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TRAGEDY STRIKES TWO MASSACHUSETTS FAMILIES

16-YR OLD AUTISTIC BOY STABS AND KILLS FELLOW STUDENT - CHARGED WITH MURDER

John Odgren, 16 Odgren with lawyer, Jonathan Shapiro James Alenson Victim James Alenson, 15

News Articles:

3/3/07: Student said to show a knife to therapist

1/23/07: Parents honor "sweet" James: ‘We will carry him in our hearts forever’

1/23/07: Understand Asperger’s

1/22/07: How accused killer from Princeton landed at Lincoln-Sudbury High

1/22/07: Students pay tribute to slain classmate

1/22/07: Students return to school after Friday stabbing

1/21/07: School where student was stabbed will set up tip line

1/21/07: Accused killer boasted of vast knife collection

1/21/07: Experts say Asperger’s defense likely

1/21/07: Accused stabber has Asperger's syndrome

1/20/07: Stabbing suspect expressed worry: 'I don't want him to die'

1/20/07: John Odgren, 16, at arraignment Friday in Framingham, MA, with his lawyer, Jonathan Shapiro

1/20/07: Kin: Slain boy was ‘all-around good kid’

1/20/07: Sudbury students hold solemn candlelight vigil

1/20/07: Student charged with murder in fatal stabbing at suburban school

1/20/07: Asperger Syndrome Finds Spotlight In Murder Cases

1/19/07: DA: Suspect in school slaying told investigators 'I did it'

1/19/07: Police report: 'I don't want him to die,' said blood-covered suspect

1/19/07: Alleged assailant talked about murder, bombs

Student said to show a knife to therapist
Police: Teen carried items before Sudbury stabbing

March 3, 2007
By Kristen Green and Patricia Wen

A Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School sophomore who is accused of stabbing a classmate to death in January brought a pocketknife and fake handgun to school on separate occasions last fall and did not face disciplinary action, despite showing the items to a psychologist at the school, the Sudbury police chief said yesterday.

In both cases, the psychologist confiscated the items from John Odgren, 16, but returned them to the boy by the end of the school day, according to Sudbury Police Chief Peter Fadgen .

Fadgen said he believes that John M. Ritchie, who is both the principal of the high school and superintendent of the regional school district, was not told of either incident, but that the psychologist did report the information to his supervisor. The chief declined to name the psychologist and said he did not know whether the psychologist was employed by the school district or another agency.

Fadgen said that under state law, the school is required to report children who bring weapons to school to local police. "I was alarmed that even a folding knife . . . was taken and then given back to him at the end of the day," Fadgen said. "I thought it was an improper way to handle it."

Ritchie did not return phone calls to his office yesterday. But in an e-mail to parents late yesterday afternoon, he said that on Monday "it became clear to me that there was some substance to this allegation" about the knife and toy gun.

"We are investigating this matter thoroughly and will report as completely as possible as soon as we are able to do so," he said in the e-mail.

A Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee member, Jack Ryan, said yesterday that Ritchie notified the panel in a closed session this week that he had learned about a week earlier that Odgren had brought a pocketknife to school last year.

Ryan said Ritchie told the committee that he and other top school officials are investigating why they were not told last fall of Odgren's confiscated items. School policy requires that a student found with a weapon face a disciplinary hearing.

"Obviously, incidents like that should be reported," Ryan said. ". . . We have to find out what the circumstances were."

Odgren was indicted Thursday on first-degree murder charges in the fatal Jan. 19 stabbing of freshman James Alenson, 15, in a school bathroom. Odgren is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.

The Middlesex district attorney's office declined to comment on Odgren's alleged past possession of a weapon, saying prosecutors will disclose additional details of the case at the arraignment.

Odgren's lawyer, Jonathan Shapiro, also said he could not comment because he has not yet been given the details of the prosecution's case.

The disclosures about the knife and fake gun raise questions about the school's culpability in a killing that rocked this suburban high school. But students' private talks with school psychologists are sometimes considered privileged and confidential, unless they are deemed an imminent threat to safety. Fadgen said the psychologist told his investigators Odgren did not make any threats when he showed the items.

Also, Odgren was technically a student of the Concord Area Special Education Collaborative, a separate program that placed him at Lincoln-Sudbury. It is unclear whether school policy requires that troubling behavior by a student in an independent program within the school be reported to the school superintendent or only to the head of the program.

Edward Orenstein, executive director of the special education collaborative, did not return phone calls yesterday.

Lincoln-Sudbury school officials have described Odgren as quirky, but said he never exhibited threatening behavior at Lincoln-Sudbury or his previous schools, at least four others in five years. Odgren was a special needs student with Asperger's disorder, a mild form of autism.

A state report, however, said he had several outbursts in seventh grade. Some Lincoln-Sudbury students have said that Odgren talked openly about weapons and violence and that he was taunted by other students.

After the stabbing, Ritchie told parents the school had a zero-tolerance policy for weapons of any kind.

"A student who is found with a weapon in school can be, by state law, expelled by the school principal," Ritchie wrote in a Feb. 7 memo to parents. "We take this violation extremely seriously, and even in cases where common sense would indicate that, for example, a student had a Swiss Army knife because he forgot to take it out of his pocket, we hold a formal expulsion hearing."

The memo also said school officials would expel any student who posed a threat. Ritchie said this happened "only once in my 10 years here."

"What typically happens is that it is determined that the student was guilty of very poor judgment," he continued. "In those cases, the student is suspended from school for three weeks."

Fadgen said that one day in late September, Odgren came to school and asked a clinical psychologist what would happen "if somebody brought something to school that he wasn't supposed to."

Odgren then pulled from his pocket a folding knife, slightly bigger than a Swiss Army knife, the chief said. When the psychologist asked for it, Odgren gave it to him and told him he had brought it by mistake.

The psychologist told investigators he put the knife in an envelope and returned it to Odgren at the end of the school day, Fadgen said.

A few weeks later, the chief said, Odgren showed a fake pistol to the same psychologist and told him it was a prop for drama class. The psychologist took the fake gun, then returned it to Odgren at the end of the day and told him not to bring it to school again.

Lawyers who have represented school boards say the Lincoln-Sudbury system faces potential liability if the administration knew, through staff, that Odgren was a danger but failed to do anything about it. However, the lawyers said, the fact that the student told a psychologist clouds the matter. Psychologists can keep such disclosures private, to encourage a therapeutic relationship, as long as the information does not pose an imminent threat to the patient or others, said Raipher Pellegrino, a lawyer who practices in Boston and Springfield.

Patricia Wen can be reached at wen@globe.com.

DA: Suspect in school slaying told investigators 'I did it'

January 19, 2007
By Brian R. Ballou and Andrew Ryan

Students talked on cell phones outside Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School this morning after one of their classmates was stabbed to death inside a school bathroom.

A 16-year-old student pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges today after prosecutors accused him of stabbing a classmate to death inside a bathroom at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School.

