David Ventiquattro, 16, kills Martin Howland, 11

David Ventiquattro, 16, kills Martin Howland, 11
On November 22, 1985 David K. Ventiquattro, 15, shot his neighbor, Martin E. Howland, 11, with a shotgun while they were playing the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons] in Herrings, NY.

Ventiquattro told police that his job in the game was to 'extinguish evil' and Howland had become evil, in the game. During the trial other youths said that he had pointed a gun at them before. Police said Ventiquattro told them he hadn't wanted to kill Howland in real life, only in the game.

William McClusky, Ventiquattro's lawyer, argued that Ventiquattro didn't realize the consequences of his actions.

Ventiquattro was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to five and a half years to life in prison, at Brookwood Division for Youth in Claverack, south of Albany. He died on March 29, 2010 at his residence in Virginia.

References:

New York Times

Entry on SAFF from the U.K

rec.games.frp.dnd Newsgroup article

Modern Psychiatry.com

Notorious Jefferson County Crime