Second Chances

It is nice to see there are positive influences in there two young men's lives after prison because it is what happens after the incarceration that will define their futures. To many juveniles fail to get the support the need when release and fall into the cracks and end up acting out in desperation and sense of helplessness.

It is nice to see that these two young men have the positive influences in their lives after prison. To many juveniles upon release fall through the cracks and act out of desperation and sense of hopelessness and do end up back in prison for lack of the positive support around them.

What about the King Family, Uncle Greg, Aunt Pat and Grandparents.

From Alex's comments in the program it appears that he had decided to put that part of his life in the past to be forgotten. It is ironic that what Ricky Chavis was unable to do the Medico family has accomplished and that is separate Alex from the King family. One can only hope that boh he and Derek one day decide to reunite with their father's family to find out what a special person he was and so that his death was not in vein.

Terry's headstone has the inscription “I love you Alex and Derek.” and how much he did can only be expressed through that truly knew him.

Something bothers me about these two guys, they seem to be able to practically put this heinous act behind them.  Maybe we could all learn from these two!

Alex is obviously the more charismatic of the two and through Kathy Medico had the extraordinary opportunity to tour with Deepak Chopra.

Derek on the otherhand, really seems sad about what he did to his father, while Alex seems almost detached still from that event.

Derek's mentor, Dan Daily has obviously influenced him in a positive way.

Both Kathy and Dan are compassionate human beings.

However, I think it would be unwise for Derek to live with Alex, he is the weaker of the two, and apparently Alex has undue influence over him.  History could repeat itself again.

Alex doesn't seem to lack self esteem.  He scares me more.

Derek does seem to possess the follower mentality and the urge to please people to this day but I hope that he does take the chance to first step back from any situation and think before he acts. The best friends are those that can say no at the right time and place and prevent trouble before it starts.

I'm sure after tonight's broadcast both Derrek and Alex King will be flooded with many a message over the next few days and weeks, regarding how others feel about them, what they've experienced prior to their serving time, their incarceration, and myriad of attitudes about what they've seen since their release, as well as various spattering thoughts on where their lives will lead these young men in the future.

My greatest hope is that, by far, most of what they read and hear will convey, at least partly, pretty much the same thing I most want them to take away most from what I write to them here...that, all across the nation, there are good-hearted people...people who believe in second chances, in redemption, and in forgiveness...people who truly want both young men to find peace with themselves and all those effected by the negative aspects of their pasts... people who only want the absolute best for them both in their futures....good people who, should providence see to it that their paths cross, will be willing to help them achieve, honest, full, happy, and successful lives, if that is what they want. I hope they read and hear lots and lots of such messages, so the truth in them can take hold in depths their hearts, not for now, when their futures must seem rather bright to them for the first time in a long time, but for later on, should there be times in their lives when it may be easy to forget that good people are out there and good things can happen.

Regrettably, as much as I wish it could be otherwise, I fear that my own personal ability to help to them, at present, can only be rather limited. You see, I know that what they will most need, at least as a start, is what their "family" and "loved ones" are already trying to give them: concrete information, good connections, and simply a compass to lead them into knowing what current resources are available to them and which ones will best truly help them find their way back into the everyday world "on the outside". I know these are the things they will likely most need right now, but, at best, I can only offer myself up as a person to talk to, one who may have some good advice from time to time, but who, for the most part, can only give of their time and honest communication, should either brother desire it of me.

You see, some 5 years or so ago, I had to quit working, which is unfortunate because, before I had to quit my job, I was a counselor for "at-risk" teenagers and I worked with a nonprofit agency that could have, I think, offered up some of those very answers for Derrek and Alex. Since then, what with the recession and all, I've heard that the agency I worked for has had to downsize considerably and most I would have directed them to...those who carried on at this agency after I left....they have, since, had to find other means of employment.

Still, I know it isn't much, but I really want to offer Alex and Derrek a way to contact me, should they feel they ever want to. My email is Skyrisima@aol.com and I want them to know that they can feel free to use it and write to me anytime. The way I see it, Who knows? Maybe not now, but perhaps one day, I, or someone I know, will be just what they need at just the right time. So, without another way to let them know, I'll take the leap of faith and put a bit of myself out there a little via this forum, just in case.

