IL - Child, 9, charged in fire deaths of 5 people, Goodfield, 6 Apr 2019

[imstilla.grandma]

“Even though he lit the fire, I know his intentions were not to kill anybody,” she said. “I know that. He cries and cries and cries because he misses his family.”

She added that her son would bring food to the memorial at the tree, thinking his siblings were going to return and eat it.
9-year-old central Illinois boy charged with murder in fatal fire that killed 5 ‘made a terrible mistake,’ but he’s ‘not a monster,’ mom says

 

[LietKynes]

One Picture is Worth a Thousand Words. Extrapolate.
How many words speak for this boy?

This mother notwithstanding--- I am not convinced that Kyle suffered from everything she says he does.

 

[gitana1]

Well, if he actually has all these conditions, it sure sounds like he should be in a mental hospital somewhere, rather than living with some relative.

Especially if he committed premeditated murder.


Chicago Children’s Center for Behavioral Health offers inpatient treatment to youth patients, ages 3–17, living with an acute psychiatric disorder. This treatment track occurs in a structured treatment environment, with the goal of moving to a less-restrictive environment and eventual discharge.
Psychiatric Inpatient | Teen Hospital Chicago | ChicagoChildrensCenter.com


Garfield Park Behavioral Hospital provides inpatient psychiatric and partial hospitalization treatment for children and adolescents, ages 3 to 17. We strive to provide compassionate care to every patient we serve.
Garfield Park Hospital | Behavioral Health For Children and Teens

Provides 24-hour care and treatment in a residential cottage for children whose emotional, behavioral, sexual or social dysfunction requires highly-structured care. The goal is to stabilize their behaviors so they may return home, return or be placed in foster care or a group home, or transition to independent living. Intensive, specialized treatment services are provided through counseling, psychiatric assessment and treatment, skill development and educational programming.
Residential Treatment - Children's Home Association of Illinois


Here a whole guide by the Dept. of Education on Residential Treatment programs in the state:

https://www.isbe.net/Documents/Residential-Treatment-Guide.pdf


Some of the more long term ranch type places in IL seem to not take kids as young as he is, though:
Onarga Academy, Onarga, IL
Adolescent Males, ages 10-20
Onarga Academy is located about 90 miles south of Chicago in the quaint village of Onarga, IL. Adolescent males, ages 10-20, who have exhibited harmful sexual behaviors and behavioral/emotional disorders, receive family-centered, trauma-informed residential treatment and on-site, year-round education delivered through cognitive behavioral therapy and sensory approaches. Residents’ chemical health and substance abuse issues are also addressed during treatment.

• Residential Treatment
• Group Home Living
• Transitional Living
• Therapeutic Foster Care
• Autism Day School
• Grand Prairie School

Indian Oaks Academy, Manteno, IL
Boys & Girls, ages 12-20
Indian Oaks Academy has earned a national reputation as an outstanding residential treatment provider for hard-to-place youth with multiple placement failures. Located just 50 miles south of Chicago, the residential treatment program and on-site, year-round school at Indian Oaks Academy provide family-centered, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and sensory approaches for boys and girls, ages 12-21, with harmful sexual behaviors, developmental disability, and behavioral disorders. The Academy also provides foster care support through Starfish Family Homes.

• Residential Treatment
• Independent Living Option
• Group Home Living
• Transitional Living
• Safe Harbor School
• Foster Care Support Services

Locations

 

[imstilla.grandma]

This mother notwithstanding--- I am not convinced that Kyle suffered from everything she says he does.

Thanks for speaking my mind.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“At that age, the mind is not developed enough — they’re not thinking of consequences, they’re impulsive basically, they’re watching cartoons where the Road Runner runs off the cliff, falls 500 feet, dies and is alive in the next scene so they don’t have a good sense of life or death.”

“Kids do stupid things all the time and don’t really think about the consequences,” he says. “It could have been, as terrible as this was, that he wanted to see what it was like to see something burn down — even if he knew someone was in it. My guess is he doesn’t understand the nature of consequence and actions, even if he thought someone was going to burn, he probably didn’t have that sense of permanence that they weren’t going to come back and that they were going to be dead and gone forever.
Illinois Prosecutors Charge 9-Year-Old With Five Counts of Murder Over April House Fire

 

[LietKynes]

“Even though he lit the fire, I know his intentions were not to kill anybody,” she said. “I know that. He cries and cries and cries because he misses his family.”

She added that her son would bring food to the memorial at the tree, thinking his siblings were going to return and eat it.
9-year-old central Illinois boy charged with murder in fatal fire that killed 5 ‘made a terrible mistake,’ but he’s ‘not a monster,’ mom says

What treatment, if any, did mom obtain for him before the fire ?


