TEEN MOWED DOWN (SHOT) OVER LAWN Just killed a kid, man tells 911

The Winnipeg Sun ^ | March 21, 2006 | AP

[beaversmom]

BATAVIA, Ohio -- A man who neighbours say was devoted to his meticulously kept lawn is charged with murder in the shooting of a 15-year-old boy who apparently walked across his yard.

Charles Martin, 66, of Union Township, near this city about 30 kilometres east of Cincinnati, shot next-door neighbour Larry Mugrage in the chest with a shotgun about 3:30 p.m. Sunday, police said. The youth was pronounced dead at hospital.

Martin was being held without bond yesterday in Clermont County Jail. Police said he told them he had several disputes about neighbours walking on his lawn. But Union Township police Lieut. Scott Gaviglia said Martin had no criminal history and last called police in 2003.

Martin called 911 on Sunday, saying in a calm voice: "I just killed a kid."

He also tells the dispatcher: "It's been going on for five years ... I've been harassed by him and his parents for five years. Today just blew it up."

STUNS NEIGHBOURHOOD

The deadly shooting stunned those in the neighbourhood and students at Glen Este High School, where Martin was a freshman, and grief counsellors were on hand yesterday.

"I think there's a great deal of shock, for two reasons: because of the age of the victim and just how this occurred, killed over some grass," Gaviglia said.

Neighbours said Martin lived alone quietly, often sitting out in front of his one-storey home with its neat lawn, well-trimmed shrubbery and flag pole with U.S. and navy flags flying.

In his fenced backyard, he had several birdhouses and a shed painted like a small red barn with white trim.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Carl Rowan Alert:

Here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive-compulsive_disorder

"The typical OCD sufferer performs tasks (or compulsions) to seek relief from obsessions. To others, these tasks may appear odd and unnecessary. But for the sufferer, such tasks can feel critically important, and must be performed in particular ways to ward off dire consequences and to stop the stress from building up. Examples of these tasks: repeatedly checking that one's parked car has been locked before leaving it; turning lights on and off a set number of times before exiting a room; repeatedly washing hands at regular intervals throughout the day."

Or...checking up on the grass and shooting any teenagers walking on it.

You can bet his lawn trimming equipment gizmos are real doozies. With several dozen cans of extra gas on hand "just in case" (there's a severe overgrowth of lawn grass).

Now, let's wait for all the OCD control freaks to jump on and defend this nut.

There was a psycho like this in the neighborhood we grew up in in the 1960s. His heart blew out at age 46. Not sure whether he ever shot any kids before the final coronary. Great lawn though - really well-trimmed, lots of ChemLawn treatments, 5-speed riding lawn mower with the bag attachment to carefully stack up plastic bags of grass and count the clippings. Lots of cancer in the neighborhood too.

At one point another OCD nut moved in next door to him and they used to have red-faced arm-flailing tantrum shouting matches at one another over where the property line ended. Mike Judge would have loved this stuff. The other OCD nut is still alive and regularly patrols the neighborhood to check and see whether any kids have pot plants growing amidst the Black-eyed Susans. What a riot!

"Parents, teach your kids about OCD wackos."

[Doc Savage]

When the police pull you over, don't run from them. When someone tells you not to do something you know you shouldn't do, don't do it. That's why they made sidewalks. Wise-ass to no-ass!

[maggief]

I'd like to see a picture of the lawn first...



The Hawthorne Drive home at left is where Charles Martin lives in Clermont County's Union Township. Larry Mugrage, 15, lived with his family in the house at right. Prosecutors say the boy was in the street when he was shot at 3:21 p.m. Sunday.

[TalBlack]

"That's what they do."

Yep. As a wise-ass passive-aggressive type I grew up with found out one dark night in the city when an off duty cop shot him. We all went the "there was no cause fror gunplay" route and the cop-hating media even helped a bit but one thing that haunted us and that most of us said outloud at least once: "Frankie ran that wise mouth of his at the wrong time to the wrong dude".