If I were them, I'd want to know a bit more about anyone I chose to write before I just up and started talking to someone, though, so here it goes: They can, first and foremost, read here that I genuinely believe that both of them deserve a fresh start. They should probably also know that I reside in the Florida panhandle, currently living just outside Tallahassee, Florida; the city where I did the vast majority of all my growing up, (and where, at least as a teenager, I was not always known as an angel;). They should note that I still have a few friends from my college days at FSU now residing in both Jacksonville and in Pensacola, where they are reportedly making a go of things, and that I've spent considerable time visiting both cities. They may be interested to read that I've a bit more than an elementary understanding,of what it is like in a correctional system, not first hand, but because my boyfriend has worked for several years now as an officer in one of our state's adult penitentiaries. This point makes for interesting discussions around our dinner table, considering the differences between our two natures. And, of course, though I would not be speaking to them as in a professional capacity, they should probably again hear that I did my most fulfilling work as an adult counseling at-risk kids, helping them through everything from anger issues, to drug addictions, to relationship problems, to sexual abuse, to what courses they should take in their first semester of college. Finally, I guess they should hear from me that, at 32 now, I have been disabled for several years, and thus have been up against my own restrictions in life...ones I never dreamed of in my youth...but ones I've had to learn to get beyond all the same.

In short, though, I'm unsure how to tell them all this in a time and fashion beyond this forum, I am hoping that one or both of "the King boys" will read this, all the same, and that, in doing so, they will walk away having found it within themselves to know that others are out there, willing to help where-ever they can....others who know, in their own hearts, that both Alex and Derrek's futures can look brighter than their pasts. Maybe it's not much, but I hope it is something.

Finally, I'd like to leave them with my favorite quote from my favorite play, Les Miserables: And remember the truth that once was spoken, "To love another person, is to see the face of God."

~Shannon "Shae" L. Raehn

I can't comprehend how one can live a normal life after everything that they've been through. Incarceration is damaging, child abuse is even more damaging and committing the killing your own father and burning the house… definitely tops it all!!! How can they be normal???

I really don’t care how much Alex and Derek, the people involve in their live and the TV show try to convince me that everything is ok with the world - I don’t believe it. Unless they don’t have a conscience, feelings, or are extremely selfish, they are not normal.

I just hope that they both turn out okay for the sake of all those helping them. Right now, they are not okay.

Something is amiss here.   I cannot put my finger on it.  Something is missing, that we're not seeing.  I am more beweildered now than before I watched it.  They say truth is stranger than fiction.  There you have it folks.  Fiction would  have made more sense or else it wouldn't sell.

Not that I wish things turned out worse for these boys, but they seem too lackadaisical, too pollyanish for having such a senseless act in their past. 

The fact that they are so happy to see each other and want to live together freaked me out.   How can anyone be capable of doing such a thing, for no apparent motive other than the lust for violence, and not be more reticent about this association? 

Preaching to kids who simply "took the wrong turn in life" while not telling them that he drove the proverbial car into a brick wall, seems uncanny. 

Where were the shrinks to explain how this could have happened?  Was it biochemical?  Was it purely psycotic?  Where were the relatives of the father?   Too many questions without answers.  Too many pieces missing from the puzzle. 

I hope I'm wrong but we haven't seen the end of this movie yet.

Wow, this story is definitely mind-blowing, and it's odd to hear how they don't remember much and feel like it was all done in a stupor or haze. I think it's important for people to admit guilt and use it to make a learning and teaching experience out of. It's great that Alex is trying to teach kids about violence, but I think he needs to answer the questions they have for him about his deed. He cannot heal if he doesn't talk about his experience and instead keeps it bottled up inside of him. I must commend Kathryn for what she's done though, not many people would want to welcome a murderer into their home or help rehabilitate him (and now also his brother), especially for free and while having a daughter around. I know I wouldn't feel I can trust them so readily and give Derek an apartment if I were in her shoes. It's great that they are trying to get an education, and even dating, but they must also understand that murder is a serious crime, and that potential employers may fear being killed if they yell too loudly or discipline the boys too harshly. I think the best thing for these boys would be to learn that violence isn't the answer to anything, and that they can solve problems through talking. Since they like reading, they should be given materials to read that emphasize this. I'm not opposed to the 2 boys living together as they can help each other heal, but they should have someone checking in on them and their progress, to make sure they're improving and won't commit another heinous act like this again, or possibly even hurt themselves, as many criminals who end up feeling guilt end up hanging themselves.

