We all owe young Eldon this much

It’s entirely possible that Eldon Samuel III is incorrigible, that the damage inflicted on him during his first 14 years of life precludes any possibility of the now 16-year-old ever being a productive member of society.

But what if he’s not? What if he has a future?

Let’s find out.

Eldon, convicted of first degree murder in the brutal slaying of his little brother and second degree murder for killing his abusive, drug-addled father, could be headed to life in prison when Kootenai County District Court Judge Benjamin Simpson sentences him. But there are other options that Simpson will consider after a special two-day sentencing hearing that starts April 4.

One of those options is to commit the child to a state mental health facility until he’s 21. At that point, Eldon would either be eligible for parole or sent to an adult prison. Respectfully, it’s the hope of this newspaper’s editorial board that the mental health facility option is thoroughly considered.

The boy’s trial was a three-week endurance test for jurors and readers alike. Sordid, almost unimaginable details flowed like scenes from horror movies and nightmares. For Eldon Samuel, they were simply facts of his life.

Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh’s team and Kootenai County Defender John Adams’ team did their jobs superbly, yet when it was over and the boy was found guilty, the usual sense of closure was missing. An open wound only festered.

Judge Simpson will have more than the circumstances of this case, the harm inflicted on an innocent child who became a murderer, to consider during sentencing in April. In addition to the two days of extended hearings, he’ll also have the results of a psychological exam that Eldon will undergo next month.

Those who appreciate Judge Simpson’s looking at options outside life in prison will probably be labeled as bleeding hearts, people who put their feelings above society’s safety. That’s an acceptable cost because Eldon Samuel III to this point in his life has never benefitted from anyone’s consideration of what’s best for him.

Let’s do that now. And if five years in the future he’s deemed dangerous, prison will still be waiting.