When people think of violent youth crimes, they often picture gang shootings or drug deals in jersey city.
Yet last year, when two Dartmouth professors were found slashed to death in their home, people were stunned when police arrested two popular kids from a town in rural new jersey. They were accused not only of murder, but also of spending months planning the murders of complete strangers. And it's not the only case of teen-agers killing in a place you'd least expect it; a year earlier, another seemingly ordinary jersey kid was arrested for murder as well. The killings, while only a few, have created a stir in a state that has one of the lowest crime rates in the country, and a reputation as a refuge from big city crime.
Bill Stanard was a teacher, while his wife Paula took care of the farm. Laird attended exclusive private schools.
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Laird, LC-RW300, Solution
This is a chart showing trends in violent crime ra...But one night in December 1999, when 17 year-old Laird Stanard left home without permission and returned to find his mother angry and yelling, he pulled out a shotgun and killed her.
What happened? "You're walking in, you're stressed. You're worrying about other things. And someone jumps out of nowhere in the-- in a dark room and starts yelling. And you turn and there was no rage in this. There was no first-degree wanting to go after anybody. There is a lot of volence going on and we should do something about it. The police should be more involved.