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So-called Halo 3 killer convicted of murdering mom

Most often, the media takes great pains to tie games to crime. Robberies of game retailers are given sensational treatment by local news outlets, while larceny involving other forms of entertainment--televisions, music players, and so on--are dismissed as routine. Often, even gruesome crimes are exploited if they have a game angle, as were the so-called "Xbox Murders" in 2004, when four Floridians were brutally slain by an ex-con who wanted to retrieve his console. (If he had wanted to get his toaster back, would it have been called the "Toaster Murders"?)

Unfortunately, though, sometimes games are central to a heinous crime. That was the case in October 2007, when then-16-year-old Daniel Petric (pictured) fatally shot his mother because she was limiting his Halo 3 playing time. Defense attorneys claimed the teenager was "obsessed" with the sci-fi shooter, growing irrational and aggressive when he could not play it. After being cut off by his parents, he retrieved his father's 9mm pistol and shot both of them, killing his mother and leaving his father with a major headwound. (The father survived, forgave his son, and even came to court to support him.) The younger Petric then went on the run, taking his copy of Halo 3 with him.

According to the Associated Press, Petric's lawyers argued that, after being psychically incapacitated for months following an injury, he was suffering from a full-blown addiction to Halo 3 and asked that he be ruled not guilty by reason of insanity. Today, though, an Ohio judge ruled that the juvenile was guilty of murder, even though he agreed that the youth was mentally unbalanced.

"I firmly believe that Daniel Petric had no idea at the time he hatched this plot that if he killed his parents they would be dead forever," Lorain County Common Pleas Judge James Burge said in his ruling, according to the AP. However, evidence that Petric planned the murder for weeks led Burge to convict him in the non-jury-based proceedings. The judge will levy a sentence, potentially as severe as life imprisonment, at a later date.

For its part, Halo 3 publisher Microsoft gave a brief statement to the AP, saying only, "We are aware of the situation and it is a tragic case."

1170 Comments

  • dracosummoner

    Posted Jun 16, 2009 8:25 pm PT

    -> weonjin:

    M-rated games aren't the only games that are violent. There are plenty of Teen-rated first- or third-person shooters, some of which can get quite intense, even if they aren't "gory," yet your mother (if, for the sake of discussion, she is blaming the game and not the gamer) does not scrutinize those as well, if I'm understanding this correctly? Or am I missing something here, in which case I apologize?

  • halofreak500

    Posted Apr 16, 2009 10:38 am PT

    that is the most f@$%ed up thing in the world,what a psycho

  • lonewolf1196

    Posted Mar 29, 2009 5:53 pm PT

    uhh why do video games take blame i mean you dont go phyco for seeing a filmm about a bad guy why would you go phyco after playing as a bad guy in a video game. its retarded

  • oo10fold888oo

    Posted Mar 17, 2009 9:50 am PT

    halo 3 was the ish back then...they said he was recovering from an injury that left him "psychically incapacitated for months", i wonder what kinda meds he was recovering on. two months of meds could be more addictive than two monhs of halo 3

  • drumbreak1

    Posted Mar 13, 2009 3:13 pm PT

    and lord ocelot that would've been remotely if she had only got hurt but she died man that ain't cool

  • drumbreak1

    Posted Mar 13, 2009 3:12 pm PT

    as much as i'dlove you to do that a-jock the guy is probably amazing at the game if he goes to that extent even if he is out of his mind he better get life, i hope he doesn't get dismissed or less because of his insanity

  • azone12

    Posted Mar 12, 2009 4:03 pm PT

    your mom aint gonna respawn jackass

  • a-jock

    Posted Mar 11, 2009 2:56 pm PT

    What a f#@%ing retard I wish i could meet this kid so i could 1. Whoop him @ halo, and 2. Smack him in his ugly A$$ looking face. What a piece of $#!T

    I pray that this kid gets life

  • XxXCHANCERXxX

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 4:14 pm PT

    Wow. Thats terrible. That a game! THIS IS LIFE! WE DON'T RESPAWN!!!! God people are so retarded. Does he not get that he don't get extra points for headshots in life?? Does he not get that people DON'T respawn in a few seconds??

  • RainbowCat

    Posted Mar 5, 2009 2:17 pm PT

    Aw, poo. I looked at this thinking that Killzone 2 killed somebody. This is just tragic.

  • pete420630

    Posted Mar 5, 2009 11:59 am PT

    what a dumb ass no halo 4 5 or nothin now just bars and cement. poor mom and dad

  • alosborne

    Posted Mar 4, 2009 4:23 pm PT

    This is very sad.

  • Joman1000

    Posted Mar 4, 2009 12:20 pm PT

    Wow. What a pathetic little douchebag. I hope he gets life.

