Mother of tortured teen says son was no bully
PORTLAND, Ore. - Kelli Murrain is rattled. Sitting at the dining room table of her sister's Portland home, she told On Your Side Investigator Anna Canzano her son, 16-year old Dustyn Murrain is still scared about his ordeal Monday.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Murrain was lured to the shed in the backyard of a S.E. Portland home, beaten over the head with a crow bar and shot with a bb gun in his chest and groin. One of the four teenagers charged in the attack is also accused of carving a swastika into Murrain's forehead with a box cutter.
Why a swastika?
"I'm kind of wondering that myself. Why they would carve a swastika in his forehead? It's something he'll never forget, if the scar doesn't go away; every time he looks in the mirror he's going to be reminded of what happened to him," Murrain said.
The family moved him out of the city for his own safety. Murrain said her son is in pain and has nightmares about what he endured.
She's talking about what happened because she wants her son's side of the story told and hopes if other kids are considering something extreme like this, sharing his story will give them pause and make them think about the consequences of their actions.
Murrain said she can't understand how anyone could think it was OK to kidnap and torture her son regardless of what he might have said about them.
She's the first to admit her son is no angel - she said he's struggled academically.
But she doesn't buy the accused teenagers claims, that Dustyn had bullied them by calling someone gay.
And even if it were true?
"I've been called lots of names and I never went out and shot anybody or beat them in the head with a crowbar," she said.
Murrain says her son had emergency surgery Monday night for the BB shot that went through his groin area. He has staples in his head from getting hit with a crowbar.
Alex Montoya will never forget seeing Dustyn walk into his auto shop on S.E. Powell.
It was Montoya who called 911.
"There was like a BB gun little bullets all over his body, and scratches and bruises on the head. They beat him without compassion," Montoya said.
It's a cold indifference Kelli Murrain finds difficult to fathom.
"These kids threw away their lives and they don't even get it," she said. "They don't understand what they did. They're still making excuses. It's like OK ... maybe you'll get it when you're sitting in jail."
More kids are coming forward to talk about the teenagers who are charged.
Curtis Floyd Wilkinson, a sophomore at David Douglas high school, said he was the target of one of the kids accused of assaulting Dustyn Murrain.
Wilkinson said 15-year old Blue Kalmbach was originally his friend but started putting him down and bullying him. He said Kalmbach would do things like kick him in the back of the leg as he walked down the hallway at school.
Wilkinson said Kalmbach was one of the reasons he wound up in a psychiatric ward with severe depression.
"The bullying thing at school can get really really bad and people should probably know about it. This should not go unnoticed and should really be looked at," Wilkinson said.
He and his mom both expressed frustration about the lack of help from school officials about his situation.
Wilkinson also mentioend that Kalmbach often threw around terms like "gay" and "Nazi."
It's Kalmbach who's accused in court documents of carving the swastika into Dustyn Murrain's forehead.
I had no idea this happened to my neighbor's son! I was wondering why this news 2 person was at my door. Now I know. I am so sorry this happened.
Nah, I'm not a bully...but my selfie says "F-YOU!!!'
Real simple folks....raise your own kids. Â Stop sending them to the government to babysit them for you. Â Stop subjecting them to bullies for 7-8 hours 5 days a week 10 months a year. Â Protect your kids. Â Teach your kids morals, ethics, logic, reasoning, manners, and discipline. Â
Then you will stop wondering what the hell happened.
I didn't even read the article yet, just the headline and the photo to go with it answers everything.
I think this article is giving me a HEAD ACHE & A BUTT ACHE!!! On to the next article!
Bullying is a critical problem that is too often minimized based on a standard response. Every kid has a unique threshold and the adults need to respond with serious interventions that speak loud and clear, "this will not be tolerated." I have unfortunately seen parents themselves propagating abusive behaviors by their kids - instilling hate into their minds. Â I also find it quite ironic how parents don't 'pay' attention until their own child becomes a victim; and then neglectful parents like Murrain can have a pity party so she can 'max' out on claims that hold monetary value. I am a firm believer that parents of bullies need to be judicially held accountable - maybe then advocacy work will be sufficient to the victims and aggressors. While I am really sad to see these 4 youth experience criminal activity at such a young age we have to hold them accountable without destroying their futures. We also need to hold the school district and parents accountable that there hasn't been more focus on an obviously long-term problem and neglectful response to intervene.Â
Sometimes the parents need a spanking.
