Boy, 13, accused in killing and burning of half brother, 16

A 16-year old with $10,000 in cash. What's wrong with this picture.

Time to re-institute the death penalty.

I guess my first question would be, why was this teenager walking around with 10K on him?

I'm sure he didn't earn it from flipping burgers at Mickey D's!

His younger brother is a suspect? Niiiice, so much for the press reporting they were so close.

And how does a kid buy a "silver BMW," even used?

This is absolutely disgusting. A perfect example of what is wrong in the world these days.

This kid is trafficing for his families business , period..Stop playing thug and expecting an angels guidance

Jesus Christ... what the hell is wrong with people. A week before christmas, let's kill a kid, shoot, stab him, and then burn his body... and hey let's celebrate by buying a BMW!?

The other newspaper in town is reporting that the DA said Mendes was a drug dealer which is why he had the cash

the police confirmed what we all suspected,the victim dealt drugs,the victim,a child himself,sold drugs that addicted our children,the victim was vermin,the suspects are vermin,and the parents,the most verminous of all,they raised these pieces of garbage,maybe the honest hardworking people of the commonwealth are all a little better off today

In reding the comments it was interesting that no one commented on the calculated brutality of the stabbing and burning of the body.
Yes, I wondered too about the teen with $10,00.00 at his disposal , although I doubt that he walked around with it.
Beyond that it is still a life that was devalued and taken and the three suspects severly damaged and destined to get worse.

Hi Bob,
I believe this was addressed in the article. It was drug money. Judging from your comments, you'd probably be pretty surprised how many 15-16 year olds (or even younger) have well over 10k stashed aside from being their local go-to-guy... Hope this helps clear up the mystery.

He got what he deserved.

Whatever happened to newspaper delivery, helping folks carry bagged food to their cars, or maybe shoveling people's sidewalks as a way to earn money?

Our world is becoming scarier every day. Two 13 year olds are you kidding me? Who would sell a kid a BMW? That person should also be up on charges. One of the 13 year old suspects was the victim's brother...I become more afraid of our world every day...

And where were Mr and Mrs Mendes when all this was going down?

The 20 year would have had no problem buying a used car with the stolen money -- it wasn't just two 13 year olds.

The whole crime is sick and disturbing. It's horrible enough when one kid pushes and accidently kills another kid, or even when a fight gets out of control, but this kid was shot, his throat was slit and then he was burned -- that's seriously screwed up stuff there.

I know the father is in prison, as you can see the apples don't fall far from the tree, but where is the lovely Mother who is supposed to be in charge of raising these lovely children

Shot, stabbed AND burned? This is just gross. Premeditated to the sickest degree.

If you read the article, it becomes pretty clear that the victim was a drug dealer, thus the access to $10k in cash. Furthermore, I'm willing to be it was the 20 year old who was the one purchasing the BMW, not the 13 year olds.

Jonas, drug dealing brings in a significant amount more than newspaper delivery, thus the appeal to kids who are not fully aware of the consequences of their actions yet and who have grown up around it, which seems pretty apparent in the article as well.

In response to johas whale, kids still earn money in those ways. You just don't hear or read about it. Would you want to read an article in Boston.com that a kid earned money by shoveling? Pretty boring, eh? There are still plenty of very responsible and hard working kids nowadays. That's my main point.

pay attention people the third suspect is 20 yrs old, obviously he purchased the vehicle!

Listen all of you hypocrites who look down on this. This is horrible - I agree. But the fact is, this is a reflection of the 'culture of America' and you are a part of it, regardless of whether you believe it or not. What are you doing about it?

The 20 year old was probably the buyer of the BMW

Globe doesn't hire carriers under the age of 18. - that's what happened to newspaper carriers johnas (not that it justifies the crime btw)

Beside the burning of the body, this story is an everyday common runaround.

"A 16-year old with $10,000 in cash. What's wrong with this picture."
Look like this is the LEAST thing wrong with this picture. You see what drugs do, kids? If you deal, even your own little brother will end up cutting your throat and burning you (possibly while you're still alive) for your wad. It's becoming all too clear that in certain sections of 'society' (ahem), child-parents have absolved themselves of all responsibility in raising their young, go out and get high, and plop the kid in front of their 50 inch HDTV with 300 channels and a bag of chips, with the result being that the kid's 'parents' end up being 50 Cent and Al Pacino.

