9-Year-Old Murders Five Family Members

Kids usually aren’t contemplating murder against people. From 1980 until 2008, only 0.5% Of homicide offenders were juveniles under the age of 14. Children under the age of 14 do commit murder, however, leaving court systems, parents, and of course, the public up in arms concerning punishment or lack thereof.

Science tells us children understand death between the ages of 5 to 7. By this age, kids understand the irreversibility of death. We also know that by age 8, kids understand crime and criminals and think of them in as “bad” people.

Yet, prosecuting a 60-pound kid with an innocent face seems unfathomable to most people. At what age should children be held responsible for serious crimes like murder?

The Goodfield Arson

On April 6, 2019, 9-year-old Kyle Alwood set fire to his family’s mobile home while they slept, killing five people.

Those who perished in the fire include his two half-siblings, Ariel and Daemeaon Wall; 2-year-old cousin Rose Alwood; maternal great-grandmother, Kathryn Murray; and his stepfather, Jason Wall.

Kyle’s mother, Katrina, was in the mobile home at the time of the fire, however, she managed to escape the blaze without any serious injuries.

Autopsies later revealed that all five victims died from smoke inhalation.

Police charged Alwood with five counts of first-degree murder as well as arson and other charges in October 2019 after an investigation.

Katrina said:

I stood at the window and I told my kids I was sorry I couldn’t save them, Mommy was right here and I loved them. You know, so, at least hopefully they heard that. I told Jason I loved him… And then something told me that they’re gone.

I don’t know what’s worse. Hearing him [Jason] scream or when it stopped.

--CBS

Kyle Alwood Unfit to Stand Trial

Katrina told reporters that she felt her son should pay for the crimes but feels that the family has suffered enough loss. The child had recently been diagnosed with several disorders, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD.)

Other family members disagreed with Katrina, stating they felt he should pay severely for his crimes.

The court charged him as a juvenile. He faced up to five years probation if convicted. His young age rendered him ineligible for time behind bars if convicted.

However, the court found Alwood unfit to stand trial and unlikely to become fit within one year of the court date. To prosecute a person for a crime, they must understand that they committed a crime. The court did not feel that Kyle understood the magnitude of what had occurred.

Age of Responsibility

The age of responsibility, or age at which a child can be held criminally responsible and charged with a crime, varies in each state in the U.S. More than half (28) of U.S. states have no minimum age for which they can prosecute a child for a criminal offense.

In countries outside the U.S., the age of responsibility also varies. In Afghanistan, for example, the age is 7 years old. Other countries, unlike the U.S., allow children to be placed in jail and/or receive the death penalty.

No child as young as this one has been accused in a mass killing since at least 2006, according to the AP/USATODAY/Northeastern University mass murder database.

Resources & More Information:

https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/crime/2020/07/09/boy-charged-in-woodford-arson-deaths-found-unfit-for-trial/42786601/

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