John Odgren appeared in Framingham District Court wearing a white hooded jump suit and black wire-rim glasses. His father stood motionless in the front row of the public gallery as his mother, dressed in a nurse's uniform, leaned against her husband.

(Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)

Middlesex County prosecutor Daniel Bennett told the judge that Odgren attacked 15-year-old James Alenson inside a school bathroom with a long knife just after 7 a.m. Bennett alleged that Odgren stabbed Alenson twice and said the blade pieced the freshman's heart. Thirty minutes after the attack, Alenson was found in a hallway in a pool of blood without a pulse, Bennett said.

In the principal's office, Bennett said that Odgren told investigators: "I did it. I did it."

Odgren also pleaded not guilty to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds.

Outside court, defense attorney Jonathan Shapiro said Odgren had been under the care of doctors for psychological illnesses for years and took numerous medications.

"I know my client and his family feel for the victim and his family," Shapiro said.

Alenson, a freshman from Sudbury, was rushed to Emerson Hospital in Concord and pronounced dead at 8:12 a.m., said Bonnie Goldsmith, a hospital spokeswoman.

At a press conference earlier in the day, Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone Jr. would not discuss what investigators suspect may have motivated the stabbing.

"What we believe now is that this is an isolated incident between these two students," Leone said. "There is no thought or belief that anyone else is in danger at this time."

Dozens of parents rushed to the school on Lincoln Road where there are about 1,600 students. The school went on lock-down for the next few hours as students were brought to the gymnasium. At about 10 a.m., all the students were sent home for the day, according to an e-mail school officials sent to parents in Sudbury.

High school Superintendent and Principal John Ritchie said at the press conference that teachers and staff were "obviously heart broken dealing with this." As recently as Wednesday, the faculty had met with police from Sudbury and Lincoln to discuss the high school's emergency safety response plan.

"That didn't prevent this from happening," Ritchie said. "But it did help us have a sense of how to respond, how to be calm, how to reassure students, where to go, how to listen to announcements. For me, that's a small consolation right now obviously what we are dealing with is the heartbreak of this student dying."

The response drew praise from State Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll, who extended his condolence to the victim's family in what he called "everyone's worst nightmare."

"Fortunately, the school and local authorities were well prepared and responded immediately," Driscoll said in a statement. "As a result, no one else was injured, the school was put into temporary lockdown quickly, and the entire student body was sent home safely soon after."

Grief counselors will be available today and through the weekend for students at the high school, Leone said.

At the time of the stabbing, Dr. Robert Sackstein, a physician at Harvard Medical School, had just dropped off his two twins, who are both freshmen at the high school. Sackstein didn't know someone had been stabbed at the time and was frustrated because he said he could have offered some medical assistance.

Several hours later he got a frantic phone call from his wife and rushed back to the school to get his children.

"The fact that it happened in Sudbury, Massachusetts," Sackstein said, "means that it can happen anywhere."

Posted by the Boston Globe City & Region Desk at 04:00 PM

Police report: 'I don't want him to die,' said blood-covered suspect

January 19, 2007

Incident narrative by Patrolman Nathan Hagglund, filed Jan. 19 at 11:57 a.m. "On Friday, January 19, 2006 I, Nathan C. Hagglund of the Sudbury Police Department, was assigned to the 0600-1400 hours shift. At approximately 07:30 hours I was dispatched to the Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School for a report of a student that had been stabbed. I, along with other officers responded to the High School.

"I arrived at the high school and was met by school staff after entering the front entrance. A staff member was bringing me to the area where the student was stabbed. While en-route to the scene a faculty member told me that the student had no pulse and was not breathing. I relayed this information to dispatch. I arrived at the 'East House' area on the main floor. I saw a young male lying on the floor on his stomach outside of the bathroom area.

"There were Lincoln/Sudbury Staff members around the victim. A staff member also stated that there was a nurse on the scene. The victim appeared to be lifeless as earlier reported. I along with other staff members rolled the victim onto his back. I saw the victim had a blood-soaked shirt on. I lifted the victim's shirt and saw a stab wound to the upper left area of the chest. I directed the nurse to begin CPR and at approximately the same time the Sudbury Fire Department along with Officer McGilvray arrived at the scene.

"While checking the victim a staff member told me that there was a knife in the boy's bathroom and that there was a suspect located in another room being watched by administrative staff.

"I told Officer McGilvray to secure the boys bathroom, which he did.

"The fire department took over care of the victim and I was shown to where the suspect was located by Iaian Ryrie (West House house master). Ryrie directed me to the 'East House' House master's office area where a young male was located.

"I walked in and saw the male (identified as John Odgren DOB 09/01/1990) who had blood on his hands. Another school employee John Flynn was with Odgren. Odgren told me that 'I did it.' I told him that he should not speak to me right now. Odgren continued to say 'I did it.' "Furthermore, John asked 'is he OK?' and 'I don't want him to die.' I told Odgren at least three times to not speak in regards to the incident. I told him that he needed to be provided his rights per Miranda. He told me he had a set of Miranda rights in his wallet.

"Sergeant Miller entered the room to assist me. I, along with Sergeant Miller's assistance handcuffed Odgren.

"Odgren was compliant the whole time and appeared to be visibly upset. I patted Odgren down and emptied his pockets. I saw more blood on Odgren's coat, shirt and pants. Odgren also stated that there was a witness to the incident which took place in the bathroom.

"Odgren stated that a student with blonde hair and facial hair growth saw what happened. I stood by with Sergeant Miller until the State Police crime scene services arrived. Detective Grady left the area to retrieve a Miranda card. A short time later Detective Grady provided Odgren with his Miranda rights. I witnessed Detective Grady providing those rights. Trooper Cameron arrived as a crime scene investigator. After a period of time I was told by Detective Grady to stand outside with car 6 to transport Odgren to the Sudbury Police Station.

"At approximately 10:03 hours I was directed to the West side of the school by Lt. Nix. Lt. Nix along with Sergeant Miller and other police officials brought Odgren down the stairs to my cruiser. I transported Odgren to the Sudbury Police Department. Robert Barnes, a psychologist also rode (as an interested adult) in the rear of my cruiser during transport.

"Odgren spoke with his father prior to booking. Odgren was booked by Lt. Gavin in the presence of Odgren's father in the usual manner. Odgren along with his father and a Sudbury officer stood by in the booking room while awaiting transport to court."

Alleged assailant talked about murder, bombs

January 19, 2007
By Richard Lodge

Just hours after a classmate was stabbed to death in a school bathroom, two Lincoln-Sudbury High School juniors yesterday said the student now accused of the killing often wore a trench coat to school and talked about murder, forensics and how he wanted to make a bomb.

Katie Crowley of Framingham, a junior at L-S, said a friend at the school saw the boy they knew only as "Jack'' stumble into a classroom with blood on his hands shortly after the attack, saying, "It was an accident, it was an accident.''

