Doesn't matter if AH was the only one to go down this road due to a cathartic event in his youth (which is extremely unlikely). The loss of his father appears to be a factor for the terrible path he chose. That doesn't make his actions ok -- personal responsibility always must be the front line. But identifying why/considering why he ended up where he ended up is a good thing, the smart thing, and the right thing.
Generally speaking the AHs of the world are not born they are made.
I don't remember if this was among the most common or is the most common factor among male inmates: single parent household/no father. If true, since youths have no control over their parental situation, since as a society we want to keep people away from acts that land them in prison, it's counterproductive to believe 'who cares why he got here. Just throw away the key'. No??