Police Attempt to Link Vicious Murder to D&D

[Charli]

I'm sorry nothing the police say will exchange the mental image of that nerdy fat kid with glasses and acne who wore a cape and most likely snorted when he laughed with one of a hardened rapist/murderer, when one utters the phrase 'Dungeons and Dragons'

Give up now.

 

[squid5580]

I live in the area of this crime. A glance at the local paper(yesterday's edition) shows that the murderer enjoys listening to 50 Cent, loves the movie The Sorcerer's Apprentice and is a fan of skiing, walking on the beach and studying the bible. If playing D&DO(which he apparently didn't even own, hence playing it at his friend's house) is a possible motive for the crime, why can't listening to rap, liking crappy Nic Cage movies and studying the Bible be motives as well? There was no reference to video games being a possible motive in any of the three articles ran by the paper.(Sidebar: The Seattle PI is an online-only newspaper. Its print division failed last year. The Seattle Times is a much better organization. They haven't mentioned a video game motive either.)

The PI's article is nothing more than an attempt to increase views on their website and create controversy. Shame on them. No wonder they went out of print.

That sounds like a "looking for love" in the classifieds not an actual article written by a professional journalist. How big is this place. Big city or a small town?

 

[CitizenV]

How many crimes are committed by the drunk? Now that's a connection I'd look into...

Sick kid needs a therapist and a little isolation(15-25 years)if you ask me.

 

[MatsVS]

Poor girl.

 

[benbenthegamerman]

Wow, weird: i was just watching Spoony's review of Mazes and Monsters, now this.

 

[HPoirot]

I live in the area of this crime. A glance at the local paper(yesterday's edition) shows that the murderer enjoys listening to 50 Cent, loves the movie The Sorcerer's Apprentice and is a fan of skiing, walking on the beach and studying the bible. If playing D&DO(which he apparently didn't even own, hence playing it at his friend's house) is a possible motive for the crime, why can't listening to rap, liking crappy Nic Cage movies and studying the Bible be motives as well? There was no reference to video games being a possible motive in any of the three articles ran by the paper.(Sidebar: The Seattle PI is an online-only newspaper. Its print division failed last year. The Seattle Times is a much better organization. They haven't mentioned a video game motive either.)

The PI's article is nothing more than an attempt to increase views on their website and create controversy. Shame on them. No wonder they went out of print.

That sounds like a "looking for love" in the classifieds not an actual article written by a professional journalist. How big is this place. Big city or a small town?

Its Tacoma's paper. The third-largest city in Washington(I think). To be fair, that specific article was about the murderer. It featured quotes about how he seemed like a fine, respectful, nice individual. That info was pulled from his facebook page. There were other articles about the crime itself.

 

[dariuskyne]

funny, having been playing DDO, i have yet to come across a rape/murder storyline arc/quest... i guess i'll have to keep my eyes open, does it happen when you and 11 other guys beat down the maralith in the demon sands? or is it when you go after that one dragon mother in the kolbold swamp after killing the dragon's offspring?
gotta love people perceptions especially law enforcement... D&D is involved???!!!! SHOK!!!! oh, wait doube trouble! it's D&D and it's played ON the computer that makes it a video game TOO!!!!it's the spawn of satan itself!!! it must be the main motivator...

idiocy, nevermind that people that kill typically have a history of "questionable" actions and mental stablility, long before they even play a game, any game that can even be "connected".

 

[Freeze_L]

time to break out the "are you fucking with me or did your parents like to play 'drop the baby on it's head'" face. its like saying the murder went and watched friday the 13th after he killed her and therefore he must be acting that out, actually it is exactly like that, and no one would ever claim that.

 

[squid5580]

The part that got me was that he went to D&D for distraction. Really? Normally I would expect the kid to be playing more graphically violent games if they wanted to connect it to a crime. Maybe I just don't know because I don't play D&D, but does the game ever show a character getting raped or allow for rape to even occur?

Even if they do turn out to be right, as much of a long shot it is, for the kid to use D&D to vent his sexual frustrations is a bizarre and unique situation. What seems more likely is if the kid had sexual frustration issues the game would distract him from them, not encourage them.

D&D is a truly open world sandbox game where anything can happen. You don't see it though, you imagine it. And it would be up to the DM and/or the other players if they allowed the rape. And how graphic that scene would be. Although it would have to be a house rules type thing because I don't recall seeing any reference to it in the DM handbook.

 

[Karousawai]

Who knows, maybe the disabled girl was dressed like an elf and was murdered with the Sword of Avalon, while police found a pair of D20's down the path.

Thats some pretty damning evidence there.

To be fair the murder weapon would be the D&D rulebook. The WoW D&D book on my shelf is easily heavy enough to count as a blunt object.

 

[Kavonde]

Oh my god. They've done it. They can blame video games and D&D AT THE SAME TIME!

Someone, somewhere, is doing a fist pump.

 

[Ih8pkmn]

The internet has officially run out of Facepalm pictures. There is too much stupidity in the world.so, therefore, I provide you with this:

These idiots they call detectives are just clawing for a scapegoat. I mean, it is tragic that the guy did this, but trying to link it to video games is just Sad, Sick And WRONG. Blame the guy's psychology instead of the games he plays!

...ironically enough, there's an ad for D+D online at the bottom of the page as I'm typing this.

 

[Oinodaemon]

Calm down people. They didn't say they were blaming it, they said there was a connection to it.

If the kid went straight to D&D after killing someone, then yeah, I would take a look at the connection too if I was a police officer on the case. It could be that the child has trouble distancing themselves from the fantasy, and those types of angles need to be covered or the child could end up living with an undiagnosed mental problem and not receiving the help he needs.

he doesnt deserve help, he deserves castration, and possibly having his hands cut off...we shouldnt be "helping" people like this, we should be exterminating them.

 

[WolfMage]

they are working with an expert in sexually violent fantasies

So...They're talking to 4chan?
Also, yay, yet another stupid killing being blamed on something stupid.
Fucking aces.

 

[BrownGaijin]

"Savage's previously clean record has detectives wondering what set him off to allegedly murder a girl with mental disabilities," according to a Seattle PI report. "One theory is something Savage told them about: His passion for video games, and how they help him cope." The report further noted that while investigators aren't placing the blame for the attack on videogames, they are working with an expert in sexually violent fantasies "to explore the videogame motive."

First reaction: Bang head into wall numerous time until the stupid goes away. How about his motives were he was a freakin' nutcase?

 

[Karousawai]

@ Therumancer: I think a lot of gamers just get angry when their favourite form of escapism gets horrible acts like this pinned to it. It doesn't help when you have foaming lunatics like Michael Atkinson railing against videogames like Osama ranting about the evils of the west. I mean I know I get touchy when anyone tries to have a go at WoW for being stupidly addictive and therefore "bad" for some reason cos I love that damn game.

However, if games are ever under the banhammer by the supreme court or something then we look to folk like you to help us organise to defend it

 

[Breaker deGodot]

Even Tom Hanks thinks this is bullshit! WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU?!

 

[Frankster]

Does sexual assaults on disabled npcs happen often in d n d?

My dm was boring, we just ran around doing quests and killing monsters :\