World War II veteran beaten to death outside his lodge.

[graciegirl]

WWII vet, 88, brutally beaten to death in Spokane, Wash. - U.S. News (http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/23/20145461-wwii-vet-88-brutally-beaten-to-death-in-spokane-wash?lite)

My uncles fought in WWII. This gentleman was 88 years old. Again this was teens, more than one. How absolutely awful and cowardly and senseless. I cannot think of a punishment bad enough. They killed him by beating him. What could motivate such a thing?

[BobnBev]

suspects were described as black males of average build, 16 to 19 years old, wearing black clothing and red sneakers.

Nuff said

[blueash]

suspects were described as black males of average build, 16 to 19 years old, wearing black clothing and red sneakers.

Nuff said

So you obviously read the link provided by GG and the only part you felt was worthy of comment was on the race and clothing of the suspects?

It sounds like Mr. Belton was a gem. Giving and generous. He will be missed. His death was senseless no matter what the age, race, sex, religion, clothing or ethnicity of the suspects. Nuff said.

[Bay Kid]

These kids are very bored. What they really need is to be working. The problem is most will never work. They need a focus. What will this world be like in 25 to 50 years? Someone will have to provide.

[graciegirl]

My kids knew not to EVER say the B word. It usually was followed by a stint of cleaning around the toilet.

Something has to change with how children are raised. It would be good if there was MORE parental responsibility. I would like to know more about these kids parents, although I was on my own at 18. Kids were expected to be independent earlier back when.

The training and directing and laying down the law has to start far earlier than teen years. That is the reason that parents are big and kids are little.

We started well before two directing children constantly verbally away from electrical outlets and shamed them even under five years old for pocketing things at stores. Harsh, but it worked.

It is too late to have too much power of persuasion when they are bigger than you are, unless you instill um...respect and a little fear unfortunately when they are young. If they respect their parents rules, generally they will respect their teachers, the police force and their bosses.

Right or wrong, those are the people who are in charge.

At least that is what I think.

[gomoho]

Why work when you can rob, sell drugs, or be on the welfare rolls and make enough money to get by? The system needs to be fixed before these killings will stop. Oh yeah and if they get bored they can just go out and kill someone.

There is currently a young black man on trial for shooting a 13 month old baby between the eyes while in his stroller. Now we have a 88 year old man beaten to
death. Who does that? These people have no moral compass and I have to believe
it all starts at home - problem is they don't have homes that support these moral values.

[redwitch]

How utterly tragic. A good man is needlessly gone. Nuff said.

[dillywho]

My kids knew not to EVER say the B word. It usually was followed by a stint of cleaning around the toilet.

Something has to change with how children are raised. It would be good if there was MORE parental responsibility. I would like to know more about these kids parents, although I was on my own at 18. Kids were expected to be independent earlier back when.

The training and directing and laying down the law has to start far earlier than teen years. That is the reason that parents are big and kids are little.

We started well before two directing children constantly verbally away from electrical outlets and shamed them even under five years old for pocketing things at stores. Harsh, but it worked.

It is too late to have too much power of persuasion when they are bigger than you are, unless you instill um...respect and a little fear unfortunately when they are young. If they respect their parents rules, generally they will respect their teachers, the police force and their bosses.

Right or wrong, those are the people who are in charge.

At least that is what I think.

Well said!! You are right that it all starts at an early age. Parents cannot wait until they are teens to set boundaries and punishment for crossing those boundaries.

[Bucco]

Two issues raised in this discussion....first the issue of working versus not working.

We had a long discussion on a thread about the minimum wage here a short time ago. I never recall a thread or discussion on the raising of welfare levels.
Why do I bring this up...

"Bay State welfare recipients have little incentive to get jobs because government assistance pays better, according to a study by a Washington, D.C.-based libertarian think tank that pegs Massachusetts as the third-most generous in the nation in doling out welfare funds.

“Clearly, the level of benefits in Massachusetts acts as a disincentive to work,” said Michael Tanner, the lead author of the “Work Versus Welfare Trade-Off” study by the Cato Institute.

The institute found Massachusetts ranks third nationally with $42,515 in welfare benefits handed out to the “typical recipient,” behind Hawaii at $49,175, and Washington, D.C., at $43,099."

- See more at: Study: Welfare pays better | Boston Herald (http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/08/study_welfare_pays_better#sthash.Nb2L7Lvr.dpuf)

In 13 states it is much more attractive to be on welfare than working for minimum wage. Why work.......

