My guess is this kid wasn't too well wrapped to begin with.
I see on TV and paper (and internet) news on lots of murders. I always would like to know about neighbors, aquaintances, school, etc. take on the individual.
Many times, I think, you will find appraisals that do not find their way into print. If you could get honest opinions, (or any opinions at all), one would probably find that the kid was trouble from day 1, was always odd, etc. etc.
Here on the Island, some time back, (unrelated but thought it interesting) some kid around 17 years old was found murdered and whoever had done it had spiked this kid on an iron railing fence. He was a known trouble maker and the cops really did not spend a very hard time looking for the perp.