I doubt that there is anyone involved in this that is innocent, the victim looks like a thug and the Kids who took him down do not sound any better but then again this is KAPU and we will never get a real comprehensive and unbiased article. I guess we have to wait for the Courts to find out what really happened.
I think it's possible that in this case, racism simply wasn't a factor. Even if Murrain was attacked for being a Nazi, doesn't make him one. The swastika carving was done to the Nazi's in the film Inglorious Basterds, which implies an "anti-Nazi" motive, as does calling people Nazis as an insult. Then again, these kids may have used terms and symbols without any comprehension of context. Perhaps not, of course. But Kalmbach will be educated one way or the other, soon enough.
Dustyn I am sure is such a good kid, after all he fell for the sex and drug bait right?
Keep the comments alive. I'm still betting there's another story out their that will exceed the comments that "Mistletoe Girl" got. Is this the one????
A picture is worth 1,000 words.Â
On the bright side, that bandana should hide the swastika quite nicely....
You "men" judging his photo sound like my 65 year-old mother. What -- do you want a date with him? Either knock it off or come out of the closet, wow.
Damaged goods...unredeemable...no longer of any value to society....lock them up.
Would JPK and the and the rest of the Devil's Advocates prefer he was in a suit and tie? Honestly, this photo is fine. And when black teens take selfies like this, it's fine, too. Teen dudes do what it takes to get the teen girls, and this just happens to be what many teen dudes (especially those without a lot of money) tend to think works the best, end of story.
This guy is a VICTIM. Please don't try and make out otherwise. He had a swastika carved into his forehead for God's sake.Â
Why would he photo shoot himself as a badazz, If he did not want to get jump! ( into gang activity).
I am so sorry for what happend but i will be praying for him
@عÙÙØ´ Ø²ÙØ¬Ø© عÙÙ Ù ÙØ³Ù You are so wrong and your thinking sooo much a part of the problem that has infected our society. That the problem lies with the parents and that they should be held accountable - yes that is the one thing you are correct on. You are dead wrong when we let children decide what is right or wrong. When we do we have kids that are influenced by what they see on TV and think its ok behavior. We have criminalized some free speech (the n word) with thinking like yours. We dont want to ruin the "kids future" by holding them too accountable. That would injure thier minds. Your "interventions" want to punish normal childhood behavior. Not that it was in this case, but given the chance I am sure your "serious intervention" would somehow in the end entail a social lobotamization of every child and adult. You and your kind are and have been a threat to my freedoms. You are as reprehensable to me as a serial killer as you both are a threat to society. One kills thru a physical act, you kill free speech, thought, and actions. To any real lover of freedom - you are a bigger threat. I have only contempt for you.
and how are 14-year old girls luring males into a backyard shed unnoticed? where is she learning to use herself as an object like that? and if murrain is such an ideal mother - as pathetic as she obviously is, how is she not concerned that her son is lured for sex and drugs? she has accomplished ruining his life and contributing to a sad statistic - teen sex and parenting. these parents don't need spanking, they need a jail cell with their kids. start holding parents accountable and we'll see less youth issues.
@swede760 Well, swede, my dog says if, as longtom says, you have the mind of an animal, there are still a few intelligent people out there! He keeps telling me that if more people thought like dogs we would not be in the dire straits the world is in right now.
@swede760 Â "the victim looks like a thug..." Nice. You have the mind of an animal.
@Jerry Elkins Â
Yup, and if they'd offered tea and crumpets, it would be YOU with a swastika carved into your forehead. Close one, eh?
@Jerry Elkins   Yeppers -- first male in history to fall for that!  Although if you leave the 'drug' part out, I'd guarantee there were millions of red-blooded American men who did something similar on Valentine's Day -- did something they'd later regret in exchange for sex.  Females have a way of suckering men....welcome to earth.
@Sofaking    the glass always half full : )
@brautigan I"AM NOT A MALE, ,NOR DO I WANT TO DATE HIM ! And I'am younger then 65! And I do hide my lovers in the closet (men only) =) Wink!!
@brautigan If I said yes to the date part, I might get labeled as either a pedo or Sam Adams. But he does look 18. That makes it ok, right?