Second, someone commented on the race. While I find discussion of race uncomfortable and actually distasteful, IF I am to believe those posters who posted on the Zimmerman thread, then the race of these punks is a definitive factor.

There is a race problem in this country and it is about time, we recognize it runs TWO ways, and not one. I, for one, am tired of being made to feel guilty.

BUT...as I think Gracie has said a number of times...it always go back to the family and parenting. We actually make fun of marriage and family life....we smile at divorce.....we have a laugh about folks getting pregnant not out of love or family but to increase the welfare check. We are then made to feel guilty for discussing it.....what can you expect to come from generations of this ?

[Bavarian]

This has been going on for generations. The late Senator Daniel Moyanhan warned of this in the '60s. I do not know if it can be changed as so many generations have been raised away from the strictness that our parents had. There are also no more Religious Sisters and Brothers teaching in the Schools, they also ran a tight ship.

Will the youth listen to Dr. Carson, Bill Cosby, Dr. Walter E. Williams, Dr. Thomas Sowell, Ashton Kutcher?

[capecodbob]

Two issues raised in this discussion....first the issue of working versus not working.

We had a long discussion on a thread about the minimum wage here a short time ago. I never recall a thread or discussion on the raising of welfare levels.
Why do I bring this up...

"Bay State welfare recipients have little incentive to get jobs because government assistance pays better, according to a study by a Washington, D.C.-based libertarian think tank that pegs Massachusetts as the third-most generous in the nation in doling out welfare funds.

“Clearly, the level of benefits in Massachusetts acts as a disincentive to work,” said Michael Tanner, the lead author of the “Work Versus Welfare Trade-Off” study by the Cato Institute.

The institute found Massachusetts ranks third nationally with $42,515 in welfare benefits handed out to the “typical recipient,” behind Hawaii at $49,175, and Washington, D.C., at $43,099."

- See more at: Study: Welfare pays better | Boston Herald (http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/08/study_welfare_pays_better#sthash.Nb2L7Lvr.dpuf)

In 13 states it is much more attractive to be on welfare than working for minimum wage. Why work.......

Second, someone commented on the race. While I find discussion of race uncomfortable and actually distasteful, IF I am to believe those posters who posted on the Zimmerman thread, then the race of these punks is a definitive factor.

There is a race problem in this country and it is about time, we recognize it runs TWO ways, and not one. I, for one, am tired of being made to feel guilty.

BUT...as I think Gracie has said a number of times...it always go back to the family and parenting. We actually make fun of marriage and family life....we smile at divorce.....we have a laugh about folks getting pregnant not out of love or family but to increase the welfare check. We are then made to feel guilty for discussing it.....what can you expect to come from generations of this ?

Just a side note to Bucco's excellent post...I heard here, on a Boston Talk Radio show yesterday that someone would have to earn just north of $50,000 to equal all the handouts here in MA. SO, why work?
BB

[Bucco]

WWII vet, 88, brutally beaten to death in Spokane, Wash. - U.S. News (http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/23/20145461-wwii-vet-88-brutally-beaten-to-death-in-spokane-wash?lite)

My uncles fought in WWII. This gentleman was 88 years old. Again this was teens, more than one. How absolutely awful and cowardly and senseless. I cannot think of a punishment bad enough. They killed him by beating him. What could motivate such a thing?

You asked for motivation......what motivates any of this stuff...

"(WMC-TV) - A Memphis man remains in the hospital at the burn unit after police say he was set on fire. Authorities identified two suspects wanted for the crime. Police say the man suffered injuries to most of his body.

Prior arrests meant Memphis police already had mug shots on file for 26-year-old Robert Glasper and 19-year-old Renard King. Police identified the two Thursday for allegedly being responsible for a horrific crime two weeks "

Police: Man doused with gasoline, set on fire in vacant lot - Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee (http://www.wmctv.com/story/23235083/police-man-doused-with-gasoline-set-on-fire-in-vacant-lot)

"Police are hoping surveillance video will help catch four suspects after a hot dog vender was robbed and attacked with a stolen hammer at a Ferguson Home Depot on Wednesday. view full article

A hot dog vendor at a Ferguson Home Depot was robbed of his cellphone and struck in the head with a hammer by four shoplifters. The incident occurred around 3 p.m on Wednesday. The Home Depot is located in St. Louis County at the 10900 block of New Halls Ferry Road. According the CBS St Louis, “the suspects are black men in their early 20s. Two of the suspects were wearing white t-shirts, one had a plaid shirt. The fourth was wearing a blue shirt and had his right arm in a cast.”

