Finally a comment that considers the plight of this young man that brought him to this place.  There are too many like him that start life out in the negative digits.   Some people that start life way below others do make it in life & don't become murderers, but I don't think this is the norm. I read about two boys that were black (which was already a strike against them) that were in prison.  Both their IQs were really low. Doesn't mean that their IQ was that low to begin with. There is something disturbing when you hear that one young man was passed around for sex to his buddies by his step-father. The other boy's mom sat him on a hot burner on the stove to punish him for being a bad boy. I guess this taught him to not behave! Yeah, right. It doesn't mean that they should go free, but I guess I can feel some compassion for people like this due to their circumstances. Also, statements like "I was treated badly and I turned out okay." You weren't born with his basic traits.