Deontae Mitchell, Someone Please Tell Me What's Happening Here!

[Wesley Mouch]

It's a sad story but it could have been prevented by the victim.

The person killed was a thief, having stolen money that a man who was urinating against a wall dropped. Had he picked up the money and returned it to the man - nothing would have happened. Sometimes you don't know who you are messing with until it is too late. In this case it was an ex con and the victim learned the ultimate lesson. Hopefully his family and friends learn that crime doesn't pay.

I also noted that stealing the man's money seemed like an incredibly bad decision -- which the media seems to ignore in favor of focusing on the criminal doing what criminals do.

Am not blaming the victim here, but just wondering why the kid poked the beast, and why it doesn't seem to be worth discussion.

[sirrealone]

I never said the kid was right for taking the money.

What I am saying is that at the age of 13 you respond with emotion. You don't often see that there's another choice except for the bad one that you just made until after the initial moment has passed.

You're all up here saying that he should have made a better choice, which is fine and good to say now, but can you try for a moment to put yourself back in the mind of your 13 year old self? 13 year old minds aren't finished developing. The brain still has a lot of development to do. There's a lot of wiring that isn't in place yet. So, if you want to sit on your high horse and say that he should have made a better decision, then so be it, but I'm just saying that when he saw that money, he might have only seen one decision. The realization to even consider that there were other options may not have come until later.

But he never got that chance.

[mikeg19]

Some people just don't respect the value of a life. Plain and simple. To most of us, we would never kill. Others, certain situations. Some, it doesn't matter if you assaulted them or unknowingly picked up a $5 they dropped, they will hurt you. Absolutely disgusting.

[dguy4evr]

Completely agree with Honky.

Every single parent whether you live in Fenton or Warrendale should use this as an example to sit down with their children and say when you take things that aren't yours - there are consequences. Some times you get caught. Some times you may not. But it's not the right thing to do and it shouldn't be done.

It should have been a "hey mister - you dropped this".

You can argue and say parents shouldn't teach kids these lessons or it's just a 13 year old and that's fine - but don't expect us to be outraged about situations that are 100% preventable.

belleislerunner:

So what you are saying is that you are not outraged about this? That this was justified? All because he and his cousin decided to run with the money? By the way, from what I hear on the news recently, Deontae did not have the money, his cousin did, that's why the guy came back to the party store. He was looking for his cousin.

[Shai_Hulud]

I also noted that stealing the man's money seemed like an incredibly bad decision -- which the media seems to ignore in favor of focusing on the criminal doing what criminals do.

Am not blaming the victim here, but just wondering why the kid poked the beast, and why it doesn't seem to be worth discussion.

Because a teenager doing something stupid isn't comparable to an adult murdering a child?

[belleislerunner]

No I am not outraged. I thought that was clear.

[Honky Tonk]

I never said the kid was right for taking the money.

What I am saying is that at the age of 13 you respond with emotion. You don't often see that there's another choice except for the bad one that you just made until after the initial moment has passed.

You're all up here saying that he should have made a better choice, which is fine and good to say now, but can you try for a moment to put yourself back in the mind of your 13 year old self? 13 year old minds aren't finished developing. The brain still has a lot of development to do. There's a lot of wiring that isn't in place yet. So, if you want to sit on your high horse and say that he should have made a better decision, then so be it, but I'm just saying that when he saw that money, he might have only seen one decision. The realization to even consider that there were other options may not have come until later.

But he never got that chance.

You're way over analyzing this with all this nonsense about brain growth and development, and reading into this more than there is. By 13 you should have enough values instilled in you to know the difference between right and wrong, and to guide in your decision making process. He had none of that. He was taught to be an opportunist, snooze you lose, and that's what got him killed. Justified? NOT by any stretch of the imagination. The blame rests squarely on the people and environment that raised him and the guy that killed him.

[jcole]

What B/S. I know a handful of 13 year olds, and younger, that would have said "Hey mister, you dropped something", and not taken the opportunity to burn a guy taking a leak. It says a lot about the kid's upbringing, and yours. Now that I'm done with that, it's horrendous this asshole decided to put a slug in a 13 year old's head. Big man.....

No bullet found in Deontae
http://www.freep.com/story/news/2016...4740490319f7ba

[Honky Tonk]

No bullet found in Deontae
http://www.freep.com/story/news/2016...4740490319f7ba

Great, even worse.

[Oddz313]

You ever see the series the wire? Should explain it to you. Word on the street is that the kid was basically homeless and usually stayed in abando w other homeless,runaways and street kids. No wonder he was out so late. He didn't attend school and maybe was just rounded up a cpl times for skool funding. His mom cares about getting high pretty much. 70 bucks is a lot of money to a hungry homeless teenager.

