Shades of Jeffrey Dahmer...

[Skywatcher]

Headline: Sixth-grader admits stabbing ducks with pencil.

AP via CNN
A sixth-grader stabbed to death a mother duck and two ducklings that had nested near a school, distressing the other children and alarming officials who said the boy needs mental health treatment.

Students at Wilbur Middle School had named the mother duck Lucy and were monitoring her and her brood, making sure no one disturbed the nest in a grassy creek bed. Their mutilated bodies – stabbed with a pencil – were found this week.

An announcement over the public address system led the boy to admit the killings, officials said. They said he had also talked about the act to classmates and didn’t understand why it was wrong.

Jeffrey Dahmer impaled animals before starting on people.

[Inigo_Montoya]

This is a weird story. Seems like both sides are extreme–the duck slayer obviously has problems but … “to share their grief for these animals.” I’m really not a heartless bastard but…come on, they’re ducks. And it’s not like the kid crucified & disemboweled them on the school door for all to see. Did he? Point being…can these kids possibly be as screwed up just hearing about this evil deed as they may end up being by being told they should be horrified & grief-stricken?

[Argent_Towers]

The kid is definitely fucked up.

I’ve known a lot of kids who were hunting by the time they were in 6th or 7th grade, but that’s one thing. Stabbing to death, at close range, an animal which was “adopted” as a pet by the other kids? That’s sociopathic behavior.

[Wee_Bairn]

I see shades of the Mary Bell case in England in the late 60’s. A very youg child with no problem killing people/animals, not even knowing or thinking its wrong is obviously deeply disturbed, quite possibly due to severe abuse. This child at the very least should never be left without adult supervision.

[ladybug]

A couple of months ago I witnessed one of the neighborhood teens trying to impale squirrels in my apartment complex. I ran outside and yelled at him to stop. He denied everything, so he probably understood that it was wrong. I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse.

The kid in the OP definitely has problems. I would hope that adults are keeping an eye on him.

[China_Guy]

I think there is need for follow up and monitoring of the kid. Often said that most serial killers shared a tendancy to kill/torture animals, firestarting and bedwetting, but it’s not a causual relationship.

The kid in a very messed up way was getting attention. He killed the “class” ducks. That could easily be a very different revenge type motivation rather than torturing the animals.

[Boyo_Jim]

I think maybe you have the wrong serial killer. Now, if the kid ate the ducks, or tried to make them into zombie slave ducks first…

[Man_With_a_Cat]

@Boyo Jim

I think maybe you have the wrong serial killer. Now, if the kid ate the ducks, or tried to make them into zombie slave ducks first…

Think again.

…When young, impaled the heads of animals he killed on stakes in his yard.

[Boyo_Jim]

Oh… impaling heads. Were any duck heads impaled?

All I’m saying is, virtually ALL serial killers start by killing neighborhood animals. There should be a better match than Dahmer. But maybe not. Can anyone think of a serial killer who killed women and their children? Didn’t BTK do that a couple of times?