JuicE68
02-15-2007, 10:19 AM
Web threat snares youth
DHS student wrote of plot to kill teacher
Published Sunday, February 11, 2007
By Brian Knox
A Decatur High School freshman has been arrested after making a death threat against a DHS teacher on a popular Web site.
Decatur Police Chief Rex Hoskins said a 14-year-old boy was arrested after his mother discovered a posting the boy made on the Web site MySpace.com. The posting – a “bulletin” which is sent to certain friends – contained what appeared to be a death threat against journalism teacher Cindy Berry.
Hoskins said the MySpace.com posting was made last Monday, Feb. 5, and was discovered by the boy’s mother when the Web site was left open on a computer. Because the boy was already on probation for a previous crime, the mother called his probation officer, who in turn called Decatur police.
The wording of the post was a definite concern, Hoskins said.
“It is kind of shocking,” he said. “From dealing with him before, I think the boy has some kind of problems. I definitely think he has a hate problem.”
In the post, the boy talks about plans to kill “her and her family” and says he planned to kill Berry the next day at school. (See below for complete message.)
Decatur police have dealt with the boy previously, Hoskins said, for criminal mischief (slashing tires), theft and running away. All of those instances have taken place since last June.
Decatur police arrested the boy Monday on a charge of terroristic threat of a public servant, a Class A misdemeanor. Hoskins said the boy did not show any remorse when officers told him why he was being arrested. He remains in a Denton juvenile facility.
Two days after the arrest, a witness came forward with additional postings the boy had made on MySpace.com on Jan. 2 in which he describes in graphic detail how he “killed her last week.” He tells another poster that “i wish u were ther to watch but owell, mabey next teacher, ok?”
Hoskins said he was obtaining a subpoena from the district attorney’s office to serve to MySpace.com to turn over other posts the boy may have made on the Web site.
“We want to see if any other parties are involved,” Hoskins said.
Cindy Berry’s husband Joe, also a teacher at Decatur High School, said his wife was declining comment at this time. He said they both have had the student in their classes, but they had no idea of the boy’s level of anger.
“We both had him in the classroom setting, but it really took us totally by surprise that he was feeling this way ... We were really dumbfounded,” he said.
He declined to comment on the type of student the boy was, but he said he knew of no verbal threats made by the boy against his family.
Decatur Superintendent Gary Gindt said a disciplinary hearing could be held as early as next week if the boy is available to attend the meeting.
“That could result in any number of things, including expulsion of the child,” Gindt said.
He added that the district is taking the incident “very seriously.”
Decatur High School principal Melinda Reeves was not at school Friday and could not be reached for comment.
Hoskins said he didn’t know if the boy intended to actually carry out the threat.
“If he’s gone that far, he apparently has a problem,” Hoskins said. “He had a dislike for her. We don’t know the reason why.”
Officers were expected to interview the boy’s family members and search for more evidence in the case. They also planned on interviewing the boy.
His next juvenile hearing is scheduled for Feb. 20, Hoskins said, and he didn’t know what punishment the boy would receive.
“They could send him to TYC (Texas Youth Commission). Obviously, probation ain’t working,” he said.
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Text of the Feb. 5 MySpace.com posting by the student exactly as it appeared:
“yes, if u are not informed yet, i do dislike mrs.berry as kody just told us, we have made numberous plans to kill her and her family but never gottin around to it, if its ok with kody then i think were goin to kill her tomorrow at school, LOOK OUT MRS. BERRY!!!!!! IM AFTER U! if u need the details on how im going to kill her, just comment me and i’ll give u one of my hard copies, i think i’ve got 7-8 mill diff ideas, no real sure”
DHS student wrote of plot to kill teacher
Published Sunday, February 11, 2007
By Brian Knox
A Decatur High School freshman has been arrested after making a death threat against a DHS teacher on a popular Web site.
Decatur Police Chief Rex Hoskins said a 14-year-old boy was arrested after his mother discovered a posting the boy made on the Web site MySpace.com. The posting – a “bulletin” which is sent to certain friends – contained what appeared to be a death threat against journalism teacher Cindy Berry.
Hoskins said the MySpace.com posting was made last Monday, Feb. 5, and was discovered by the boy’s mother when the Web site was left open on a computer. Because the boy was already on probation for a previous crime, the mother called his probation officer, who in turn called Decatur police.
The wording of the post was a definite concern, Hoskins said.
“It is kind of shocking,” he said. “From dealing with him before, I think the boy has some kind of problems. I definitely think he has a hate problem.”
In the post, the boy talks about plans to kill “her and her family” and says he planned to kill Berry the next day at school. (See below for complete message.)
Decatur police have dealt with the boy previously, Hoskins said, for criminal mischief (slashing tires), theft and running away. All of those instances have taken place since last June.
Decatur police arrested the boy Monday on a charge of terroristic threat of a public servant, a Class A misdemeanor. Hoskins said the boy did not show any remorse when officers told him why he was being arrested. He remains in a Denton juvenile facility.
Two days after the arrest, a witness came forward with additional postings the boy had made on MySpace.com on Jan. 2 in which he describes in graphic detail how he “killed her last week.” He tells another poster that “i wish u were ther to watch but owell, mabey next teacher, ok?”
Hoskins said he was obtaining a subpoena from the district attorney’s office to serve to MySpace.com to turn over other posts the boy may have made on the Web site.
“We want to see if any other parties are involved,” Hoskins said.
Cindy Berry’s husband Joe, also a teacher at Decatur High School, said his wife was declining comment at this time. He said they both have had the student in their classes, but they had no idea of the boy’s level of anger.
“We both had him in the classroom setting, but it really took us totally by surprise that he was feeling this way ... We were really dumbfounded,” he said.
He declined to comment on the type of student the boy was, but he said he knew of no verbal threats made by the boy against his family.
Decatur Superintendent Gary Gindt said a disciplinary hearing could be held as early as next week if the boy is available to attend the meeting.
“That could result in any number of things, including expulsion of the child,” Gindt said.
He added that the district is taking the incident “very seriously.”
Decatur High School principal Melinda Reeves was not at school Friday and could not be reached for comment.
Hoskins said he didn’t know if the boy intended to actually carry out the threat.
“If he’s gone that far, he apparently has a problem,” Hoskins said. “He had a dislike for her. We don’t know the reason why.”
Officers were expected to interview the boy’s family members and search for more evidence in the case. They also planned on interviewing the boy.
His next juvenile hearing is scheduled for Feb. 20, Hoskins said, and he didn’t know what punishment the boy would receive.
“They could send him to TYC (Texas Youth Commission). Obviously, probation ain’t working,” he said.
-----
Text of the Feb. 5 MySpace.com posting by the student exactly as it appeared:
“yes, if u are not informed yet, i do dislike mrs.berry as kody just told us, we have made numberous plans to kill her and her family but never gottin around to it, if its ok with kody then i think were goin to kill her tomorrow at school, LOOK OUT MRS. BERRY!!!!!! IM AFTER U! if u need the details on how im going to kill her, just comment me and i’ll give u one of my hard copies, i think i’ve got 7-8 mill diff ideas, no real sure”