Daniel Petric sentenced to 23 years in prison
Daniel Petric, the teenager who shot and killed his mother and injured his father after being cut off from his precious Halo 3 back in 2007, received his sentence today, MSNBC reports. Judge James Burge sentenced the boy to 23 years to cries of mercy from the boy's surviving father, who stated that Daniel "still does not understand why he did something so terrible."
Daniel's sentence is actually a lot lighter than it could have been, as the prosecution was pushing for the maximum sentence of life without parole. The defense's argument was that Daniel was so young and so addicted to the game that he could not be held accountable. Petric, only 17 years old, was even younger when he committed the crime, and the judge's lenience is likely tied to his belief that young Daniel was addicted to the point of delusion.
[Thanks, Aaron]
Daniel's sentence is actually a lot lighter than it could have been, as the prosecution was pushing for the maximum sentence of life without parole. The defense's argument was that Daniel was so young and so addicted to the game that he could not be held accountable. Petric, only 17 years old, was even younger when he committed the crime, and the judge's lenience is likely tied to his belief that young Daniel was addicted to the point of delusion.
[Thanks, Aaron]







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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Premature ejaculation man @ Jun 16th 2009 10:43PM
=/
Ridgecity @ Jun 16th 2009 11:01PM
so in 20 years, this guy will be roaming the streets once again, ready for vengance. Creepy stuff.
Ryoga Vee @ Jun 16th 2009 11:52PM
So... did he finish the fight?
drumwiz86 @ Jun 17th 2009 12:57AM
I just spit milk all over my computer dickforce!
Negativecool @ Jun 17th 2009 1:26AM
Good god.
That kid should get 23 years just for looking like such a witless lowlife shitbag, and life in prison for the actual murder...
NeilNaS @ Jun 17th 2009 2:06AM
Someone won't be playing Halo 4!
pearl @ Jun 17th 2009 2:10AM
its stuff like this that really hurts the movement for videogames to be accepted in the public eye.
People like Jack Thompson will shout that no game is worth the life of a person, regardless of how remote the posibillity of a violent occurence happening.
It's a shame to see people commit these crimes but gamers as a whole are painted with the same brush.
I hate the idea that someone will now say that "all gamers are possible homicidal maniacs, LETS CENSOR EVERYTHING!"
KID @ Jun 17th 2009 2:57AM
He shot his dad and killed his mother over a video game. Either the parents were in some way abusive and didn't raise him very well at all, or he has some sort of defect in his brain. A jail sentence will not fix the issue if it is either of these cases.
You aren't in control of your actions and you don't have free will. Everyone is a slave to the neurons in their brains.
Premature ejaculation man @ Jun 17th 2009 3:08AM
Why are you replying to me?
dark_inchworm (on Steam!) dark inchworm (on XBL!) @ Jun 17th 2009 4:22AM
I'm hereby nominating Ryoga Vee for Most Awesome Tasteless Comment of the Month.
Damian @ Jun 17th 2009 5:55AM
So he will be out just in time for Duke Nukem Forever.
xGeneral DEATHx @ Jun 17th 2009 8:50AM
@ KID:
Way to shirk accountability and responsibility all in one post. -1
Warlord @ Jun 17th 2009 9:34AM
He looks like a zombie (O_O)
BKB @ Jun 17th 2009 11:05AM
haha, on a post like this you'd better damn well remember to unclick "E-Mail me when someone replies to this comment". Dude deserves to get his inbox flooded for actually caring about being first
sucker....
Duke @ Jun 17th 2009 11:14AM
KID, lets see if you believe that crap once I finish building my Katamari! Watch out world, I'm rolling for ya!!!
Cody @ Jun 17th 2009 11:19AM
Somehow I am not surprised the video game in question is Halo and the system an Xbox.
I'm tellin ya, the majority of the demographic for that console is around this kid's age group (mentally and literally) and, to a MUCH lesser degree than this individual, carry these types of tendencies (i.e. violence, vulgarity, outright rudeness, rebellion, "elitist" status amongst peers).
Down vote me all you want, just shows I'm right.
Mazrael @ Jun 17th 2009 2:07PM
@ Cody
Then I must be playing the wrong console...
The Dark Wayne @ Jun 17th 2009 2:30PM
what? Being downvote doesnt prove you're right, you couldnt be more wrong. Everyone knows, or should know, that for years the average age of gamers is 35, that's for all consoles, PC, handhelds whatever, Xbox is no different.
DredTatum @ Jun 17th 2009 3:04PM
23 years is not long enough. They should put him in jail for 117 years.
Donald @ Jun 16th 2009 10:44PM
"Daniel 'still does not understand why he did something so terrible.'"
And that's probably why he should be in jail.
MystileArmor @ Jun 16th 2009 10:50PM
Exactly, someone like that shouldn't be let back into society, cause they might do it again.
BigFat @ Jun 16th 2009 10:58PM
Never believe anything a criminal says pre senteced, he could be lying to get a insane verdict.
