9 year old girl stabs to death 11 year old playmate over a ball

[savafan]

This world is getting more and more screwed up by the day.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/sto...p-269062c.html

BY KERRY BURKE and ALISON GENDAR
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

A baby-faced 9-year-old allegedly stabbed her best friend through the heart yesterday as the girls fought over a pink rubber ball - a killing that shocked even hardened Brooklyn cops.

Queen Washington, an 11-year-old straight-A student and the "star" of her family, was left dead in a tragic, senseless crime that tore apart the two girls' mothers - also best friends.

The 9-year-old was charged with manslaughter last night after she allegedly plunged a kitchen knife into Queen as they tussled outside the apartment where they had spent many hours playing together.

"She wanted to go over there to spend Memorial Day weekend," Queen's devastated grandmother Muriel Washington, 44, told the Daily News.

"She loved being with" the 9-year-old, Washington added sadly. "That was my baby. It's terrible, terrible."

Shocked cops could not remember a girl this young being accused of such a brutal act.

As the 9-year-old was led away by police, her weeping mother followed her out of the Linden Houses in East New York, carrying a pair of shoes for the barefoot fourth-grader.

Because of her age, the 9-year-old will face charges in Family Court rather than Criminal Court, law enforcement sources said. The News is withholding her name.

The tragedy unfolded at 1:30 p.m. as the two pals got into a squabble over a spaldeen ball in the seventh-floor hallway outside the 9-year-old's apartment.

When Queenie, as her friends called her, refused to hand over the ball, the 9-year-old ran into her flat, grabbed the knife and buried it in the fifth-grader's chest, cops said.

The 9-year-old's mother had just stepped out to borrow a brush to fix her daughter's hair.

The girl's 16-year-old brother came out of the Wortman Ave. apartment to find Queen lying in a pool of blood, said neighbor Lissette Vega, 54.

"She looked like a bundle, she was not moving," Vega said. "The young guy was standing over her with a cell phone calling the police. I didn't want to look.

"How could one child kill another?"

The alleged stabber seemed stunned and didn't try to flee, sources said.

Queen's grandfather Earl Washington described the vivacious girl as the "star of the family, she was going places."

She was a straight-A student who loved books and dancing and playing Double Dutch, relatives said. Relatives said the tragedy came five years to the day after the death of Queen's father.

Queen was set to graduate from fifth grade next month at Public School 256 in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

"She was really excited about it. She asked everybody if they were coming to her graduation," said her grandmother, a drug counselor's assistant who raised Queen since the girl was born.

Now, instead of attending Queen's graduation, the family will plan her funeral.

What makes the horror even more baffling was that Queen's mother, Felicia Washington, was best friends with the 9-year-old's mom, relatives said.

Queen had been invited to the girl's home for a Memorial Day barbecue and loved spending time there.

"I can't imagine what happened," Muriel Washington said. "I can't believe it. [The 9-year-old's] mother was supposed to be watching her. I don't like them being left alone."

There were few tears for the 9-year-old suspect.

"She was a little thug," said neighbor Diva McPhatter, 44. "I always asked her to behave, but she was rude. She fought all the time. She was out of control. I'd confront her, but she'd just roll her eyes."

"We're not going to have any youth left," McPhatter added. "Now babies are killing babies. It's crazy."

With Tanyanika Samuels

[LincolnparkRed]

This is just beyond depressing. What kid thinks that grabbing a knife and stabbing your friend over a ball makes any sense. when one of my friends wanted something from me, we might wressle or punch each other in the arms but I just don't understand how a kid that young can have that much rage.

Regardless of age this girl should get life in prison, without parole. This isn't a case of manslaughter, it is cold blooded murder.

[TeamDunn]

Too many kids today have no coping skills. I don't know where the problem begins or how to stop it, but they do not know how to deal with not getting things their way.

So sad.

[Johnny Footstool]

If I may go off on a bit of a tangent here, this incident and others like it reinforce the need for better education across the board. Parents need to learn coping skills they can pass on to their children, and kids need to learn and share social skills with their peers.

Any candidate with a decent plan for improving the educational system in this country (and no, privatizing is NOT the answer) will get my support.

[deltachi8]

The answer is in the home - schools can not teach what parents (or lack there of) will not also preach, teach and uphold at home. The schools are fighting a losing battle in many ways, and spending every dollar we have on it wont change that. Things have to change at home first and foremost.

[registerthis]

Originally Posted by bomarl1969

Regardless of age this girl should get life in prison, without parole. This isn't a case of manslaughter, it is cold blooded murder.

A nine year old should get life in prison?

That makes about as much sense as stabbing your friend over a ball.

[Johnny Footstool]

Things have to change at home first and foremost.

That's the Catch-22 -- things won't change at home until people get a better education in school. Parents can't teach their children social skills if they haven't learned them themselves. You've got to keep chipping away at the problem by educating and socializing children and giving them a chance to escape the vicious circle.

[CrackerJack]

That's the Catch-22 -- things won't change at home until people get a better education in school. Parents can't teach their children social skills if they haven't learned them themselves. You've got to keep chipping away at the problem by educating and socializing children and giving them a chance to escape the vicious circle.

Agree, dual income support and planned parenting would do a lot for the poor who are caught up in an endless cycle of this kind of thing. Having babies as teenagers is committing yourself to a poor, unfulfilling life usually, and creates a huge disadvantage.

Originally Posted by registerthis

A nine year old should get life in prison?

That makes about as much sense as stabbing your friend over a ball.

An 11 year old girl has lost her life over this. I feel it deserves the upmost attention in punishment. Like I said, its murder whether it be a 9 year old, 19 year old, or 89 year old. All murderers MUST be punished to the fullest extent that the law allows.

[TeamDunn]

Some criminals like this are able to be rehabilitated. Amy Fisher comes to mind. She seems to have done well since getting out of prison.

I don't know if is the help some receive behind bars, or their own will to change. Sending a 9 year old to prison for her entire life is extreme (in my opinion anyway). The reason for this tragedy needs to be found and she needs to be helped.

What she did is absolutely horrible, I am not saying it isn't. But I do feel a life sentence is over the top.

It is as bad as that 35 year sentence the guy got for stealing a b/w tv back in the 70's.

Originally Posted by TeamDunn

It is as bad as that 35 year sentence the guy got for stealing a b/w tv back in the 70's.

Like the Bible says sin is sin and one isn't worse than another. You do the crime, you do the time. All criminals need to be dealt with severly, even children.

[TC81190]

Someone siad it earlier. 15 year old kids having babies are not going to be able to teach a child necessary life skills.

Originally Posted by TC81190

Someone siad it earlier. 15 year old kids having babies are not going to be able to teach a child necessary life skills.

In the words of James Hetfield, sad but true.

[registerthis]

Originally Posted by bomarl1969

An 11 year old girl has lost her life over this. I feel it deserves the upmost attention in punishment. Like I said, its murder whether it be a 9 year old, 19 year old, or 89 year old. All murderers MUST be punished to the fullest extent that the law allows.

That's fine--and the law DOESN'T allow for a 9 year old child to be locked up for the remainder of her natural life. She can't be tried as an adult in this case because she couldn't possibly have had the capacity to understand what she was doing.

She'll likely be placed into juvenile detention until she is 18 and be forced to undergo counseling to understand why she did what she did. Hopefully she can be rehabilitated and eventually become a productive member of society.

What she did was terrible, and she needs to be punished and rehabilitated accordingly. But 9 year olds have no business being locked up for life because they lack the capacity to fully understand and appreciate their actions. That will be the case here.