Brianna Hodge, also a junior at L-S, said "Jack'' was ``always asking how to get away with killing people and talking about how to make acid to make bombs. He was a really creepy kid.''

Hodge said the student "was always talking about murder, overly interested in forensics and not happy things.''

She said the young man had, in the past, talked to many students and some teachers about his unusual interests.

Shortly after the stabbing, school authorities and police took John Odgren, 16, of Princeton, into custody. Odgren was charged with murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and carrying a knife on school property and held without bail in the Middlesex Jail in Cambridge.

Crowley said she heard from friends that "Jack'' "walked into East House with blood on his hands and said `it was an accident.' I guess he had a straight face about it.'' Crowley said teachers herded students into the gym for announcements. Many students quickly used their cell phones to call parents.

"We all were calling our parents and letting them know what happened,'' Crowley said. "I told my mom instantly when I found out.''

School killing stuns suburbs : Stabbing suspect spoke of violence, classmates say

January 20, 2007
By Brian R. Ballou and Michael Levenson

SUDBURY -- A 16-year-old sophomore accused of fatally stabbing a freshman at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School yesterday frequently boasted about his knowledge of weapons and violent crime, and once asked a teacher for acid so he could build a bomb, fellow students said.

John Odgren , who was charged with killing James Alenson , 15, had long endured the taunts of schoolmates, who belittled him for wearing a trench coat in the halls, like the killers of Columbine High School.

"He was just a really sketchy kid," said junior Brianna Hodge , 16, of Sudbury. "He was always making references to killings and weapons and bombs."

John Ritchie , the school's principal and superintendent of the school district, declined to comment last night on whether school officials had been aware of Odgren's alleged interest in violence and long history of psychological problems.

Odgren's lawyer, Jonathan Shapiro , said the teenager had been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, a mild form of autism, and had been taking several medications. Odgren had no criminal record and had never acted violently before, Shapiro said.

"The defendant has a history of fairly serious psychological diagnoses and has also suffered from hyperactivity dysfunction for many years," Shapiro said at Odgren's arraignment. "What is clear is John has a serious disability."

Shapiro asked that Odgren be sent to Children's Hospital Boston for a psychological evaluation, but the judge rejected the request.

The slaying occurred about 7:20 a.m. after an argument erupted in a boys' bathroom, just as students were arriving for classes.

Minutes later in the hallway outside, horrified teachers found Alenson face down, his shirt soaked in blood.

Isabel Zuckoff , 17, a senior at the high school, told the Globe she was sitting in an administrator's office across from the bathroom where Alenson was stabbed, working quietly when she heard people scream, "Call 911!"

A staff member led Odgren into an office, clutching his arm, and put him in a side room with the door ajar, she said. "On the way in, he said something along the lines of, 'I didn't mean to. It was a mistake,' " Zuckoff said.

When police officers arrived minutes later, they confronted Odgren, who told them bluntly, "I did it. I did it," according to a police report. "Is he OK?" Odgren asked, his hands and clothing covered in blood. "I don't want him to die."

Inside the bathroom, officers found a long, bloody knife.

Alenson, who had suffered two stab wounds to the abdomen with one reaching his heart, was pronounced dead at Emerson Hospital in Concord at about 8:10 a.m. Alenson, described as shy but easygoing, had moved to Sudbury from Natick last fall.

The slaying rocked Lincoln and Sudbury, affluent suburbs that pride themselves on safe schools. The high school did not have assigned police officers or metal detectors.

By last evening, police had uncovered no motive for the stabbing and after a series of interviews at the high school had not established a connection between the suspect and victim, said a state official with knowledge of the investigation.

"They're not even sure the two kids knew each other," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the investigation.

Nobody saw the stabbing, but a boy who was in a stall of the bathroom heard what happened between Odgren and Alenson, the official said.

At his arraignment in Framingham District Court yesterday afternoon, Odgren, tall and thin and wearing wire-framed glasses, stood quietly in a white jumpsuit, his hands and legs manacled. He was charged as an adult with first-degree murder and could face life in prison if convicted. He was also charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was ordered held without bail.

He lived in Princeton with his father, Paul, a biologist at the University of Massachusetts, and his mother, Dorothy, a nurse at a clinic in Worcester.

Dorothy Odgren clutched her husband's arm as they sat in the courtroom watching their son's arraignment. Both declined to speak to reporters.

"I know my client and his family feel for the victim and his family," Shapiro said.

Marguerite Kirst Colston , a spokeswoman for the Autism Society of America, said Asperger Syndrome does not usually cause violent outbursts. Typically, people with the syndrome are exceedingly intelligent, but struggle relating to peers, she said.

"They may be socially awkward and not understand conventional social rules," Colston said in a telephone interview. "They may be more distant."

Since 2002, there have been 22 criminal cases in the United States in which the syndrome was used successfully to show diminished mental capacity and avoid a conviction, she said.

In court, a Middlesex prosecutor, Daniel Bennett , said the timing of the attack, when the school was mostly empty, "strongly suggests Mr. Odgren planned this premeditated murder."

As students streamed into the school after the attack, teachers herded them into classrooms and the cafeteria, where the students were kept for nearly two hours.

At about 10 a.m., administrators sent students home for the day. Students rushed outside, cellphones pressed to ears, some into the arms of their waiting, worried parents who learned of the stabbing from television and radio, an e-mail sent by the school, and cellphone calls from their children.

Robert Sackstein , a physician at Harvard Medical School, dropped off his twins, both freshmen, and drove away, not knowing someone had been stabbed. Later, he got a frantic phone call from his wife and rushed back to get his children.

"The fact that it happened in Sudbury, Massachusetts, means that it can happen anywhere," Sackstein said.

Officials at the school of 1,600 students had met with police on Wednesday to review security procedures. Ritchie said that review "did help us have a sense of how to respond, how to be calm, how to reassure students, where to go, how to listen to announcements."

"For me, that's a small consolation right now," he said. "Obviously, what we are dealing with is the heartbreak of this student dying."

Jordan Perkins , 18, a senior from Lincoln, said that although students often argue at the school, he has never seen serious violence.

"There are a lot of confrontations that I see all the time," Perkins said yesterday outside the school. "I'm just surprised one turned into somebody getting stabbed and killed."

Last evening, Bill Keller , chairman of the Sudbury Board of Selectmen, and Jack Ryan , a member of the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School Committee, taped a message for the local public access station, directing people to the school's website, which offers information about grief counseling sessions today and tomorrow.

"It's a devastating blow to the community," said Alexandra Plotkin , co-president of Lincoln-Sudbury Parent Organization. "It's a small town. We know each other. And it's just a real shock."

Last night, about 50 students held a candlelight vigil outside the school, where parents met with Ritchie, who said officials have not decided whether to increase security at the high school.

Several parents said they considered the stabbing an aberration and do not want it to prompt changes in security. They noted that juniors and seniors at the high school, with permission from their parents, are allowed to come and go from the school's campus between classes.

