Teen Movie you ask? No, this really happened!

[Miss Mary]

Just stumbled upon a local news story that is so bizarre I had to share it. OMG what was this kid thinking? This isn't a Hollywood movie set, this is real life! Just glad we don't tempt fate and leave town like this father did. For parents of teenagers you might want to read this article! At first I thought the parent was nuts for leaving his kid home alone but as you read the article further, the son was staying with his ex-wife and only going to his dad's house during the day. So he had a key. Boy what a mistake this father made!

Mary

______________________________

Cincinnati Post
http://www.cincypost.com/2004/01/10/burn011004.html

Teen burned home to hide parties

By Kimball Perry
Post staff reporter

John Layne started Christmas early last year, flying to San Diego with his wife Dec. 5 to visit his father.

Layne, 40, instructed his 16-year-old son, a sophomore at Oak Hills High, to behave and not have any parties.

That sensible parental advice fell on deaf ears, though, as "hundreds of kids" partied all week at Layne's Dent house, neighbors later told him. They were neighbors who would, on the day Layne was due to return to his Ebenezer Road home, call to report the house was burning to the ground.

Even worse for Layne, his son was convicted this week in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court after admitting he burned down the house in a desperate attempt to cover up the damage his forbidden parties caused.

"He set three separate fires and torched it with gas," Layne said Tuesday as bulldozers knocked down the charred remains of his house, a loss the insurance company estimated at $380,000 for the house and its contents. "They got him to admit on tape he set the fires."

Layne found out about the fire, but not the culprit, Dec. 13 just before he was to fly back to Cincinnati.

"You talk about a long flight home," he said with a laugh, his wife next to him watching the demolition. "I was just sick."

His pain increased, though, when he was told his own flesh and blood was to blame.

"I couldn't believe my own son would do this. He showed no remorse at the trial. He just sat there," Layne said. "It's just been a nightmare you just can't wake up from."

While his son lived with his ex-wife in Price Hill, Layne allowed his son to come to his house each morning so the teen could attend Oak Hills and ride there with a neighbor.

When they were leaving Dent for the airport, Layne's son was his usual personable self.

"He gave us a huge hug and said, 'Have a good time.' I told him I would bring him a T-shirt," Layne said.

He warned the teen not to have parties, believing the warning was enough because the teen had never been a problem.

Instead, he later found out, the teen had "parties all week" that resulted in some damage to the house -- holes in a few walls and a kitchen cabinet was scratched -- but nothing that couldn't be repaired.

The fire was so hot -- exceeding 2,000 degrees, fire officials estimated -- that the house's I-beam that supported the house buckled, forcing the entire structure to be razed.

"It's incredible to me. He burned down the house to try to cover it up," Layne said.

"It's enough to nauseate you. We've cried. We've pretty much gone through the whole range of emotions.

"It's like there is an empty hole in my stomach. You just don't understand how this happened."

Layne's ex-wife did not return calls requesting comment for this article.

Layne's nausea returned when he learned his son likely would receive minimal punishment for his admitted crimes.

The teen was convicted Monday when assistant prosecutors reduced the charges against him. They told Layne they expected the teen to receive a "slap on the wrist" and be ordered to receive counseling.

Prosecutor Mike Allen called his assistant's representation to Layne "a poor choice of words" but said it was likely accurate. Those, he added, are the frustrations of dealing with juvenile criminals who usually aren't subject to punishment once they reach the age of majority.

"I thought that they would send him away to a juvenile home until he was 18 or something," Layne said.

Layne likely will end his relationship with his son.

"The sad thing is, we lost my son in this, too. "I felt betrayed and hurt. I never want him on my property again," Layne said.

"That's probably the last I'll see of him. To do something like this is just monstrous."

He and his wife have been living in an apartment since the fire. They plan to rebuild.

"I guess we just go on with our lives," he said.

[Guest]

Why, oh, why?

[azskyman]

Guess the evidence is gone...so they will never know if he really had a party or two!