[cla1945]

Watched the Wire from the beginning of the series to the end. What is going on inside Detroit is the same as the series. Senseless crime, retaliation murders, drive-by shootings, kids getting murdered. All you ever see on the news is "He/she was a good kid, he/she was a good person, never did anything wrong, took care of themselves, churchgoer, getting an education...", all the remarks you'd expect from someone who considers themselves blameless in a relative being murdered. Meanwhile, this 13 year old is out at 10-11PM, in a crime ridden area. Where were his parents? Where is the church? Where is Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Malik....where is the outrage? These are animals preying on people and no one is doing a damn thing about it. This is Armageddon people...pure and simple.

[Oddz313]

Watched the Wire from the beginning of the series to the end. What is going on inside Detroit is the same as the series. Senseless crime, retaliation murders, drive-by shootings, kids getting murdered. All you ever see on the news is "He/she was a good kid, he/she was a good person, never did anything wrong, took care of themselves, churchgoer, getting an education...", all the remarks you'd expect from someone who considers themselves blameless in a relative being murdered. Meanwhile, this 13 year old is out at 10-11PM, in a crime ridden area. Where were his parents? Where is the church? Where is Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Malik....where is the outrage? These are animals preying on people and no one is doing a damn thing about it. This is Armageddon people...pure and simple.

He maybe was a good kid at one time, hunger and poverty make people do desperate things. Also you have to factor in a 13 yr old boys mischief and him being even worse because of his upbringing and being able to run the streets. Please lets not do the Al and Jesse bit though. It wasn't a state sanctioned murder and it wasn't due to race. Also people are outraged. Let's not be oblivious here, your earlier points are well noted though. It's been bad for a long time....the 70s really.

[Hypestyles]

Doesn't matter if the boy took the money or not. Some people are so far gone in the head that they will take ANY opportunity of perceived "disrespect' or "threat" as an excuse to prey on another person, especially someone smaller/younger and thus "weaker". Deontae's "best" option would have been to avoid being on the radar of an apparent maniac. To imply that he "deserved" to die, at least tacitly, for petty theft, is pretty sad.

[cla1945]

In no way do I blame the child for his demise. I blame the animal who perceived that he stole something from him or that he looked at him wrong. I do blame the parents, Moms and Dads throughout Detroit, who are not keeping their children under the radar but instead let them "run the streets". There is absolutely no reason anyone goes hungry in Detroit or anywhere else. There are places that anyone can go to get free food and a place to sleep. The city is going to hell and no one can stop it.

[Bigdd]

I also noted that stealing the man's money seemed like an incredibly bad decision -- which the media seems to ignore in favor of focusing on the criminal doing what criminals do.

Am not blaming the victim here, but just wondering why the kid poked the beast, and why it doesn't seem to be worth discussion.

AND,.. why was a 13 year old hanging out in front of a liquor store at 10:30 pm on a school night?

Why wasn't he in bed ? Where are his parents ?

[erikd]

You're way over analyzing this with all this nonsense about brain growth and development, and reading into this more than there is. By 13 you should have enough values instilled in you to know the difference between right and wrong, and to guide in your decision making process. He had none of that. He was taught to be an opportunist, snooze you lose, and that's what got him killed. Justified? NOT by any stretch of the imagination. The blame rests squarely on the people and environment that raised him and the guy that killed him.

Honky Tonk,

I completely disagree with your vilification of the kid. Most 13 year old kids commit these kind of minor infractions, such as picking up dropped money and not returning it to the owner.

I don't know anybody who doesn't have a story about a time when they were a kid that age, and shoplifted a small item, or bullied another kid for being fat/short/nerdy, or took a few dollars from their parent's wallet/purse, or got into a fistfight, or found a wallet and didn't return it, or broke a window with a baseball and didn't own up to it, etc.

Maybe you were always a perfectly moral and honorable kid who never once did anything wrong, but I doubt it.

[Bigdd]

Most 13 year old kids commit these kind of minor infractions, such as picking up dropped money and not returning it to the owner.

I don't know anybody who doesn't have a story about a time when they were a kid that age, and shoplifted a small item, or ..................

It was my impression [[the news wasn't clear),.. that the drunk, ex-con, suspect guy dropped the money pretty much right next to him while he was peeing,... and Deontae used that opportunity [[the guy peeing having his pecker in his hand and all) to swoop in and take the cash, and ride off real fast on his bike, before the guy could get his pants zipped up.

"IF" that's the way it happened,.. then that would be a REALLY brazen act.

[Don Mossi-ish]

It is fascinating how our minds work to process our reaction to a child's murder. Since we don't and can't understand the murderer, we settle in to find fault with the circumstances that now we say allowed the murderer to act. And since the commentators have obviously lived through their childhood, why not offer advice? It's the least one could do.

