Xbox-Obsessed Father Convicted of Child's Death

[meegbear]

A Philadelphia man who spent long hours each day playing video games was convicted Tuesday of killing his 17-month-old daughter when she pulled down his Xbox console.

Prosecutors believe Tyrone Spellman pummeled Alayiah Turman, cracking her skull several times, while her pregnant mother napped in another room in September 2006.

Jurors rejected arguments that Spellman confessed to protect the mother and convicted him of third-degree murder and child endangerment. He was acquitted of first-degree murder. He could be sentenced to about 23 to 47 years in prison.

Spellman fled the house after the beating, and the mother, Mia Turman, had no reason to go in the bedroom where the baby was found, prosecutors said.

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http://gameinvasion.comcast.net/gameinvasion/news/article/1201794900546_xboxobsessed_father_convicted_of_childs_death

[LanternWaste]

1. I think we've found the New & Improved Opiate of the Masses...

Sorry, television! Move over religion-- I think we've found the New & Improved Opiate of the Masses...

[Pawel K]

2. Or maybe this asshole was just fucking nuts

and anything could have thrown him over the edge, it didn't have to be a video game.

As Chris Rock said, what happened to just plain crazy? Why do we have to find something to blame for this every time.

[LanternWaste]

9. The x-box doesn't make people kill any more than religion does.

it was a fucking joke. The x-box doesn't make people kill any more than religion does. Anyway, opiates don't really kill, do they?

[Chovexani]

13. I think the problem is there are pearl-clutchers at DU

Who really do feel that way, and take every game-related thread as a chance to get their Tipper on. So there's a tendency to go on auto-defense.

Too many aggro posters...:P

[Pawel K]

17. Sorry, I got a little defensive.

[MountainLaurel]

16. I'd guess this wasn't his first violent act

Usually these events are preceded by 1000 other little incidents.

[FormerDittoHead]

5. No excuses for the murderer, but there's nothing "new" about video games...

Xbox live has over *SIX* *MILLION* Members.

I play Xbox as well, but I'm not a subscriber...

That's just one system, not even PC games..

"World of Warcraft" Behind Brutal Child Murder in Houston
http://www.larouchepac.com/news/2007/12/03/world-warcraft-behind-brutal-child-murder-houston.html

December 3, 2007 (LPAC)--The Houston Chronicle has been covering the story of an unidentified body of a little girl found in Galveston Bay. She had been brutally beaten. Last week, she was identified, and her mother and step-father were arrested, and charged with her murder.

On Sunday, the Houston Chronicle ran a lengthy profile of the case, presenting evidence that the mother - who had been a top student in her high school in a Cleveland suburb - had become obsessed with the online video game, World of Warcraft (made by Blizzard, now part of Activision Blizzard), spending hours at a time online, all this after giving birth to her daughter. She met her future husband, and baby killer, online....

[LanternWaste]

8. it was a fucking joke.

it was a fucking joke.

Saying the x-box makes someone kill is as absurdest as saying religion makes some kill.

Jesus-- replace the word religion with x-box and knickers get twisted...

[FormerDittoHead]

10. Learn to use the :sarcasm: thingy for next time...

You don't have to be a right wing fundamentalist to agree with what you wrote...

There are people RIGHT HERE AT DU that would *agree* with what you wrote...

[Chovexani]

14. My problem with cases like that

Is that if it wasn't for gaming, they'd have neglected their kids in some other way. This isn't even a new phenonmenon, as anyone who ever played a MUD can attest to. I've been gaming online for damn near 14 years in some form or another, and I've met any number of people who should have had their kids taken away because they spent too much time gaming.

But you know what? If they weren't neglecting their kids by gaming 24/7, they'd be out at bars getting wasted every night, smoking pot 24/7 and being one of those stoners that give MJ enthusiasts a bad rep, or bringing a constant stream of skanky one night stands to the house. Irresponsible people will be irresponsible no matter what. Crazy people will be crazy no matter what. It's just that the mainstream doesn't "get" gaming, so they blame it because it's the sexy thing to do, and it gives them an easy out from actually having to buckle down and deal with the mental health epidemic in this country.

Just like they blamed the goth community when Columbine happened, just like they blame Marilyn Manson...the beat goes on. I'm just waiting for the next youth-oriented trend to start getting blamed for shit.

[FormerDittoHead]

15. Exactly. It will be something like the "text messaging teen murderers"... n/t

[ProgressiveFool]

6. I have an XBox, and it doesn't cause me to do things like that

Then again, it's the old one, not the 360.

Just to be safe, though, let's take them all away.

[LanternWaste]

7. I guess we'll go back to religion as the trendy opiate of the masses.

Sheesh, pal. Do all people who say television dumbs people down want them banned? Do all people who say religion is the opiate of the masses want religion banned?

Wow-- replace the word religion in a sentence with X-box and everyone gets their knickers in a twist...

It was a fucking joke.


But since religion doesn't cause all adherents to behave erratically either, maybe the entire "Opiate of the Masses" was in and of itself just some attractively packaged bullshit, too...

[ProgressiveFool]

11. actually, I don't disagree with the whole "Opiate of the masses" idea

X-Box, reality-tv, comic books, most of pop culture, yes it does tend to placate the general public, and I know far too many people who are concerned only with keeping up with the latest developments on American Idol, etc. Like anything, it must be taken in moderation or it can become a crutch, a pain-killer, an escape. That said, I take part in all of them :)

I just objected to the notion that the X-Box drove the guy to kill.

[walldude]

3. Not sure what's more disgusting,

this guy who kills his own kid or the media trying to blame X-Box.

[MrCoffee]

12. Where do you see "the media trying to blame X-Box"?

I didn't get that anywhere in the article.

[dysfunctional press]

4. are they allowed video games in prison?

i know that at least some are allowed tv's in their cells...what about video games?

this could be the guy's dream set-up.

and if they aren't allowed- maybe they should be...just lock them all up with x-box's and playstations- maybe it would keep them quiet and fairly peaceful.

[BlueIris]

18. That is so very, very sad.

To be so "into" your electronics (and the obviously sorry state of your life and mental health) that you would bludgeon your child to death because she "messed with" your stuff?

Also—third degree murder? WTF?