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‘To Kill List’ authored by 13-year-old troubles police, residents

By LEE WILLIAMS
lwilliams@TheCitizenNews.com

A 13-year-old boy found out the hard way that authoring a “To Kill List” that features 30 people and several law enforcement officers is no laughing matter.

A Booth Middle School teacher found the list in her classroom Jan. 24 and quickly notified authorities, according to a Peachtree City police report. With the chilling memory of the Columbine High School massacre that occurred April 20, 1999, in Jefferson County, Colo., still fresh in their minds, an investigation into the matter promptly ensued.

“This list contained a total of 30 names, however, only 22 names have been identified,” Peachtree City police Chief James Murray said in a prepared statement. “The remainder of the names included people and the Peachtree City Police.”

School administrators and police officials studied handwriting samples, which later led them to the 13-year-old boy, who is not currently attending Booth Middle School.

Several of the people named on the “To Kill List” urged Peachtree City police to press charges. The juvenile was charged with terroristic threats. The case will be heard in Fayette County Juvenile Court at a later date.

News of the incident troubled some residents including Gail Newhart of Janice Drive in Fayetteville. Newhart said she believes children are becoming more violent these days because violence is glamorized in mediums such as movies and rap music. She is deeply opposed to the idea.

“It’s got to plant a seed in there,” Newhart said. “If it didn’t why would they spend some much money advertising it. It’s the exposure of a lot of that. That’s what’s causing them to do that and if they are on the edge of a mental problem, it just pushes them over the edge.”

Newhart said she has not heard many details about the case, but she said she simply isn’t surprised by much anymore pointing the murders of Carl and Sarah Collier of Fayette County. The crimes were allegedly orchestrated by the Collier’s granddaughter 15-year-old Holly Harvey and her lover, 16-year-old Sandy Ketchum. The teens allegedly rebelled because the grandparents tried to keep the couple away, according to officials.

Newhart said children and violence was not an issue when she was a child.

“You didn’t hear that kind of stuff happening 50 years ago, of course I was just a child back then, but you never dreamed of that kind of thing,” Newhart said.