Teen Accused Of Killing Dad Over Grades

apnews.myway.com...

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - A 15-year-old boy allegedly killed his father, then set their home on fire because he was afraid his father would find out he was failing some classes, prosecutors said.

Watts was arrested Wednesday after an autopsy determined that Bruner died from multiple gunshot wounds and not from the fire, Santa Clara police said.

According to court documents, Watts told police he took a .45-caliber handgun from a safe in his father's bedroom and stashed it in his room shortly before the killing.

Court documents allege he shot his father in the head at close range Monday, then set the body on fire because it was too heavy to carry to the backyard, where he had planned to bury it. Watts hid the gun and went to Taco Bell before calling 911 to report the fire, the documents said.

More news of the messed up society that we are living in today.

I'm trying to figure the mindset of this young man. He was more fearfull of having his dad find out he was getting some bad grades than he was about getting caught for murder? I'm completely lost on this one---how sad!

Wow this is very sad indeed. I wonder if his Father was even aware that his son was having such difficulty, obviously not just with his grades, this kid sounds like he has more deep-rooted problems. Heck, my grades weren't always the greatest but I never worried that my parents knew this.

Just curious the article states that he will be tried as an adult, but the death penalty would not be instated as he is a juvenile. Not that I want this kid to get the death penalty, think he needs help, but just wondering how your law works.

Here in Toronto area we had 2 teenage sisters who fed their alcoholic mother more booze and pills then drowned her in their tub. Its sad to think that at one time these families probably shared some happy times and this is what they are left with. The 2 sisters were both charged with first degree murder as they had planned it and seemed almost gleeful about it.

Their younger brother now has no Mother(a Father figure was never mentioned in this case) and his only siblings are in prison. Makes you wonder what will happen to him.

Things like this almost never just crop up out of nowhere. While I know nothing of this particular case, it is very likely that there has been a long history of abuse in this family and experience and data would suggest that this is a mulit-generational problem. Barring a psychotic break or something else very unusual, the boy probably had good reason to fear his father's reaction. That doesn't justify the murder, though. Now, if he were female he might get away with it.

[edit on 2005/12/20 by GradyPhilpott]