Ferguson Hot Dog Vendor at Home Depot Robbed and Beaten With Hammer for His Cell Phone | The Gateway Pundit (http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/08/ferguson-hot-dog-vendor-at-home-depot-robbed-and-beaten-with-hammer-for-his-cell-phone/)

Senseless.....shameful......

[gomoho]

This morning the idea of social media is also being looked at playing a part in these killings. Kids are desensitized to the human factor because so much of our digital world is communication at an arm's length. No more looking someone in they eye, touching to show empathy, or sharing a good belly laugh together.

It is also being reported the recent Oklahoma killing may have been brought about as the result of a "gang initiation". I think if this is the case Chief Ford of Duncan Oklahoma needs to tighten his ship.

As far as the $ amount being quoted for welfare recipients - I would like to know if this number is derived from someone taking advantage of all programs available, is an average or exactly how this number was established.

[Bucco]

Just a side note to Bucco's excellent post...I heard here, on a Boston Talk Radio show yesterday that someone would have to earn just north of $50,000 to equal all the handouts here in MA. SO, why work?
BB

Trying to stay on thread here, but blaming all of this on poverty as many do does not wash with me anyway.....the poor of the 30's and 40's made it and I am sure there was crime but not like what is happening today.
They had one thing that Grace pointed out...a family, a discipline system..a focus.

We have lost all of that.....do you know, to your point, that while I was in Tampa I discovered that groups got together to train others how to beat the system....how to insure you never work ?

I am for for doing all we can help, but we are doing a poor job of insuring it is done correctly, with compassion and fairness. By not even discussing welfare versus min wage is wrong...no matter the accuracy of the numbers. IT IS AN ISSUE....again, we seem to be predisposed to make every thing political instead of using common sense.

[billethkid]

Spineless, cowards! Punks!

If the perpetrators had yellow hair and green skin would one not state....they had yellow hair and green skin? That certainly would not be racist. Nor is it racist to describe the perpetrators as "black".....it happens to be a descriptive fact.

btk

[Golfingnut]

Spineless, cowards! Punks!

If the perpetrators had yellow hair and green skin would one not state....they had yellow hair and green skin? That certainly would not be racist. Nor is it racist to describe the perpetrators as "black".....it happens to be a descriptive fact.

btk

100% correct.

[Golfingnut]

Hummmmmm. Also correct. Keep on point Buggy.

Lou

[BobnBev]

So you obviously read the link provided by GG and the only part you felt was worthy of comment was on the race and clothing of the suspects?

It sounds like Mr. Belton was a gem. Giving and generous. He will be missed. His death was senseless no matter what the age, race, sex, religion, clothing or ethnicity of the suspects. Nuff said. YEP!!! Nuff said

Even an ostrich takes his head out of the sand once in awhile...Nuff said

[Bill Tasker]

I don’t profess to know what the answer is but I do know that my siblings and I were taught right from wrong at early stages and our actions were reinforced with consequences. That doesn’t mean we were angels but it certainly made us think twice.
The family nucleus is definitely broken. Whether a two or one parent family it takes everything you have to stay afloat. Kids are shuffled around and left alone so much today it’s nearly impossible for them to bond with anyone for any meaningful length of time.

[ugotme]

I agree with all the posts here regarding family values.

A lot of kids today think they SHOULD BE privileged.

They want to start a job at $50K or more with no real education or experience. It is owed to them. They don't want to work for $8 or $10 an hour and gain experience - THEY WANT IT NOW !!!!

[gomoho]

Bucco - I agree - blaming poverty is the easy way to explain all this away. It's not poverty that causes the problem, but what you do with your circumstances in poverty.
My husband, as many others on TOTV, grew up dirt poor but he had a mother that made him understand the importance of education and doing for yourself. Definitely no sense of entitlement which is one of our society's biggest problems today.

[blueash]

Trying to stay on thread here, but blaming all of this on poverty as many do does not wash with me anyway.....the poor of the 30's and 40's made it and I am sure there was crime but not like what is happening today.
They had one thing that Grace pointed out...a family, a discipline system..a focus.

