When Angels Cry

                             THIS IS WHY THE ANGELS CRY....

Why would a normal well-adjusted teen kill his family?  Because according to his uncle, former State Senator Eric Griego, the 15-year-old murderer of the Griego family was just that “a normal well-adjusted teen” and not the monster everyone is allegedly portraying him to be.  What?  Normal well-adjusted teens do not kill their families, let alone anyone else for that matter.  So, here are some of the Eye On Albuquerque’s thoughts regarding this tragedy.

However, we have to share some information we received before we proceed to our thoughts.  We received some interesting information from one of our Eyes.  The murderer of the Griego family was not a normal well-adjusted teen, in fact he was just the opposite; he was a defiant teen who had been headed down the wrong path for quite some time.  According to one of our Eyes, the murderer of the Griego family was thrown out of several public schools and not allowed to return.  This is reason why he was being homeschooled by his mother, who by the way was his step-mother and not his biological mother (another detail one of our Eyes brought to our attention).   

It was also pointed out by a couple of our Eyes there were multiple guns throughout the Griego home and not just in the parent’s bedroom as stated by the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department and the media.  Our Eyes reported that Greg Griego felt the murderer of him and his family was the eldest child and being the eldest entitled him to be “the man of the house” when he was gone.  So, Mr. Griego felt the murderer of him and his family needed to be able to protect the family when he was away at work, church, the store, etc…  Mr. Griego felt this way because some of the primarily felonious reintegration’s (possible convicted felons) he had living on his property. 

One of our Eyes broke down in tears while sharing this information.  Our Eye said they are having a hard time dealing with the loss of their friend, Greg Griego, and his family.  Along, with this loss is the guilt this Eye is living with and the misinformation that is being fed and/or displayed by the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department and the media.  Our Eye feels they should have pushed Greg Griego harder to do something about the murderer of the Griego family.  Our Eye told us they stopped going to the Griego residence because they were in fear of the murderer of the Griego family and the many guns available throughout the house that were not locked up.   

Now on to the Eye On Albuquerque’s thoughts regarding this horrific tragedy.  One word, NARCISSISM; narcissism is simply a personality trait distinguished by egotism, vanity, conceit or other selfish desires and needs.  Why does the Eye bring up narcissism?  Because we feel today’s society is teaching its youth to become more and more narcissistic.  We give our children everything, such as; game systems, cell phones, computers, etc…  We call our children a prince or a princess and build up their egos, when the bottom line is our children, just like us, in all probability will be just like us; ordinary adults trying to survive day-to-day, week-to-week, paycheck-to-paycheck.  Giving and providing for our children is the ‘norm’ of parenting.  Building your child’s expectations with unreasonable prospects is the downfall of most failed parenting.

Here is where we are going with narcissism: Greg Griego felt his eldest son, the murderer of him and his family could defend the family when he was not home.  This is an extremely heavy burden and responsibility to place in the hands of a fifteen year old teen who was displaying defiant behaviors.  We believe Greg Griego had a heart of gold but with this heart of gold, he was trying too hard to save others, while ignoring or being blind to the needs within his own home. 

Sara Griego (possibly the step-mother and not the bio-mother, so we will go by step-mother throughout the rest of this article) was the disciplinarian while Mr. Griego was away.  Now, the murderer of the Griego family was dating a twelve year old girl, who we have been told by our Eyes the murderer of the Griego family’s parents were not happy with and did not approve of their relationship.  The murderer of the Griego family has said he was mad at his mother.  It is our opinion Mrs. Griego and the girlfriend’s parents wanted them to end their relationship.  Could this have upset the murderer of the Griego family to the point of planning his parent’s death, along with the girlfriend’s parent’s death (the girlfriend’s parents are still alive and no harm came to them)?  An obstacle he felt he needed to get rid of so they could still be together?  The Eye found this very thought in an article the Albuquerque Journal (Read it HERE) wrote called Kids Who Kill their parents.  Here is a piece of this thought: as well as a desire to remove an obstacle-such as a parent who won’t let the child date the person of his or her choice (Heide 2013). 

The murderer of the Griego family’s parents provided him with a game system and video games.  It has come to the public’s attention that some of these video games were extremely violent.  We do believe these violent video games can make a person become desensitized, especially in young children and teenagers. 

