WI - Angelo Crisafulli, 55, shot to death, Delton, 19 Jan 2010 *Arrest*

Friends and family say the boy is autistic. He says he exploded in a "balloon of anger" and shot his father. He will be tried as an adult.

http://http://www.channel3000.com/news/22282807/detail.html

Shamrock said:

He will be tried as an adult.

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He is charged as an adult now, but it is possible he could be waived back into juvenile court. In WI, anyone older than 10 who is charged with 1st degree homicide is automatically in adult court, but after the preliminary hearing, the defense could move to have him back in juvenile court, since he is under 17.

Another article, with much of the same information: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/lo...cle_e6a0cf7c-05e1-11df-b8b7-001cc4c002e0.html

This is really, really sad.

RLynne said:

He is charged as an adult now, but it is possible he could be waived back into juvenile court. In WI, anyone older than 10 who is charged with 1st degree homicide is automatically in adult court, but after the preliminary hearing, the defense could move to have him back in juvenile court, since he is under 17.

Another article, with much of the same information: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/lo...cle_e6a0cf7c-05e1-11df-b8b7-001cc4c002e0.html

This is really, really sad.

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Thanks for the info. I'm in WI but don't know much about the laws so I didn't know that.

Shamrock said:

Thanks for the info. I'm in WI but don't know much about the laws so I didn't know that.

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I see you list your location as "Nerd Town Central"--you in Madison too???

This case reminds me of the Eric Hainstock case (kid that shot his principal at Weston High) for some reason.

very sad
I hope he gets moved back to juvenile and gets the help he needs

http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/82165587.html

A 55-year-old man is dead in Sauk County and his 13-year-old son says he's the killer.

Just after nine on Tuesday night, Lake Delton Police responded to a call at the local Wal-Mart. There was a boy wandering around. When they arrived, they identified the boy as Michael Crisafulli and then tried to get a hold of his father. That's when they discovered the body of Angelo Crisafulli... better known as "Nick"... at his Town of Delton home on Shady Lane Road. He'd been shot in the head.

He's being charged as an adult with first-degree intentional homicide. Michael Crisafulli's bond was set at $500,000 cash.

Pat Barrett the Sauk County District Attorney says, " I'm bound by statute to charge him as an adult initially. The process essentially is one that would allow his counsel to request his being taken out of the adult court and being placed in juvenile court."

Why are so many young children becoming killers lately?

The saddest thing here to me is the element of autism. People with spectrum disorder run the gamut and can be extremely compliant and kind to aggressive and violent. Some are considered high-functioning and can exhibit savant type behaviors while others are locked in a world of their own and unable to communicate at all. Spectrum disorder and autism is SO much more than what is depicted in "Rainman".

Because our country is experiencing a literal tsunami of children diagnosed with this disorder, schools and social services are struggling to keep up. Parenting education and training is sadly lacking. Budgets cuts are hacking away at services such as respite care, in home help, and social and life skills assistance.

Without knowing more about this child, it's impossible to know if he was prone to impulsive acts. Many children with autism are, however. I have an beautiful and bright but autistic granddaughter who's broken her mother's wrist during a rage. She was only 7 at the time. She had no remorse as she didn't understand the gravity of the action.

This case is so tragic as it seems that this man genuinely loved and cared for his special needs son. However, his death is not unprecedented. A number of high profile cases have occurred in the last few years where a loved one was killed or seriously harmed by a child with autism, overly a seemingly minor matter.

IMO, there should never be weapons of any kind in a home where a child with spectrum disorder lives or visits. That's a given. Autistic kids perseverate and memorize details. Even if this Dad thought he'd successfully locked up his guns, most likely his son would have known the code to gain access.

Secondly, every family with a child with a diagnosed disorder which includes impulsivity, bouts of rage and violence, or lack of understanding of consequences needs to have a safety plan. Children with autism are typically clients of some form of Developmental Disabilities agency--state or county based--and can receive case management help from these agencies. It is every family's right and responsibility to advocate for as many services as available. Parenting a child with autism is typically exhausting.

I fully recognize that I always attempt to analyze "why" a crime occurred. I'm so driven to figure out how we can prevent similar tragedies from happening. This death didn't have to happen. I have no doubt in my mind that this young man is asking for his Dad today and not understanding why he can't see him. That's what breaks my heart.

Two good resources to learn more:

http://www.autismspeaks.org/

"Autism affects one in 110 children, one in 70 boys and figures are growing"

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism


I read somewhere recently that there's no one left in the US who doesn't know at least one person somehow touched by autism. That's quite thought-provoking.

One of the recent cases that hit pretty close to home:

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/autistic_teen_charged_in_coos.html

"An 18-year-old autistic man who reportedly attacked one of his special education instructors last year now faces murder charges in the death of his father's girlfriend earlier this week in Coos Bay, authorities say."

FWIW, we fostered a young man, aged 16, with autism and mental retardation for several months last year. He was loving, engaging, helpful, and silly. Sadly, he was prone to sudden rages. He attacked me one afternoon with a pointed umbrella when I told him that he'd had enough cookies. The police came and calmed him down and he just couldn't understand why I was perturbed with him. He just wanted more cookies. Needless to say, that dear boy now lives in a more "secure" environment but I do email him. The impulisivity and lack of understanding of consequences (much like a toddler) is what is so worrisome. Our guy weighed 250 pounds, while I weigh 110. The young man in Coos Bay is also a large person.

Missizzy said:

OBE--Shamrock already started a thread on this sad case. I just posted on it which should bring it back to the front page. Thanks for reminding us, though. We need to watch how this plays out.

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Maybe the moderators can merge the threads.

I watched HLN and they had this case on and showed the boy in court.

Mike Salanos had a psychiatrist on and she said it is unusual to see an autistic child shed tears or show much emotions. She said she would like to know about his autistic history.

imo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curious_Incident_of_the_Dog_in_the_Night-time

"The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-time" by Mark Haddon is an excellent fictional account of what it must feel like to have spectrum disorder. This is short book and appropriate for anyone from the mid-teens up. You'll never forget Christopher, the young protagonist, nor look at people with autism quite the same way again.

Some have said that the author attributes Christopher with far too much insight but I still think it's worth a read. Granted, the fictional Christopher has a higher functioning form of autism than the young man in Wisconsin but there's many similarities. Every educator I know, as well as parents of special needs kids, rate it quite highly. I think it should be on every high school reading list. It's been out for several years now, and has won several awards. It's available at any library or book store.