We have lost all of that.....do you know, to your point, that while I was in Tampa I discovered that groups got together to train others how to beat the system....how to insure you never work ?

I am for for doing all we can help, but we are doing a poor job of insuring it is done correctly, with compassion and fairness. By not even discussing welfare versus min wage is wrong...no matter the accuracy of the numbers. IT IS AN ISSUE....again, we seem to be predisposed to make every thing political instead of using common sense.

So what was the murder rate in the 30's when "crime was not happening like it is today'?
List of countries by intentional homicide rate by decade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate_by_ decade)

Don't you hate it when your assumptions are disproven by real data? 1930 murder rate 8.8 2011 rate 4.7 Not even close. I strongly agree that raising the minimum wage is part of a solution. My earlier post on the Cato institutes study was deleted as off topic, correctly by the moderator

[Bucco]

So what was the murder rate in the 30's when "crime was not happening like it is today'?
List of countries by intentional homicide rate by decade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate_by_ decade)

Don't you hate it when your assumptions are disproven by real data? 1930 murder rate 8.8 2011 rate 4.7 Not even close. I strongly agree that raising the minimum wage is part of a solution. My earlier post on the Cato institutes study was deleted as off topic, correctly by the moderator

I try to respond to anything addressed to me, whether good or bad, whether I am correct or not and thus will try here. I wish you did the same, as you seem to exclude things from your responses and simply pick and choose which is your right, but a message board is for sharing thoughts and I enjoy reading everyones. I actually witnessed first hand the solicitation of young men to join in learning how to beat the system in Tampa....how to defraud the IRS and never ever worry about working.

I looked up NO stats before thus will accept what you say....and I am sure now you can say you told me so, but I still believe your posting this is either just to show how smart you are or some sort of okay for the punks who do stuff like this....I dont know and actually dont care.

I still feel the same way about what is happening in this country. We (well not all we) seem to come up with an excuse and it IS and excuse about poverty,etc as some sort of excuse for these things.....obviously, that is a factor but we in this country are never going to have a dialogue as long as we excuse adults for their killing by discussing their bank account or lack of.

I will not bore you with my stats on poverty....I mean what I lived through...I am sure you do not care......but never...ever would I think of that as an excuse for anything. Poverty is what you and others bring up always, but the breakdown in the family (but then again, you might say that is not fair..they are this or that) is another reason. A problem never to be solved until we face it without all the reasons and just look for solutions.

Sorry for the lecture and thanks again for the crime stats.

To try and stay on the thread.....I, certainly, and I do not think that society should feel guilty about punks like these.....I,and I do not think society caused whatever their problems are. I am not sure what you think did but would like to hear...you obviously think poverty was one major reason and do not because also in Tampa, I saw many very poor families that had strong bonds and ties and made sure the kids had discipline and stressed education and working to them...and they were doing pretty good (I can PM someday and tell you of the black guy who made it to Tampa Tech ON HIS OWN (private school) and has a great future.....great family he had...poorer than you can ever imagine.

Anyway, disagreeing is fine...I no longer intend to blame crimes like this on society and political things.

[BobnBev]

I try to respond to anything addressed to me, whether good or bad, whether I am correct or not and thus will try here. I wish you did the same, as you seem to exclude things from your responses and simply pick and choose which is your right, but a message board is for sharing thoughts and I enjoy reading everyones. I actually witnessed first hand the solicitation of young men to join in learning how to beat the system in Tampa....how to defraud the IRS and never ever worry about working.

I looked up NO stats before thus will accept what you say....and I am sure now you can say you told me so, but I still believe your posting this is either just to show how smart you are or some sort of okay for the punks who do stuff like this....I dont know and actually dont care.

I still feel the same way about what is happening in this country. We (well not all we) seem to come up with an excuse and it IS and excuse about poverty,etc as some sort of excuse for these things.....obviously, that is a factor but we in this country are never going to have a dialogue as long as we excuse adults for their killing by discussing their bank account or lack of.

I will not bore you with my stats on poverty....I mean what I lived through...I am sure you do not care......but never...ever would I think of that as an excuse for anything. Poverty is what you and others bring up always, but the breakdown in the family (but then again, you might say that is not fair..they are this or that) is another reason. A problem never to be solved until we face it without all the reasons and just look for solutions.