  • BravoMedic

    Posted Mar 3, 2009 4:15 am PT

    This story just blew my mind. I agree that its annoying when people are so quick to blame video games for violent crimes. Even though youll be exposed to more violence in TV and film than in a game. What people fail to realize is that there are more dominant factors that lead people to violence than playing a game. Your living enviroment, social status, even how much money you make, can further lead you down the path of self destruction.One of a few things happened with this kid: 1(either his parents werent responsible and didnt enforce enough discipline on him. 2( he had an abusive upbringing or 3( he just might be geneticly "not all there" Whatever the case may be, being denied Halo was not the only thing that drove him to murder. Its probably the fact that someone told him no.

  • dirtypoopchute

    Posted Mar 2, 2009 5:23 pm PT

    lol @ lord ocelott

  • LordOcelot posted Mar 2, 2009 12:44 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    LordOcelot

    Posted Mar 2, 2009 12:44 pm PT (hide)

    He should have stuck her with a plasma grenade.

  • Epicurus-Reborn

    Posted Mar 2, 2009 12:06 pm PT

    That is very sad... He obviously had a very false sense of reality.

    And of course the media has no problem with parents who leave 9mms around for their kids to get ahold of. Thats never the issue. its always the f*****g Xbox's Fault. And i cannot believe the father would support a son who tried to kill him. Even after his own wife was murdered... I think its pretty possible the son isnt the only one who needs a reality check.

  • NomadicKing

    Posted Mar 1, 2009 12:59 pm PT

    we'll he won't get to play Halo 3 at all now will he...

  • BLUENAVYSEALS

    Posted Mar 1, 2009 9:16 am PT

    SCREW THAT LITTLE BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOW BECAUSE OF HIM, I CAN NOT GET HALO 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!>8(

  • subzer07861

    Posted Mar 1, 2009 5:37 am PT

    that is just messed up no respect for his parents

  • Shadowflame291

    Posted Feb 28, 2009 7:47 pm PT

    Wow, that is possibly the most messed up thing I've ever heard.

  • aildlevi

    Posted Feb 28, 2009 6:38 pm PT

    wow...

  • Mramazing07 posted Feb 27, 2009 11:37 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Mramazing07

    Posted Feb 27, 2009 11:37 pm PT (hide)

    This is isnt a case of retardation or the kid being a moron. I believe there are certain games such as halo 3 that alot of time bring out the worst in us. Its being able to handle these emotions that makes us have sanity, or in this case insanity. However, i feel he knew perfectly what he was doing, he just loved Halo 3 more than his own parents. Plea of insanity is just a default action attorneys use to defend a client that is undefendable... like loco_pollo said " what did he think she would re spawn?"... saying this kid is insane or a moron is just giving him excuses. Hes a kid who chose a video game over his parents. Sad. and illogical, but that's what this world has come to unfortunately.

  • weonjin

    Posted Feb 27, 2009 6:37 pm PT

    .... so this is y my mom dont want me to play m rated games........

  • dragon4231

    Posted Feb 26, 2009 10:33 am PT

    He killed his parents for stupid video game man that kid is a pycho

  • t20003000

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 11:29 am PT

    betrayals are never funny and is a serious issue in your team...
    on a side note hes a stupid moron, halo is not to blame cause obviously he was retarded to begin with.

  • Briggins14

    Posted Feb 24, 2009 9:22 pm PT

    wow what a psyco he deserves to be locked up forever.

  • mAD_ADaption

    Posted Feb 24, 2009 5:51 pm PT

    I knew pistol headshots in Halo:CE are common, but isn't this taking it a little extreme?

  • loco_pollo

    Posted Feb 23, 2009 9:04 pm PT

    Didn't know she'd be dead forever? What, did he think she'd respawn in a few seconds? Swallowing that theory is a bit nuts, unless of course he is handicapped.

  • beavisbond

    Posted Feb 23, 2009 11:55 am PT

    If I was that dad I would be like "f**k you son you shot me in the head!"

  • Aternal

    Posted Feb 22, 2009 10:09 pm PT

    @commiedic, you should be drug into the street and shot, not in the head, but have your fingers and toes blown off one by one so maybe the physical trauma will cure you of your idiocy. Ignorant comments like the one you posted make me lose faith in all of humanity, here's hoping someone "boom headshots" someone you care about, moron.

  • commiedic posted Feb 22, 2009 8:11 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    commiedic

    Posted Feb 22, 2009 8:11 pm PT (hide)

    At least he finished with a 1337 headshot. BOOM HEADSHOT!!!!

  • chroniclehobbit

    Posted Feb 22, 2009 5:39 pm PT

    They better not be trying to blame the game for it.... Because that would be ridiculous. The teen did it all on his own, addicted or not.

  • FRENCHMAN2000

    Posted Feb 22, 2009 4:02 pm PT

    Dad shouldn't had a loaded gun that wasn't locked up away anyway.

