GUILTY CA - Jeremy Rourke, 15, beaten to death, Palmdale, 12 April 2005

Harriet_Eagle

New Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2004
Messages
12
Reaction score
1
Website
www.whodunitcrime.bravehost.com
PALMDALE, California (AP) -- A 13-year-old pitcher was accused of clubbing a teenage friend to death with a baseball bat, moments after the friend apparently teased him at a concession stand following his baseball team's first loss of the season.

The teen suspect, whose name was not released, was arrested Wednesday for investigation of murder and was being held at Antelope Valley Juvenile Hall as authorities prepared to take the case to prosecutors.

He is suspected of killing Jeremy Rourke, 15, after the Tuesday night Pony League game in the desert city of Palmdale about 40 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

The boys had no history of fighting, said Tony Trevino, coach of the Dodgers, which had just defeated the suspect's team, the Angels, when the clubbing took place.

"That's what's so shocking and so appalling," he said. "What happened? What did we miss as a community? What did we miss as parents?"

At the playing field Wednesday night, a family friend read a statement from Rourke's parents, who urged people not to demonize their son's attacker.

He "is not a monster. He's a good boy who made a bad mistake. This is a mistake that will haunt both families for the rest of our lives," the statement said.

The suspect was the starting pitcher when his team was beaten for the first time in eight games by the Dodgers, a team that went into the game with a 1-6 record.

Deputies declined to provide further details of the attack. It occurred during a regular weekday night game that attracts children and their parents in this community of 116,000.

Ryan Gosporra, 15, said the incident began when Rourke cut in front of the suspect in the snack bar line. Neither he nor Trevino saw the attack that occurred after the last game of the night with about 40 people at the field.

But Trevino, 50, said witnesses told him the two boys teased each other before the suspect pulled a bat from his bag and hit Rourke in the knees, then the head.

After the attack, Trevino saw the suspect standing against a fence with his parents. "He looked scared. He was in shock," the coach said.

League officials said play would be suspended at the field for several days.

"We're really in a state of shock over this whole thing," league President Ken Curtis said. Rourke's father is a past president of the league.

A memorial was held at Highland High School, where Rourke attended classes. Students shared memories, and a bundle of pink and black balloons was released in honor of him.

"He's just a funny kid. He liked to make people smile," Gosporra said. "You could be in the worst mood, and he would make you laugh."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/14/baseball.killing.ap/index.html
 
Harriet,
Welcome to the Boards! :blowkiss:

That is just a hideous story. I can't imagine the both family's pain.

Please, when posting a story, just copy a little bit to give us an idea of the story and then post the link. You might want to go back and edit your post.
Hugs, GM
 
At the playing field Wednesday night, a family friend read a statement from Rourke's parents, who urged people not to demonize their son's attacker.

He "is not a monster. He's a good boy who made a bad mistake. This is a mistake that will haunt both families for the rest of our lives," the statement said.

********

I have to hand it to this boy's parents.....I seriously doubt I'd be able to say something like this if it were my son who was killed.
 
lisalou said:
At the playing field Wednesday night, a family friend read a statement from Rourke's parents, who urged people not to demonize their son's attacker.

He "is not a monster. He's a good boy who made a bad mistake. This is a mistake that will haunt both families for the rest of our lives," the statement said.

********

I have to hand it to this boy's parents.....I seriously doubt I'd be able to say something like this if it were my son who was killed.

Me neither, someone would have to hide all the golf clubs from me. :(
 
This is such a sad story, nobody but nobody comes out unscathed.

I feel so sorry for the parents of the murdered child, and feel awful for the suspect and his family as well. And for all of those people that were there at the game? This will effect all of these people for a very long time to come.
 
Unfortunately sports seem to bring out this sort of behavior in people...to kill over being teased for losing??!! The kid obviously needs some anger management....he will have to live with it for the rest of his life. Too sad...
 
From July 2005:

http://articles.latimes.com/2005/jul/30/local/me-bat30

The mother of a 13-year-old Pony League player convicted of murdering another boy with a baseball bat said angrily Friday that her son did not receive a fair trial.

"It was one-sided," said Gigi Harris in a telephone interview from her Palmdale home, one day after her son was sentenced to 12 years in the California Youth Authority, the maximum possible term for an offender his age.
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
72
Guests online
961
Total visitors
1,033

Forum statistics

Threads
589,923
Messages
17,927,708
Members
228,002
Latest member
zipperoni
Back
Top