[A_perfect_lady]

Having read the whole thing, I think there is more to this story. The boy's mother died, and it sounds like he was living with his sister but she couldn't handle him...

Jallen, who had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder,

... so she sent him to her cousin who agreed to take care of him "boot camp" style. They thought they were going to straighten up a defiant teen. Remember Trayvon? His mother couldn't handle him and sent him to his father? Sounds like the same sort of deal. Now of course, beating him to death is not the answer, but I don't think they did it out of pure sadism. I think they got a defiant teen they couldn't handle, and lost their tempers.

[lee martell]

Thanks for the synopsis. In the end, it’s up to each caregiver to determine when a child’s dysfunctional behavior is over what that caregiver can or is willing to handle.
At that point, you need to ask for backup or relocation of that child. It’s easy for me to say that. Maybe they did ask for help through the system, and there wasn’t any.

[Albion Wilde]

I think they got a defiant teen they couldn't handle, and lost their tempers.

So, according to the article, they beat him with a belt over 50 times in the previous week, and forced a running shower nozzle into his mouth to kill him. Because they lost their tempers. Right.