Comments about ‘Miss Riverton, three others charged with felony bomb possession’

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Published: Friday, Aug. 9 2013 5:05 p.m. MDT

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South Jordan, UT

And, she will face charges as an adult since she is 18 years old along with the other three. Tragic consequences for stupid behavior by young people who should have known better. I'll bet their parents are really sick about this. They are now going to be punished as well by bad publicity and costly legal fees, let alone jail/prison time for their youngsters! Every parent needs to explain actions and consequences to their youth. This was mindless and needless!

I know it. I Live it. I Love it.
Salt Lake City, UT

If it was indeed "simply" to scare friends, then I believe the law should consider this.

"Felon" literally means someone who is evil, wicked, or essentially someone that needs to be cast out to preserve the good, like a cancer. Drug dealers are felons. An 18 year old intentionally harming someone else, who has hatred in their heart, wanting to kill them or cause them injury.... they are a felon.

A bunch of 18 year olds acting like idiots, reckless and dangerous... doesn't mean we need to throw their lives away. I'd probably give them the harshest possible punishment short of a felony, maybe even a few punishments. But I wouldn't take their lives away for being stupid.

The point of the justice system is to correct and teach. Odds are, they have already learned most of that lesson with how serious they are now being treated. Make them serve small time, and then a boat load of community service.

I'd treat them hard even if necessary. I just don't agree with marking them as felons (aka: forever un-hire-able) and taking 10 years away from them.


To BYU Alum -- oh, if only explaining to children about actions and consequences would truly prevent them from making poor choices, many parents would be spared a lot of heartache! These four youth definitely made poor choices, and should be punished, but maybe with some leniency. I suspect their humiliation will be some punishment for them. I feel badly for their parents.


Clint Mecham knows that his statement is pure hyperbole.

All 'bombs' meant to injure people have nails or other sharp metal objects as components that become projectiles when exploded that would cause "severing of limbs".

Perhaps Mecham is merely trying to discourage other teens from large homemade firecracker making and pranks?

Go Utes, CA

Sounds like a huge overreaction. Give them a fine and community service. Let him who never made a dry ice bomb cast the first stone.

Sugar City, ID

It's a "dumb kid thing" but unfortunately, these kids are considered adults. Their lives shouldn't be ruined by this. It could be turned into a positive if they could talk to youths and youth organizations about what they did. How it has negatively affected their lives, and caution other youths about not doing the sort of thing they did. Hearing a warning from another youth could be much more powerful than from any number of adults.

no fit in SG
St.George, Utah

Life is different now. It is no longer 1960 or 1980.
The world is filled with dangerous, disturbed, unpredictable individuals.
No one can expect law enforcement and the judicial system to differentiate between a childish prank and terrorism.
That is what parents better be teaching their children in 2013.

Saint George, UT

@ I this I that and all the other bunk.... Seriously their parents should have taught them period. Let me explain it as plain as possible "don't do the crime, if you can't do the time". DOH!

Let's be real
Salt Lake City, UT

Yawn. I am tired of hearing this. The only reason we have to keep reading about it is because a seemingly great person like Miss Riverton is now an ugly monster who go around scaring friends with toys they probably should not be playing with. Yes, they should not be doing that, yes we as adults tried stupid things but either never got caught or nobody cared enough to do anything about it. Now we have to pay our police and journalists to sensationalize stories and make something from sometimes nothing in order to get us to read. I'm tired...yawn.


This is ridiculous! The statement about the bombs severing limbs "depending on the chemicals used" is like saying that drink you spiked with lots of sour lemons and gave your brother could kill him depending on what you put in it. These kids were foolish. They were kids. All charges should be dropped knowing that they have indeed "learned their lesson." Did they destroy property? Did they try to harm or actually harm anybody? No and no. The authorities are being more stupid than the kids were.

St.George, Utah

Has anyone done research to see if other young women have been in this sort of a situation following winning the crown of Queen in a city beauty contest?
This young lady's judgement and maturity, most likely, is not up to par.
It must also be a wake up call for the judges?
Perhaps there are some added questions included in the on stage interview at next year's Pageant?

CHS 85
Sandy, UT

If her last name was Martinez or Gomez would all of you be saying it was a harmless prank?

Calgary, 00

No one seems to be considering the people who were to be scared. Throwing homemade "bombs", even without nails, is more than a childish prank. Having 4 of them pop or explode around me as I came to my home would certainly scare me. Those 4 were sending a message and it wasn't Boy, do we ever love you.

george of the jungle
goshen, UT

I'm no angel, I had some dumb things I'm not proud of doing. Ya live and learn. Forgiveness has a purpose. Because I got a brake, a second chance, mistakes as an idiot child can be forgiven. I'm still an idiot sometimes. I hope I will always be loved and cared enough to be forgiven as I live and learn.

Bountiful, UT

Is it asking too much that the winners of these contests be good looking AND have some intelligence?

Bountiful, UT

Re Happylife

The statement that said depending on what chemicals are put in to these bombs they could separate limbs is not ridiculous. If the right materials were put into these bombs they could have blown up entire cities. For example had they put uranium 235 the entire wasatch Front could have gone up in smoke.

Reasonable Person
Layton, UT

These bombs contained Drano, and if anyone had come out of one of the targeted houses, they could have lost their eyesight, fingers, skin or life.

The aluminum foil doesn't vaporize, either. It becomes mini-shrapnel, and can imbed itself in your skin.

The apologists here should pour Drano on a piece of meat and watch.
For years, Utah kids were "scared" by pouring Coca-Cola over meat (by teachers apparently unaware of stomach acids).

Ticonderoga, NY

Once upon a time, I was a kid. All my friends were kids. If I recall correctly, most, if not all of us could have been arrested at some point for one crime or another. (Trespassing, littering, pulling pranks, setting off firecrackers, speeding, and (I'm sorry to say) underage drinking and smoking. The good news is, no parents or neighbors or police overacted. Nobody thought our lives were worthless, or that we were evil. We got yelled at, punished, and it was forgotten. We learned our lesson and moved on. I see little or no difference between what these kids did (I know they are 18, and in some cases I would take that into consideration, but not in this case) and tossing water balloons (given that they were not thrown at anyone). In this case, I think the grownups involved should grow up....

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