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Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years

By Jeralyn, Section Juvenile Offenders
Posted on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 10:14:21 AM EST
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The jury verdict is in --guilty--in the case of Christopher Pittman, a teenager on trial for murder who used Zoloft as a defense has been found guilty.

Christopher was 15 when he killed his grandparents. He was charged as an adult and will be sentenced this afternoon to between 30 years and life.

Update: Christopher was sentenced to 30 years.

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    Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years | 33 comments (33 topical)
    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#1)
    by mpower1952 on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 10:27:00 AM EST
    Do you have a take on this case. Can a twelve year old be charged with murder? Thirty years to life is ridiculous in this case.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 10:32:58 AM EST
    I totally agree with this verdict. Maybe he'll get 15-20 year. He's young enough.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 10:48:06 AM EST
    Can a twelve year old be charged with murder?
    in america, not only yeah, but hell yeah!!! the youngest that comes to mind is the 9yo/FL who did the wrestling move on a younger female. convicted, sentenced. i think public outrage assisted in his release, i believe he did 3 years or something.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 10:52:41 AM EST
    You can bet that the manufacturer assisted the prosecutors with the case in big way. They've been known to provide all sorts of help to prosectors when a drug is suspected to cause violence.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 10:53:11 AM EST
    could zoloft explain Bush?

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 11:01:22 AM EST
    I don't understand how someone could try to plame a medicine/drug for shooting someone. This kid shot his grandparents and then he blames the drug cause it gave him depresion. He should take responsibility for himself cause he did it. It was his fault not the drug.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 11:02:14 AM EST
    This is rubish, but he should go to jail because he shot his beloved grandparents and zoloft can't do that it was his own stupidity.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 11:05:56 AM EST
    This is ubserd. It is a KID!!!!!!!! and he took drugs leave the kid alone and dont sell the drug any more and the store must of sold it to him so there you go!!

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#9)
    by Adept Havelock on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 11:06:19 AM EST
    Anyone here remember the infamous "twinkie defense" and the shooting of the San Francisco mayor?

