Teen convicted of murder in Mass. school stabbing; mental disorders had been cited by defense

Teen convicted of murder in Mass. school stabbing

WOBURN, Mass. — A Massachusetts teenager was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder for fatally stabbing another student in what prosecutors described as a random attack at a suburban Boston high school.

A jury in Middlesex Superior Court rejected a defense assertion that John Odgren was legally insane when he stabbed 15-year-old James Alenson in a boys’ bathroom at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School on Jan. 19, 2007.

Odgren, now 19, showed no outward emotion as the verdict was announced. He then sat down in his chair and was comforted by his attorneys.

A first-degree murder conviction in Massachusetts carries an automatic life sentence with no possibility for parole. Judge Jane Haggerty set sentencing for Friday.

Odgren’s lawyers depicted him as a troubled youth with a long history of emotional problems and disorders, including Asperger’s syndrome — a form of autism — attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression.

“This is a case where there is no good outcome,” defense attorney Jonathan Shapiro told reporters following the verdict. Shapiro said the verdict “results in a young man who was 16 years old at the time of the crime being tried as an adult, and going to prison for natural life without parole.”

Odgren’s parents and members of Alenson’s family left the court without commenting.

Odgren’s father testified during the trial that his son, who had a genius-level IQ, was anxious and would not socialize with other children. He was teased and harassed at various schools he attended, and talked of suicide at age 9, his father said.

Three child behavioral specialists testifying for the defense said that Odgren had lost touch with reality and was in a state of paranoia when he stabbed Alenson. They said he was not criminally responsible for killing Alenson.

The defense experts cited Odgren’s fascination with Stephen King’s series of books, “The Dark Tower,” and his obsession with the number 19, which is symbolic in the books. Odgren stabbed Alenson on the 19th day of the month and year.

But prosecutors depicted Odgren as a calculating killer who brought a carving knife to school, then picked a victim at random. Odgren and Alenson had never met or were known to have any kind of prior personal contact, prosecutors said.

A state-certified psychiatrist testifying for prosecutors said Odgren knew what he was doing and was aware of the consequences when he attacked Alenson. She cited statements he made to authorities after the killing, when he admitted killing Alenson and asked about the possible sentence for manslaughter.

“I did it. I just snapped. I don’t know why,” Odgren told a teacher who ran to the scene.

The jury deliberated for about 12 hours over three days.

Had the jury found Odgren not guilty by reason of insanity, he would have been sent to a psychiatric hospital until a judge ruled he was no longer a danger to society.