Granted, the murderer of the Griego family was upset and wanted to murder his parents and did just that.  Why his siblings, where they in his way?  Hum, well let’s see.  They became witnesses to a horrific crime and too young to comprehend that their brother just murdered their mother (Mr. Griego was ambushed four hours later when he returned home, after everyone else was already killed).  These small children probably started screaming and crying and the murderer of the Griego family was unable to control them, so he controlled the situation, just like in a game.  The children became points per kill and not his own flesh and blood.  So again, another red flag Mr. Griego ignored.

The murderer of the Griego family fits the perfect narcissistic individual; everything was given to him and the people who knew him best, his parents, ignored and enabled these behaviors and tried giving him more monitorial items, then what he needed most; help.  So, when the parents tried to take away the one single item the murderer of the Griego family wanted most, his girlfriend, he became enraged and started planning. 

The murderer of the Griego family, along with his twelve year old girlfriend, started planning their parents’ murders.  Yes, this twelve year old girl new everything, in fact, the murderer of the Griego family sent a picture of his dead step-mother to her via his i-phone.  Evidentially, this twelve year old was interviewed by police and cleared of any possible complicity in this tragedy.  This according to ABC news (Read it HERE) in an article you can find at the following:

Again, another narcissistic child, she knew what was going to happen and did nothing to stop it.  Granted, some will say she is only twelve years old, too young to know what to do.  What?  Sorry, she is old enough to know right from wrong and could have brought it to someone’s attention.  But again, her parents were coming between what she wanted; the murderer of the Griego family.  Remember, they discussed killing her parents too.

Now not all narcissists will commit murder but narcissism in combination with other problems or issues that go untreated, undiagnosed or ignored, such as’ deviant behavior, mental issues, psychological problems, drug use, etc… is a deadly combination.

The Eye also feels the media holds some culpability in this tragedy.  What you ask.  In recent tragedies, such as, the Sandy Hook Elementary School killings, the Colorado Movie Theater killings, etc… with the media we are told “if it bleeds it leads.”  In other words, the media thrives off the blood and misfortunes of others; they sensationalize and make the monster famous.  The media does need to report the news but their focus should be on the victims and not the monster.  We feel the murderer of the Griego family also had a desire to experience being the focus of all the media’s attention.  If you have taken note you will see that nowhere in this story does the murderer’s name appear; he does not deserve it.

Some view the murderer of the Griego family as a child who has made a mistake, when in all probability the facts will reveal, he was a cold-hearted calculated murderer who took five precious lives away from our community.  The Eye sees three very different valid points:  the first is the family who has lost five members but still has this child who they do not want to see spend the rest of his life in prison.  The second is justice, justice in certain situations is what the victim(s) feel is just.  The third and final point is the community, as a whole, will not feel safe with a “person [child]” free in our community who has murdered five family members.  If this person did not respect his own family, we feel assured that the community will hold a much lower ranking to him, than his own family.   

Now, please take a moment to read the passages below and think about its “meaning” and do not take the passages literally.

“Someday God will force parents eat their own children.”

‘And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.’” -- Leviticus 26:29

And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters. -- Deuteronomy 28:53

“Children who refuse to obey their parents must be executed.”

If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear. -- Deuteronomy 21:18-21

He that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death. -- Exodus 21:15

He that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death. -- Exodus 21:17

These scriptures are extreme, however, the point is; people must be parents to their children.  Parents must love, care, nurture, teach, train, coach, counsel, mentor and at times discipline their children to provide them with the correct path of life.  A parent must recognize bad or deviant behavior as just that and act accordingly.

Bad or deviant behavior is commonly a cry for help!  Give your children the help they need.  This cry for help may indicate psychological problems, mental problems or even drug use.  Talk to a doctor, a counselor or a psychologist.  Call the Juvenile Probation Department for other ancillary services that are provided for free.

We here at the Eye want our community to be safe.  That means you, your family, your neighbors, your co-workers and anyone else that is part of your life…  This story was not intended to disrespect or belittle the Griego family but to use this tragedy in hopes to reach out to other families that may be experiencing a similar situation.  It has made us take a second look at how we are raising our own children and grandchildren in our families here at the Eye, so we can make a difference in our community.   Our sincere thoughts, love and prayers are with the family.