GUILTY WI - Chad & Melinda Chritton, Joshua Drabek for abuse of 15yo girl, Madison, 2012

[STEADFAST]

Day 3:

In today's testimony, the bio mom claimed that her marriage to an abuser caused her to send the girl to live with her dad and stepmom in Madison and have little contact with her.

A psychologist, Dr. Maureen Rickman, testified that she had advised the dad and stepmom that putting alarms on doors was one method to be aware of where the patient was in the home but hadn't suggested to use alarms as methods of confinement.

An aunt and uncle testified that they were told everything was fine with the girl and were never asked to help out with her.

School staff said that the girl mainly needed only speech therapy.

http://www.wkow.com/story/21424828/2013/02/28/chritton-trial-testimony-turns-to-school-history

 

[STEADFAST]

Day 4:
Friday, Mar 1

Prosecutor begins to show jury the actual disgusting mattress the girl had to sleep on, but the judge stops him as he's unwrapping it in order to spare the jury the awful experience and has him describe it and show pictures instead.

A social worker assigned to the sex-offender stepbrother testified that he had tried to arrange psychological help for the girl, but the parents kept refusing to take any action on her behalf. He never went into the basement.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/lo...cle_b478db76-82d3-11e2-b2a7-0019bb2963f4.html

 

[STEADFAST]

Day 5
Monday, Mar 4

(SLC is the abused girl.)

Social workers testified that Chritton told them SLC was angry and had trouble communicating with the family. Linda Sheehy says she was unable to observe any of those behaviors.
Debie Evans, a social worker with Mendota Mental Health, says the girl did act unusually.
"I recall that she was very quiet, almost timid-like," says Evans. "I remember that it was difficult at times to engage her in activity."
Safe at Home's services ended for the Chrittons when SLC went to live with her grandparents in Minnesota for a short time.

http://www.wxow.com/story/21495831/2013/03/05/second-week-of-chritton-trial-begins-monday

 

[STEADFAST]

Day 6
Tuesday Mar 5

Chad Chritton's father testified against him today, saying that when the girl was sent to live with them (her grandparents) in Minnesota because of her being abused by her stepbrother, she was sweet and nice but didn't know how to do normal kid things like throw a ball or ride a bike. She quickly began to seem to be enjoying her life at her grandparents.
When Chad Chritton brought her back to his home in Madison, his father expressed worries about the intentions of the girl's stepmother, but Chad Chritton would not listen to that.
When her grandfather saw her a couple of years later, she was withdrawn.

http://www.wkow.com/story/21527817/2013/03/05/chrittons-father-testifies-in-child-abuse-trial

 

[STEADFAST]

Day 7
Wed, Mar 6

Neighbors witnessed Chad Chritton abusing the girl. One, who called child services, said:

"She was being yelled at to take, it was like a cement block, from one side of the house to the other," said Marsha Clark, who also saw the girl pushing what she said was a heavy-looking garbage can as her parents yelled for her to hurry from the house."

Another said:

"When we had the blizzard a couple of years ago we helped her shovel, me, my brother and sister, and then we insisted for her to go get some warmer clothes on," said a 16-year-old neighbor. "She was only wearing capris and a long-sleeve shirt instead of snow pants, gloves, hat and jacket."

http://www.nbc15.com/news/headlines...ase_of_Significant_Child_Abuse_139305473.html

 

[STEADFAST]

Day 8
Thu, Mar 7

Prosecutors showed the jury pictures of the stained and moldy bed where the victim slept in the basement. They also showed pictures of the family's living room and pantry.
http://www.channel3000.com/news/Pro...n-home/-/1648/19229028/-/99ipsfz/-/index.html

The foster mother who has taken care of the girl since she was removed from her abusers testified that, when the girl first got to her, she was very short and tiny for her age and afraid and timid about going to school, and "she went through drawers and cupboards at night, eating large amounts of whatever food she came upon, and at one point had collected more than $30 worth of coins that she had found around the house."

But now she "loves school and has taken up flute, swimming and cross-country. She loves to read, and over time has progressed from books for small children to the Hunger Games series."

Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/...789-11e2-8e64-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz2MumbQtcT
​

 

[believe09]

OMG-what a heartbreak. I wouldnt be that jury for anything. How can you stop yourself from leaping from the box and smacking that man?