@brautigan No...you're gay, brah.
@brautigan I understand his suffering. but on the other hand ""what lead up to this situation? We do not know. Maybe he was trying to fit into a group? I 'am sorry for his mishap. until we know the whole story!!
@tahoe Personally, I don't think a bandana and a Hard Rock café shirt come off as badazz.
@tahoe  Stupid Teenager Syndrome -- they all have it in one form or another.
@iamtroglodite@yahoo.com @swede760 My Siamese Cat says the same thing, keeps asking me why so many people are so stupid. She does have some very good things to say about the people who invented Gas Heaters though.
@LongTom @swede760 Well gee whiz there Tommy, isn't a picture worth a thousand words? The pic they put up of him makes him look like a wannabe Thug, sorry if the truth hurts. I did not say he is a thug, just said he looks like one. Maybe animals are more observant than you are.
@SunDowner OOOH NOOOO!
@TreeWizard @brautigan That's it, meet me at the shed out back...
@tahoe @brautigan
BTW, take your "other hand" and shove it -- the "other hand' is becoming BEYOND cliche here in these here woods. Seriously.
  It seems like the only time the "other hand" doesn't make an appearance here is when any human under 6 months old dies. Notice I said "human," because if a puppy dies, it's still up for grabs for the "other hand" here at KATU. So, for real, shove your "other hand" up your...
@tahoe @brautiganThe only "whole story" that would make this close to okay is if Dustyn Murrain ever beat any of these guys with a crowbar and carved a swastika in their forehead, and I think you know as well as I do that that never happened, so, puhLEESE.
@TreeWizard @tahoe okay but we all know that bandana's could represents gang's'! in RED or BLUE! Just saying. Please don't be so diffensive!
@TreeWizard @tahoe I don't like the bandana, or more specifically, how low he is wearing it...looks gang-y.
@SunDowner @tahoe No, I was never a stupid teenager. If you don't believe me, just ask me. ;)
@SunDowner @tahoe Yes they do!
@EnoughAlready @TreeWizard@brautigan I'll meet you there because I'm a little bicurious as to what is there.
@EnoughAlready You have to make a promise of sex and drugs first.
@brautigan I agree with you, but on the other hand...
@TreeWizard @tahoe Your the best!! lol!!
@tahoe @TreeWizard lol, I didn't even notice that.
@TreeWizard @tahoe Thank you for the correction ! "diffensive''Â virsus Defensive. My wrong! WINK!!
@tahoe @TreeWizard I agree, I wasn't trying to be defensive. All I mean is, If I saw a kid dressed like that. I'd think "poser" and not "badazz".
@SunDowner @wandering So what do we do about it?
@SunDowner @wandering I only wear them when I go skiing! To be in coginito!! HA -HA =)
@wandering @TreeWizard @tahoe  CWP suggested that he might be trying to cover a zitty forehead. I think she is right.Â
@wandering  It just looks stupid-y to me.  My geek/nerd grandson wears one sometimes -- he's really badazz, his has some kind of "Hobbit" print on it.
@wandering @TreeWizard@tahoe He might just have ears that stick out too far.
@scoreboard @tahoe@SunDowner Got it HOOK LINE & SINKER!! =)
@scoreboard @tahoe@SunDowner A bridge to a life where there is no corruption,.illegals, internal life and lots of happiness?! I'am there!!!!
@tahoe @scoreboard@SunDowner I never did anything stupid when I was a teenager. (Wanna buy a bridge?)
@TreeWizard NO WAY1 WINK=)
@scoreboard @SunDowner@tahoe Okay I'm asking? Don't take it personal =)
@scoreboard @SunDowner@tahoe Me either. I never played "pimp". I was a pimp, when I was, in high school. I had the gold 9mm and so much ice people mistook me for the north pole.
@Somonecaresaboutsomething @tahoe@SunDowner And this is true. They should know better then to mess with their futures. It's a closed door for them! note: gangs represents badana's RED or BLUE!!
@Somonecaresaboutsomething @tahoe@SunDowner RE their future, that is probably why convictions as a minor can generally be "locked away" upon reaching age 18.
@tahoe @SunDowner  It's part of what many do now.  It's dangerous - and could end up detrimental in the future for their careers.  But like most teenagers - they know EVERYTHING!!!