Our youngest murderer

Stuff reports:

He’s an ordinary-looking teenager, but 13-year-old Jordan Nelson is now believed to be New Zealand’s youngest murderer.

Nelson pleaded guilty in the High Court at New Plymouth yesterday to the murder of his caregiver, 50-year-old Rosemaree Kurth earlier this year.

Nelson was 13 years and 89 days old when he shot Ms Kurth in the back of the head with a .22 calibre rifle.

The nearest thing to a motive that the Crown could offer to the court was the fact that Ms Kurth had taken his Freeview TV receiver from him.

It’s a sad and puzzling case. To kill someone over such a trivial issue is disturbing – even more so when it is a 13 year old.

However the background, as reported, doesn’t seem typical for young killers. Not in a gang. Acted alone. Rural, not urban.