Where were the parents?

I'm glad i started packing again last week. i don't trust any of the local kids anymore. This is disgusting.

WAKE UP people.... drugs, guns,money!!! This is happening all over the world! Children as young as ten and eleven are wrapped up in this kind of mess! Its is a scary scary world from the Cape to Alabama to Compton! The horrific and alarming part of this whole story is its his frekin BROTHER who is 13 years old who commited a horrific crime. His future is now lost.... his brother is gone and its going to be a long road ahead. May this poor 16 year old .....drug dealer or not he was still 16.... Rest in Peace! Its a shame noone stepped into help these boys as I'm sure there were obvious signs of trouble long before this incident!

it says that his father is curreently serving a 35 year sentence for drugs, who was responsible for this children? where is the mother in this picture? can some one answer me?

Regina and EdA,
You people are obviously idiots. The 13 year olds didn't try to buy the car, the 20 year old did! He, in turn, gave up his accomplices. He is facing serious time, unlike his partners in crime. I am sure that is what the DA used to get him to give up the names

Just think: if all these popular drugs were decriminalized, one would be hard pressed to find a sixteen year old with that kind of cash on him. One would also find that a better part of two thirds of all those in prisons in this country, need not be, hence, same for prison personnel, justice dept workers and now, temporary third party (and quite profitable) prisoner concentration camps. Indeed, it has come to pass that the inmates are finally in charge of the proverbial nut-house.

Beside the Burning of the Body, this is everyday stuff

I'm guessing it was the 20 yr old that bough the car.
Thirteen year old kids killing, and for money, its disturbing. But when we look at how idolized the rich are and how we worship money the way we do it might explain a lot about the mixed up values these kids had. And they bought a fancy car, one of the most obvious symbols of status. It certainly doesn't absolve them from punishment, however.
To kill for a car, how sad. These kids need to be locked up forever, they know right from wrong

thanks DJMcH, thinking same thing

johas whale, you're living in the 70s next tot he cleavers. wake up

People did you not read the article cmpletely? Jordan Mendes was described by District Attorney Michael O'Keefe as a "significant drug dealer" who was allegedly robbed of $10,000 in cash he planned to use to buy drugs.

This would explian why he had 10K... But yes this is a very disturbing story.

The father is in jail for selling coke. I wonder what kind of life the mother has. Don't give me "don't blame the parents" crap because any responsible parent knows whats going on in there 13 year olds life. Again I say RESPONSIBLE parent.

Please pray for us God.

What is wrong with Cape kids? It's like they are all from a different world. I may be cold, but my perspective is that a drug dealer accepts consequences like this when dealing. The best part is that the kids are so smart that they used 10k cash the very next day to buy a car. Fantastic. Chalk yet another one up for the Cape Public Schools.

Drugs Kill....one way or the other.

Although he was putting some extra cash back into the economy, what saddens me is his choice to buy a non-American car. No wonder the big 3 are in trouble.

When I heard the story on the news, it did shock me. It takes a very sick person to kill a person during a robery.. . and an even sicker person to set them on fire... When I hear things like this, I want the guilty locked up in as tiny a cell as possible.. and never, ever be let out and never, ever have contact with anyone, not even family.. the only time they should be let out of their cell is to bury them upon their own death.

The comments on this story are so ridiculous - can anyone read between the lines? Look at the picture of Vacher, and look at his age - neither 13yo committed this murder. They may have known about it, and/or helped discard the body, but I'll bet 10K it was Vacher who pulled the trigger.

Notice the words 'accused' and 'arrested in connection to' throughout the story - there are no facts, yet everyone wants to jump to the conclusion that the world has gone to hell with 13yo committing murder.

It's a recession, and selling newspapers just isn't going to cut it for some kids. As if selling contraband is anything new...

What is this, Lawrence?

:(

I believe the dealer who sold the BMW may have contacted police after, leading to the arrests, or confirming evidence that led to the arrests.

