Teen Who Killed Mother Over Video Game Gets 23 Years to Life

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Teen Who Killed Mother Over Video Game Gets 23 Years to Life

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http://www.fox8.com/wjw-news-daniel-pet ... 9290.story

Teen Who Killed Mother Over Video Game Gets 23 Years to Life
Kevin Freeman Fox 8 News Reporter June 16, 2009

ELYRIA, Ohio —
A Lorain County teenager who shot and killed his mother and wounded his father after they took away his video game learned his punishment Tuesday morning.

Lorain County Court of Common Pleas Judge James Burge sentenced Daniel Petric, 17, to life in prison with the eligibility of parole in 23 years. Prosecutors had asked for the maximum penalty of life in prison without parole.

"I remain fearful if Danny gets out of prison and somebody else takes away his new pasttime, whether it's a girlfriend that leaves him, this may be the next thing that happens," assistant Lorain County Prosecutor Tony Cillo told the judge.

"Daniel Petric received the only break that he's entitled to under the law, that he was too young to risk a death specification," said Cillo.

Petric, who was 16 at the time, was convicted of shooting both his parents in the head in October 2007 inside their home near Wellington. Susan Petric, 43, died. His father -- the Rev. Mark Petric, 45 -- miraculously survived.

Prosecutors say he told them "Close your eyes, I've got a surprise for you," before shooting them, and then tried to make it look like a murder-suicide.

Petric, who was tried as an adult, held back tears at times during the hearing. He stood to address the judge, but then sat down without speaking.

Defense attorneys argued that Petric's youth and addiction to the game "Halo 3" made him less responsible for the shooting. They say he often played video games 18 hours a day with little food or sleep. They say he may have been so obsessed with the game, where players shoot alien monsters that have taken over the Earth, that he didn't think death was real.

"The playing of the video games and the reality of shooting somebody in his case was blinded, it was merged," defense attorney James Kersey told the court. "He had no thoughts during this process. During this time, he was blinded that his parents might be dead, that they might never come back."

"His addiction was so strong, was running rampant in a tired, exhausted young man, that anybody or anything that stood between him playing the video game and not having his way was in peril," Kersey added.

Petric's father addressed the court, asking Judge Burge to give him a lenient sentence.

"I can't count the number of times that he's said, 'Dad I miss mom, I miss mom.' His pain runs very deep, and it should ... if his pain did not run deep, I guarantee you I would not be standing here speaking on his behalf," the Rev. Petric told the judge.

"I love you Danny," said the Rev. Petric, through tears. "I can see the pain and the guilt inside when I visit him. I look in his eyes and I see it, I see the sadness, I see the concern. He still does not understand why he did something so terrible, but he does admit to it and he admits that it was terrible."

Judge Burge addressed the issue of video game addiction during sentencing, and said that it was a factor in his final decision. He says he hopes more study will be done on the topic.

"I feel confident that if there were no such thing as violent video games, I wouldn't know Daniel Petric," he said.

The Petric family did not speak to reporters after the hearing. Daniel's attorney says that although they feel the sentence is too long, they are satisfied with it.

"They feel it could've been worse," said Kersey.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved.)

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