"I don't see how something like this is preventable without completely changing the nature of the high school," said Skip Heaps , a Sudbury parent of three, including one at the high school.

Added Dave Dickinson , who has two daughters in the high school, "There's no reason to think in our community that something like this should happen or could happen again. There's no culture in this high school of violence."

Stephanie Ebbert, Tracy Jan, and Ralph Ranalli of the Globe Staff and Globe correspondents Franci R. Ellement, Kristen Green, Michael Naughton, and Charlie Russo contributed to this report. Ballou can be reached at bballou@globe.com; Levenson at mlevenson@globe.com.

Stabbing suspect expressed worry: 'I don't want him to die'

January 20, 2007
By Norman Miller/Daily News Staff Saturday

Moments after he fatally stabbed a classmate at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School yesterday morning, John Odgren was worrying about his victim, authorities said. "I don't want him to die," Odgren, 16, of Princeton, told Sudbury police.

Odgren was charged with killing James F. Alenson, 15, of Sudbury in a school restroom shortly after 7 a.m.

"He was in the principal's office, and (Odgren) said, I did it. I did it.' That was without police questioning," prosector Daniel Bennett said during Odgren's arraignment in Framingham District Court yesterday afternoon. "The timing of the stabbing strongly suggests that Mr. Odgren planned this premeditated murder."

Odgren, a tall, thin boy, appeared in court dressed in a paper jumpsuit with paper shoes. He did not speak during the short arraignment. His parents, Paul and Dorothy Odgren, sat quietly in court, clutching their hands. They left the building without speaking to reporters.

John Odgren and Alenson were in the restroom when Odgren pulled out a large knife and stabbed the freshman, first in the abdomen and then in the heart, Bennett said. There were also cut wounds on Alenson's neck. Alenson was rushed to Emerson Hospital in Concord, where he was pronounced dead at 8:12 a.m.

According to an affidavit filed by Sudbury Police Officer Nathan Hagglund, he arrived to find school staff members, including a nurse, gathered around Alenson's "lifeless body," his shirt covered with blood.

The suspect was in another room with school officials, Hagglund wrote.

"Odgren told me that I did it,' " said Hagglund. When Hagglund cautioned Odgren not to speak until he was read his constitutional rights, the boy told the cop he already had a card with the Miranda rights.

"I told him that he should not speak to me right now. Odgren continued to say, I did it.' Furthermore, John asked, Is he OK,' and I don't want him to die.' "

Bennett asked Judge Paul Healy to order Odgren held without bail, but defense lawyer Jonathan Shapiro said his client needed to be in a psychiatric hospital to determine if he was competent to stand trial.

Shapiro said Odgren has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, and is a special education student.

"He's on a number of medications and he's under the care of many physicians," said Shapiro. "What the assistant district attorney is suggesting is speculative at this point. What is clear is John has a serious disability."

Odgren should be held at a secure facility in a hospital, Shapiro said. He suggested Children's Hospital in Boston. He said the teenager's parents would pay for the care. Paul Odgren is a chemist and Dorothy Odgren is a nurse, Shapiro said.

Sending such a young person to Middlesex Jail was too risky, the defense lawyer argued.

"He would be a danger to himself and from others because of his age and the apparent frailty of youth," said Shapiro. "It's my feeling it's not necessary for Mr. Odgren to be in a maximum security facility."

But, Bennett argued if the judge thought Odgren needed medical care, he could be sent to the Bridgewater State Hospital.

Healy said there were not enough "assurances" about security at Children's Hospital, so he ordered Odgren held without bail in a protective unit, rather than in the general population, at the Middlesex County Jail in Cambridge.

After the arraignment, Shapiro did not provide details about his client but said everyone was upset about what happened.

"This is a tragedy for all involved," said Shapiro. "I know my client and his family feel for the victim and his family. The family is feeling very bad about what happened."

L-S students were released from school about 10:20 a.m. Most students left via a side door and met waiting parents in the parking lot.

Board of Selectmen Chairman Bill Keller said, "It's a tragedy what happened here today. It's terrible. It's awful."

In a press conference held in front of the school, newly installed Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone said the killing was "an isolated incident." He also would not say what sparked the attack.

"We don't know and we can't say anything about a motive," Leone said.

School Superintendent-Principal John Ritchie said grief counselors would be at the school throughout the weekend for any of the 1,600 students to talk to.

Along with the murder charge, Odgren is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a dangerous weapon on school grounds.

Odgren is due back in court on Feb. 2 for a pre-trial conference.

(Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or at nmiller@cnc.com)

Sudbury students hold solemn candlelight vigil

January 20, 2007
By O'Ryan Johnson/Boston Herald and Michael Morton

The special education student who was knifed to death in his High School bathroom died a virtual stranger to the students who last night gathered in a moment of silence to mark his passing. No one spoke about James Alenson, 15, a freshman who last year attended Natick schools. Instead they lighted large candles and dozens of small tea light candles near the entrance of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School and stood quietly marking time.

One girl told the crowd that her sister knew the victim from camp, and asked that the group join her in singing a camp song called “The Rainbow Song.”

Minutes later the students seemed to spontaneously break into “Amazing Grace.”

In a touching moment their voices harmonized, and mitten-covered hands held candles as grief-stricken faces were illuminated under wooly winter hats.

Another song followed, but no one in the assembled crowd stepped forward to speak about their slain schoolmate.

One girl thanked the crowd for coming out and organizing the vigil so quickly.

The crowd dispersed, and more students filtered through, with a constant group of eight to 10 students standing at the vigil for more than an hour.

John Odgren, 16, at arraignment Friday in Framingham, Mass., with his lawyer, Jonathan Shapiro.

January 20, 2007
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Jan. 19 (AP) — A 15-year-old was stabbed to death on Friday in a hallway at his high school in this affluent Boston suburb.

A classmate was charged with murder after blurting out, “I did it, I did it!” the authorities said.

Investigators would not comment on a motive for the attack.

The classmate, John Odgren, 16, pleaded not guilty in the killing of James Alenson and was jailed without bail.

Mr. Odgren’s lawyer, Jonathan Shapiro, said his client had a form of autism called Asperger’s syndrome and had been taking medications for many years.

“The defendant has a history of fairly serious psychological diagnoses and has also suffered from hyperactivity dysfunction for many years,” Mr. Shapiro said. “What is clear is John has a serious disability.”

The boys fought in a bathroom, and it spilled into a hallway at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, the authorities said. Mr. Odgren stabbed Mr. Alenson with a long knife once in the abdomen and once in the heart, said a prosecutor, Daniel Bennett.

“The timing of the stabbing strongly suggests that Mr. Odgren planned this premeditated murder,” Mr. Bennett said.

Mr. Odgren blurted, “I did it!” to the police moments after the stabbing.

He also said: “Is he O.K.? I don’t want him to die,” according to the authorities.

