Odgren sentenced to life as Alenson’s family looks on:
Here is the first paragraph of the article about John Odgren’s sentencing…
Clutching a jacket like a security blanket and pressing his forehead against a table, special needs student John Odgren was sentenced today to mandatory life imprisonment without parole for killing fellow student James F.Alenson inside Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School on Jan. 19, 2007.
Here’s how I would have written it…
Clutching a jacket like a little bitch and pressing his forehead against the table like a moron homicidal maniac John Odgren was sentenced to life without parole for the brutal stabbing murder of random victim James F.Alenson inside Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School on Jan. 19, 2007.
And that’s why I’m not a journalist.
Odgren’s attorney, Jonathan Shapiro, called the sentence barbaric and uncivilized. As opposed to the stabbing of James Alenson through the heart which must have been gentle and polite.
Shapiro bitched about a minor, at the time of the crime, being sentenced to LWOP as being unconstitutional. Good luck with that and let me know how it turns out.
He’s also going to try the “teens do not have fully developed minds and aren’t responsible for their actions” bullshit as well.
If by the age of 16 if you don’t know that death is permanent and killing is wrong then your parents failed you and they should be in jail as well.
Real Crime with Trench Reynolds 
“Little bitch”? Where do you get the nerve to refer him with such a inappropriate label? First of all, John is neither “little” nor a “bitch”. That’s your first strike.
“Moron homicidal maniac”? Again, you’re reaching here and outright lying. Are we talking about the SAME person? Moron implies stupid. He was fit to stand trial–that’s not a moron with below average intelligence. John has a high IQ. (It’s not a sin to have a high IQ, and his is the politically correct term of “special needs” and “high functioning”).
“Homicidal”? John was faced with bullies with pocket knifes for months at school, who were intimidating him, as his confidence was lowering daily. Being a resident of a tiny Princeton, those long rides to Sudbury had pent up emotion as he anticipated what lay ahead which was the lonely miles of finding his classes. The images around him were that of a “community college” type school in an extremely affluent community of Lincoln and Sudbury. This was not the normal environment for him. Eating alone in the cafeteria. Jocks, bullies, METCO, scantily-clad girls to women, People of Color, assorted religions, and kids selling drugs. Expensive cars in the parking lot. A free campus for those with a coveted card to leave the property as he yearned to leave also. Expensive designer clothes on the students and accessories that were not his to own.. John now had older classmates that were much smarter than him. He didn’t play sports, but champions were around him with that Warrior spirit–the colors of red and blue were supposed to be his team also. His attendance at sporting events was minimal or zero. Drama, art and concerts weren’t available to him, but the promotional posters were staring back at him.
The Central house at the school has violent kids who need more years to achieve their diplomas. Now he’s being shoved by 20 somethings. John was in a class distinction of his own so he was made to feel different and strange. Princeton boy thrust into this “foreign” environment. This murder occurred in January 2007. If John was so homicidal, then why didn’t he commit the murder earlier with many attempts until he accomplished his goal? He’s far from homicidal. Wrong choice of words–you’re grandstanding as a writer. He wanted to protect himself with the visual of a knife for his own needs that which he knows of. His moment of losing his sanity was ONE day.. From his comfort zone of Princeton, he was thrown into a den of lions in Sudbury. This is so obvious that he was a typical 16 year old in many aspects. Yes, I know what your next comment wilt be. Typical 16 year olds do not commit murder. John did not even know how strong he was nor if he had murdered James. He was arrested before James died. John felt remorse immediately, and he knew so when the YOUTH officer booked him and called his parents–not a regular adult detective.
Where was the school nursing staff checking his manageable medications? Now in the spotlight, John’s medication failed him, and his explanations were coherent to the police. Why wasn’t he in the habit of checking in with his counselor upon arrival – when the school was largely unsupervised? Poor decision by that department. It stinks from the top of the ladder at LSRHS. Due to immaturity, he hesitated to wait for an attorney in the FIRST time police station in hand cuffs (another first for him).. The officer instinctively knew that this was a boy and not a man. John desperately wanted to set the record straight. This was his fear and trauma emanating full throttle to the police. Ask anyone at the crime scene. He didn’t run away or blame others or hide the evidence back at the school. He even tried to help the adults at the scene but he was caged like an animal in a hostile atmosphere aka school.. His persona had evolved over time with a trench coat, and the blood caused him to be upset. He was trying to change his image in that coat and hat, but in every direction at school, he was rejected. There’s no where to hide between classes with campus aides patrolling. John would drift over to the music area and sit on the floor reading–at the station and now hospital, he must have flashbacks to that floor he sat on with his books–his own hangout. No one was engaging him, and his counselor was not taking him seriously. Computers were in rooms around him, and he was turned away. What about those librarians? Did he need a babysitter? Of course not, but John had to have some safety outlets, and he was in this school surviving and also a victim of bad school board decisions. The cliques were everywhere, and he was noticing girls because the selection was constant so he made bold assessments and exaggerations in class because he loved science,and his famous quote is that he raised his hand in class and blurted out how to commit the perfect murder.
Where’s the accountability of the adults in this scenario? Let me assure you that there’s more boys that have thought about death and entered the military or watch more violent movies. John was vocalizing and posturing to a class he was proud to be in. Where exactly was the teacher of this class? Upon hearing this, red flags should go up, and John’s counselor made aware to call the Odgren parents who call a doctor for a maintenance check. This one teacher error caused two boys’ lives to spiral–one to agonizing death and one nearly sentenced to death. Shocking that this superintendent convinced his housemasters that John’s program would be successful. This is the same authority figure who dates his school psychologist. Common sense, anyone? It was lacking with the PhD who was absentee. Enough backtracking, the school was now on “trial” for the sentencing of a hopeful student–still a boy inside. His school bus driver has some shame here for she was a “friend” to him., and that was her mistake also to undermine his demeanor.