[Zacha341]

That speaks to parenting or lack thereof, unless he happened to sneak out of the house. If you cannot get a 13 old in the house earlier on a school night it's over for controlling a 16 y/o. Discipline and rules have to start early.

... why was a 13 year old hanging out in front of a liquor store at 10:30 pm on a school night?

[Bigdd]

It is fascinating how our minds work to process our reaction to a child's murder. Since we don't and can't understand the murderer, .

Well,... we don't know yet if he was actually murdered,... or just died.

It was "presumed" by everyone until yesterday evening that he was taken to the field and shot,.. but according to the Medical Examiner,.. there is no bullet or bullet hole in Deontae.

We'll have to wait an see what they think the cause of death is.



I am reminded of the crack-head Malice Green,.. who died of a heart attack while struggling with police who were trying to wrestle away the crack he had clenched in his hand.

Malice had a number of heart attacks before that from crack use, and had a very damaged heart. The autopsy revealed no bruising on his brain [[which would have occurred if he died from being beaten about the head while his heart was still beating). But there was none,.. which means either the blows from the Mag-Light weren't very hard,.. or his heart had already stopped beating. [[Meaning he almost assuredly died from a massive heart-attack very early on in the struggle).

None of that evidence [[from the ME or his past medical history and heart issues) was allowed in court for some reason,.. and so the two cops were convicted.


So far the cops have the suspects dead to rights on felony firearms possession,.. indescent exposure, kidnapping, and other previous warrants [[at lest the couple in Ohio).... it remains to be seen if there is any evidence to charge them with murder.

[Wheels]

It would only have taken minimal and very basic parenting to avoid this sad situation. Not blaming the victim but watching the family on TV crying for justice just boils my blood! Detroit is working hard to get better schools but if the kids are not going what good are they? Somehow parents need to be made accountable.

[jcole]

Well,... we don't know yet if he was actually murdered,... or just died.

It was "presumed" by everyone until yesterday evening that he was taken to the field and shot,.. but according to the Medical Examiner,.. there is no bullet or bullet hole in Deontae.

We'll have to wait an see what they think the cause of death is.

According to Channel 7, it appears he was strangled to death, after being beaten up:

Lillian Lisette Roberts, 43, watched her boyfriend, Gregory Walker, beat 13-year-old Deontae Mitchell, say sources....Sources tell 7 Action News that Roberts' stepson, 30-year-old Ernest Coleman, helped Walker assault the teen whose body was found Thursday morning near Harper and Baldwin.
It appears Deontae had been strangled.
Coleman has also been arrested in the case. Roberts' uncle, 51-year-old Roy Portis, is also under arrest.
After Deontae's murder, police say Portis drove his niece and Walker to a Days Inn in Toledo where he rented a room for them.

[Wesley Mouch]

He maybe was a good kid at one time, hunger and poverty make people do desperate things. Also you have to factor in a 13 yr old boys mischief and him being even worse because of his upbringing and being able to run the streets. Please lets not do the Al and Jesse bit though. It wasn't a state sanctioned murder and it wasn't due to race. Also people are outraged. Let's not be oblivious here, your earlier points are well noted though. It's been bad for a long time....the 70s really.

Conversation about race. Isn't that what's wanted? Yet when one starts talking, the answer is 'not that please, you're wrong'.

Closer to the thread, this certain is tragic. But its not about race nor state-sanctioned murder. Its about broad social dysfunction. Jesse and Al could contribute to this conversation -- but they don't. Black America's so-called leaders bring up racism a lot these days. HonkeyTonk isn't out of place noticing that a little more introspection and less accusations of others might be something we should talk about. Denial and misdirected blame are factors here, in the opinion of many. Deny at our urban community's risk.

[Oddz313]

Conversation about race. Isn't that what's wanted? Yet when one starts talking, the answer is 'not that please, you're wrong'.

Closer to the thread, this certain is tragic. But its not about race nor state-sanctioned murder. Its about broad social dysfunction. Jesse and Al could contribute to this conversation -- but they don't. Black America's so-called leaders bring up racism a lot these days. HonkeyTonk isn't out of place noticing that a little more introspection and less accusations of others might be something we should talk about. Denial and misdirected blame are factors here, in the opinion of many. Deny at our urban community's risk.

Probably not a great conversation starter to talk about race in America. The murder of a 13 year old boy that is, I know if some black guy wanted to have a convo about race and the first thing he brought up was the Oakland county child killer or Jared from subway I would be wondering what his problem was

[lpg]

Is there any doubt that the path this kid was on would eventually lead to prison or this ?? I agree with Wheels that parents who are only concerned when something happens need to held accountable.