This is a sad story, but I agree with some of the comments that it is weird and something is missing...remorse to start with and sincerity. I can't believe the criminal court system would allow either of these killers out of jail--let alone 7 to 8 years committing such a heinous crime. Look at the video from their trial--they knew exactly what they were doing. Both boys remind me of the character in Primal Fear--it's all an act. Maybe they have learned their lesson and will not commit any more violent crimes--but it's doubtful. I don't think either are sorry. I think Derek is more sincere of the two but don't believe either feels bad or feels anything for what they did to a man--their father who only tried to provide for them--working more than one blue collar job after their mother abandoned them all. His only mistake was allowing the boys to have contact with a sick neighbor who took advantage of at least one of the boys innocence. I just hope the families who have shown such love and support don't become the next victims. What will happen when these boys get angry again....history repeating itself?????

It must be very difficult for adults who never suffered serious trauma in their childhood to understand the loss of ability to recall. I am 47 years of age, and at least 30 of those years are virtually lost to me. I don't remember what a rotten kid I was, but my family is quick to remind me.

The future of these two young men is still very much up in the air. Given what they have been through, and put others through, they are still walking on very thin ice. It would be easy to give up on them, dismiss them as lost causes and release them to a world that either hates them or doesn't care one way or another. We need only look at other youthful offenders who have been disregarded in this way to see that that approach will never work.

Their youth is gone. They can never undo what they know very well that they did. Their natural father is dead, and they are powerless to do anything about that. They have every reason to turn out to be useless, worthless adults, and that might very well be what would happen to them, but for a small group of people who care beyond reason.

To Kathryn Medico, I'd like to say that your honest concern and compassion for Alex (and now for Derek) is inspirational, and probably lifesaving. You have given them a warm and loving place to call home, and an opportunity to grow as young adults. You must be well aware of the need for care and caution. These two young men are a long way from having normal lives; they simply carry too much baggage for this to be a simple process. But the opportunity to have normal lives is within their grasps, and they have you and your family and friends to thank for that.

The group that set up the Trust fund for the boys to help them transition back into society, and Dan Dailey, you are all extraordinary people. To reach beyond your comfort zones to show compassion to a couple of young men that you had only met through the media sets you apart.

Derek and Alex have a lot of work to do, getting in touch with who they were at 12 and 13, understanding how those little kids got so far off track. They will face a lot of discrimination in the workforce, and they need to get used to that. They have the second chance that most young offenders never get, and they will need more good breaks in the future in order to reach their full potential. And they come with absolutely no guarantees. It may all be too much for them, and they may head off in the wrong direction, but my money is on them, and the people who have stepped forward to be positive influences in their lives. I hope others are inspired to do the same. God bless you all.

By the way, I would welcome any private discussion on this matter if anyone would like to contact me. My e-mail address is thebuschergroup@sbcglobal.net. Thanks for the forum!

Why is everyone glossing over the fact that they killed their father with a baseball bat!! Then they burned the house down to cover up the crime. That screams premediatation and an utter disregard for human life. The fact that a pedophile was involved with one of the boys is horrible and dispiciable but should not allow them to be seen as these little, innocent boys.

Not only did they kill a man while he was sleeping, they tried to hide the evidence, confessed and then recanted and blamed someone else. That is actions of scary people.

I am thankful that the overwhelming majority of people who have responded to Dateline’s update on Derek and Alex agree that the brothers deserve a second chance. It speaks well of the spirit of America and its people. This is borne out not only in this discussion forum but in others I have visited.

To those who say that “something is missing” or “something is amiss” I offer this one fact: the Dateline story, while accurate, does not tell the whole story. Those of us who are close to Derek, Alex, their birth family, and the people in their “inner circle of friends and supporters” have a more complete understanding of the brothers’ history, situation, and outlook for the future.

We have the utmost confidence and faith in Derek and Alex, and believe me: no one who knows them is fearful of either brother.

