Mother talks about son who killed husband

KSN News ^ | May 5, 2005 | Chandra Brown

[eccentric]

HUMBOLDT, Kansas, May 06, 2005 -- Last week, police say a 10-year-old boy shot and killed his adopted father. The grisly murder took place inside their rural home near Humboldt in Allen County. Now a grieving widow and mother shares her feelings for her son.

"Family, friends, anyone -- if he was needed, he was there -- a very dedicated father, said Debbie Hamlin about her husband Bob.

After 21 years of marriage, Debbie says she is glad for the memories with Bob. She just wishes she could have more.

Bob and Debbie adopted Debbie’s grandson when he was just six months old. A few years later, they took another granddaughter home from the hospital, calling both their own.

"These were my kids. I don’t care what anybody says, they were legally adopted, they were blood anyway but they were my kids," said Debbie.

It was the son who, at the age of 10, allegedly pointed a gun at the back of Bob’s head as he watched TV and fired one shot, killing him instantly.

"I don’t know why. I have no idea why. Why, why? That goes through my head all the time -- why he could do something like that."

She says he then turned on her, the woman he called mom.

"He was still coming. He was running with the gun pointed at me. I managed to get in the neighbors house. I got in the driveway, jumped out and he was coming in after me with the gun so he was not done."

"I loved him but I can’t forgive what’s happened because of what he’s done to this family. I loved him until the day he did this."

Now the ten-year-old is in custody, charged with first-degree murder. Debbie has not seen him since that day.

"I want no connections. My husband was my life. We were married 21 years. When you’re with somebody that long. It just won’t be the same. I can’t forgive him. I’m sorry, I just can’t."

Since he is a juvenile, the state can only hold the boy until he is 23, assuming he is convicted.

Debbie says that’s not enough punishment and is scared for herself and her family.

"They said, possibly, he could get out when he’s 23. That’s only 13 years. I’m in fear of what’s going to happen in 13 years."

Debbie says, in addition to the first-degree murder charge, the boy is charged with attempted first-degree murder for coming after her.

The judge put a gag order on the case so the county attorney can’t comment on that additional charge.

Last update: May 06, 2005, 8:14am

[eccentric]

Pray for this family.

Please don't hurl accussation that someone must have been abusing the boy. You don't know them.

[goldstategop]

Looks like we have a little sociopath. Oh my, they usually don't commit murder this young. You have to wonder what he did before he murdered his father and attempted to murder his mother.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[eccentric]

earlier story:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1393039/posts

[martin gibson]

...accussation that someone must have been abusing the boy...

the accussations are as predictable as night following the day...

[cleo1939]

Unless the kid was born bad, something happened to him.
The family is responsible for his conduct. What goes on
inside a family is not often see by others but something
went on or didn't go on that should have. That is child
abuse.

[PistolPaknMama]

How horrible. The child must have had some indication of problems along the way.

What a sad waste of life and love.

[Tired of Taxes]

You have to wonder what he did before he murdered his father and attempted to murder his mother.

Reminds me of that Stephen King story in "Different Seasons" about the "perfect little boy" with the perfect family who is getting away with things they don't know about. It only appears that he "just snapped one day" because no one really knows what he has been doing all along.

[goldstategop]

What about human evil? If you have a conscience, you don't do something like this. That's what draws our attention. A person who knows what its going to be like for others as well as for him doesn't murder one parent and try to take the life of another. That's why we have difficulty getting a handle here since most of us can't imagine what its like NOT to have a conscience. Try to imagine doing anything you want and then look at this child again.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[goldstategop]

They say sociopaths wear a mask. No one sees them as they really are and its when they do the unimaginable that the mask falls off and people see for the first time as they really are all along. And we still act like we're surprised when we read the newspaper about a son who killed his father in cold blood.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[D Rider]

My Assumptions: Sounds like her Daughter had drug problems, so she and her husband adopted their grandchild. The kid was probably a drug baby.

[Obadiah]

No way. Unless this kid has some serious mental disorder, one that there would clearly be clinical evidence of, there was something very, very wrong in that house. A normal ten year old simply does not pick up a shotgun kill someone and then go after his mother. No way.

I have children under 10 and they know with resolute certainty of the moral implications of anything approaching this conduct.

Something is rotten in Denmark.

[ambrose]

[jboot]

That is child abuse.

Evidence?

[goldstategop]

I'm sure it has nothing to do with how he was raised. Some people are just wired differently. Evil is a large problem in literature, both spiritual and scientific and we have to accept some people do not not have conscience. If one doesn't already exist, its not like you can "grow" it. Certainly not after an innocent life's been taken.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[Judge Roy]

HARD TO KNOW IF THE kid knew of the consequences of his actions.

[Freepertwo]

The Bible disagrees with you. It says that humans are born bad and that only God is good. You may disagree with me on that, but your disagreement would be with scripture, not me.

[stinkerpot65]

You may be right. But some people are just born evil.

[American Quilter]

What in the WORLD is going on here? I'd like to hear the rest of the story.

There's evidence that some serial killers (i.e., Ted Bundy) grow up consumed with rage over finding out that their parents are in fact their grandparents, and their powerlessness to do anything about it. They're so consumed with rage that they seem to lose the ability to feel any other emotion, and begin to view other people as things rather than humans to whom they can be emotionally connected. Is that what happened here?

I'm just speculating, of course. I hope more information becomes available.

[Obadiah]

...we have to accept some people do not not have conscience.

Nope. No way I believe that. From my perspective, every human being is endowed by their Creator with "the work of the Law" written in their hearts (a conscience).

[LaineyDee]

What about human evil?

People really don't want to believe a child could be evil.....but I've seen my fair share. It's also possible he has some loose wiring...i.e., schizophrenia, etc. He's adopted....but it doesn't say who from... at what age he was adopted...or what kind of environment he was taken from. I guess we need more info before pointing fingers at anyone but the kid himself.