It's tragic that such young lives are so hardened that they would carry out such brutal, horrific acts of violence. When people are brought up with neglect and violence in their homes, it can be surprising that this is the result. However, it is always shocking and disturbing. Hug your children.

it was probably the 20 YEAR old that bought the BMW people??? Common sense, you can't sell it the 13 tear olds... The article also states he was a drug dealer which is how he came up with $10Kand. His father (who is serving hard time) and older brother (who was murdered as well) were also drug dealers. Don't forget that this young kid WAS MURDERED and then BURNED. Hello... why doesn't anyone care about that?

What is particularly sad is how this whole family was essentially doomed. The old man is serving time for drug dealing, the 16 year old son following in dad's footsteps, and the kid brother accused of murder? It's a sad world we live in when the only aspirations these kids have seem to be towards a life of crime. Where was the mother in all this?

In reading this very sad story, it's even more sad and disturbing to read the comments and concerns of fellow readers. This article shows the reality that a lot of our children are faced with in there every day lives. Our children have easier access to drugs, money, and guns, rather than having quality education, safe, stable, happy homes. In our society as it stands today, we need to prepare ourselves for crimes such as these … because our youth is getting more violent, raising babies younger, and obtaining less guidance. With the current recession upon us, reality is that EVERYONE is going to be pushed to the edge; it just all depends on how we come together as a community during these very difficult times. Lastly, we are putting these children in the lime light, which is understandable as this crime is horrible. However, where are the parents in this whole situation?

Please, before asking questions, read the article.

* The kid who was killed was a "significant drug dealer", hence the 10 grand.

* One of the suspects was 20, which makes him more than capable of buying a car.

Read, don't just skim.

Can the parent (or parents) be investigated, too?

So many stupid comments here.

First of all violent crime is way down compared to the 60's, 70's and 80's. Yes, that is not a typo. So stop the fear mongering - we are much safer today than ever before.

To the stupid people asking why he had 10k in cash. Did they miss the part of the story that said he was a drug dealer ? Helloooooo ?

That a 16 year old has $10,000 in cash and is suspected drug dealer comes as no major surprise. As Amis stated in the post; it is the brutality of the crime; cold, calculating and ruthless. Would be sad if it turned out to be the younger brother simply bragging innocently about how much money his older brother had and from there the crime took root. Moral of this story; drugs kill one way or another.

I think its so sad that the father of these boys is in prison-- also for drug charges. Kids emulate their parents...."The sins of the father follow to the fourth generation." We inherit all the good and bad from our parents.

It is so hard for children to be strong and break away from bad habits they were taught. I am so sad about this story

Unless I am grossly mistaken I would assume the BMW was purchased by the 20 year-old... just seems a bit more logical to me.

Too much $ to be had from the sale of drugs in this country. These kind of things happen way too often for several reasons but one huge factor is the antiquated drug laws we have. We need sensible drug policies which keep kids from using and dealing by reducing the profit to be made from selling them. We also need to remove the backdoor sale of billions of dollars a year in "legal" drugs. I wonder when we are going to be asked to bailout the drug industry.......come to think of it prozac, xanex, lithium, zoloft etc. etc. are probably great business during an economic depression.

Sam Solomon-----What am I doing about it? I 'm voting Republican----only wish more would too then this sort of stuff would end in a hurry.

There are at least 10 kids in my neighborhood that are old enough and big enough to try making some money shoveling snow in this storm and I will bet $100 not one of them will be out there looking for $$. The 16y/o kid across the street will be sledding in the yard while dad is shoveling..... that's what's wrong here.

This kid that got murdered was on the path to prison, but did not deserve to die like that.

Do you people actually READ THE ARTICLE before post comments??? It says right there that it was drug money. It also says one of the people in custody is 20 YEARS OLD. Gee do you think he is the one who bought the BMW??

Such a waste- father already serving time in prison, both brothers obviously invloved in drugs and dealing- where else would a 16 year old have 10K to carry and what kind of control does a mother have in a culture of machoism and durg glories? She's lucky she is still alvie too....I(f there are other siblings, perhaps they may need protective custody. What a horrible fate for all involved. Look in the mirror, everyone, we arre reaping what liberal ideas we have sown...even our silence has added to the growing ecidemic of poverty, drugs and abuse...