We know that more than 90% of young people who commit parricide never commit a serious offense when they grow older (kids who commit parricide have the highest rate of success and best chances of rehabilitation because their act is situation specific).

We know that children and teenagers under the age of 18 have been shown through brain imaging research not to have the neural development to evaluate the consequences of violence (or any other crime) as adults do; for this reason the US Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty for kids in 2005 (but not, unfortunately, mandatory sentences of life without the possibility of parole).

We understand how Derek and Alex can truthfully describe the young boys who committed this crime as being different people from whom and what they are now.

There has been some criticism of one or the other brother’s choice of words or demeanor when speaking of the crime as suggesting a lack of remorse or an attempt to minimize the seriousness of their act. Nothing could be further from the truth. Part of what you are seeing is the result of inexperienced young people coming to terms with reality the best way they know how. Part of it is also the result of reliving memories from a time of comparative pre-consciousness.

I was with Derek when he viewed an American Justice video about the crime and trial. This was the first time he had ever seen or read his story as seen through outside eyes. Derek was genuinely shocked to see himself from this perspective. His reactions were no put-on. He sat for a long time in stunned and silent disbelief. I could see Derek struggling to put it all together in his mind.

This apparent disconnect is not a symptom of some kind of pathology, but the result of normal brain development which science and (more belatedly) the law are only now beginning to recognize. It dramatizes a potential for gross and youthful stupidity that each of us shares as human beings. It demonstrates the decisive impact that being in a bad situation can have on any young person.

This is not to say that Derek and Alex, or any other young person, should receive a “free pass” after committing a terrible crime. Derek and Alex accept personal responsibility for what they have done. They have served hard time. They do not blame others for what they did. They are living with the consequences of their youthful decisions, mistakes, and sins. But they are moving beyond the past—their way—and learning to live lives of freedom and self-responsibility.

Again, I thank everyone who encourages Derek and Alex to make the best of their second chance. You will not be disappointed.

Dan Dailey

Co-Trustee,

The King Brothers Trust

(www.kingbrostrust.org)

I am thankful that the overwhelming majority of people who have responded to Dateline’s update on Derek and Alex agree that the brothers deserve a second chance. It speaks well of the spirit of America and its people. This is borne out not only in this discussion forum but in others I have visited.

To those who say that “something is missing” or “something is amiss” I offer this one fact: the Dateline story, while accurate, does not tell the whole story. Those of us who are close to Derek, Alex, their birth family, and the people in their “inner circle of friends and supporters” have a more complete understanding of the brothers’ history, situation, and outlook for the future.

We have the utmost confidence and faith in Derek and Alex, and believe me: no one who knows them is fearful of either brother.

We know that more than 90% of young people who commit parricide never commit a serious offense when they grow older (kids who commit parricide have the highest rate of success and best chances of rehabilitation because their act is situation specific).

We know that children and teenagers under the age of 18 have been shown through brain imaging research not to have the neural development to evaluate the consequences of violence (or any other crime) as adults do; for this reason the US Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty for kids in 2005 (but not, unfortunately, mandatory sentences of life without the possibility of parole).

We understand how Derek and Alex can truthfully describe the young boys who committed this crime as being different people from whom and what they are now.

There has been some criticism of one or the other brother’s choice of words or demeanor when speaking of the crime as suggesting a lack of remorse or an attempt to minimize the seriousness of their act. Nothing could be further from the truth. Part of what you are seeing is the result of inexperienced young people coming to terms with reality the best way they know how. Part of it is also the result of reliving memories from a time of comparative pre-consciousness.

I was with Derek when he viewed an American Justice video about the crime and trial. This was the first time he had ever seen or read his story as seen through outside eyes. Derek was genuinely shocked to see himself from this perspective. His reactions were no put-on. He sat for a long time in stunned and silent disbelief. I could see Derek struggling to put it all together in his mind.

This apparent disconnect is not a symptom of some kind of pathology, but the result of normal brain development which science and (more belatedly) the law are only now beginning to recognize. It dramatizes a potential for gross and youthful stupidity that each of us shares as human beings. It demonstrates the decisive impact that being in a bad situation can have on any young person.