John had days that he felt threatened, and the agony of another school day was about to commence. John was triggered, and unfortunately, he used the knife on the first boy in front of him. His judgment and logic were impaired. His transfer of anxiety and panic was making his heart rate go up. Picture this, John strolled into the boy’s bathroom to relieve himself. Why else would he be in there upon drop off ? It’s a perfect storm, but John didn’t just go into the bathroom to murder immediately or stalk James to his stall because he didn’t know him. Think about his mindset. You’re scapegoating. John had a psychological moment where an ego present was a ticking time bomb, and he sat on the floor moaning because he was sorry. Did he have an irregular speech pattern? No, says the witness..
“Maniac”? You disgust me. Do you have children? Mania is sometimes a positive and creative characteristic. Did he strangle James? No. Did he bring a gun? No. His weapon was a show of force, and John’s brain was undeveloped because his brain structure differs from yours. His hormones were raging, and he needs a chance to vent. Unfortunately, his heart was now part of the control center of his brain, and he overreacted to the point of stabbing directly in another beating heart. Neuro deficits. This is a defiant act for those troubled with mental illness. Strike 2. You’re graphic words are incredibly inflammatory. Are you in a contest for a writing award? Barbaric and uncivilized–those are the attorney’s words because his legal product of a motion was just spit upon by the judge as if he were an inexperienced law student. Give me a break. Shapiro has a brilliant legal mind, and he’s one of the elitist super lawyers for this specialty. Count the years of legal experience combined with his team–I seriously doubt that you’re a lawyer with a deflective utterance to make your words in print bring more readers. You just insulted both the Plaintiff and Defendant by counter attacking Shapiro’s quote with “gentle and polite”. Go get a dictionary. How can you make these the finale draft? James family would dismiss you as mentally cruel.
There are 49 other states where this ruling is “unconstitutional”. Massachusetts lags behind in being progressive with justice for teens. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17: each age is a different consideration. Male or female. Here’s your assignment: “Raising Cain: The Inner Lives of Boys” is a book and a PBS documentary series and originates with the Hallowell Center in Sudbury. The last eepisodes are about the LSRHS football team seniors who have risky behaviors and their reputations are at stake–the popular jocks, who exercise to look buff in the school’s fitness center. You’re now walking the same halls that John did. These “men” can do no wrong. Until a life-changing day when all hell breaks lose in a few minutes with a school tradition. Same principal is now cornered by the media for poor decisions and free rein for seniors to stereotype and exploit those less popular than them. Your 9th grader has watched the show that is sexist and promotes diminishing women. John, as a 10th grader, was “invited” to this circus atmosphere with few rules. One more memory.
You’re pathetic and massa-centric with your flippant and sarcastic remarks. Strike 3.
“Bullshit as well”. Are you a doctor? Specifically, a neurologist? Or Neuro-psychiatrist? You’re full of “shit”, and the blog should be drastically modified. You’re angle to besmirch lawyers and doctors with their subpoenaed medical records is your version of grasping and digging lower into the dirt. I’ll bet you’re a liberal democrat. In any event, politically, you are the type of voter that comes across as Anti-american. Go move to Canada and take your platform of obnoxious philosophies to their forum. You’re entitled to your opinion, but maligning children who commit murders has approached a level of no turning back. This was a murder that was preventable. The principal lives also with this lax in security.
Brilliant deduction–sarcasm multiplied. Let’s throw the parents in prison. Nonsensical. Okay, right. Now parents of Asperger’s children should pay the price of the miracle of their birth. John was the poster child of Asperger’s when this murder occurred. This had a chain reaction for those parents of Asperger’s to take steps for a psychologist to evaluate them. Two boys lives were over that day in 2007. It’s in the past, but we’re all still trying to re-write the sequence of events in 2016. Here’s why: because some of us are human and christian. Instead, you’re disrespectful and your pedestal is one of a quasi-Nazi and hatred.
John is handicapped with a challenged brain. His world needed to be kept small until he reached the age of sensible thinking and an alternative education. His parents did not fail him. Stupid excuse to use and penalize the other siblings of the teen murderer just to enter the foster department of the state–with triple the inmates. What lawyer would be retained to prosecute parents? This murder was out of left field. John’s mother is a nurse. Do you actually believe that she was avoiding calling the police if John appeared dangerous with an intent to kill?
The system failed him in every avenue that LSRHS provided for him. Imagine the size of those high school buildings. He tried to accept his calling to LSRHS, and here’s the problem: LSRHS was unable to welcome him even when school became distressing . Two principals have taken exit from this school in the media. John’s program was eliminated–this spells guilt. What does this tell you? We can agree to disagree, but your eagerness to erase and delete John from the world as if he never existed tells me that you have no conscience. You’re not in the world of medicine. Consider yourself as a 16 year old boy. Next assignment which will be an education for your dark soul. Make the time to watch the Oscar-winning movie: “Ordinary People”. Timothy Hutton as the teen possessed with demons is outstanding. His approach to portraying the troubled son, brother, and friend is magnificent acting. He wins the Oscar. The sessions with his psychiatrist where he rants about his life with teen anger personified are worth rewinding. It’s not quite walking in John’s shoes in 2007, but you’ll have new awareness of how certain boys can be saved and rehabilitated. John is one boy, who will more then pay his debt to society when he is released as an educated man. His suffering will continue until the rest of his life. James Alenson is a saint now in heaven. He’s the angel of his family, but his life form left too soon, and John’s story will continue to be told because there are two sides to every story. I’m praying for both of them.
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