The broher deserves the maximun penalty. No trying him as a juvenile. And how about the parents? Isn't the father in jail, I thought I read? Is that correct?If that's true, it just shows the irresponsibilty and sheer disregard of people having kids. If you can't take care of yourself morally or physically, why are on earth are you having kids. Those type of parents should also be tried for their kids crimes.

I'm going for the X5, fo shizzle...

Hear hear....

"Just think: if all these popular drugs were decriminalized, one would be hard pressed to find a sixteen year old with that kind of cash on him. One would also find that a better part of two thirds of all those in prisons in this country, need not be, hence, same for prison personnel, justice dept workers and now, temporary third party (and quite profitable) prisoner concentration camps. Indeed, it has come to pass that the inmates are finally in charge of the proverbial nut-house."

Dad's in prison, Mom's probably working two jobs. Jr. tried to help out by doing what he could to earn some money for christmas cheer (whatever happened to a pair of socks and an orange for christmas?). He told his friend and his younger brother and they told two friends....

Everybody wanted the money. That's the story.

These punks should be shackled, put to work plowing snow, paving roads and repairing bridges. Three square meals a day, a bed, no gym time no cable. Pay your debt to society. If that gets too expensive, sure, you can execute them. Harsh?

eh? 20yr old tooling around with 13yr olds? Sounds like a winner to me!

What a sad, lonely, horrible way to die.

And all most of you want to discuss is the 10k and the price one pays for being a drug dealer.Like because this young man sold drugs that this was something he deserved.

Where is your compassion, People?

Apparently the 13 year old cannot be tried as an adult (under 14), and will be automatically released on his 21st birthday. Welcome to Massachusetts, where liberals have *compassion* for criminals. ("But he's only a child !")

Very few 16 year old kids make $10,000 by illegally selling, say, coffee, brandy, or cigarettes.

That's because the demand for coffee, brandy, and cigarettes is satisfied above board, in the market.

The government's ongoing war on SOME drugs created the ingredients for this tragedy.

Gee, I wonder who these children sell to? Probably to rich, middle-aged jerks on the Cape, who turn a blind eye when they see their kids are doing it too.
Don't forget the consumer...

I hope he finds coal in his stocking.

The bigger picture is the drug problem in Hyannis. Who was this kid selling too, to make a quick 10 grand?? Was this a years worth of drug dealing or a weeks worth? I'm assuming he was selling more than a dime bag to his group of friends. His clientele were probably people, of his age group, that were at school. I highly doubt he was peddling his 10 speed bike to Brockton or Boston everyday to sell on the street corner. I wonder how many junkies are in Hyannis schools?

IM JUST GLAD THEY CAUGHT THE KILLER OR KILLERS!!

"Please pray for us God"...and who would God be praying to, Pat, you moron? Himself? Some other God? General Motors...? The Wu Tang Clan...?

Decriminalize all drugs. If they dont "mean" as much, or if its simply "not a big deal" legaly to those involved, then people wont freak out like this. This only happens here (and i have lots of international friends that have confirmed this with me).
I guess for those who think "something needs to be done about these things," what would you do? Because restricting our freedoms does not and will never work. The more you make something "wrong" or "taboo" the more people are going to get crazy with it. Take a lesson in reverse psychology!

The Criminal Justice professors at Northeatern predicted the rise in this type of crime back in the early 90's while I was going to school there. This stuff doesn't surprise me at all. There are a lot of factors that go into why these boys are capable of doing this. Watch the documentary on Dahlmer... there is a lot of conditioning that goes into it. There isn't one or two things that created these super predators (as many criminologists call them). Its no longer reserved to the bad cities like Lawerence (which was mentioned).

What's the best thing we can do? Protect and educate the ones close to us. You need to tell them where, how, who and when to stay away from trouble. I highly suggest putting your children into a good martial art program. Martial arts may not save them from a gun or a knife, but it will make them more self aware, confident and educated.