  • marilynbleu

    Posted Feb 22, 2009 1:00 pm PT

    media can suck a fat nut first off men especially have an inate aggresion and its healthy to let it loose but the person must be responsible for themselves and know how far to go and this kid was pretty messed up and has some good pysch disorders it seems, but video didnt cause this it was him he pulled the trigger no matter what state of mind, im tired of liberal democrats and media figures trying to blame everyone and everything else cept the one responsible. get over video games dont kill people that have unhealthy minds and arent responsible for their actions do! derkaaaaa

  • mimouroto

    Posted Feb 22, 2009 2:53 am PT

    ok first off look at the dude. he looks seriously messed up. i may not be majoring in psychology but i do know a few simple facts. one all humans have a capacity to kill it just normally takes a horrible situation to cause it...being grounded is not it. two unless you're mentally challenged most people understand life and death by age 10 hell there's so many people dying on tv how can they not. that brings us to this major fact. unless he's as i said mentally challenged (which he obviously wasnt) he knew she'd never come back. the fact he planned it for weeks probably means he just didnt like his parents. at 16 we all wish our parents would fall off a cliff, just this kid was mentally unstable enough he wanted to do it himself. there's more going on it seems but the lawyer need some way to spin it and video games must have seemed like the obvious option. this kid most likely would have become a killer anyways if he planned it all out. just be glad one life was lost and not more. also to the people who blames guns and want them banned....are you stupid? guns dont kill people do. most murders by teens are gang related and most of those guns are stolen, as in obtained illegally, meaning a ban does nothing. and as for the dad forgiving him and even supporting him wth dude did you not like your wife or are you just as f'ed up as your son?

  • skywalkerforce

    Posted Feb 21, 2009 3:04 pm PT

    WOW that is one of the most f'd up things ive ever heard. I feel bad for that kids parents. That kid does need some major psychiatric help though. You have to be pretty unstable to shoot someone over gaming time. I dont blame halo, i just think the kid needs to go to a mental institution not jail. God bless their family. 1 =(

  • Ringogr

    Posted Feb 21, 2009 2:30 am PT

    if you're a whacko you will find ways to express your dysfunctionality.some use hunting,some patriotismothers 1st p. shooters..Some pour it into music games and other arts.don't blame the tool.

  • Mrhappyguy

    Posted Feb 21, 2009 2:17 am PT

    There was a case up here in Ontario last year, where a teenager had been grounded from his xbox, causing him to run away from home. He was found dead later that week, from a fall, and the exposure to the winter weather took his life. It is too bad that (Some) kids are so obsessive over these games...

  • Death_Emu5

    Posted Feb 21, 2009 12:54 am PT

    He got what he deserved, just because he's a retard doesn't mean he should get off with that crap. The fact is, Halo3 had nothing to do with it... if his obsession was spongebob squarepants, the same thing could have happened.

    Games don't kill people, psychopathic freaks do.

  • xtoperchris

    Posted Feb 20, 2009 8:05 pm PT

    omg!
    this can't be real.. i love sci-fi games especially shooters, but i think killing my mom is not a good idea to keep playing games.
    the kid needs psychological tests before playing violent games.
    seriously, i would choose not to play a game rather than to lose or kill my own mom!

  • Alex_09

    Posted Feb 20, 2009 2:56 pm PT

    WalkinRobot you are pathetic.

    I laugh at this kid because he is going to get the crap kicked out of him evey day in jail, and is never going to play his precious Halo again.

    Sick ****. That goes for you too WalkinRobot. You're the reason Omar Khadr is gonna be let back into Canada, and the reason the rest of those monsters live here already.

    Ohhhh poor Omar. Poor Daniel. Nobody is to blame but them.

  • WalkinRobot

    Posted Feb 20, 2009 2:39 pm PT

    xbox haters shut the hell up

    I mean ppl even kill for halo that how F awesome the game is. I mean nothing against PS3 I love both but cant we just get along.

    anyway I feel sorry for the kid cause he will regret this for life

  • rad2071

    Posted Feb 20, 2009 12:22 pm PT

    damn. i wrote a lot of college english papers over how video games are good and don't instill violence, but now this kid is just F ing it up!

  • whizeguy

    Posted Feb 20, 2009 11:52 am PT

    @ Dan11223344

    Hey, I'm all for gun control, but when you look at the larger picture you start to understand that making guns illegal only prevents honest citizens from being able to protect themselves from criminals that WILL break the law to acquire a firearm.

  • gbyd posted Feb 19, 2009 6:49 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    gbyd

    Posted Feb 19, 2009 6:49 am PT (hide)

    BOOOOOM HEADSHOT

  • djtrotte

    Posted Feb 19, 2009 3:11 am PT

    @Jesus023, what an absolutely idiotic bit of dribble coming out of your keyboard.

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