BigFat @ Jun 16th 2009 10:59PM
excuse my spelling
FNG @ Jun 16th 2009 11:01PM
@ bigfat
firefox has spell checker built in. try it.
BigFat @ Jun 16th 2009 11:03PM
why do you have to be an ass?
maybe i hit "add comment" before i spell checked on accident? jackass
FNG @ Jun 16th 2009 11:17PM
wow. down voted for an honest attempt to try and help someone out, and called a jackass. it was not meant to be smart towards you at all.
Jtenma @ Jun 16th 2009 11:30PM
@FNG
People here are extremely defensive...that is why I choose to be careful when commenting.
I learned the hard way myself.
paperless @ Jun 16th 2009 11:51PM
Peanut butter jelly time
LameDuck @ Jun 16th 2009 11:56PM
@Donald:
DAMN STRAIGHT! Look at that picture. That smug little punk thinks he's hardcore. He needs to spend a romantic night with Jungle Jim in the Iron Bar Hotel then see how smug he is when his farts make now sound.
Video games had nothing todo with this. I wouldn't care to be he's been a little bitch all his life and finally got enough "courage" to hit his mom. Sometimes, I think she should just start hanging them again. >:(
Joe @ Jun 17th 2009 12:37AM
@FNG
You got voted down because your post sounds so condescending.
Like this:
Your post is condescending, don't you know that? Try reading the words you write before adding your comment.
See?
relaxeder @ Jun 17th 2009 12:56AM
Yeah, I really don't understand why this is supposed to be a defense of his actions. If he doesn't know any better after committing such a violent act, then he's clearly a threat to himself and others.
I have my opinions about the prison system, and I don't agree that in every case a person should spend the rest of their days in jail for taking a life -- this is what the courts are for, obviously, reviewing crimes and determining appropriate sentences. Was it an accident, was it a reaction to a threat, what were the circumstances, et cetera.
But this, I just don't understand how something so monsterous and unprovoked cannot be met with a lifetime sentence. Shooting your mom in the head over the vidya should be a permanent oneway ticket out of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
whylekat @ Jun 17th 2009 9:15AM
Same goes for raping children, but that guy got only a year behind bars just recently. The judiciall system only works so often. =P
Whocares @ Jun 17th 2009 12:31PM
"Get ready to drop" (the soap), this fall
Ellianth @ Jun 16th 2009 10:45PM
Looks like he's been getting his ass kicked daily in [wherever they've been holding him]. May not be smart enough to understand what he did, but I bet by now he's realized that there's no CoD where he's going.
Mitchler @ Jun 16th 2009 10:52PM
Yeah... "kicked"...
Ejab @ Jun 17th 2009 7:43AM
People dont kill over COD, COD sucks, I would murder for Halo.
BIGGEN (LIVE-PSN: BIGGEN1103) @ Jun 17th 2009 8:15AM
there may not be CoD where he's going, but i guarantee there's a wii
Robobie @ Jun 17th 2009 2:43PM
There is CoD in prison...
Cock on Dick...
He'll be getting alot of it.
Ellianth @ Jun 17th 2009 2:44PM
Wii implies small; unless nintendo makes big meaty prizon cawks, he won't be playing any easy games :p.
WINterfang @ Jun 16th 2009 10:45PM
Fucking asshole, I hope he rots in jail.
Erik Stroud @ Jun 16th 2009 10:50PM
I agree. No video game is worth more than your family.
WINterfang @ Jun 16th 2009 11:05PM
I'm so pissed right now!! I can't help it, even if I have live alone for the last 5 years I'm somehow of a mama's boy so hearing about those asshole just boiled my blow a thousand degrees.
Popfrogs @ Jun 16th 2009 11:24PM
Is this ESL day on Joystiq or what?
ArchiGamer @ Jun 16th 2009 11:32PM
I just hope he gets shot and gets teabagged as another cellmates screams "I totally raped you!"
Blank-Mage @ Jun 17th 2009 1:31AM
@ Erik:
I hare Team Ico is coming out with something.
...just saying.
cheese @ Jun 17th 2009 1:34AM
I agree. What a loser. I supposed his excuse is that Halo doesn't teach you to not shoot your own mother, lol. I will not be surprised if the jerk's dad goes on a campaign against "violent" videogames, fully ignoring that his son is the violent one.
Foetoid @ Jun 17th 2009 2:54AM
The worst part of the whole ordeal, is it was over GAYLO of all things. My god.
Damian @ Jun 17th 2009 5:57AM
If he was even going to kil someone over a video game, he could have chosen a better one like bioshock or something.
MarioSpitza @ Jun 17th 2009 8:44AM
"I will not be surprised if the jerk's dad goes on a campaign against "violent" videogames, fully ignoring that his son is the violent one."
I wouldn't be surprised either. I mean, his own son killed his mother (the man's wife), shot him (likely with the intention to kill too since he shot him in the head), and now he's crying in court for mercy for the boy.
Jesus, man, I understand you love your son, but listen to your senses!
Mr Khan @ Jun 17th 2009 11:29AM
WINterfang *is* ESL though. Pretty sure anyway