool now. I all for the 1st Amendment, but this info should not have been released.

[ika_09]

u know this is kinda like the michael myers movie haloween and he was about the same age when he killed his sister, step dad, and sisters boyfriend, oh and the bully. okay they put him away, locked him up for what 15-17 years in a sanctuary and he came out in an outrage wanting to kill everyone well, you let this kid off the hook he just might come back around a second time and kill someone elses family, whether it be mine or yours u think about that one, it''s a scary thought but u never know this kid could be a psychopath. No one would have ever suspected it.

[myopinion381]

ika_09 - If I remember correctly, Halloween was a movie. Ridiculous to compare it to real life.

[deathofusa]

DaVicart said "This is not a firearms issue."

A kid used a firearm to kill two people and you say this is NOT a firearm issue? Are you kidding? "LOL"
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Posted by truthrocks at 11:42 AM : Nov 19, 2008


He''s right. This has EVERYTHING to do with why did this boy kill his father? Why did he kill this other man? What was going on? 8 year olds do not go around killing their fathers or friends for nothing. Look at how many kids put up with all kinds of abuse without killing. What was the real "trigger"? That''s what''s important here. Not gun control.

[bobnjersey]

[I have to ask, do you think this exact event would have still happened if there were no guns in their home?]
[Posted by CBSNews53 at 11:00 AM : Nov 19, 2008]

since ''a gun'' was part of what happened ... how could removing the gun from the situation produce the ''exact same event''?

[myopinion381]

I have slept with a loaded 357Mag in my nightstand for over 30 years, never once needed it, but I wouldnt feel safe without it. Never needed my motorcycle helmet either, but I still wear it everytime I ride. I wouldnt feel safe without it. Posted by DaVicar1 at 12:31 PM

Well said. My husband also has a loaded gun in the headboard of the bed. He has never had to use it either but I sure do sleep better knowing both the gun and him are there to protect our family. And yes, I know how to use the gun too.

[deathofusa]

It is absolutely disgusting what the police have done to this little boy. What bullies. If you watch the video, you can hear the boy say he''s not sure if he shot them, he''s not sure if he touched the bodies. This little boy is all confused. It doesn''t matter. This will not be admissible in court. No way!

[indianmade1]

The bigger question is not about guns in the home, but why an 8 year old child would shot not one but two grown men. How could he have shot both of them and not have alerted the second one that something was wrong. It states the child shot them the second time to stop theri suffering. So, who shot them the first time. There is more to this story, but the police are railroading a child without proper representation. Children do not shot adults without cause at that age. We are talking about a 2nd grader. Think about how young that is. Who is he covering for?

[horse3farm]

I have 2 8-year old nephews. Both of them know, without a doubt, that a gun kills. I believe this child knew exactly what he was doing. An 8 year old in 2008 is not the same as an 8 year old in 1970.

[slim1h2o]

We''''d be way ahead of the game if guns were outlawed in 1970.

Posted by CBSNews53 at 12:46 PM : Nov 19, 2008

Yup,, we would have perfected the ray-gun by now.

But because we have real guns, we didn''t need to.

Much like the Electric car verses the gas guzzler..

[getoffmine1]

Seven years ago i heard somethng in my living room. I came down the steps to see a guy standing in my front foyer so i shot him. I then heard a crash to my left as another intruder dropped my TV he was carrying and tried to run. I shot him too. In the end two pieces of dirt were dead and the taxpayers did not need to spend a dime, and gues what my insurance payed for a new bigger TV.

[slim1h2o]

Posted by getoffmine1 at 12:56 PM : Nov 19, 2008

Good for you. Couldn''t happen to two nicer guys, as far as I''m concerned.

[ccdsswrkr08]

A gun is just another weapon. It is convenient, and that is why it''s used in so many deaths....But...take away the guns, and people will just find something else to use to kill themselves and other people...soon we''re going to end up being required by law to walk around in big plastic hampster balls so that we cant hurt anyone and no one can hurt us.....OH NO I forgot about hurting ourselves.....geeze

[biger-e]

The father was obviously not a responsible gun owner or this would not have happnened. if you don''t like guns, don''t buy one. Do not try to take mine. i assure you that you are safe from my guns unless you threaten me or mine.

[biger-e]

good for you getoffmine. better to have the gun when you need it than to wish you had one when it''s too late.

[biger-e]

Guns = bad. Period.
Our founding fathers would be horrified at the state of society today.


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Posted by eyesonly208

So true if they saw who this country elected. you mean the same founding fathers that wronte the bill f rights to include gun ownership?

[nothappyatall]

I told ya so from day one that he was GUILTY, his original story was bullchit.
Now it''ll prolly come out he was mad at dad for taking away his video game or something petty like that.
I''d say life in prison with no parole would give him plenty of time to remember the two men he MURDERED in cold blood- put their bloody crime scene photos up on the wall, floor and ceiling in the form of wallpaper with repeating images in his cell so when he wakes up they are the first thing he sees and the last thing he sees when he goes to bed.

[biger-e]

If some of you don''t feel mature enough and responsible enough to own a gun then by all means do not own one until you grow up.

[slim1h2o]

Our founding fathers would be horrified at the state of society today.

Posted by eyesonly208 at 01:43 PM : Nov 19, 2008

Yes they would, but not because of guns. But because of our leadership, and the people in general as well.
Society is filled with lazy apathetic people.

Who''d give up their rights as Americans for some security that may or may not exist.

[slim1h2o]

Because we have real guns we need 30,000 caskets per year. Guns are a good friend of funeral homes!~

Posted by truthrocks at 01:47 PM : Nov 19, 2008

Because we have over 100,000 car deaths each year, we need over 100,000 caskets each year.

How many nic names you got anyways?

[slim1h2o]

We have 30,000 bodies to prove to you the problem does exist!~

Posted by truthrocks at 01:56 PM : Nov 19, 2008

Taking away guns won''t help.......

[slim1h2o]

That relevancy is now obsolete.
Posted by truthrocks at 01:55 PM : Nov 19, 2008

And your knowledge of history is equal as well.
Better brush-up....

[ccdsswrkr08]

Because we have over 100,000 car deaths each year, we need over 100,000 caskets each year.

How many nic names you got anyways?





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Posted by slim1h2o at 01:53 PM : Nov 19, 2008


or go the Mall with gas cans and set it on fire, killing hundreds
or drive your car 100mph on the way to the Mall, through a playground, and kill dozens of kids


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Posted by DaVicar1 at 01:59 PM : Nov 19, 2008


Cheers to you both... :)

[ccdsswrkr08]

truthrocks

Just out of curiosity....how do you prepose to get rid of all the guns?

[rrozsa-2009]

slim said "Taking away guns won''''''''t help......."

truthrocks said: Yes, it will because homicide and suicide attempts with guns succeed 90% of the time and attempts without guns fail 90% of the time. A lot of people survive suicide and homicide attempts without guns but when they use guns they died. That means reducing or banning guns will result in a decline in homicides and suicides. That''''s a FACT!~

-------------------------------------------

Do the "homicide" statistics include self-defense? If so, then unfortunately, while the number of total homicides may or may not decline, the ENTIRE number would be confined to victims. My husband has thwarted a robbery in the past by just showing his gun. There''s no way to track how many homicides have NOT occurred due to the presence of a gun.


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Posted by truthrocks at 02:03 PM : Nov 19, 2008