GUILTY SC - James & Cheri Crawford for torturing 3 grandsons, Hartsville, 2009

[Lovejac]

http://www2.scnow.com/news/2010/jul/26/hartsville-couple-admit-torturing-their-three-gran-ar-626363/

The oldest boy was found locked in an abandoned trailer in Hartsville with out any electricity, food or running water. There was no sewer service in the trailer, and the 12-year-old had only a bucket to use as toilet.

Cheri Crawford forced the boy’s younger brothers to empty the raw waste from the bucket every few days, Burch said.

“When they found them, that bucket was full,” she said.

The 12-year-old had been locked in the trailer for more than a year and six months. The door was locked from the outside and could only be opened by his stepgrandmother.

snipped

The 11-year-old boy was forced to electrocute his older brother using the shock collars their grandparents forced him to wear around his neck.

All the boys were fed sour milk and spoiled food and were forced to dig holes and hold heavy objects for hours at a time. When they weren’t busy, their grandparents made them stand at attention outside, Burch said.

 

[Jaxson]

I can't comprehend this. Why would those people ever be allowed outside a prisons wall again. I want to vomit. I say an eye for an eye. Put those grandparents in that trailer and lock 'em in!

 

[Linda7NJ]

Groan, why oh why do I keep opening these threads!


Personally I am getting sick to death of children dying and being abused by the very people that are supposed to love and protect them. Bullets would be too good for these people!

 

[Missizzy]

This is almost identical to the Andrea and Scott Bass case out of Arizona. Remember they were the couple who locked their teenaged daughter in a dirty bathroom with nothing but a bucket. She climbed through the window and rode her bike for miles to seek help.

The Bass couple were reportedly at church when their child escaped. The sheriff described the parents as zealots. I believe their daughter was also forced to stand in certain ways and hold heavy things. A common mode of abuse. I wonder if the zealot label would fit here?

If you look at the elements and at the description of ritual abuse, this fits.

And Linda, you know exactly why you keep opening these threads. Same reason I do. We care and we choose to bear witness for the victims. None of us can turn away.

 

[nosysw]

This is almost identical to the Andrea and Scott Bass case out of Arizona. Remember they were the couple who locked their teenaged daughter in a dirty bathroom with nothing but a bucket. She climbed through the window and rode her bike for miles to seek help.

The Bass couple were reportedly at church when their child escaped. The sheriff described the parents as zealots. I believe their daughter was also forced to stand in certain ways and hold heavy things. A common mode of abuse. I wonder if the zealot label would fit here?

If you look at the elements and at the description of ritual abuse, this fits.

And Linda, you know exactly why you keep opening these threads. Same reason I do. We care and we choose to bear witness for the victims. None of us can turn away.

these people must be insane...they should be locked up for whatever is left of their miserable lives...

 

[Missizzy]

This needs to be celebrated IMO.

From the link above:

"....all the boys are now in loving foster homes with families who genuinely care about them. She said the victims have all undergone amazing changes over the past year and are doing well.

Though their grandparents didn’t allow them to attend school, all three boys are now caught up in their studies, thanks to a year of tutoring and counseling, and are at their proper grade levels, [Prosecutor] Burch said."


I'd like to take a moment and personally thank each foster parent for the hard work they've put into each of these little guys. I'm an adoptive/foster parent and NOTHING in the world feels like success like this. Nothing.

 

[Filly]

I believe their daughter was also forced to stand in certain ways and hold heavy things. A common mode of abuse.

What is up with that? The standing at attention and holding heavy things? I know several people that had to do that as kids. Usually the extension cord whoopin happened to the same people. That and kneeling on uncooked rice or grits or something.

Man, I feel Blessed we just got a shoe chucked at us when my mom had a bad day.

Glad to hear these boys are doing well with the fine foster parents they have.

 

[Rindicella]

Ya know, on a personal note, I have Complex PTSD, chronic depression and a host of other "issues". On my worst day, the worst I have ever done is yell at my kid for not cleaning her room and for insisting she never lie to me.

I do not understand these people. I do not understand the evil inside them. I will never understand it and if I ever do, I will check myself into the nearest mental health hospital, never to come out!