All 1,600 students at the school, 17 miles west of Boston, were sent home after the attack.

Kin: Slain boy was ‘all-around good kid’

January 20, 2007
By Laura Crimaldi & Jessica Heslam

James Alenson, the studious, sweet-faced freshman brutally stabbed to death yesterday morning at Lincoln-Sudbury High School, was remembered yesterday as an “excellent” kid and straight-A student who never made trouble with anyone.

“He was just a nice kid. He was just an excellent kid, an all-around good kid,” said the murdered boy’s grandfather, James Grotton of New Hampshire.

Alenson, 15, had just moved with his family to Sudbury in September from Natick, where he completed eighth grade at Wilson Middle School. He has a brother and sister. “He’s a straight-A student,” said Eryn Hearn, 14, a Natick High freshman. “We’re all shocked.”

His former classmates remembered Alenson as always toting around his clarinet and keeping to himself. A copy of his 2005 middle school year book shows him smiling with social studies teacher Niall Carey for the annual geography bee.

“You’d see him with (the clarinet) all the time,” said former classmate Anton Wilson, 14, of Natick. “He’s a nice kid who’s quiet.”

A memorial page on the social networking site facebook.com yesterday quickly filled up with more than 400 condolence postings and pictures honoring Alenson.

“The sad thing is it’s over with and there’s nothing we can do but praise that he is in a good place,” Allie Schreiber wrote on the memorial page. “We all know that he didn’t deserve it and (nobody) ever does. (All) I want to say is RIP James. You will forever be missed in Sudbury and in LS as a community.”

Others expressed fear over the killing taking place in a bathroom at school.

“The idea of something like this happening at LS is probably one of the scariest things there is to me,” wrote Claire Rudder. “Kids are supposed to feel safe at school, not have to fear for their lives.”

Jesse Brakey, a sophomore at Natick High School, said he met Alenson in kindergarten.

“He was my first friend,” said Brakey, 14, who recalled playing video games and using remote control motorcycles with Alenson. “He was quiet, he was smart, he did good in school.”

On Prescott Street in Natick, where the Alenson family once lived, neighbors expressed shock.

“I’m a mom and my son went to school with him,” said Angela Goncalves, Wilson’s mother. “I just can’t believe this happened.”

Anita Davis contributed to this report.

Stabbing victim attended camp in N.H.

January 20, 2007

ALTON, N.H. -- The director of a New Hampshire summer camp says a boy who was stabbed to death yesterday at his Massachusetts school was a great kid who never caused problems or fought with anyone.

James Alenson, 15, died yesterday after being stabbed at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. John Odgren, 16, of Princeton, was charged with first-degree murder.

Alenson went to Camp Miitena in Alton for four summers. Camp director Rick Ross says other campers always pointed to Alenson as the one who never got in trouble. He says Alenson was going to train to become a counselor this summer.

Student charged with murder in fatal stabbing at suburban school

January 20, 2007
Associated Press Eagle-Tribune

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. - Moments after a 15-year-old student was stabbed to death yesterday at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, a 16-year-old classmate blurted out, "I did it. I did it," to police, a prosecutor said.

John Odgren, 16, of Princeton pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of James Alenson, 15, a freshman from Sudbury, an affluent town about 17 miles west of Boston.

A police report said that after the stabbing, Odgren also said: "Is he OK? I don't want him to die."

Authorities would not comment on a possible motive for the stabbing.

Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone said a fight broke out at about 7:20 a.m. yesterday between Odgren and Alenson in a school bathroom and spilled into the hallway, where the stabbing took place.

Odgren's attorney, Jonathan Shapiro, said Odgren has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, and has been taking medications for many years.

"The defendant has a history of fairly serious psychological diagnoses and has also suffered from hyperactivity dysfunction for many years," Shapiro said. "What is clear is John has a serious disability."

Framingham District Court Judge Paul Healy ordered Odgren held without bail. In addition to the murder charge, Odgren also is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a dangerous weapon illegally in a school. In first- and second-degree murder cases in Massachusetts, anyone age 14 or older is automatically tried as an adult.

Assistant District Attorney Daniel Bennett said Odgren stabbed Alenson twice with a long knife - once in the abdomen and once in the heart. Alenson also had cuts on his neck, Bennett said. The knife was found inside the school bathroom where the incident took place.

Bennett said witnesses saw Odgren leaving the bathroom area.

"The timing of the stabbing strongly suggests that Mr. Odgren planned this premeditated murder and took Mr. Alenson's life," Bennett said.

Shapiro requested that Odgren be held in a secure facility at Children's Hospital in Boston until his next court date on Feb. 2 so he could be evaluated on his mental competence. Healy declined the request because he did not know whether Children's Hospital would accept Odgren. The judge said Shapiro could renew his request after checking with the hospital.

Odgren's parents, Paul and Dorothy, silently consoled each other as they sat in the front row of the courtroom's seating area and stared at their son, who occasionally looked back toward them. Shapiro said Paul Odgren is a cell research biologist at University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester. He said Dorothy Odgren is a registered nurse. She has worked as a school nurse in Holden. The Odgrens live in Princeton, according to court records.

No one from Alenson's family attended the arraignment.

Outside the courtroom, Shapiro said, "This is a tragedy for all involved. My client and his family feel for the victim and his family."

The stabbing stunned Lincoln-Sudbury High students as they reported for school.

Mary Clemens, a 17-year-old senior, said a friend called her yesterday morning on her way to school to tell her the building had been locked down. When she arrived, she saw students gathered in the cafeteria.

"We were told by an administrator that someone was stabbed and it was bad, that that person was taken to the hospital and someone else had been taken to the police," Clemens said.

"It was shocking," she said. "You would never expect something like that to happen at our school, but I guess it can happen anywhere."

All of the school's approximately 1,600 students were sent home at about 10:30 a.m.

"We're obviously heartbroken dealing with this," said John Ritchie, the school's superintendent and principal.

State Education Commissioner David Driscoll called the stabbing "everyone's worst nightmare."

"The presence of violence in our society today is almost incomprehensible," Driscoll said in a statement. "It is only made worse when it occurs between young people and impacts the lives of our children. A tragedy of this magnitude defies explanation."

Legal Affairs Writer Denise Lavoie contributed to this report.

Asperger Syndrome Finds Spotlight In Murder Cases

January 20, 2007

BOSTON -- Asperger syndrome has been used with some success by defendants like 16-year-old John Odgren, whose alleged fatal stabbing of a fellow student in a high school bathroom has shocked a suburban town.

Odgren is being held without bail, charged with first-degree murder in the death of James Alenson, a 15-year-old freshman who prosecutors said was stabbed at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School on Friday morning.

Odgren's attorney told a judge during arraignment Friday that his client has Asperger syndrome, a form of autism in which people can be quite intelligent but are unable to develop social skills.