This is not to say that Derek and Alex, or any other young person, should receive a “free pass” after committing a terrible crime. Derek and Alex accept personal responsibility for what they have done. They have served hard time. They do not blame others for what they did. They are living with the consequences of their youthful decisions, mistakes, and sins. But they are moving beyond the past—their way—and learning to live lives of freedom and self-responsibility.

Again, I thank everyone who encourages Derek and Alex to make the best of their second chance. You will not be disappointed.

Dan Dailey

Co-Trustee,

The King Brothers Trust

(www.kingbrostrust.org)

In this story the dateline author continuously uses the word "prison" to describe where the boys were sentenced to for so long. This is completely incorrect. Children tried as children do not go to "prison", they go to a juvenile detention facility. There is a huge difference and it irritates me that the word prison is used so many times in order to make their punishment sound more awful than it really was.

Alex just seems to skate by. I was unnerved to see how tightly he kept hugging his girlfriend, from behind and holding her arms down. I think he probably still has a ton of issues. And he's the one who was kept home when Derek was sent to foster homes, and he's the one who got the lessor sentence, and he's the one who was released to a wonderful family and a ton of friends (and presents)...meantime, Derek was sent away as a child, got a harsher sentence, took most of the blame for the murder, got released to an isolated desert home with a single guy (after being molested by a single guy) with no female influence. No freaking wonder he wants a brother. He probably wants and needs a lot of love.

He still has a lot of accounting to do for his dad's death - they both do

Hey,Elisabeth, have you ever been incarcerated? Do you know what life is like behind any kind of bars? Have you ever even had a conversation with someone who has been locked up for a while?

Your contention that life in a juvenile detention center is somehow easier or better than in an adult prison is ridiculous. Take the time to ask someone who either works in the system or who has spent time living within it before you try to come across as an expert on the subject. Any jailer that is familiar with the juvenile justice system will tell you that there are far more rapes and violent assaults in "juvie" than there are in prison. Bigger, more aggressive kids target smaller, weaker kids on a daily basis in these places, and when you start tearing apart the physical and emotional foundation of 12-15 year old kids, they tend to lose hope. It's one major factor in the rate of recitivism being so high. Do you think that because they put the word juvenile in front of detention facility, Toys R Us runs it, or the Hilton or Marriot families are magically involved?

Your attitude is not uncommon, nor is it unexpected. But it is sad. And it leaves very little hope for helping these kids (now young men) grow beyond their tragic youth. They killed their father. They did the time that the justice system deemed appropriate. Stop beating them up with your narrow understanding of how justice is applied. Please.

I am thankful that the overwhelming majority of people who have responded to Dateline’s update on Derek and Alex agree that the brothers deserve a second chance. It speaks well of the spirit of America and its people. This is borne out not only in this discussion forum but in others I have visited.

To those who say that “something is missing” or “something is amiss” I offer this one fact: the Dateline story, while accurate, does not tell the whole story. Those of us who are close to Derek, Alex, their birth family, and the people in their “inner circle of friends and supporters” have a more complete understanding of the brothers’ history, situation, and outlook for the future.

We have the utmost confidence and faith in Derek and Alex, and believe me: no one who knows them is fearful of either brother.

We know that more than 90% of young people who commit parricide never commit a serious offense when they grow older (kids who commit parricide have the highest rate of success and best chances of rehabilitation because their act is situation specific).

We know that children and teenagers under the age of 18 have been shown through brain imaging research not to have the neural development to evaluate the consequences of violence (or any other crime) as adults do; for this reason the US Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty for kids in 2005 (but not, unfortunately, mandatory sentences of life without the possibility of parole).

We understand how Derek and Alex can truthfully describe the young boys who committed this crime as being different people from whom and what they are now.

There has been some criticism of one or the other brother’s choice of words or demeanor when speaking of the crime as suggesting a lack of remorse or an attempt to minimize the seriousness of their act. Nothing could be further from the truth. Part of what you are seeing is the result of inexperienced young people coming to terms with reality the best way they know how. Part of it is also the result of reliving memories from a time of comparative pre-consciousness.

I was with Derek when he viewed an American Justice video about the crime and trial. This was the first time he had ever seen or read his story as seen through outside eyes. Derek was genuinely shocked to see himself from this perspective. His reactions were no put-on. He sat for a long time in stunned and silent disbelief. I could see Derek struggling to put it all together in his mind.