The father is in jail, two 13 yo and a 20 year old killed 16 year old for money.
Shot stabbed and burned is the story. the car or who bought it is not important as the crime that was committed

Sam Solomon WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Enabling: This happened under a STILL Republican watch, lest you forget...32 days left in office. Not that a political party has anything to do with crimes but the current state of the economy, under Bush's oh so watchful eye (insert tongue in cheek) , is partly responsible for people becoming desperate so crime rates, petty and otherwise will continue to climb until we begin to recover from investments, homes l& jobs lost. Your remark was so far removed from the subject matter as to be almost laughable.

no he was not walking around with 10k on him. the hole was where he had stashed all of his money. lot more to this story then they tell.

keep smoking your pot folks...or whatever drug it is you prefer... don't worry... it doesn't hurt anyone... I know I know it helps you deal with this crazy world...guess what. That's how this world got so crazy.

Ok, so the 13 year old tried to buy the car and the kid that died was shoveling snow while on his paper route? Sick sick sick. This is what happens when society ignores kids and they are forced to watch the sex shows on TV like The Hills that teach them about drugs, sex, and money.

Of course nothing can exonerate or in anyway explain a crime as hideous as this. It is disgusting that children can be so completely without conscious or morals.

While a great number of individuals raised in difficult circumstances have gone on to become productive and upstanding members of our community, I can't help but feel that these boys never had a chance . The father, who was fairly young when these children were born, is a convicted drug dealer. Their uncle was murdered while in his 20s. The man who was convicted of pulling the trigger in that case was also extremely close to the victim.

I also wanted to comment on the snide remarks about the Cape public schools. My siblings and I are all graduates of Barnstable. We received fabulous educations at the hands of the many dedicated and talented teachers at that school. We went on to prestigious colleges and graduate schools and each of us has, by anyone's standards, extremely successful careers and normal, happy lives. The same can be said of countless other Barnstable graduates.

While I only knew them by sight, I was a classmate of Danny Mendes and at Barnstable at the same time as Manuel Mendes in the early 1990s. Danny and Manuel are the uncle and father of this victim. I'm sure that we did not have at all similar experiences in high school. I never witnessed drug use, I had a 10:30pm curfew on weekends and I wasn't allowed out on school nights. My parents knew where I was every second of my childhood and adolescence. Children's behavior generally has everything to do with their parent's expectations of what that behavior will be

Like any public school the students come from extremely diverse backgrounds. I was fortunate enough to come from a stable, upper-middle class family who had limitless expectations for my future. Sadly, it is usually instances of crime, violence and drug use that make the news papers and give an unrealistic picture of the wider student body.

I agree that this is a horrific story. A boy shot, stabbed and his body burnt and disposed of - possibly by his own brother. My initial comment is to Jim - you took one look at a 'mug shot' of the 20 yr/o accused, thought about his age and then convicted him of murder?!?! I pray you aren't on the jury. My thoughts were entirely different... after all that kid is barely out of school himself. I thought about the 'pimply fat kids' I went to school with and about what it might mean that even though he was 20 he was hanging around with 13 year olds, possibly with no friends his own age... and I thought immediately that he'd been failed by society too. And this is OUR society I'm speaking about. It isn't something that could only happen on the Cape. It is our community that this has happened in. I've met my share of 13 year olds in my time (working in a middle school will do that) and I have no problem believing them capable of murder. I had to tell some the other day that a colleague of mine, one of their teachers, was dying... three minutes later they were throwing paper at each other again! But though I couldn't help crying buckets later, I was back in the classroom again the next day. Back trying to make a difference. So my wholehearted agreement is with the comment by Sam Solomon - What are you going to do about it? Remember this is our community so all of us has a part to play. I know what I'm doing about it. I'm back in that classroom, back being a role model, showing that there is someone who cares, back teaching them lessons that matter and showing them that there is someone who will be around no matter what... My question to everyone else who's so free with their comments is this " What are YOU doing about it?" What are you doing to make your community a better place? What about YOU?

I applaud these children's sense of entrepreneurship and how eagerly they embraced capitalism and at such a young age too.

