As you say, he couldn't "take his punishment like a man." His sentence was 21 months, before any time off for good behavior, ignoring the chance of parole. At most, under two years. But he just couldn't wait. In my book, that shows why he couldn't "take it line a man:" in the most important way, he wasn't a man but an overgrown boy who still had to have everything right now.

I feel sorry for his family, and especially the daughter who escaped. I hope she recovers without scarring and is able to put this behind her and get on with her life. Alas, I'm almost certain that she's going to be forced through so much grief counseling and other therapy that it's going to end up reenforcing what they're trying to dull, and aggravate any emotional scarring.

On a side note, has anybody besides me noticed that people seem to have more trouble getting over disasters like this than they did fifty years ago? Back then, you were expected to grieve, then put it behind you and go on with life, and almost everybody did; they might have a friend or a clergyman to talk with, but that'd be it. Today, there's psychologists, psychiatrists, grief counselors galore, but people are finding it harder and harder to let go. Is there a connection? I have no idea, and hope not. Just wanted to throw that out and see if anybody else wants to comment on it.