"These kids with Asperger's, particularly in the teenage years, see themselves on the outside looking in, and they don't know why," said Milton Altschuler, a Houston psychiatrist who diagnosed New York real estate heir Robert Durst as having the syndrome.

A Texas jury acquitted Durst of murdering a neighbor in 2003. His attorneys told jurors about the Asperger diagnosis, and his case is among several in recent years in which Asperger syndrome has played a role.

Missouri's appeals court in 2004 overturned a first-degree murder conviction on grounds that jurors weren't allowed to hear about James Boyd III's struggles with Asperger's. Boyd, who was serving a life sentence, this month entered a no-contest plea to second-degree murder, and is scheduled to be sentenced in March.

The Autism Society of America said there have been 22 criminal cases in the United States since 2002 in which convictions were avoided in part because of an Asperger syndrome diagnosis, The Boston Globe reported. The group did not return calls on Saturday.

Jeffrey Denner, a criminal defense attorney, said such a condition is more likely to result in a reduced sentence, compared to acquittal.

"The only defense in a criminal case is lack of criminal responsibility," Denner said on Saturday. "Diminished capacity can take first-degree murder down to second-degree. It can generally reduce the crime itself to lesser crime."

Denner said he "probably" has represented a client who has the syndrome because it's "not an uncommon condition. Usually people have a variety of different things."

Odgren, of Princeton, pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Jonathan Shapiro, said Odgren has Asperger syndrome and has been taking medications for many years. Shapiro, who did not return a call Saturday, told the court on Friday that Odgren has a "serious disability."

"The defendant has a history of fairly serious psychological diagnoses and has also suffered from hyperactivity dysfunction for many years," Shapiro said.

A fight broke out at about 7:20 a.m. between Odgren and Alenson in a school bathroom and spilled out into the hallway, where the stabbing took place, Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone said.

Authorities have not commented on a possible motive.

Odgren allegedly blurted out, "I did it. I did it," a prosecutor said. A police report said that after the stabbing, Odgren also said: "Is he OK? I don't want him to die."

Assistant District Attorney Daniel Bennett said Odgren stabbed Alenson with a long knife in the abdomen and once in the heart. The knife was found inside the school bathroom.

Students and parents were invited to the high school Saturday afternoon for a "community meeting," where counseling was available. The school will be open Sunday afternoon, as well.

Robert Craig, a father of two who lives down the street from the Alenson family, said on Saturday that that town is stunned.

“One of the main reasons we came to Sudbury was the quality of the schools," said Craig, whose daughter, Emma, attends the high school.

The Alenson family, which has an unlisted phone number, moved to Sudbury from Natick last summer. Craig described the parents as "very nice people," but he hadn't met James, whom others described as quiet and mild-mannered. Neighbors have begun preparing meals for the family for the next few weeks, Craig said.

"You wonder why nobody picked up any warning signs," Craig said of reports that Odgren sometimes wore a trench coat -- reminiscent of the Columbine High School killers - and seemed fixated on weapons.

Odgren once participated in a "CSI" -- crime scene investigation -- class at a local community college, and the Sudbury police officer who arrested Odgren reported an oddity, as well.

"I told Odgren at least three times to not speak in regards to the incident," officer Nathan Hagglund wrote in his report. "I told him that he needed to be provided his rights per Miranda. He told me that he had a set of Miranda rights in his wallet."

A detective then arrived and read him his Miranda rights -- which inform of the right to remain silent.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 2 to 6 per 1,000 children have one of the autism spectrum disorders, of which Asperger syndrome is one. The cause is unknown but scientists suspect both genetic and environmental factors play roles, according to the CDC.

Accused killer boasted of vast knife collection

January 21, 2007
By O'Ryan Johnson

Boston Herald

John Odgren is a private kid who spent hours exploring the vast woods around his secluded Princeton home, neighbors said, sometimes carrying a machete.

He is a kid who showed an "unusually strong interest" in criminal forensics and who once boasted to a fellow student about his large knife collection. And he is also the type of kid that high schoolers quickly recognize: The one who gets picked on and left out because he comes off as weird.

Acquaintances yesterday tried to make sense of the 16-year-old accused killer, who has Asperger's syndrome, a developmental disorder.

"He seemed like the guy people make fun of. He's that kind of kid," said Danit Yeshaya, 17, a senior from Sudbury who met Odgren at a new student orientation session this year. She recalled Odgren, whom she called Jack, jokingly introducing himself at those sessions by saying, Hi, I'm Jack. And I'm an alcoholic.' She added: "He probably had a hard time at his old school."

One neighbor said the quiet teen appeared menacing as he stalked along the winding country road with a machete in hand whacking at brush. "He just acted odd," said the neighbor. "He'd sit in the woods all day. He spent all last summer walking in the woods."

But another said Odgren seemed like a typical country boy who enjoyed the outdoors: "He didn't seem like a punk. He didn't seem like he was too big for his britches. He seemed like a nice kid."

John was raised in Princeton, a small town and home to Wachusett Mountain. He attended middle school there before entering a program for students with learning disabilities at the beginning of this school year, neighbors said.

His father, Paul Odgren, is a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and his mother is a nurse. Neighbors said the familyhas lived at their home for 25 years. "They're wonderful," a neighbor said. "They've always been very nice people."

Yeshaya said Odgren "reminded me of someone who would do something like this. He's a victim of his own character." But Prescott Blackler, 16, a junior from Lincoln, said "he didn't seem that crazy."

A student at Sudbury named Julia, who is making a crime film, said Odgren was fascinated by crime. "He said if we needed any props for the movie he had knives," she said.

Laura Crimaldi and Anita Davis contributed to this report.

Experts say Asperger’s defense likely

January 21, 2007
By Marie Szaniszlo

Asperger’s syndrome has been used as a defense with some success in cases of violence, experts say, suggesting it may arise when the fatal stabbing of a student at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School eventually goes to court.

L-S High School stabbing: Related articles, multimedia & images » Gallery: Light a candle» Gallery: Stabbing stuns L-S community» Driscoll: Everyone’s ’worst nightmare’» AP video: One Dead in Stabbing at High School

During an arraignment Friday in the death of 15-year-old James F. Alenson, the attorney for 16-year-old John Odgren said his client has Asperger’s, a mild form of autism that has helped win acquittals for defendants in 22 U.S. criminal cases since 2002, according to the Autism Society of America.

Odgren’s lawyer, Jonathan Shapiro, said
Odgren has taken medications for years
and has a ’serious disability.’

The neurological disorder is characterized by average or above-average intelligence but difficulty developing social skills or responding to interpersonal cues. Teens with Asperger’s can be misunderstood and bullied, said Jamie Freed, a social worker with the Asperger’s Association of New England. “This is not a group prone to violence,” he said. “If anything, they’re often the targets of violence.”

In 2003, a Texas jury acquitted a man with Asperger’s in the killing of a neighbor. A year later, a Missouri appeals court overturned a first-degree murder conviction on the grounds that jurors weren’t allowed to hear of James Boyd III’s similar diagnosis. Boyd, who was serving a life sentence, this month entered a no-contest plea to second-degree murder and is scheduled to be sentenced in March.

