Teenager Gets 23 Years to Life in Halo 3 Matricide

Daniel Petric, 17, of Elyria, OH, previously convicted in January of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder and other charges has been sentenced. He will serve life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 23 years for his crimes.

The tragedy occurred on October 20, 2007. His parents, Mark and Susan Petric had realized the boy's obsession with the game (he would play up to 18 hours a day) and had locked it away. Daniel broke into his father's lockbox, retrieved both the game and his father's 9mm handgun, and then walked into the living room where his parents were.

Mark Petric, who is a minister at New Life Assembly of God in Wellington, testified that his son came into the room and asked: "Would you guys close your eyes? I have a surprise for you."

The surprise was a bullet to both of their heads, killing Susan and wounding Mark. Daniel's plan was originally to make it look like a murder-suicide, by leaving the gun in his father's hand. After the shooting, Mark Petric said his son put the gun in his hand while saying, "Hey Dad, here's your gun. Take it."

However, Mark Petric survived; his daughter and son-in-law arrived to watch a Cleveland Indians game, just in time. Daniel Petric tried to keep them out, but they heard a moan and forced their way in.

Defense attorneys never disputed the killing, but instead tried to say the boy's age and video game addiction made him less responsible for his actions. But Judge James Burge disagreed, pointing to evidence that indicated Daniel planned the crime for weeks.

Despite all this, his father, Mark Petric asked the judge for leniency, saying that his son regrets killing his mother. He told the judge that his son's frequent comment is "Dad, I miss mom. I miss mom."