Teen calmly confesses to murder, newspaper posts video

Posted: September 16, 2008

Jury hears of finding knife in Michael Hernandez’s backpack

I have to say, I don’t usually go out of my way to watch gross or scandalous videos, but I didn’t bother heeding the warning in The Miami Herald’s disclaimer above a video they posted of a 14-year-old’s murder confession.

This kid, Michael Hernandez, then 14, now 18, went into great detail while telling police about the process he said he went through in killing his classmate, Jaime Gough, 14.

The video had the following advisement “(warning: disturbing).” That is an understatement, I say. The three-minute video is some of the most chilling video I’ve ever seen. Perhaps more chilling than the video is how the title itself sits so clearly, unquestioned, “Michael Hernandez describes murdering Jamie Gough.”

I’m sure there are ethical dilemmas at stake here, what does the victim’s family think of this video being posted? Should they have to relive the incident in such chilling detail? Does this video make a point that words could not?

This video certainly adds to the story. The reader has a clearer understanding of the situation upon watching the video. What the reader is not informed of is the conditions under which the confession was made and what happened after the video was cut off (it ended rather abruptly at three minutes and five seconds).

Compelling? Yes. Necessary? Yes. Sensitive to the victim’s family? Probably not, but the least I can say is they were there when the video was shown in the court room, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to see it in other places.

In the end, I don’t discredit or blame The Miami Herald for running the video, I would have down the same – it was just so intense, it left me stunned.

There is also a story just about the video.

What do you think?