Jeffrey Denner, a defense attorney, said a disorder like Asperger’s is more likely to result in a reduced sentence than an acquittal.

Odgren’s lawyer, Jonathan Shapiro, said Odgren has taken medications for years and has a “serious disability,” adding: “The defendant has a history of fairly serious psychological diagnoses and has suffered from hyperactivity dysfunction for many years.”

After the stabbing, Odgren allegedly blurted out, “I did it! I did it!” a prosecutor said. A police report said that he also said, “Is he OK? I don’t want him to die.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two to six children in 1,000 have one of the autism spectrum disorders such as Asperger’s. Scientists think genetic and environmental factors cause it.

Asperger’s is named after Dr. Hans Asperger, who wrote about the disease in 1944. But it was not officially classified as a psychiatric disorder until 50 years later.

School where student was stabbed will set up tip line

January 21, 2007
By Associated Press Sunday

SUDBURY, Mass. - The principal of the school where a student was stabbed to death on Friday says he’ll establish a tip line to make it easier for students to alert adults to suspicious behavior.

The head of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School also said he wants to help students talk to staff at the school if they are worried that another student might commit a violent act.

“What we need to do is be even clearer to them that they can talk to us about anything that scares them or is of concern to them, and give them an official way to report any concerns or rumors that they might hear,” John M. Ritchie, principal of the school and superintendent of the district, told the Boston Sunday Globe.

James Alenson, 15, died after being stabbed at the school on Friday. A 16-year-old classmate, John Odgren of Princeton, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

Students at the school say Odgren had talked of violence in the past.

Ben Wasserman, 17, a senior at the school, said Odgren told him and other students last week that he once tried to kill someone.

“He looked up at us and say, ’How many people have you killed in the virtual world?”’ Wasserman said, assuming Odgren was referring to a video game.

Then, according to Wasserman, Odgren said, “I once tried to kill a person for real.”

“We didn’t know what to say,” Wasserman said. “We didn’t expect anything to come of it.”

Odgren has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Jonathan Shapiro, said Odgren has Asperger syndrome, a mild form of autism in which people can be quite intelligent but are unable to develop social skills, and has been taking medications for many years.

Shapiro told the court on Friday that Odgren has “a history of fairly serious psychological diagnoses and has also suffered from hyperactivity dysfunction for many years.”

A fight broke out at about 7:20 a.m. between Odgren and Alenson in a school bathroom and spilled out into the hallway, where the stabbing took place, Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone said. Authorities have not commented on a possible motive.

Odgren allegedly blurted out, “I did it. I did it,” a prosecutor said. A police report said that after the stabbing, Odgren also said: “Is he OK? I don’t want him to die.”

Assistant District Attorney Daniel Bennett said Odgren stabbed Alenson with a long knife in the abdomen and once in the heart. The knife was found inside the school bathroom.

Odgren is being held without bail.

Accused stabber has Asperger's syndrome

January 21, 2007
By Cheryl Lecesse

The 16-year-old Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School student who has been charged with murder in the stabbing of a classmate lived with a disorder known for its affect on a person's ability to interact socially.

John Odgren of Princeton was arraigned in Framingham District Court Friday afternoon and ordered held without bail following the death of James Alenson, 15, of Sudbury, who was fatally stabbed at least twice at L-S prior to the start of classes that morning.

Odgren's attorney, Jonathan Shapiro, said his client has Asperger's syndrome. But Dania Jekel, executive director of the Watertown-based Asperger's Association of New England, said people with Asperger's syndrome are usually the victim.

"The main thing is sort of the challenges in social communication that's both an understanding of how lay language is used and also very often in the way they use language, the way they communicate with people," Jekel said.

Asperger's syndrome is named after Dr. Hans Asperger, who first wrote about the disease in 1944. But it was not officially classified as a psychiatric disorder until 50 years later, according to the Association's Web site. Betty Green, a Lincoln resident and licensed school and educational psychologist, said Asperger's syndrome is usually described in comparison to autism. The neurological disease affects a person's cognitive abilities, and many who have the disease focus their learning on content-specific areas.

"Each child probably has specific areas of knowledge they're vested in," she said. "It differs from child to child."

Green said the disease is mostly apparent when it comes to social interactions.

"They tend to be overly rigid about following rules and routines," she said. "They lack flexibility to solving problems that arise day to day, whether in school or at home. They seem to have trouble applying common sense to solve these kinds of problems - the common sense the rest of us take for granted they lack."

Jekel said other traits include trouble with eye contact, high anxiety and depression, especially in times of transition or the introduction of new people.

"On the other hand, they tend to be normal, very, very bright, very intelligent people. They know a lot about certain things," she said.

Sensory issues is another trait, but affects more children than adults, Jekel said.

"They're very sensitive to sound or to touch," she said. "It can also be hypo-sensitive. Sometimes people with Asperger's syndrome go outside without a jacket and don't notice the cold. Those sensory issues can be overwhelming with people."

Jekel said some people with Asperger's syndrome don't need medication. Those who take medication do so to help with anxiety and depression.

Green said the degree of impairment tends to vary; some people have a mild case, while others have a more severe form. Most students who are diagnosed with the disorder are in special education, Jekel said.

"Many people do attend public school successfully with support services," Green said. "The support staff could be as minimal as resource room help in school for social skills, or some may require one-to-one aides."

"Most of our folks at least until or through middle and high school, are generally included in the regular high school program," Jekel said.

For more information visit the association's Web site at www.aane.org or call 617-393-3824.

How accused killer from Princeton landed at Lincoln-Sudbury High

January 22, 2007
By Cheryl Lecesse

SUDBURY - A 16-year-old accused of stabbing a classmate to death was able to attend Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School through a local collaborative that allows special education students from other school districts the opportunity to study in schools with more intensive programs.

The Concord Area Special Education Collaborative, also known as CASE, has 14 member school districts including L-S, and allows special education students from nonmember districts to study within the collaborative’s programs on a space available basis, according to Edward Orenstein, CASE’s executive director.

John Odgren, 16, of Princeton, is being held without bail for the fatal stabbing of 15-year-old classmate John Alenson in a bathroom at the high school Friday morning. Odgren’s attorney Jonathan Shapiro said his client has Asperger’s syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism.

Princeton’s school district is not a member of CASE.

CASE Collaborative offers a number of programs for students with developmental disabilities, emotional disabilities and hearing, speech and language disabilities, Orenstein said.

"Our special education programs are all in school buildings," he said.

Of the 175 students included in CASE’s programs, about 30 are from non-member districts, according to Orenstein.

"The non-CASE districts do pay tuition for their students to attend," Orenstein said. "That tuition assists the member district communities in funding CASE programs."

