Columbia, KY, Hopes Teen Killer Will Explain Why He Killed His Parents

Louisville, KY, Courier-Journal ^ | 08-25-03 | Lindenberger, Michael A.

[Theodore R.]

COLUMBIA, Ky.

[Theodore R.]

This is an odd request by the people of Columbia, KY. Why would they believe anything this teenager says? It's almost like the townspeople are waiting for an explanation that THEY can "live with."

[strela]

Since the shooting deaths of Brian Walker and Barbara Peterson on Dec. 9 one question has remained for many of those who know Blake Walker: Why?

(Richard Pryor ON)

"But, why did you kill EVERYBODY IN THE HOUSE?!?!?"

"They was home."

(Richard Pryor OFF)

[sirchtruth]

It's almost like the townspeople are waiting for an explanation that THEY can "live with."

This is the changed mentality of the selfish people in this country.

People always want to find a way to justify the acts of wrong doing. It makes them "Feel" better and to selfish people that is much more important than doing the "Right" thing.

[ClearCase_guy]

"You have to remember that he was 16," Whitaker said. "Sometimes what seems obvious to an adult can be something else to a teenager. Blake was immature and did not know the boundaries between thinking something awful and doing it.

Guess I matured early. I'm pretty sure I could distinguish these differences before I turned 5 (at least).

[goose1]

So did I, guess the lawyer is looking for and excuse he was a victim maybe his teddy bear was taken away when he was 14 or something I say put him into old sparky.

[Iris7]

I certainly agree about the townspeople wanting to have an explaination "they can live with."

To me, the explanation is totally obvious. He wanted to kill them, and so did.

This answer is invariably true. Perhaps then the foolish ask, "Then why did he want to do it?" You might as well ask "Why do people overeat? Why do people drink to excess and use recreational drugs? Why rape? Why Leftism? Why more stuff, ad nauseum, etc.?" Because they want to, that's why.

[4mycountry]

Yeah, I must be REALLY mature....

Please. This is not some little kiddie, this is a young adult who knew fully well what he was doing. No excuses.

[robertpaulsen]

"He wanted to kill them, and so did."

That's the answer they don't want. For two reasons that I can think of.

One, if true, then that means it could happen to them and that's a scary thought. Better he was abused, mistreated, whatever by the parents. That insulates all others.

Two, if true, it would go against the thinking that all people are inherently good, and something happens to make them do bad things. They cannot fathom that there are some bad people out there by their very nature.

[cajungirl]

I disagree. I think people want to understand and know what happened here. That is curiosity. Nobody I know justifies something like this, he is not claiming insanity or abuse. So why kill one's parents,,that is a reasonable question from anyone with an ounce of curiosity. In my opinion.

[cajungirl]

That may be it. He may be one of those "bad to the bone"people. But why the parents. Why not a gas station attendant or a teacher. It is strange to me. Maybe they took away his car because of the DU and he killed them because of that. Or maybe he was using other substances. Or maybe he was just a stone cold killer waiting to kill those who gave him life.

[cajungirl]

Another thing would lead them to want to know why. They apparently thought they knew this guy, they thought he was a sweet kid. So he ups and kills his parents. Wouldn't that make you curious if a neighbor kid who you knew all his life and hadn't a clue that he was this bad, up and did this.

[Iris7]

"Wouldn't that make you curious if a neighbor kid who you knew all his life and hadn't a clue that he was this bad, up and did this."

If I hadn't had a clue, as you put it, then I would wonder about myself, and why I had made such a mistake in understanding human nature. I wouldn't wonder much about the killer, no. Humans kill about as easily as they step off a curb.

Of the people I know as neighbors, maybe fifty, there are maybe ten that I would be totally unsuprised if they killed their parents or spouses. Thinking about it, maybe fifteen. I think of three in the immediate area, about ten houses. And I live in a very, very safe neighborhood, where the homicide rate is too low to measure.

[monday]

"Humans kill about as easily as they step off a curb. "

Ordinary people don't. Reading the rest of your post makes me sad. I am glad I don't live in your neighborhood, although I suspect your neighbors are more normal than you.

[Iris7]

"Ordinary people don't."

Do a little research. Be a cop, or open your eyes. Ordinary people do. Yeah, it is sad.

[sirchtruth]

So why kill one's parents,,that is a reasonable question from anyone with an ounce of curiosity. In my opinion.

I totally agree with you sentiments. My comment strickly had to do with "Justifying" the deed.

Rhetorically and speciously asking "why" is what I was commenting on.

[cajungirl]

If you truly know that many people in your immediate vicinity who could murder and you believe that, you are not iin a safe neighborhood or you are , well, I don't know how to put it. Killing is not easy. Killing ones parents is very very unusual. Ordinary people do not have the capacity to kill and if they did, the murder rate in a country as big as ours would be far greater than the 44 per day. I can honestly say that even though I am in a high risk occupation for running across people who could potentially kill, I have rarely met the person who could. I have known people I suspect could beat and abuse. But to know someone who could kill and not shock me to the core, well I have met one maybe two in my life.

[Iris7]

I believe in the real world happening of the events related in the Gospels. Heaven is real. I have no personal experience of hell. Killing of the innocent is a very serious sin, and heaven could easily be lost over such an act.

The first time someone tried to kill me I was fifteen. These persons had never met me before that day. Looking back, they might have been happy with a few stabs and true fear, but also looking back those two were cruising for victims, and they would have got away with it.

The experience of someone wanting to kill me happened twice more before I was twenty two. There was a separate instance where I locked eyes with a guy who really wanted to watch me die, but he was not in a position to get away with it. The guy had a submachine gun. I have been shot at and missed. I watched young and older Americans kill Viet Namese. I've watched Americans die. I've held their hands while they died, and carried their bodies. You remember this stuff always, but it is not hard.

Teddy Roosevelt at San Juan Hill found it interesting that killing Spaniards was just like killing rabbits.

Where I work there are four thousand employees. It is a factory. I have always found it amazing that there haven't been killings at work in the twenty years I have been there. Most people are not willing to go as far as killing, when it comes time for the actual killing blow. But boy, do they ever get close.

I don't mean to lecture you, but I have seen what I have seen, and truly wish you a long life, and more importantly, God's Grace.

[Iris7]

Since writing the previous #17 two more instances came to mind. No one was hurt. What kept violence from occuring was my complete readiness to kill. Bad evening. Ugh.

In fact I go to very great effort to avoid trouble. I avoid dangerous neighborhoods, even neighborhoods you might not think dangerous at all. When I walk in the city I am often too busy looking around me in order to figure the threat that I cannot hold a conversation (especially when I realize the crowd has changed, the women are not respectable, and I start seeing men as alert as I am!). I drive defensively. I behave defensively.

I can deal with difficult situations much better than most, but avoid them assiduously. No point in excessive risk, I've used up about 8.9999 of my nine lives already!