What some kids won't do to get out of a few dishes and running the vacuum!

Never try to truly get into the head of a teenager...it is scary in there!

[Miss Mary]

Guess the evidence is gone...so they will never know if he really had a party or two!

What some kids won't do to get out of a few dishes and running the vacuum!

Never try to truly get into the head of a teenager...it is scary in there!

Steve - apparently neighbors knew of the parties. But you have to ask, why didn't they call the kid's mother, at her apartment? If I knew a neighborhood kid was trashing his/her parent's house, night after night, I think I'd step in somewhere along the line. Yes teens think very differently, and we adults forget we ever thought this way. But this was over the top. Reminds me of our next door neighbors. Their oldest boy is now 24 but when he was left home alone for weekends, age 18 and up, his parents would ask me to watch the house. Each time they'd ask me, I'd say a silent prayer - oh Ryan, please don't have a party! Their house is immaculate and Ryan's only saving grace is he is that way too! If he was a slob, I think he would have been tempted to have a party or two. He had buddies over but it never was loud and they never littered the yard with beer cans. I swear he behaved each and every trip. But that didn't make me relax. I was always glad when his parents came back.

Mary

[TexasStooge]

Unbelieveable!

What was that kid THINKING??!!!!!

[southerngale]

That is unbelievable and incredibly stupid!! I cannot believe he would burn it down but I also find it hard to believe that the dad says that ends his relationship with his son. :-? I can see feeling hurt, devastated, betrayed, furious, etc. but to abandon him?

[furluvcats]

I'm with you SG...it does seem rather vain of the father to want to disown the son....you gotta pick your kid back up, and keep on lovin them!

Absolutely stupid of the kid, tho....he must have been doing more partying then drinking, to come up with a plan to burn the house down.

[weatherluvr]

There has to be more to this than meets the eye. If the father is saying he'll have nothing more to do with his son, then maybe there was some history of other problems. But if that was the case, why on earth would he leave him there alone? Something seems a little fishy.

Of course maybe he said that out of frustration over the situation, and after calming down he'll realize that family is family, especially your own flesh and blood.

[Lake Effect1]

The kid must of really been fearful about what his father would do??But maybe he didn't want to lose his Dads' respect,and just figured it was an easy out. Hard to tell about adults these days,let alone some teens.But I'm sure if the father disowned him,there is more to the story.

[Rainband]

Very sad indeed that the kid would do something like that. I am not a parent but I can tell you if I had a son and he did something like that, I would get him some help and ground him for a lonnng while...I wouldn't disown him Thats even more sad IMHO..possesions can be replaced but Children cannot.

[Miss Mary]

Very sad indeed that the kid would do something like that. I am not a parent but I can tell you if I had a son and he did something like that, I would get him some help and ground him for a lonnng while...I wouldn't disown him Thats even more sad IMHO..possesions can be replaced but Children cannot.

Johnathan - once again, we see eye to eye. I would get my kid all kinds of help. Support the courts if he/she is to be punished. But I wouldn't disown him. I'm hoping this dad has a change of heart or I'd like to hope so anyway. This kid is only 16, it's not the end of the world. He did a terrible thing but he could turn out responsible, years from now with the right intervention. Miracles do happen.

Mary

[Rainband]

Very sad indeed that the kid would do something like that. I am not a parent but I can tell you if I had a son and he did something like that, I would get him some help and ground him for a lonnng while...I wouldn't disown him Thats even more sad IMHO..possesions can be replaced but Children cannot.

Johnathan - once again, we see eye to eye. I would get my kid all kinds of help. Support the courts if he/she is to be punished. But I wouldn't disown him. I'm hoping this dad has a change of heart or I'd like to hope so anyway. This kid is only 16, it's not the end of the world. He did a terrible thing but he could turn out responsible, years from now with the right intervention. Miracles do happen.

Mary

Great minds think alike Like I said I would never disown my child..if I had one.