'Manhunt' computer game is blamed for brutal killing (thanks TotalVideoGames) reports on a killing that some are trying to connect with Manhunt, the violent PS2 game: "His killer, Warren LeBlanc, 17, pleaded guilty to murder and was remanded in custody, pending reports. After the hearing, Stefan's father, Patrick, said the boys used to play 'Manhunt', a game on PlayStation 2, in which players earned points for killing people." Meanwhile, Retailer Pulls Video Game After Teen Murder has some follow-up: "Britain's biggest electronics chain, Dixons, pulled the graphically violent video game 'Manhunt' from its shops on Thursday after parents of a teenage murder victim blamed the game for the killing of their son." Meanwhile, ELSPA (The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) has issued a press release with a statement on all this:

We sympathise enormously with the family and parents of Stefan Pakeerah.

However, we reject any suggestion or association between the tragic events in the Midlands and the sale of the video game Manhunt.

The game in question is classified 18 by the British Board of Film Classification and therefore should not be in the possession of a juvenile. We would also add that simply being in someone’s possession does not and should not lead to the conclusion that a game is responsible for these tragic events.