Jim on comment 37: You need to wake up if you think 13-year-olds do not commit murder. Where do you live? It happens. They are just as guilty as the 20-year-old. Unfortunately, they just can't be tried as adults so their punishment will be quite lenient. The fact that it was his brother is awful. Kudos to those of you who ask where the mother was. In some articles, it states the "parents" so there must be a step-father in there who must be the father of the 13-year-old. This whole family is in need of help.

I don't think this story would draw this many comments or as much media attention if the crime scene were in Dorchester, Roxbury or Mattapan.

First off, $10,000 isn't what it used to be. For a drug dealer its easy to get but even for someone on the straight and narrow its not impossible to save. 15 years ago I was 16 and worked as a caddie. this was 1993 and I made $50 to $70 bucks for four hours of work looping doubles. Multiply that by two rounds a day and four days a week and I was pulling in roughly $500 in cash per week tax free. Now I also worked another job doing lawns which earned me $10 an hour, another $200 a week. $700 a week for 15 weeks and I've got my $10,000. There's a lot of ways to make money as a teenager and while I probably did better than average there were probably kids who did better. However its 2008 and I bet you can make $80 to $100 a round caddying now probably $150 a day if you are willing to put in 36 holes.

Is anybody really surprised? This is after all the society we live in. Looks to me like 4 lives ruined, plus the family of all involved.

I wish reporters would tell ALL of the story instead of sound bites to titillate the readers and get them to jump to conclusions. All I can gather from this story is that three males were suspected/accused of being involved in the crime, two 13 year olds and one 20 year old and the victim was 16 years old and had a history of drug dealing. The 10K was either "on" the victim or he had it somehow, in a knapsack, a suitcase, what? Someone tried to buy a silver BMW with the money? Where, how, what happened? Did the car dealer report the attempted sale, did someone SAY they wanted to buy a BMW? Please, give more facts, not just sensation when reporting on a story!

My question is....How does dealing drugs NOT look good to these kids with what is going on in "mainstream" society. Go to school, study hard and get WHAT????

Next we will hear he was turning his life around!

the father is in jail for drugs!! 35 years

It sounds as though this scenario might have come about eventually. Of course, the state of the economy is not solely responsible. People are responsible, simply put. Blame is just a convenient way for the ego to relieve itself of the personal responsibility that is required of one...shame and a sin.

So this was caused by the government? what are you nuts, stop making excuses for bad behavior.

Why are people asking where this kid on got the 10,000 dollars when in the article it clearly states that he was a "significant drug dealer"?

This piece of news has ruined my day mentally. No teenager should have $10,000 on him with intentions of purchasing and distributing drugs. It's morally wrong on so many counts. And to think someone would have the audacity to contribute to a murder and stabbing over an amount of money! Never mind the fact that a biological half brother is involved! There are so many things wrong with this... I don't even want to read anymore about it.

if you buy a car with cash -10,000 dollars or more it has to be reported

The people posting comments should read the story carefully, AS WELL AS the previous comments before them...so as to avoid repeated information. This is a heinous act which unfortunately FOLLOWS from bad parenting and poor parent role-models. Nothing less, nothing more. Bad dad, bad kid; the cycle continues.

"A good riddance of bad rubbish!"

Jordan's father is in federal prison, but calls his family every day. He told his mother to go look for Jordan at the pit. Also, Jordan's uncle was murdered by a cousin. Did this kid even have a chance?

It is always so sad when an adult Fagan character abuses the trust of young children and uses them to commit criminal activities. 13 year olds are so easily influenced and used by older people. It is a story older than the Hitler Youths. Kids that age crave acceptance and when someone much older purports to be cool, they will do things that make no sense - only years later will they totally understand the consequences of what they did. My guess is that the younger kids had no idea that this 20 year old adult man was a homicidal maniac who apparently enjoyed the kill. Likely they thought that they were going to be stealing from a crook - who unfortunately was the child's brother - which to a 13 year old, doesn't really seem like a crime. Then events spiraled out of control and the children found themselves actors in a horrible play - with a script written by a totally demented man. Children this young have killed since antiquity - the difference is that our ancestors understood that when a 13 year old is used by someone much older who instigates the crime, the 13 year old is not responsible for murder. The boys here were not the killers - they were victims as much as they were anything else - they were used by this creep.

WTF?!?!?!?!?! This is absolutely mind-numbing.

