VERDICT: Samuel deserves mercy

I’d like to preface all further remarks by stating that I am one thousand percent in favor of capital punishment and/or life imprisonment for perpetrators of heinous crimes. However, for every rule we humans have there are inevitable exceptions. Eldon Samuel III should be one of these exceptions.

I am appalled and cried reading that Eldon was found guilty of killing his violent father and autistic brother. Born into squalor to drug addicted parents, beaten by his father, bullied in school, forced to take care of his brother, forced to shoot zombies, and God knows what else was expected of Eldon, what other results would one expect to happen? It defies logic to think that any one of us would be incapable of doing the same thing raised in the same environment.

If ever released back into society it will no doubt take months if not years of therapy for Eldon to ever recover from the “living HELL” he survived to reach age 16. When it was needed most, where was the help from responsible neighbors, school officials and other adults who were no doubt aware of the trauma Eldon faced daily but did nothing to help? We, the more fortunate, cannot imagine growing up without the love, compassion and nurturing provided by loving parents. After all the abuse this poor boy has suffered already, as a grieving mother who may lose her only son any day to the ravages of dreadful, fatal, incurable Pick’s disease,

I implore the ADULTS responsible for Eldon’s future to help this young man and not treat him like a common criminal and place him behind prison bars to suffer further. This would be a recipe for suicide. Though Eldon was raised in reprehensible circumstances beyond his control, show him what love and compassion are for the first time in his young life and you will no doubt be surprised at the results. May God bless you, Eldon.

IRENE LANE

Coeur d’Alene