Sorry for the lecture and thanks again for the crime stats.

To try and stay on the thread.....I, certainly, and I do not think that society should feel guilty about punks like these.....I,and I do not think society caused whatever their problems are. I am not sure what you think did but would like to hear...you obviously think poverty was one major reason and do not because also in Tampa, I saw many very poor families that had strong bonds and ties and made sure the kids had discipline and stressed education and working to them...and they were doing pretty good (I can PM someday and tell you of the black guy who made it to Tampa Tech ON HIS OWN (private school) and has a great future.....great family he had...poorer than you can ever imagine.

Anyway, disagreeing is fine...I no longer intend to blame crimes like this on society and political things.

BRAVO!!! BRAVO!!!:highfive::BigApplause::bigbow:

[gomoho]

Bucco - I don't think I would let society of the hook so easily. If these crimes weren't accepted by society I don't think they would be so rampant. And they are accepted when society keeps making excuses for why these things happen.

[graciegirl]

Blueash?
My grandfather was a police officer in Ohio for 37 years and never once fired his gun. I don't recall knowing anyone who was murdered growing up. I was discussing this issue with Sweetie that there were more murders per 100K some 40-50 years ago than now and we couldn't believe it. He had the same memories. Do you suppose there were more gang and mafia killings in the super big cities that caused these figures to be higher? Is someone a student of this kind of statistic that could explain this?

Why do you think raising the minimum wage would cause things to be better in this particular issue? If you don't want to work for eight dollars, you probably won't want to work for fifteen.

I see new residents here from Mexico working so hard in terrible heat and I think, watch out, these folks are gonna make good lives for themselves.

I so admire people who are willing to work for a living. Even a meager living. You have to start somewhere.

[Bay Kid]

Two issues raised in this discussion....first the issue of working versus not working.

We had a long discussion on a thread about the minimum wage here a short time ago. I never recall a thread or discussion on the raising of welfare levels.
Why do I bring this up...

"Bay State welfare recipients have little incentive to get jobs because government assistance pays better, according to a study by a Washington, D.C.-based libertarian think tank that pegs Massachusetts as the third-most generous in the nation in doling out welfare funds.

“Clearly, the level of benefits in Massachusetts acts as a disincentive to work,” said Michael Tanner, the lead author of the “Work Versus Welfare Trade-Off” study by the Cato Institute.

The institute found Massachusetts ranks third nationally with $42,515 in welfare benefits handed out to the “typical recipient,” behind Hawaii at $49,175, and Washington, D.C., at $43,099."

- See more at: Study: Welfare pays better | Boston Herald (http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/08/study_welfare_pays_better#sthash.Nb2L7Lvr.dpuf)

In 13 states it is much more attractive to be on welfare than working for minimum wage. Why work.......

Second, someone commented on the race. While I find discussion of race uncomfortable and actually distasteful, IF I am to believe those posters who posted on the Zimmerman thread, then the race of these punks is a definitive factor.

There is a race problem in this country and it is about time, we recognize it runs TWO ways, and not one. I, for one, am tired of being made to feel guilty.

BUT...as I think Gracie has said a number of times...it always go back to the family and parenting. We actually make fun of marriage and family life....we smile at divorce.....we have a laugh about folks getting pregnant not out of love or family but to increase the welfare check. We are then made to feel guilty for discussing it.....what can you expect to come from generations of this ?

I could live on +$40,000. a year, make a little extra on the side and have tons of free time. NO WAY! I will EARN half and be happy.

[blueash]

Blueash?
My grandfather was a police officer in Ohio for 37 years and never once fired his gun. I don't recall knowing anyone who was murdered growing up. I was discussing this issue with Sweetie that there were more murders per 100K some 40-50 years ago than now and we couldn't believe it. He had the same memories. Do you suppose there were more gang and mafia killings in the super big cities that caused these figures to be higher? Is someone a student of this kind of statistic that could explain this?

Why do you think raising the minimum wage would cause things to be better in this particular issue? If you don't want to work for eight dollars, you probably won't want to work for fifteen.

I see new residents here from Mexico working so hard in terrible heat and I think, watch out, these folks are gonna make good lives for themselves.

I so admire people who are willing to work for a living. Even a meager living. You have to start somewhere.

