17-year-old Daniel Petric, who we talked about last week, is currently on trial for the murder of his mother and attempted murder of his father after they banned him from playing Halo 3. After claiming stress and insanity, it seems that the good ol’ “videogame defense” is coming into play, as Petric’s family puts heavy focus on his game playing habits.
Daniel’s grandfather, Michael Broeckel, claimed that “Danny was very mild and meek,” describing him as a normal teenager, but one with a videogame addiction. His sister Holly stated that “He’d just play (video games) nonstop whenever he could,” while a friend revealed he and Daniel would play Halo for up to eighteen hours a day.
Daniel’s teenage friend claims that he believes Halo is not the real reason for the murder, citing “tension” between the boy and his father. The father in question, Rev. Marc Petric, has apparently completely forgiven his son for murdering his wife and trying to kill him. The family appears to be sympathizing with Daniel, who they claim is “remorseful.”
The defense team has argued that Daniel was insane at first, then claimed he was stressed. Now the defense hinges on the claim that this attack was not premeditated. So far, the usual gang of anti-game lobbyist(s) are yet to jump on the case.