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 11:07:43 AM EST
    The fact is, is that this kid killed someone. He took his greandparents lives because of his "depresion". That is insane cause the drug didn't kill someone he did. I don't care if he is a kid he should still serve some time. Not a full sentance but still enough to bring him back to reality.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#12)
    by marty on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 11:09:50 AM EST
    Reading these comments makes me wish there was a blog with an IQ test requirement. If you can't write a coherent sentence, you don't get on.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#13)
    by jen on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 11:27:37 AM EST
    Next thing you know, they will charge a 15 year old for something he did at the age of 4. "He knew it was wrong, he tried to hide it" Zoloft does not excuse a killing. But that does not excuse what the prosecuters did.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 11:39:47 AM EST
    Reading these comments makes me wish there was a blog with an IQ test requirement. If you can't write a coherent sentence, you don't get on.
    i c u don't like net shorts, me no prob, as long as u get the . i'd have some other suggestions for entry.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#15)
    by kdog on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 11:48:09 AM EST
    I don't think taking powerful psychotropic excuses murder, but it certainly would qualify as a mitigating factor. The questions we should ask are 1) Were the child's parents forcing him to take the drugs? 2) Did he try to warn his parents or doctor about the effects the drug was having? I don't belive in putting anyone 15 yrs old in jail for life or 20 yrs, especially a kid with obvious mental problems that may be able to lead a semi-normal, non-violent life through treatment. The persons who decided to give the kid these dangerous drugs should bear some responsibility, since the kid is a minor.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#16)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 12:09:23 PM EST
    and the repercussions of legally drugging our youth have only began to be felt. aDD / hyperActivity, my parents would bust you on the a$$ two, three times and tell you get your little a$$ somewhere and sit down. am not really in tune with the current stance on that corporal punishment thingy. i suscribe to the spare the rod, spoil the child or something like that, line of thinking. pavlov's (rewards / punishment) theory works best when disciplining young (4-9yo) kids.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 12:47:01 PM EST
    People here seems to like to make excuses for killers and murderers a lot. This kid killed his own grandparents! We are not talking about some minor thingie like stealing cookies here. And even my 9 & 7 years old know that if you kill someone, you go to jail for a long long time, drug or no drug. I am glad that our justice system has some common sense and have the will to punish the guilty.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#18)
    by mpower1952 on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 01:07:21 PM EST
    Obviously none of the posters have suffered from depression. I have and I can tell you it really changes your personality. Thank God for the new drugs that have been invented in the last 20 years. But let me tell you, not all medicines worked for me. It is a trial and error search for the patient and the doctor to find the right one. T he trouble with giving these drugs to children is that they can't tell if the drug is working. They're told it will help them, like taking amoxicillian for a strep throat, and they don't know the warning signs if the medicine is not working or making them worse. Remember, this kid was suffering from depression. It is a real disease and many times is clinical not situational. You can't make yourself better by wishing it away.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#19)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 01:37:49 PM EST
    People here seems to like to make excuses for killers and murderers a lot.
    ?would you say that comes from both sides? -cop kills 13yo for joy riding -100,000 dead in illegal war yeah there are some apologist on both sides, thats for sure. there is a phrase in law, i'm sure the lawyers here will correct me if i err. extenuating and mitigating circumstances. this was a legal drug, probably forced on him, not some crackhead, angel dust smoking scumbag.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#21)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 02:23:31 PM EST
    aDD / hyperActivity, my parents would bust you on the a$$ two, three times and tell you get your little a$$ somewhere and sit down. So the solution to the issue of overdrugging children is violence? And then, of course, when the kid uses violence, we have to act all shocked and stuff, and ask ourselves 'Wherever did they learn that?' I see how that works.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 02:54:59 PM EST
    ...So the solution to the issue of overdrugging children is violence?...
    how does child rearing discipline equate to violence, a couple taps, even if given with slight force, does not equate to violence. let me go to a dictionary and make sure i understand what the definition of violence is... violence Physical force exerted for the purpose of violating, damaging, or abusing.(Note: there were others but they developed from this premise) ok its still defined the same. so to answer your original questions: no

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#23)
    by Che's Lounge on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 03:30:04 PM EST
    Some very simple minded people seem to have a problem here. No one is excusing the behaviour. How someone could come to that conclusion here is beyond me. But there are those who comment here to seek to understand ALL of the factors that may have contributed to this tragedy, and how we may possibly prevent others from suffering a similar fate (and I'm talking about ALL the parties involved, in case the above mentioned simple minded folks think I was only referring to the kid). If you think it was so simple, that this kid just picked up a gun and fired, and that's it, then I truly feel sorry for you. But I for one am not here to point fingers of blame, but to try to understand, and try to prevent it from happening again.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#24)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 04:12:12 PM EST
    Okay, maybe a poll might be in order here. How young would a child have to be in order NOT to be tried and sentenced as an adult? Suppose, for example, that he had been 10 years old when he committed this act? Would you still approve of his sentence?

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#26)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 08:49:06 AM EST
    It's pretty interesting that there are so many people willing to suggest that first, it is the parents fault because the kid obviously was not diciplined and second, that it was a well informed decision to put the kid on the drug. The, it's only a little pill, arguement . As a parent struggling to some hard decisions dealing with whether to take a step towards pharmacudical intervention, walk a mile in my shoes. It is even a more path when you start to explore the treatment alternatives for children when you have to factor in what insurance companies will pay for and what they won't. Let me tell, the deck is really stacked against parents and their kids. Just take a quick look at the explosion of Pharma/Healthcare divisions in PR firms and you will quickly see that even the most intelligent of parents are overwhelmed. Look at the webiste of any of the big 5 PR firms and one of the first things you will see is that all these companies specialize in "crisis management" Who do you think gets the first call when bad stuff comes out about a drug. Let me give you a hint, it is not the people who did the research. It is the PR firm the pharma company has on retainer. There are whole business units within PR firms that are centered around one drug. Not one class of drug but one single solitary pill. And don't forget the political ramifications. If this kid was found innocent because of the drug what do you think would have been the impact to the change of venue for class action law suits that Bush is trying to push through???

