Posted on 03/21/2006 3:03:05 PM PST by xzins
Police: Man Killed Teen for Walking on Lawn By LISA CORNWELL ASSOCIATED PRESS
BATAVIA, Ohio (AP) -
0321dv-lawn-shooting A man who neighbors say was devoted to his meticulously kept lawn was charged with murder in the shooting of a 15-year-old boy who apparently walked across his yard.
Charles Martin called 911 on Sunday afternoon, saying calmly: "I just killed a kid."
Police, who released the call's contents, said Martin also told the dispatcher: "I've been harassed by him and his parents for five years. Today just blew it up."
Larry Mugrage, whose family lived next door, was shot in the chest with a shotgun. The high school freshman was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Martin, 66, allegedly told police he had several times had problems with neighbors walking on his lawn. He remained jailed without bond Monday. His jailers said no attorney was listed for him.
Neighbors said Martin lived alone quietly, often sitting in front of his one-story home with its neat lawn, well-trimmed shrubbery and flag pole with U.S. and Navy flags flying.
Joanne Ritchie, 46, said Mugrage was known as "a good kid," but she always also considered Martin to be friendly.
Union Township is near Batavia, about 20 miles east of Cincinnati.
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Associated Press Writer Dan Sewell in Cincinnati contributed to this report.
If he killed the kid on the lawn, I can't believe the dried blood made the grass very happy. And then all those cops and morgue people walking on it. Man, I bet that guy is sorry he shot the kid. That REALLY messed up his lawn. Of course, where he is going, they just have concrete.
I fought the lawn and the lawn won...
The guy shot and killed a kid for walking on his lawn. In my opinion that qualifies for freak status.
This reminds me of the Crespi murders, wherein the Wachovia guy murdered his young twins daughters and we had a spate of people posting their sympathy for the child killer.
If the kid was in the street walking when he shot him, Martin must be a fairly good marksman...looking at the house, it looks to be about 25-30 yards away....
If he shot him with slugs, then odds are he is/was a deer hunter, and he knew he was trying to kill.
Maybe with birdshot he might have thought to just injure the kid. Not with a slug, though. He was shooting to kill.
I didn't claim that he did the sensible thing. But I think it's probably more about that he "freaked," rather than he's a freak.
I don't see any comparison to the other case you cited. IMO, you're stretching to make your point.
Growing up .. we had a nut like this guy .. the neighbors nic named her Shotgun Sally .. and all us kids knew to stay away from her house
Good manners don't cost nuthin do they?
Inside, mostly; but let them out to roam periodically. It is an honor to own "the king of the neighborhood"! That is the dog that can use any yard, even if that owner's dog is outside at the time.
Just plain wierd, to me. And, no; these are not slums; they are middle to upper-middle class areas.
If I complain about someone fifty times I have the right to murder him?
This wasn't a random shooting, as far as I can tell. What evidence of good parenting do you see?
If I complain about someone fifty times I have the right to murder him?
No not at all. However, I would spare his life if this is what happened and I would hope that our legislators would somehow look for ways to change our legal system so that things like this never happen again. Anyway wasn't there a newspaper columnist a few years back , I believe that his name was Carl Rowan who shot someone who jumped into his swimming pool?
I was shocked at how many unfenced properties there are here in GA. I was raised in the CA Bay Area and EVERYONE has a fenced back yard.
What evidence of a sane old man do you see? How can you accept what the MURDERER says without question?
According to the kid that was with the victim on the first pass through, he only set ONE foot onto the lawn, cutting the corner. Then the old assassin lay in wait for him and shot him in the middle of the street.
I hope they fry him. This was a PERSON. A CHILD. The number of people who seem to think this was just fine is astounding....and terrifying.
so what if it was?...have you been walking on my grass?
Wow we had one of those neighbors too here NJ. You went near his lawn and he'd send the dog charging at you. I hate german shepards to this day.
Why you gonna shoot me too newbie
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