Teen gets second chance after threat
A former Fenton High School student accused of plotting a Columbine-like massacre was freed from jail Thursday in a plea deal that gives him a second chance.
Matthew Balman, 17, faced decades in prison if prosecutors persisted with solicitation to commit murder and intimidation allegations.
Instead, the teen walked out of jail with a long list of goals he must achieve in order to remain free.
Balman must continue with mental-health treatment, obtain his GED, attend college or hold down a full-time job. He will be kept under close watch for 30 months while on probation and cannot go within 1,000 feet of his former high school.
Balman also was ordered to serve 180 days in jail, which, with credit for time served, allowed for his release Thursday after his guilty plea to felony intimidation. Prosecutors dropped the more serious solicitation charge.
DuPage Circuit Judge George Bakalis agreed to the plea deal after citing an evaluation in which a mental-health expert found Balman posed a low risk for violence. His attorney described Balman as a mixed-up teen who never intended harm.
"He was an emotional teenager under a lot of stress who ended up scaring a lot of people but never would have harmed anyone," said Jeff York, a senior assistant public defender.
Prosecutor Tom O'Connor said the allegations came to light May 8 when some Fenton students told school officials they overheard Balman warning his friends not to come to class the next morning.
At least one of the friends whom Balman sought out for help also came forward. Police found a letter in his notebook referencing shootings at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech and an Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania.
"By the time you have read this, blood will be shed, tears will have fallen, people will scream and lives will end," said O'Connor, quoting the letter, which ended: "I will recruit and have a crew. Today's suicide is tomorrow's tears."
The teen's MySpace page contained references to "shooting people," the prosecutor said. Police said a search of Balman's home showed he had access to several pistols and rifles, which his grandfather owned.
The same day of Balman's arrest, his mother was charged with possession of a controlled substance after police said they found drugs inside the home. She is on probation.
His father is in prison. The teen was working full time to support his family, while also going to school. His girlfriend ended their romance one day earlier.
After his arrest, Balman was admitted to a hospital for psychological services for one week. He then was held in jail on a $1 million bond until Thursday.
York said Balman has a plan for his future. A former boss also agreed to give him a job, the attorney said.
"He's a good kid who is very sorry," York said. "It was really just a cry for help."