This is a very sad story. I would like to know where the parents were too(mother and father of the 13 year old - the 16 year old's dad is in prison)

But before judging them - I would prefer to offer my sympathy to all of them on this tragic loss. We don't know the circumstances and assuming that we do is not right either

I hate to think that the people writing the post here are the same people I'm standing in line with at the grocery store. Hahaha....

We're doomed.

Dolts. The majority of comments on this article provide evidence as to why newspapers are failing: less people know how to read, so less people are buying newspapers.

As for you OMG-times-are-teh-scariest-EVAR folks, this kind of nonsense has been going on for millenia--even with children. While it is perfectly reasonable to be shocked by this story, to retreat further into your fearful psychosis because of it, blaming these things on an arbitrary These Times, is simplistic and historically myopic at best..

To Kate:

That's the difference between your experience and mine - you see a somewhat innocent 'pimply fat kid' - I see his eyes, and I know what cocaine does to people.

To Noel:

Of course 13yo kill people - I live in South Florida where the violent crime rate is 6x that of Metro Boston. However, most 13yo don't kill their brothers over drug money. 10K is nothing in the game, especially if he was as 'significant' as the story states. Just wait until the trial - like I said, I'll bet $10K that Vacher is the trigger man.

And to those who think liberal ideals created this or Republicans can somehow fix it - just stay in your cave, you'll be much safer there...

The kids live with their grandmother . The mother showed up at a silent vigil last night screaming and ranting about getting revenge. I guess she must get revenge on her own child. THANK YOU WELFARE STATE.

Way too many assumptions people... they said this was his half-brother, it's not even for sure they lived in the same household. The victim (drug dealer or not) may have very well sold drugs to take care of his younger brother and sister... since it's been continuously stated how rough he had it, and that he assumed that responsibility. It's a scary world, and a system that continuously fails our youth.

He was obviously pretty responsible if he saved up that much money, I doubt he was pushing major weight. He could've blown it the way the 20 year old did, on a car he probably couldn't afford to register, gas and insure. And just re-upped smaller quantities. He was obviously trying to make a better life for himself and his siblings, real drug dealers tend to drop out of school and aren't really spoken about in such a positive light. He was trying, maybe not in the best way, but at 16... he was just a kid.

David Dancer... This doesn't happen in lawrence, it actually hadn't seen a murder in many many years until recently. If your head wasn't so far up your... you might get past the fact that just cause it's mostly minorities, and the city doesn't maintain it... doesn't mean there are murders or extremely heinous crimes occurring on a regular basis.

acne...the root of all evil.

#50... that was pretty funny, considering we're currently under Republican presidency as we have been for almost 8 years. Come to think of it, there were a lot of high profile and heinous murders during Bush's reign. Can't wait for Democracy!!!

is this a true story

I have not read all these blogs. just some. let me just say what the HELL is going on here where are the people that suppose to be watching the CHILDREN? I know parents have to work to keep up with all expenses and I know that is not easy . PLEASE take time and see what your children are doing. and who there friends are. . Maybe invite the kids over Sunday morning for breakfest see who shows up and take a good look. at them.

I love how people continue to view the Cape as some sort of vacation haven, when it's been transforming itself into a great breeding place for filth. The Cape cops are too worried about weekend warriors littering on rt. 6 and not worried enough about the REAL problems that regular communities have to deal with. Personally, I think the true tragedy here isn't the crime or the criminals, it's the myopia of the readers who have posted to this comment section. People: stop blaming and start solving.

I think it's truly sad that someone so young (age 16) has their life cut short in such a horrible way. Yes, it's true, he shouldn't have been dealing drugs. And yes, it's true that he probably had a terrible childhood with ill equipped parents and family members. And yes, it's true that at the end of the day we all should take personal responsibility have our decisions. But the tragedy (as I see it) is that often kids make bad decisions and frequently get to a point where they say 'this is not for me', they are young enough to turn themselves around. I've seen it happen. Additionally, he certainly didn't seem/sound like a violent person and to die in such a violent way, is just terrible....by/with someone you loved and trusted. It is truly terrible. I am sorry for this young man and the fact that he didn't have time to rebound. One last thing, try to remember what you were like at 16yrs. Did you always make good decisions?
And the greedy scum (including baby brother) that set him up and slaughtered him, should be made to pay for taking this boys life.....too terrible.
Sincerely

you ppl are stupid he pushed major weight cuz he had to and if you knew him youd know he bought everything for his brother and always spent time with him..this was all about greed.jordan was a troubled but good kid he wasnt a punk dealer

#1 I bet the kid was a drug dealer. Why else would he have 10K on him?

