US President Barack Obama should speak publicly about the cold-blooded murder of Australian Chris Lane, Governor of Oklahoma Mary Fallin has told a US TV talkshow.
The president is under pressure from right wing media commentators in the US to acknowledge last week's Oklahoma drive-by shooting of Mr Lane, just as he injected himself into the racially-sensitive shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida.
One of America's top radio hosts, Rush Limbaugh, has described Mr Lane's murder as "Trayvon Martin in reverse".
"I think it would be a nice gesture for him to do that, and especially since the country of Australia has expressed their sentiments as to the murder itself," Governor Fallin, interviewed on the nationally-televised Fox News Sunday, said.
The governor and the district attorney, Jason Hicks, who is prosecuting the three boys charged with the murder of Mr Lane have pointed to the lack of parental supervision as a factor in the case.
"Well I don't think this issue is about gun control," Governor Fallin said.
Mr Hicks told the talkshow the boys "ran loose" leading up to the August 16 shooting of 22-year-old Mr Lane in Duncan, Oklahoma.
"Some of the information that we have indicates that they ran loose at an apartment complex here in Duncan, and really had no parental supervision, and spent a lot of time playing video games and whatnot, while they were inside their homes," Mr Hicks said.
Chancey Luna, 16, the alleged shooter, and James Edwards, 15, accused of being a passenger in the car have been charged with first-degree murder and if convicted could be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Michael Jones, 17, the alleged driver of the car, has been charged with being an accessory to murder and faces up to 45 years' jail.
An online memorial fund (www.gofundme.com/3zktjc ) set up to pay for Mr Lane's funeral expenses and a foundation to help organisations he was passionate about has raised $US168,000 ($A186,957) from donors around the world. The original goal was to raise just $US15,000.