This apparent disconnect is not a symptom of some kind of pathology, but the result of normal brain development which science and (more belatedly) the law are only now beginning to recognize. It dramatizes a potential for gross and youthful stupidity that each of us shares as human beings. It demonstrates the decisive impact that being in a bad situation can have on any young person.

This is not to say that Derek and Alex, or any other young person, should receive a “free pass” after committing a terrible crime. Derek and Alex accept personal responsibility for what they have done. They have served hard time. They do not blame others for what they did. They are living with the consequences of their youthful decisions, mistakes, and sins. But they are moving beyond the past—their way—and learning to live lives of freedom and self-responsibility.

Again, I thank everyone who encourages Derek and Alex to make the best of their second chance. You will not be disappointed.

Dan Dailey

Co-Trustee,

The King Brothers Trust

(www.kingbrostrust.org)

when i was 8 i was fully aware that murder was wr0ng and was punished by life in prison or the death penalty. i think that most 8 year olds know that. If a child can kill his own parents what will they be capable of when they are adults? bull @!$%#

There is something so wrong with a society that will throw away a child. Children are believing people who take time to be broken. How can anyone look at these two boys and think that this was all their fault? A broken home, an absent dad, apparent abuse...It took time to break them and their spirit and when that happened, they themselves broke. They served the time. They have tried to move on. They deserve another chance. I don't minimize the immensity of the crime. However, I do fundamentally believe in giving young offenders a second chance. Educate them, give them the psychological help they need to not only understand what happened and WHY but how to rebuild and move on to be productive and healthy adults. I'll be watching for an update along the way and H hope it's a story of success and the decency of humans with two boys steadfast will to do something good with their lives.

I cant believe ppl are actually giving these 2 monsters money! They were giggling in court after they witnessed & most likely joined in on the brutal headbashing of their father & then lighting him up like a BBQ piece of chicken. WTF has this country come to. This "oh lets act like that brutal murder never happened" attitude is what is sending this country to the crapper.

I still think the Ricky Chavis character played a big part in what the boys did. Even though Rick was proven not guilty, I think he plotted, planned and used the boys to do his dirty work in getting their dad out of the way. That dirt bag used those boys in unspeakable ways and the boys were easily motivated by material things and attention they felt they really never had at home - I think Rick is 90% to blame!

There's a population of prisoners within the United States prison apparatus that were waived from the Juvenile court system into an adult system and given lengthy prison sentences. These men have been incarcerated for the past 10-15yrs, and for alot of them they have another 10-15yrs to complete before they are even eligable for parole. This specific population of prisoners have successfully transformed from lost boys to found men despite the prison enviroment's relentless promotion of malfeasance. Just as you and every other mature adult has, these men have shed their adolescent skin, nature/time has freed them from their myopic cages, that was, their adolescent brains, leaving no resemblance of the child that came through the prison gates 10-15yrs ago. These men are, fundamentally speaking, completely different people, just as you are fundamentally different today than you were in high school.

I thoroughly and intimately know these men, for I am one of them, and I walk amongst them. We represent a small proportion of the prison population but our lights shine brightly within this cave and our hearts pound in rhythm with everything positive behind these cold walls. We want the world to know that we are here, that we exist. For waivering it's hildren into the adult prison system and giving lenghty sentences is a fairly new American trend, which makes our existense within the U.S prison population a new phenomena. So we want to give our voiceless existence a loud clear message and our invisability a form. We are the portion of the prison population, the only portion, that are well into our adulthood though we never committed a crime as adults, yet we are being forced to pay with our lives for a childhood mistake.

"Does it not come a point when one person (the man) is being punished for the actions of another person (the child) ?

Sir Dante D. Cottingham
#259241
Green Bay Correctional Institute
P.O. Box 19033
Green Bay
Wisconsin
54307-9033

I never thought I would live to see the day when heros are made out of sociopathic killers. We might as well exonerate Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer while we're at it. Watching these two made my blood run cold. No remorse....nothing. Just glad that they beat the rap. What emotion they did manage to convey was self-centered and indicated complete indifference for what they did. It was disgusting...and nothing short of demonic.