Mass. Judge Allows Boy, 7, Taken off Life Support(Beaten by Father on Father's Day)

[RamboLiberal]

Source: ABC News

A 7-year-old boy who traveled to the state to spend the summer with his father and who, prosecutors say, was severely beaten by him on Father's Day can be removed from life support, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Juvenile Court Judge Carol Erskine delivered the ruling after a hearing in which a doctor at UMass Memorial Medical Center testified that the boy, Nathaniel Turner, didn't respond to a number of neurological tests. Dr. Scot Bateman said the hospital also got a second opinion from a Boston doctor that the boy was brain dead.

The judge gave custody of the boy to his mother for the purpose of deciding whether to donate his organs. Before ruling, the judge called the case "a heartbreaking and gut-wrenching situation," and she asked the media not to photograph any family members.

Relatives said Nathaniel had lived with his maternal grandmother in Eufaula, Ala., before going to live with his father, Leslie Schuler, in Worcester, the second-largest city in New England, with a population of about 175,000, located just west of Boston. Schuler, 36, recently had received a court order to have summer custody of him.

The boy was physically and mentally abused by his father for about two months, police said. On Father's Day, he suffered severe injuries when his father slammed his head into a bedroom wall with such force that it left a dent in the wall, they said.



Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=7917182

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The man who beat this poor kid is a pig - this might be one instance I could support the death penalty. And his stupid-ass girlfriend who watched this deserves a life sentence though she won't get it. Wish there was a way she'd never be allowed to have or be around children.

[Triana]

1. Is anything going to be done to the MONSTER sperm donor who killed his own

kid?

GOD what an awful situation. This is HORRIBLE! "Dad" and his asshole "girlfriend" ought to be - nevermind. They should NOT get away with this.

:cry:

EDIT:

Saw this in the article:

"Schuler was arraigned Tuesday on seven counts of assault and battery and three assault counts. He pleaded not guilty and was held on $250,000 cash bail. His lawyer, Christopher Tully, said his client was remorseful.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said the case had become a homicide investigation, but he would not immediately comment on whether charges against Schuler would be upgraded to murder."

___

ASSAULT? ASSAULT?!?! The psychopath is a MURDERER! Oh yea those charges SHOULD be upgraded. He pleaded "not guilty"?! That sonofabitch should NOT be walking around in free society IF he's allowed to stay alive AT ALL. :grr:

[Divine Discontent]

2. well, when you're against killing, regardless of the verocity of the heinous act,

and this is most disgusting one, you don't buckle and say, 'let's kill this one', because that means you're not really against the death penalty. I'd rather this sick bastard spend a minimum 30 years in prison for this (I guess they'd call it 2nd degree manslaughter? 1st?) or up to life. Because he beat this child, who later died. He DESERVES to sit and think about it every second, every hour, every day, every year for the rest of his life...

[RamboLiberal]

3. The thing is I'm not totally against the death penalty

Sorry, but I don't shed tears when its irrefutable in a heinous crime(s) that guilty party is put to death. Where I have a problem with the death penalty is where there is a possibility that person sentenced to death may be innocent.

I just don't see the death penalty issue 100% either way. I really didn't have a problem when a Ted Bundy or a Tim McVeigh were put to death.

[Divine Discontent]

5. right, for those that are against the killing, they say why show the same brutality as the murderer

if we truly believe that taking life is a horrible act. so, I see it that way, we're above their shameful acts, but they still need punished. I can respect your point of view, of course.

[harmonicon]

11. I don't think it should, or is properly, viewed in terms of punishment

That isn't really the role of the justice system, apart from fines and civil suits. A prison sentence should be about keeping a criminal from being part of a society to which they refuse to be a functioning member. With someone like this fellow, I can see an argument made that he could, and should, never be allowed to take part in society ever again. That should be the argument for the death penalty here, even though I'm against it (I could care less if this guy died, but calling for %100 certainty soon turns to %99.9, and then it keeps going and you start killing the innocent).

[Divine Discontent]

20. ah - excellent point that I forgot - the prospect of killing the innocent! eom

[spiritual_gunfighter]

9. I used to be pretty rigid on the death penalty

absolutely not, under any circumstances. I have changed over the years and when I read stuff like this I think it is entirely appropriate for this scumbag.

[izquierdista]

17. Don't call it a 'penalty'

Life is not a big hockey game where bad boys need to sit out for a while. People like Bundy, McVeigh and this dad need to be removed from society. Not put in a large warehouse with some future release date, just removed from society, period. They could have their life terminated, but no legal system is without errors, so maybe it is better to just ship them all off to an island where they can never get off. There are a few of the Aleutians that are uninhabited and could serve the purpose.

[Gen. Jack D. Ripper]

23. I think this is a very good way to look at it

Individuals whom prove they cannot function within society, especially to this degree should be removed from society. It serves no purpose to house and feed this man for 30 years as he does nothing but ages solely so we can say we (citizens at large) are not also guilty of taking a life. It's illogical and foolish. Put him to death or put him to use. Anything else is wasteful and pointless.

[Suji to Seoul]

4. You kill a child, you lose your right to life

I am completely against the death penalty in EVERY case but ones involving children.