Somewhat at odds with the boy's past behavior in this article : Luciano: Brother of Goodfield fire victim wishes 9-year-old could be imprisoned - News - Journal Star - Peoria, IL
"... For instance, she says, he sometimes treated his mother badly, even biting her. This happened even after the couple moved out with the boy and eventually had two children together. The cause, she says, sometimes seemed to be jealousy, after the births of his half siblings.
“He couldn’t stand someone else being fed,” Helen Wall says..."
Emph mine

If mom thinks he's not a monster, will she watch over him until he's grown and even beyond ?
So his life isn't 'thrown away" and he has a second chance ?

She is crowd funding (two of them) to pay for a van that they'd bought-- but should maybe use the monies to go towards her son's treatment ?

 

[LietKynes]

Per the article, Kyle's neighbors were his grandparents. Per the same article, several people (the mother and her mother, and possibly other neighbors) saw stepdad going back into the house to save the children. So if that's accurate, obliviously he wasn't sleeping at the time.

Mom of 9-year-old charged in deadly fire breaks her silence
".... and her niece, Rose Alwood, 2. (Katie) Alwood was in the home when the fire broke out when most of the victims were sleeping, but was only able to save herself...."
So, most were sleeping and that's why KA was only able to save herself, or the stepdad helped her escape ?
Which was it ?
Not asking you,@jjenny --- maybe it was just poor reporting or KA not recalling correctly.
Why did she have time to get dressed but not save or even warn anyone ?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The 28-year-old mother says her son suffers from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit disorder.
Mom says Illinois boy charged with murder is ‘not a monster’

Verified medical documentation will state:
yes/no? true/false?

If it’s not in the charting review. Then it didn’t happen.
Unless Mom has M.D. or D.O. behind her name.

 

[Kakidoll]

And neither worked. Both little ones had disabilities, as did 9yr old we now hear. Immediate crowd funding....

 

[LaborDayRN]

We've had young murderers since the conception of our nation. I got my bachelor's in American Studies and have read a lot of books like the Diary of Martha Ballard who was a colonial era midwife in Maine who wrote about things she observed and the historians then dig through news reports at the time and fleshed out what she said. Holy smokes. Another one is Wisconsin Death Trip, a grim little coffee table book compiling entries in the late 1890's from mental hospitals and news reports of the era (along with lots of photos). Horrible stories from only two areas in a limited time period. Filled with horrible stuff.

Seems there's many more murders by kids now but our population is exponentially larger.

@gitana1 , I'm reading the Diary of Martha Ballard right now on your suggestion! It's fascinating so far! I'm still on page 3 of this thread so I'm not 100% caught up. Can anyone tell me if investigators believe an accelerant was used? Also, has the child admitted to starting the fire? TIA!

 

[Scoutce]

The 28-year-old mother says her son suffers from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit disorder.
Mom says Illinois boy charged with murder is ‘not a monster’

Verified medical documentation will state:
yes/no? true/false?

If it’s not in the charting review. Then it didn’t happen.
Unless Mom has M.D. or D.O. behind her name.

Agreed. Who knows if he was truly diagnosed as such. If so, there are records.

These conditions are rare in children his age. If in fact he is that rare child that is truly both schizophrenic and bi-polar by age 9, his mental health would be a huge issue in prosecuting, IMO.

I think we don’t know enough yet.
Psychiatry Online

 

[LaborDayRN]

It would be interesting to know if this child had set fires previously. I will guess that he had. His school records probably show some learning disabilities. Does he lie frequently? Is he a bedwetter? Has he ever abused animals? Has he been prescribed medication for ADHD?

People seem to believe that children do not cognitively "understand" killing, or planning on killing. I believe that children do understand what "killing" means, and they do plan killing, they just don't usually take it to the next step of actually doing it.

Surrounding this child with a bunch of psychologists, social workers, and CPS workers who will "evaluate" him, is a joke. Their own bias will be part of the report. Few will actually admit that psychopaths are born, that psychopathy is hard wired, genetically. That isn't popular. And it is unlikely that a psychopath will change.

I was wondering if this boy had other violent outbursts. Some questions I have running through my mind.... Was he just playing with fire or was this planned? Could he have a severe case of oppositional defiant disorder or another mental health condition? Has he ever received mental health testing or even an evaluation? If he has had previous violent outburst, why wasn't help sought? This would be the responsibility of his parents. Why is there no liability there? Perhaps they had done a great deal for this child and were still unsuccessful or maybe no care was sought. Or maybe.......he's just a sociopath or psychopath.