I think I am going to be sick over this story.

 

[Cubby]

Ya know, on a personal note, I have Complex PTSD, chronic depression and a host of other "issues". On my worst day, the worst I have ever done is yell at my kid for not cleaning her room and for insisting she never lie to me.

I do not understand these people. I do not understand the evil inside them. I will never understand it and if I ever do, I will check myself into the nearest mental health hospital, never to come out!

I think I am going to be sick over this story.

TY for sharing this. You know, I always said if I ever thought about doing what these grandparents did to these kids I'd check myself into a hospital.

I hope the prison inmates catch wind of what these two did to those poor kids and decide GP justice would be an eye for an eye and force the same treatment upon these two.

I couldn't open the story link..... I just couldn't.
I am grateful they are doing well now with family who loves them.....

 

[nurselady]

There are some sick people out there.

 

[Melanie]

So they go to church and praise the lord, while also torturing their grandchildren. How does one do that? A church should be an uplifting experience about love and light -- not encouragement to abuse your grandchildren.

Religious fanatics??

Guess that's why I respectfully do not agree with organized religion of any kind. My religion is my bible and my heart, and my personal relationship with my god. He would never allow me to do such a thing.

Mind you - I realize that organized religion isn't always a bad thing, but there are too many cases to make me comfortable setting foot in any church these days.

MOO

Mel

 

[Belinda]

7 & 8 years are completely unacceptable for the level of torture these kids were put through. When are the courts going to wake up and start sentencing these abusers to serious time for serious crimes? I am disgusted once again.

 

[Vegas Bride]

How does a person even think up the things these monsters did? Blindfolding the boy when he ate because of all the bugs in the food?

I do not think they were given a fair sentence, it should have been life!
Since their father was dead, I'm betting these so called grandparents were getting social security checks on all 3 children. Since the money obviously was not being used to feed, shelter and clothe them, then they should also be charged with theft of federal funds.

VB

 

[nosysw]

How does a person even think up the things these monsters did? Blindfolding the boy when he ate because of all the bugs in the food?

I do not think they were given a fair sentence, it should have been life!
Since their father was dead, I'm betting these so called grandparents were getting social security checks on all 3 children. Since the money obviously was not being used to feed, shelter and clothe them, then they should also be charged with theft of federal funds.

VB

ITA!!! They would have let this go on for those children's lives, they should be punished for the rest of theirs...10 years (and how many will they really serve)? Not a deterrent IMO...How do kids fall off the radar like this- I'll never understand how this can happen, and continue to keep happening...

 

[Missizzy]

Mgardner--Did I miss something? I mentioned that this case sounded a whole lot like the Bass case out of Arizona, where religion definitely played a part. I just checked this article again and I don't see mention of church at all, unless I missed it.

I don't want to imply, at all, that these monsters went to church. I have no idea. The Bass family did though and practiced discipline a la Michael Pearl (of the whip 'em with plumbing line variety--Lord help me). I think these FORMER grandparents are off their rocker on their own. I'm getting the sense they thought up all this abuse all by themselves. Some of it sounds like historical accounts of severe abuse from over 100 years ago. But abuse never really changes.

And Filly, it's really odd but you'd be surprised at how many times I've read in children's case files stories about holding heavy items for long times. It's all about control. Think of the tactics used in prison torture. Cold water, fear, bugs, darkness, lack of sanitary measures, close quarters, humiliation, drills. It's all there. Torture is torture.

I'd also like to mention that these foster parents have a long road ahead of them. You notice that word is plural. Some might wonder why as keeping siblings together is almost always best practice and is even part of the federal mandate. However, sometimes children are deemed far better served by being split up. IMO, this is one of those cases as one child was forced to abuse another.

Children who have endured this level of torture, just like the little ones saved from the hotel bathroom, have lifelong issues. Love, good food, and consistency go a long way towards healing but most adults would cave in two days with children with trauma like this. They do outrageous things that they really can't help. Bless their hearts. Trust me, parenting children like this is not for the faint of heart.

My prayers go out to those families. I am so hopeful for a wonderful outcome for these boys.