I just got back from the holiday and this thread has grown into #2!
Seems there was some abuse going on, the grandparents were evidently aware of it. So much catching up for me to do..
Statistically almost all of the children who have committed parricide have been abused (the other percentage just sociopaths; older children whose parent's didn't like their boyfriends etc).
This is an 8 year old child, IMO his lack of emotion towards killing his father and Mr. Romans proves that he was abused. Even when he saw his stepmother he cried and hugged her.
The truth starts to come out after awhile. For the paternal grandparents to say:
"After several minutes," the report continues, "(the grandmother) shouted out in an angry and loud tone, 'I knew this would happen. They were too hard on (the boy). I knew (he) did it. He spent the night in my bed cuddling up to me. I had a feeling he did it. If any 8-year-old boy is capable of doing this, it's (him).' "
"The grandfather then repeated, "If any 8-year-old was capable of doing this, (he) was."
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2008/11/27/20081127stjohns1127.html
It seems like the boy had to put on a "tough demeanor" (lack of a better term) around his father; maybe his father didn't like him to show emotions. In articles he has been emotive around female members of his family, such as his grandmother, step mother, bio mom. His dad maybe wanted to "toughen up" his son; the boy in turn had to act "macho" around his father. That would explain why the father went against everyone's advice and gave the boy a gun. He had to consult a priest. His paternal grandparents saw it coming; his step mother wanted him to get a BB gun. His father still gave him a real gun anyway.. obviously the boy shouldn't have had access to any guns whatsoever.
There could have been scenarios when the child just wanted affection and his father brushed him off and maybe called him derogatory names such as "



". Young children need nurturing at that age and they need a lot of affection. The difference between how the boy acts with different sexes is there. He reaches out for affection from female relatives.
For the boy to make comments like:
"Another police report, filed a day later, says the boy asked to see a court security officer's phone while awaiting a hearing. "He then said, 'My lawyer has a phone like that, and my dad had one, too. But he's not going to need it. He's not coming back.' "
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2008/11/27/20081127stjohns1127.html
..it just shows that he's numbed himself towards his abusers. That takes a lot of abuse for someone to due that towards a parent and for an 8 year old to murder his father and their roomer; both grown men..
I would also like to hear more about Mr. Roman's pending divorce and drug dealing..