 

[LaborDayRN]

New article, mom says the kid was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia, ADHD and bipolar disorder, and showed interest in fire and lighters. Can schizophrenia and BPD actually be diagnosed as young as 9? (I think he was actually 8 when the fire occurred)

Boy, 9, charged with murder in deadly fire is named and pictured | Daily Mail Online

BBM: Why oh why were the tools (matches? a lighter?) of starting a fire available to him without supervision? (still not sure what he used to start the fire)

 

[mickey2942]

Mother of 9-year-old charged with setting house fire that killed 5: He's not a "monster"

There is always more to the story.

 

[Subiechik21]

One of the Youtube videos, dated 4-10-2019, was the young boy with a young girl "special guest" (his words). Once he introduces the young girl they try their hardest to act like the youtube media personalities, they show off a trailer & try to explain what happened, then they say if you are sad for them subscribe to their channel. It was a bizarre video to me, but as I went back & saw the date of the fire I realized that it was his house that he is accused of burning down. The young boy showed NO emotion nor did the girl, it was like they were completely detached from the reality of the whole situation just 4 days earlier. This is all JMO and perception, but I just found it really sad.
In another video on or around the same date you can hear the mom & another woman talking about what I presume is the fire & deaths. I can't hear the whole conversation with them since the kids were having a dance competition, but if someone can do audio miracles with videos it would help to hear the conversation better. I also noticed in that video that there wasn't really alot of emotion shown by the mother or the other woman.

 

[borndem]

"I stood at the window and I told my kids I was sorry I couldn't save them. Mommy was right here and I loved them. You know, so, at least hopefully they heard that. I told Jason I loved him... And then something told me that they're gone," Alwood said.

I don't know about you all but I'm breaking down that damn window and killing myself to save my babies. And please I know that adding oxygen increases fuel but I think you all know what I mean. A mama is going to get in there unless she's being pinned.

bbm
Yes, I would claw down walls or bust a window with my head or whatever it would take to get to my children. Who on this thread wouldn't?
WRT "And then something told me that they're gone."
Uh-uh. Not no, but hell, no -- I have to get in there and find them.

There is going to be much more to this story. Much.

I'll say it again -- Something made LE arrest him for, and charge him with, 1st degree murder. IMO LE had to be very sure of what happened in order to do this to a boy who allegedly did this when he was 8 y/o. What made them so sure about this now 9 year-old? A prior serious fire? Something he told LE about things at home?
Yes, much more...

 

[LaborDayRN]

One of the Youtube videos, dated 4-10-2019, was the young boy with a young girl "special guest" (his words). Once he introduces the young girl they try their hardest to act like the youtube media personalities, they show off a trailer & try to explain what happened, then they say if you are sad for them subscribe to their channel. It was a bizarre video to me, but as I went back & saw the date of the fire I realized that it was his house that he is accused of burning down. The young boy showed NO emotion nor did the girl, it was like they were completely detached from the reality of the whole situation just 4 days earlier. This is all JMO and perception, but I just found it really sad.
In another video on or around the same date you can hear the mom & another woman talking about what I presume is the fire & deaths. I can't hear the whole conversation with them since the kids were having a dance competition, but if someone can do audio miracles with videos it would help to hear the conversation better. I also noticed in that video that there wasn't really alot of emotion shown by the mother or the other woman.

Those videos make me very sad. I can't really make out much of what the two adult women are saying, but your right about every seeming so detached, and strangely calm. I don't even know what to say.

 

[gitana1]

Those videos make me very sad. I can't really make out much of what the two adult women are saying, but your right about every seeming so detached, and strangely calm. I don't even know what to say.

But the fire just happened so those were back in April long before. Did another fire occur?

ETA: I didn’t realize the fire happened in April and they’re just now charging this kid! The header makes it seem like the fire just happened.

So the mom seriously is talking about the fire and her husband and kids dying with such incredible detachment soon after it happened. And her son is playing around like nothing’s wrong? He certainly doesn’t seem psychotic though. Able to talk logically, doesn’t seem to be responding to internal stimuli, is socializing well, etc.

Also, I take back my earlier comment about her losing her mind. I thought the fire had just happened and she was posting humorous things. It’s still pretty soon after she lost her family but at least it’s months instead of days.

 

[gitana1]

Oh gosh. The video from January 29 2019. Wth.

The language. The attitude. The mess. Lord.

 

[borndem]

This mother notwithstanding--- I am not convinced that Kyle suffered from everything she says he does.

He may have simply suffered from abuse and fear of abuse "tomorrow."