#2 I bet the 20 yeart old bought the BMW. How could a 13 year old do this?

#3 This is all the result of 8 years of the Bush administration. Won't happen under Obama. No guns and everyone will have easy access to drugs.

#4 I have to go and take my medication.now.

This concept is not that difficult to completely understand.
Mr. Mendes (father of victim, Jordan Mendes), is a major cocaine dealer running about the Cape, and he is serving 35 years in prison, and still continued supplying drugs. Jordan Mendes was also a drug dealer, and he was a go-to guy for mainly, OxyContin. Now, about the 1st degree murder.
There were two 13-year-old boys, one, the half-brother of Mendes, and the other an alliance to the half-brother. There was also a 20-year-old, Robert Vacher, who is the individual who physically committed murder. One of the 13-year-olds supplied Vacher with a handgun, and the other youngster provided Vacher with a knife, or blade. It was not made clear whether Mendes currently was carrying $10,000.00 on him, or had the money hidden, but the cash is the main reason for the slaying. Mendes was shot multiple times, and stabbed and/or slashed at several occurances. They then rolled him up in a rug, and took the deceased human body to an abandoned paintball field, where there were dug-out trenches around. These trenches were about three feet deep, the three suspects then dug approximately seven feet deeper, until the hole was around a ten-foot indentation in the Earth. They then placed Mendes in the depth of the hole, and left. They returned the next day, at the previous, exact location, and poured several gallons of gasoline into the ditch. The corpse of Jordan Mendes was lit on fire, and burned alight. Now that the victim has been killed and the three had 10K, they left it alone. Vacher appearantly bought a silver BMW and gave it to his aunt as a gift of some sort, since the aunt owned a BMW some how, with full suspicion. It was not the teenagers who purchased the auto-mobile, it was the actual murderer who bought the vehicle. Yes, this is all completely tragic in some people's eyes, and others believe he deserved this. Mendes was a good person, but just has done bad things, which goes for every being on this planet. I hope I cleared things up for some of you all. RIP Jordan Mendes RIP

yera

thanks Scott, for the insight

i Guss if social service or the community service work with the DAD family or flow up after he serve 35 years in jail we will not hear such awful crime because you find all the family doing same and all the drug issue... it is start from the dad...sorry to hear that all teenager

I give my condolensce to the Jordan's parents first of all. I will not feed into the details of the incident The media do enough highlighting un substancial evidence for all of us. The victim can not defend him self from the drug dealers accusations. The 20 years old young man, who seems to be middle man that had reality mixed up with fiction. We all need to be care in glamorizing drug dealers at any rate. Money is always the cause in drug deals gone bad. A person not completing their end of a bargain. The ability to cheat is a major proplem for all ages. Make no excuses for children for they are individuals with free will.

This is just plain sick. Where are the parents of the 20 year old? Why didn't they try to intervene somehow as well as the 13 thirteen year old? Parents don't care. I hope the 20 year old gets prison and the death pentalty. What he did to Jordan Mendes should be done to him.

ok seriously some of you people are so ignorant. saying he got what he deserves and brining politics into this. think of the family the friends the age of this boy. think of a life that was taken in such a horrible way. think of the stupid children that are being raised to think stuff like this is ok. its seriously bull that some people on this blog dont see these things. all they see is he sold drugs came from a bad family and was goin no where fast. instead of death what about help. and for the 20 year old kid who commited the crime he he was beyond help. i knew him and i can personally say i would never have seen it from him before this. people suprise you for both better and worse. the kid had a chance of suprising us all and that chance was taken. now a days this could be anyone kid. so before your so quick to judge think of what could have been. NO ONE at that age deserves to die that way,