Great questions. I can't really offer real data, as I prefer to do, when asked for information so all I have to offer is possibilities. The murder rate is about half of what it was in the 30's. There is no information I could find on who the victims were and whether murders were connected to organized crime. I didn't know anyone murdered as I grew up in Western New York, and I have known no one who has ever been murdered in my life. Mrs BA however had a uncle murdered in the 60's in his store in Dayton OH, no suspect ever caught.
I think many have the sense that there are more of these crimes for the simple reason that we have CNN, Fox, MSNBC, TOTV etc. with a propensity to bring any horrible events to our attention. In the past we had 25 mins of national news which focused on the big issues of the day both national and international and local news was 10 minutes news, 10 minutes weather, and 10 minutes sports. So we didn't hear about murders in Oklahoma or kidnappings in Aruba, or have Nancy Grace and Gretta finding the attractive white female victim or suspect of the day to broadcast into our consciousness 60 minutes a day.
I don't know that this is the right thread for discussion of the pros and cons of raising the minimum wage and what impact it might have on crime. Crime occurs in all socio-economic groups (Bernie Madoff) but "street" crime is more common in lower SE groups. Envy or hunger, lack of role models, lack of education, or myriad other factors whatever the triggers crossover to crime is more likely to happen when there is hopelessness. When you and I were kids the country believed in upward mobility. Then if you got a job at Ford or in the steel mill or as a teacher you would be paid a wage that would support a family on one income and included fringe benefits and maybe even a pension. There are plenty of people here in TV living well on government or private industry pensions who came from poverty and had the great fortune to be born into an economy that had that kind of opportunity. Stay out of trouble and be willing to work hard and you will be well cared for by the structure of the nation. That economy is GONE. Even for college graduates, even with masters and doctorates there is no clear path to success.
Immigrants have always been a great asset to America. The people who are willing to travel across oceans or across borders are risk takers, hard workers, dreamers willing to take risks for the possibility of improving their lives and thereby the lives of their family and our community. Please let them keep coming. I certainly agree that if every American had the work ethic and gumption of our immigrants that would be a great thing. But it is not a realistic option. We are getting some of the best of the best willing to live here under minimum living standards and putting up with a foreign culture and language and by the way the highly negative attitude of a segment of our nation toward them, to have a chance. Suffice it to say that if we make our poor starving poor, hopeless poor, sick poor, desperate poor then the number who will turn to crime will only increase. "Only two of the 33 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) devote a smaller share of their economic output to programs that help poor families make ends meet than the United States – Mexico and South Korea." We are not over helping our disadvantaged. Too long a post. sorry

[manaboutown]

Looks like they apprehended this thug. Manhunt in WWII Vet's Beating Death Ends with Teen's Arrest - Yahoo! (http://gma.yahoo.com/manhunt-wwii-vets-beating-death-ends-teens-arrest-165603257--abc-news-topstories.html?vp=1)

He apparently received help while on the lam and others have been arrested for rendering criminal assistance. Great news!

[buggyone]

WWII vet, 88, brutally beaten to death in Spokane, Wash. - U.S. News (http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/23/20145461-wwii-vet-88-brutally-beaten-to-death-in-spokane-wash?lite)

My uncles fought in WWII. This gentleman was 88 years old. Again this was teens, more than one. How absolutely awful and cowardly and senseless. I cannot think of a punishment bad enough. They killed him by beating him. What could motivate such a thing?

What could motivate such a thing?

Check page A10 of this morning's (8/28) Daily Sun. Apparently, the 88 year old veteran was the crack cocaine dealer to the teenagers and he had shorted them on a recent transaction.

[graciegirl]

What could motivate such a thing?

Check page A10 of this morning's (8/28) Daily Sun. Apparently, the 88 year old veteran was the crack cocaine dealer to the teenagers and he had shorted them on a recent transaction.

Read the article again, kiddo.

This "information" was in a letter from one of the teens arrested to his mom giving her reasons why he did it.

I am very skeptical.

[elizabeth52]

The article does not identify him as a crack dealer! It only says that the teen claims that he was. Big difference. The police say that there is no evidence to support this claim.

[buggyone]

Personally, I would not believe that the WWII veteran was a crack dealer. The letter found on one of the teens is just a smokescreen to create some doubt. Obviously, the teen was not a pillar of society but still knew some of the legal ins and outs of the judicial system.

As always, these little filler articles in the newspapers do not go into any depth - and that is not a reflection on the Daily Sun. I like the Daily Sun a lot.