Student fatally stabbed at high school outside Boston; classmate charged

Friday, January 19th 2007, 3:11 pm

By: News On 6

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (AP) _ A 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death Friday in a hallway at his high school in this affluent Boston suburb, and a classmate was charged with murder after blurting out, ``I did it, I did it,'' authorities said.

Investigators would not comment on a motive for the attack.

John Odgren, 16, pleaded not guilty in the killing of 15-year-old James Alenson and was jailed without bail.

Odgren's attorney, Jonathan Shapiro, said Odgren has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, and has been taking medications for many years.

``The defendant has a history of fairly serious psychological diagnoses and has also suffered from hyperactivity dysfunction for many years,'' Shapiro said. ``What is clear is John has a serious disability.''

The two boys got into a fight in a bathroom, and it spilled out into a hallway at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High, authorities said. Odgren stabbed Alenson twice with a long knife _ once in the abdomen and once in the heart, prosecutor Daniel Bennett said.

``The timing of the stabbing strongly suggests that Mr. Odgren planned this premeditated murder,'' Bennett said.

Odgren blurted, ``I did it'' to police moments after the stabbing, and also said: ``Is he OK? I don't want him to die,'' according to authorities.

All 1,600 students at the school about 17 miles west of Boston were sent home.