Parents say teens' plot horrified them

WEST JORDAN — The parents of a 15-year-old boy accused of conspiring with a 14-year-old friend to kidnap and torture people by mimicking actions in the gruesome psycho thriller film "Saw" testified Thursday they were horrified after eavesdropping on a phone conversation between the two teenagers.

The teens are on trial before 3rd District Juvenile Judge Christine Decker on three counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping, all second-degree felonies.

The mother of the 15-year-old testified her son had experienced psychiatric problems periodically since age 5, had gotten some treatment, and at the time of his hourlong phone call on March, was living with his grandparents and attending high school. He had come to visit her and his stepfather for the weekend.

"I was just in shock at what they were talking about," she said, at one point breaking into tears. "I was just sad that these two kids were so confused and misled they would talk about something like this so casually."

She said she did not want the two teenagers to do anything to hurt anyone else or cause serious trouble, so after she and her husband talked a bit, the woman called her brother to stay in the house with younger children, and the couple went to the police, even though it was late at night.

Her husband listened in to less of the conversation but said he heard enough that he was convinced his wife was right to go to law enforcement. "There are some things you're qualified to deal with as parents, like skipping school, but not kidnapping and murder.

"It was not a normal conversation — they were talking about hurting people," he said. "It was a disturbing conversation."

However, Thomas Burton, defense attorney for the 14-year-old, grilled the woman about whether any family members leaked the information to the media, which she denied.

Burton appeared to imply in his questioning that perhaps this was an overreaction to harmless and foolish talk between two boys and maybe "someone would be lauded for having headed off some terrible conspiracy."

Under questioning, the stepfather said the 15-year-old had no criminal record, had never stolen a car or other things, was not violent and the man did not fear for his own safety from the teen. The 15-year-old's mother testified he had held a summer job and was a good worker. The teen also was known for saying things that would concern adults or be interpreted as threats, but had never acted on them.

However, the woman testified that in the past she had been "very" concerned her son might commit suicide.