Confused

I'm having one of those moments when things keep on going round and round in your head. Two recent news stories have left me feeling quite numb.
The first story concerns a young man with Aspergers. He was sitting on the beach when he was attacked and tortured by a group of youths. Then they slashed his face.
The second story concerns three Israeli schoolboys who were kidnapped by muslim fanatics and then shot dead.
What the fuck is going on. What is the matter with people? I believe that it is wrong to kill another person. Nothing can alter my belief that the death penalty is just legalised murder. But stories like the ones I've told you about fill me with revulsion, and I can understand why some people believe in capital punishment.