I still don't get why they are charging with murder...but the plot thickens.

This is really getting weird. Why charge the uncle with murder?

Ok, drug charges I can totally see... but murder, really? Really? I can't wait to see how this turns out.

I'm actually curious about the three comments above me, more specifically... your geographical area.

I live in the North. I'm currently in Michigan and before that I lived in Alaska. I know what a snowstorm feels like. I've had to walk 'short' distances with snow up to my knees. I've felt the sting of my ears after shoveling out my drive.

I know why it's Murder. I know because unless the father and uncle had some kind of mental issue where they simply shouldn't be held responsible, they tortured and killed that kid.

I've hiked ten miles before. It took a few hours, I brought water, and snacks, I dressed appropriately and I had people who knew my destination. I've cross-country ski'ed, I know about dehydration while you're standing on mountains of snow. I know about the wind-chill and how something as mundane as a 'wet sock' can end up as hypothermia.

He let his kids walk ten miles, in snow, without proper clothing, at an age which was not appropriate, with no regard to their welfare. Those kids suffered and one of them died.

I call it murder.

What if the kid had been a 2-year old? Would that be murder? What expectation would you give a 2 year old without proper clothing in the snow making it 10 miles?

What if it had been 20 miles? 40 miles? Would That be murder?

There is absolutely no expectation for those kids to live when you send them out in those temperatures at that distance. They may as well have asked a 2 year old to make it home 40 miles. The odds are the same.

And that's why I call it Murder.

Idaho isn't known for its enlightened justice system. They're possibly throwing the book at the uncle for not intervening to save the child, and using the drug charges to bolster their claim that the uncle is a bad guy.

I'm not saying he is or isn't a bad guy--I could well be wrong--but it smells like a hokey prosecution to me, from the two articles.

Bottom line is that little girl should not have died.

Someone needs to be held responsible for the extremely poor decision in making those kids walk 10 miles in snow, in sub-freezing temps. The more I read about this, I think it is so much more than poor judgement on the adults part. It's obvious they had no regard for the welfare of the children. If they did, they would have kept them in the truck with the heat running.

I'm with Tragluk on this.
And I'll add to his questions with this, what if it hadn't been a parent or guardian? What if it were a babysitter or some other adult. Would the parents not be calling it murder?

From what I can google of Idaho law it fits their definition of 2nd degree murder and not manslaughter, especially if drugs are involved (a felony).

The little girl was in pajama pants, for crying out loud.

Yeah, the uncle should get charged too, he was there too and let her go.

I think there is more to this story still to come.

Same point I made in the other thread. There is no reasonable reason for him not to have known he was sending those children to their likely death. Below freezing temperatures, 10 mile hike--this is something serious hikers make lots of preparations for, bringing fluids, wearing layers, food, etc. Not coats over pajamas, not children.