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#27)
    by kdog on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:41:23 AM EST
    Even if the drugs played a part, the kid should be punished. But 30 years, that's just insane. Now three lives have been flushed down the toilet instead of two.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#28)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 11:43:41 AM EST
    The Conviction Of Christopher Pittman is a reminder to all kids that are thinking of committing a serious crime If you want to do some hard time go commit a crime. In the end you will pay the consequences. 12 or 15 years old don't matter. Murder of another human being cannot be tolerated. The decision was the only one the jury could reach and it was justified.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#29)
    by kdog on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 12:16:56 PM EST
    C'mon sean, do you really think that during a murder, in the heat of passion, some kid is gonna stop to think "What happened to the last kid that killed someone?" Gimme a break. If you demand vengeance, at least say it, don't shovel this deterrent bs.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#30)
    by chris on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:43:06 PM EST
    "The Conviction Of Christopher Pittman is a reminder to all kids that are thinking of committing a serious crime" How many kids do you know that are news junkies and would have heard of this case? Of those kids, how many do you think are contemplating killing their grandparents (or anyone). And now how many do you think have changed their minds after hearing this verdict?

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#31)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 06:33:54 AM EST
    The faults in our legal system are numerous and, combined with the barbaric sentiments of wannabe Nazi commenters make this country not only an international disgrace but a hypocrisy of democratic idealism. The first affrontery to justice are the laws allowing juveniles to be charged as adults. I believe these laws were passed under the auspices of the horrendous, cold-blooded crimes committed by gang-members in the 80's. The argument was something like "these are not juveniles in the sense that we would think of kids". The other factor was perceived inadequacies in the juvenile justice system and the fact that some "juveniles" were being recruited by older gang members to commit crimes for which the adults would do hard time. These juvenile "adults" were not considered to have the malleability of "normal" kids and therefore the argument that they could be reformed did not apply. Just like the death penalty, where the worst of the worst (we picture Jeffrey Dahmer types)committers of abominations would be put to death as there was no time limit on their evil or lesser debt that society that would suffice, extreme charges by prosecutors has been used as a career-enhancing tool. It seems that charges are developed based on the bloodiness of the murder, the cuteness of the victim and the potential for political capital (i.e. news coverage) for the prosecutor. So given the above, when this case came before the D.A., a sudden violent murder of family members by a twelve-year old with no criminal history, taking anti-depressants, whose family is supporting him. WHO THE HELL WAS HE HELPING BY CHARGING THIS CHILD AS AN ADULT BUT HIMSELF. You can spout Leviticus (not a happy person,btw) all you want but when that D.A. stands before his God, I don't think spouting OT will help much. Check out the next local election. Betcha the D.A. runs for office.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#32)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 08:43:48 AM EST
    Elizabeth D at February 16, 2005 12:50 AM Posted by mfox at February 17, 2005 07:33 AM sometimes; the truth hurts.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#33)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 11:07:07 AM EST
    i don't think he should be guilty. Ask yourself why would he kill his grandparents just because he got in trouble? Something to do with the way he took the Zoloft or something.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#34)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Feb 18, 2005 at 02:09:36 AM EST
    Christopher Pittman is a Natural Born Killer. For those who demand sympathy for him how about letting him stay at your place.30 years he will at least get out by the time he turns 25 maybe even sooner because he was just a kid. He probably then Go For The Hat Trick and kill the rest of his family.I don't feel the least bit sorry for The 12 year old killer.

    Re: Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years (none / 0) (#35)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 22, 2005 at 11:10:37 AM EST
    i think the kid is psychotic! i mean he took the dumb drug and he killed his grandparents! it is his fault! who would kill their grandparents? i think he should spend life in prison!

    Zoloft (none / 0) (#36)
    by Unknown domain on Fri Feb 16, 2007 at 03:06:42 PM EST
    Zoloft is a dangerous drug,I think it should be taken off the market.IMO..

    Zoloft Teen Murder Verdict: Guilty, 30 Years | 33 comments (33 topical)