I'd be interested to know the story of the parents in this case.

[Jimmy Valentine]

"So the kid was a punk, and walked across his lawn"

There must be more to the story; indications are that this had been going on for quite a while.

If your new BMW 725 (or what ever you really valued and put a lot of love and work into) was spray painted once a week or so by the kid next door, who denied it and was supported by his parents, and the police did nothing..........well what might you do?

[Proud Conservative2]

"So the kid was a punk, and walked across his lawn"

bet he won't do that again....

[Free Baptist]

You impress me as one who who reads only half of what people write so that you can make your point. I don't think you read my entire post. You could not have and then think that I agree that the man should have used his gun.

[freekitty]

Didn't his parents teach this kid anything. You never ever walk on someone's lawn. It just isn't done.

[Shalom Israel]

It finally stopped when one of the punks side swiped a industrial strength mail box and tore up his car.

When I was in upstate New York, the locals' like to play a version of mailbox baseball where they'd forget about the bat, and just plow into the mailbox with their pickup trucks.

My fantasy was to install a mailbox with a cement foundation below frost, a steel-n-cement pillar, and a steel mailbox bolted to the top--all neatly trimmed with wood to look like a plain old mailbox...

[joe fonebone]

There are 3 types of action you can take when wronged
1...Positive action, try to talk it out with your neighbors or aggrievers.
2...Legal action, contact the police, or retain the services of a competent attorney.
3...Lever action, on your trusty 30.30.......blow 'em away...looks like this guy got to #3.

[maggief]

Martin's call to 911

Listen to Martin's 911 call

Martin: I just killed a kid.
Dispatcher: You just killed a kid?
Martin: Yes ma'am.
Dispatcher: Okay, what happened?
Martin: It's been going on for five years.
Dispatcher: What's going on?
Martin: I've been being harassed by him and his parents for five years. Today just blew it up.
Dispatcher: What is your name, sir?
Martin: Charles Martin.
Dispatcher: Okay, what happened, tell me what happened, Charles.
Martin: Kid's just been giving me a bunch of sh**, making the other kids harass me and my place, tearing things up.
Dispatcher: Okay, so what'd you do?
Martin: I shot him with a 410 shotgun twice.
Dispatcher: You shot him with a shotgun? Where is he?
Martin: He's laying in his yard.

More about Larry Mugrage

9News was told that Mugrage was a straight-A student, loved to play soccer and was well-liked by his neighbors.



http://www.wcpo.com/news/2006/local/03/19/uniontwp_shooting.html

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060321/NEWS01/603210334/-1/CINCI

[FlyVet]

When I lived in Rome, NY there was a similar incident. An old man who was a retired cop was being tormented by some of the neighbors' kids. Finally one of them took a knife and cut his garden hose in half. That was when he snapped. IIRC he shot and killed two of them.

[SR 50]

I surprised that no one has said it yet, "it wasn't about the grass or lawn".

[Shalom Israel]

Sure, the old-timer went to far. But I don't think there'd be any problem with the guy giving that kid a punch in the mouth. The kid can't expect to treat others with incivility and not get incivility back.

Absolutely. If the old timer had used a fire-hose instead of a shotgun, I'd have been out there buying him a beer by now. As it is, he'll get what he has coming to him.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Note the absence of a sidewalk.

[durasell]

I'd be interested to know the story of the parents in this case.



Whatever their story was, it's not the same one now that they have to bury their kid.

[Proud Conservative2]

" Just a little discipline here and that young man would be in class today rather than at a funeral home. Okay, folks you all just flame away."

What's to flame? When you're right. you're right.

[rabidralph]

Don't ever mess with anyone who lives alone, quietly.

[BruceysMom]

My gawd you are a moron. I have OCD and I take medication. I do not defend this guy but calling people with OCD "Psycho" is uncalled for and shows a deep and unique ignorance and bigotry. At least as someone who has an SSRI disorder I have a medical excuse. What's yours?

[rabidralph]

The kid was just questioning authority--like his parents taught him.