Orenstein said CASE has a referral process for all students, whether they reside in a member district or another school district. Referrals come from school districts, whether they are members or non-members. In the referral process, a program team first reviews written materials regarding the student.

"If it appears that there might be a good match, the student is invited for an interview, and there’s also discussion with the parents," Orenstein said. "Then depending upon that step of the process the students may be invited to visit the program while it is in session."

Orenstein said throughout the referral process there is ongoing communication among the team and the referring school district, the parents, and, if necessary, other professionals.

"If we determine that there’s a good match and that the student could benefit from our program, we inform the referring school district and the parent," he said. "If they together agree to send the student to the program, to enroll the student, a starting date is established."

Each of CASE’s member district hosts at least one CASE program. At L-S, that program is the Great Opportunities, or GO Program.

According to CASE’s Web site, GO "provides a welcoming place for students whose significant emotional and/or psychiatric disabilities have interfered with their ability to access public education without the intensive support provided at GO."

The program is staffed by a full-time teacher coordinator and two counseling assistants. In addition, a clinical psychologist is available on an ongoing basis, according to the Web site.

Once a student is accepted in the program, careful attention is paid to setting up a schedule that is manageable for the student, according to the Web site.

"Often times students may need a shortened day or reduced course load, a late start time, extra study periods, or some other modification to help insure success," according to the Web site.

The Web site states the location of the GO Program at L-S is ideal.

"L-S has a culture promoting acceptance of differences and encouraging individual responsibility," the Web site states.

Students pay tribute to slain classmate

January 22, 207
By Kathy Uek/ MetroWest Daily News

LINCOLN - Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School student Paul Schubert lit a candle at last night’s vigil in honor of a slain classmate and asked his peers to smile the next time they walk down the hall and see someone they don’t know.

“A smile can change someone’s life,” said Schubert, who attended the emotional tribute with his mother, Stephanie Hessler. “What happened is devastating.”

About 100 students, parents and teachers struggling to come to grips with the brutal stabbing death Friday of freshman James Alenson in a boys’ bathroom at their school attended the hourlong vigil at First Parish in Lincoln.

Alenson, 15, whose family had just moved to Sudbury this year from Natick, was remembered as a smart young man with a gentle disposition.

Julie Braden lights a candle for slain classmate
James Alenson as the Rev. Roger Paine looks
on at a vigil in Lincoln last night. (Photo by
Milton Amador/MetroWest Daily News)

Lincoln-Sudbury sophomore John Odgren, 16, of Princeton has been charged with his murder.

At the solemn service, teenagers, some weeping, sat between their parents. About 20 students came forward and lit candles as they expressed their feelings.

The students said a prayer of compassion for both families struggling with the tragedy and prayed for all those suffering from disabilities.

They lit a candle for hope. They said they hoped the love from the community could reach the slain student. They prayed for the Lincoln-Sudbury community, students and faculty, for public safety officials and principal/superintendent John Ritchie.

And they said they hoped they could learn something from the tragedy.

One young girl told the crowd, “We need to make an effort to reach out.”

Steve Johnson, a deacon at First Parish, said the high school students are going to be stronger from dealing with their grief.

“They are going to have more of a willingness to communicate their fears and concerns,” he said. “Hopefully, if a classmate is feeling abandoned, a friend can suggest they go see someone.”

Students return to school after Friday stabbing

January 22, 2007
By Stacey Hart

SUDBURY - Police officers and counselors greeted students at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School this morning as classes resumed for the first time since the stabbing death of a student in a bathroom hallway Friday.

Several Lincoln and Sudbury police officers stood at the school’s main entrance, and another stood by with his cruiser at the entrance to the main parking lot.

About 20 students huddled near a makeshift memorial to 15-year-old James Alenson, who was stabbed to death Friday, allegedly by John Odgren, 16, of Princeton. Odgren was arraigned on murder charges Friday in Framingham District Court and is being held in Middlesex Jail in Cambridge, isolated from the general population.

School officials had planned an assembly to start to school day to discuss the murder, and counselors were prepared to talk with students. Hundreds of students visited the school over the weekend for grief counseling.

Parents honor "sweet" James: ‘We will carry him in our hearts forever’

By Jessica Fargen
January 23, 2007

The parents of slain “sweet, funny, kind” student James Alenson broke their silence yesterday saying that they are devastated by the loss of their 15-year-old boy, who was stabbed to death at his suburban school.

“We carry him in our hearts forever,” the boy’s parents said in a statement released yesterday.

“He was always embarrassed by the adjectives we had to use to describe him; sweet, funny, kind, considerate, gentle. An innocent. Always the first to offer help, incapable of telling a lie, he was a genuinely good person in a world that under appreciates how much joy that brings to the people around them,” the statement said.

His family, including his parents Jon and Carman Alenson of Sudbury, have remained in seclusion since his shocking stabbing death Friday morning at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School.

Sophomore John Odgren of Princeton is accused of killing Alenson, but prosecutors have not said what prompted the altercation that started in a bathroom and ended with Alenson bleeding to death in a school hallway.

Alenson worked part time for a community organic farm in Natick and spent his summers at a camp in New Hampshire, where he was hoping to become a counselor, according to the family.

Alenson’s family, including his two siblings, moved from Natick to Sudbury last year so Alenson could be in a safer and better school, family members have said. Lincoln-Sudbury classmates said he hadn’t made many close friends yet, but he was universally described as a sweet and quiet straight-A student. The family will have a private memorial service. The family is inviting people to send written memories or photos of James to 365 Boston Post Road, Box 140, Sudbury 01776.

Understand Asperger’s

January 23, 2007
By Steve Sherman/Letters

As a parent who has both lost a child and who has another child with Asperger’s syndrome, I would like to offer some comments on the killing of the student at Lincoln-Sudbury High School (“School stabbing,” Jan. 20). First, I extend my condolences and deepest sympathies to the Alensons.

Secondly I have to both criticize and praise the Herald’s coverage. As a parent, I have seen how Asperger’s affects every aspect of a child’s life and have witnessed the ostracism and outright cruelty these children are subjected to.

Asperger’s is a brain disorder and a disability - not learned behavior. For the Herald to uncritically print comments that the boy was “the guy people make fun of” and “was a really creepy kid” without mentioning that these children are commenting about a child with a disability is irresponsible. Kids can be cruel but adults should know better. Would the Herald print comments like that about a child with MS?

I will commend writer Jessica Heslam in acknowledging that these children are not well served by public schools. This is the understatement of the new century. In reality the treatment of these children in the school systems is disgraceful and inexcusable. I have been engaged in a five-year battle to obtain proper placement and support for my son. With few exceptions, the reactions and responses from the staff have been somewhere between trivialization and indifference toward the problems.

In no way would I try to rationalize or excuse the tragic killing of the Alenson boy because the other child had a disability. However, I would emphasize that the treatment of children with Asperger’s in the schools is abysmal and the toleration of the bullying of these children is beyond disgusting.

Steve Sherman, Roslindale