That sick mother fucker can only die once!

[Divine Discontent]

6. but that's the thing - lots of people have their "one" thing when they hear the story

of a 55 year old father getting so upset with his mentally challenged 25 year old daughter he housed, that he poisons her and kills her, and handicapped rights activists rightly say that he should die - an unstable woman kills her 7 dogs on her farm because they started to disobey her and feeding them was costing too much, and animal rights activists call for her death, because that's the "one thing" they believe people should die for - killing animals.

What it sounds like for most people, if the killing they commit is nasty/heinous enough - they're all for the death penalty. That's the point of not being for it - to let them suffer forever, and not a short period that they get to get out of when put to sleep, and because if you're against violence, why kill and take a life like the murderers?

[Suji to Seoul]

15. Talk to me if you kid is murdered.

eom

[Divine Discontent]

19. you're more destructive about life than some others, that's fine, it's opinion. everyone's different

I watched a mom & dad on TV last month whose little girl was murdered and they wanted the man to be suffering behind bars for the rest of his life instead of a quick death, they want to see him suffer that way. I feel the same way.

[qwertyMike]

29. I agree

For such crimes against children all bets are off.

I support a mandatory death penalty in these cases.

[Suich]

7. I'm with you.

I think the death penalty is an easy out. I'd much rather have them spend the rest of their lives in a cell, reliving the crime 24/7.

[jmowreader]

14. There's another way to look at that...

I don't know what this man's religious views are, but some sick bastards believe beating a child is the way to get the devil out of them. If he's one of those, he could go the rest of his days thinking he did God's Will--not that he killed his own kid, but that he was a servant to the Lord.

And if that's the case--if he has no remorse whatsoever for what he did--maybe he should be sent to meet The Lord so The Lord can tell him he fucked up. Because he ain't gonna believe it if we tell him.

[Divine Discontent]

21. thanks. eom

[trotsky]

12. Right with you up until the 30 years part.

Life, no possibility of parole. End of story.

[Divine Discontent]

22. I agree, from the sounds of it, without knowing the full facts, I'd say 'forever', I do believe

even the sickest of stories sometimes have mitigating factors of proof of intent and such that make a life sentence more harder to come to - but based on the story alone - throw away the key.

[provis99]

25. If he's only sentenced to prison, he'll be free to commit crimes inside prison, too.

Just because criminals go to prison doesn't mean they stop committing crimes while incarcerated; nor does it mean that they magically start "thinking about what they've done". Serial killer Richard Speck had a grand old time in prison while he was serving life for his nurse murders.

[truthisfreedom]

8. A life sentence in a declining economy is much worse punishment than death.

Stop punishing killing with killing.

[northernlights]

10. it's Massachusetts

I lived there for 26 years, left to escape a registered sex offender who'd moved in next door and harrassed me 24x7 for 3 years with impunity.

They have "interesting" views of law enforcement, victims and criminals.

Imhe, victims who defend themselves become the criminal if they don't let themselves get injured worse than (or killed by) the perpetrator. Heck, the victim who attempts to stand up for his or herself may well be threatened by cops with jail.

(The joke used to be that if a criminal was trying to break into your house, kill'im and then drag the body inside the house before calling the cops. You were allowed to defend your life if they came *inside* your house, versus hadn't made it through the door yet. Then they changed the laws and it became a crime to inflict more injury on the criminal than they were able to inflict on you. You lost the right even to defend yourself (or your children) *inside* your home.)

The real criminal, who "had a hard life" :cry:, becomes the victim.

Of course, it may all be different when the victim is a 7 year old child, versus a 50 year old, unarmed professional woman.

In any event, last I knew they don't have a death penalty there. Unless they come up with federal charges, the worst either of them will face is life in prison.

Personally, I favor the death penalty. Not as punishment, but as euthanasia and an honest assessment of the situation. Society failed these two viscious killers. Likelihood of rehabilitation is slim to none. Life in a cell is cruel and vindictive punishment. Far more cruel than a quick and merciful death. But in cases like this, where there is no question who did what, there should be no appeals. Just put them down, save them and society the pain and expense of life in prison.

[Mad_Dem_X]

13. I support the DP for cases like this

Anyone who beats a child to death does not deserve to live.

[mainegreen]

18. Let alone their own son.

Fry the monster.

[Odin2005]

16. I agree, death penalty.

[MrSlayer]

24. The inmates in gen pop should have a warm welcome for this asshole.

Hopefully, they won't kill him right away.

[proteus_lives]

26. The guards will tell everyone about him before he steps off the bus.

Some DUer's decry the abuse of prisoners but you won't hear any complaints from me in this case. They should keep him alive until his son's next birthday then give him his final "send-off."

[Art_from_Ark]

27. That poor, poor boy

Apparently neither one of his parents had the ability to properly take care of him. This is just so sad :cry:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

28. Thare's a distinct possibility I'd kill this evil fuck myself should the opportunity arise.

but I wouldn't want the State to do that.

Moreover, I would expect to be tried if caught.

[tammywammy]

30. I'm definitely not anti-death penalty in cases like this. n/t

[No Elephants]

31. Happy Father's Day, you POS.