 

[STEADFAST]

Day 9
Fri, Mar 8

Today, the girl herself bravely took the stand.

She testified that she ended up being put in the basement because of her accusations of sexual abuse at the hands of her stepbrother. She described searching for scraps of food, often climbing out the basement windows in search of nourishment until her father boarded up the basement windows. If she opened the basement door to get to the bathroom or food, an alarm would sound. She slept on a broken bed until the mattress was removed, forcing her to sleep on the floor. Her toilet facilities were gradually removed: portable toilet, to buckets and containers, to nothing at all. Her father informed her that she had been "given" to her stepmother, whose orders she must follow. Her father would beat her, choke her, and throw her against the wall, while calling her names like "Stinky."
She claimed that books and toys showing in crime-scene photos of the basement had been placed there after she ran away.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/lo...cle_4f1b37d4-8822-11e2-b729-001a4bcf887a.html

 

[believe09]

Cant you see there panic when they realized she was gone? But they didnt think to replace the mattress?

I am all in for this child. I dont believe the father or the step-monster. I hope this girl gets a fair shot at life after this nightmare is over and done. There should be huge time involved in this case. She should be allowed to heal the best that she can and mature and become adult without being in fear of them.

 

[tlcya]

that poor brave girl. Having to face daddy dearest while testifying. :burn:

 

[STEADFAST]

You know, child services had been called about this girl more than once -- I wonder if anyone there is being held accountable for not protecting her better.

 

[tlcya]

I doubt it. CPS is very difficult to hold accountable because their files are so well protected. Especially I would imagine in this case because the girl is their ward, placed in their foster system.

There would be no one to insist on them being accountable on the girls behalf because they are the ones who have her in their custody.

 

[STEADFAST]

Day 10
Mon, Mar 11

Pediatrician specializing in child abuse testified today that the girl is way below average in both height and weight, indicating long-term starvation not an eating disorder; the girl is not expected to ever grow any taller as a result. She also diagnosed the girl with " isolation, terrorization, physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and post-traumatic stress disorder."

Chad Chritton's stepmother (the girl's step-grandmother) testified that when the girl came to live at her house for a short time, she was sweet and also unusually tidy, cleaning things extremely thoroughly.

A friend of the girl's stepbrother (Remember? The guy who molested her.) testified that she was at the house once when the girl's stepmother put out a meal but the girl refused to eat it. (I'm so sure!)

http://www.channel3000.com/news/Chr...testify/-/1648/19275692/-/7rfsfj/-/index.html


A video report of today's trial proceedings: http://www.wkow.com/story/21577920/2013/03/11/third-week-of-testimony-in-chritton-trial-gets-heated

 

[STEADFAST]

Day 12
Wed, Mar 13

Chad Chritton informed the judge that he wanted to testify but took it back after speaking to his attorney. He explained that his learning disabilities would hamper his ability to explain and justify his actions.

http://www.channel3000.com/news/Def...n-trial/-/1648/19306266/-/1lo4o4/-/index.html

Closing arguments tomorrow.

 

[STEADFAST]

Closing arguments were made today, and the case has gone to the jury.

In closing arguments, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Moeser painted Chritton as a father who failed to understand his daughter's needs and did nothing to meet them except shut her away from the world and let her starve. . .

To Chritton's lawyer, William Hayes, the case was government intrusion run amok. Police, social workers and doctors took the girl's ever-changing stories, fed by her mental illness, and spun them into abuse charges against Chritton and his wife, Melinda Drabek-Chritton.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/...cfc-11e2-9161-001a4bcf887a.html#ixzz2NZsG3a1l
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[tlcya]

I so want justice for this girl. Come on jury, don't let this young lady down.

 

[STEADFAST]

They're in their second day of deliberation. :banghead::jail::jail::jail::jail:

urors began deliberations in the man's three-week trial Thursday afternoon. They worked for nearly nine-and-a-half hours before sending Genovese a note saying they couldn't agree on a verdict and asking if they could go home. The judge dismissed them for the night but told them to return Friday morning and continue their discussions.

http://www.channel3000.com/news/chr...9284/-/format/rsss_2.0/-/12edjs9/-/index.html

If they don't come back with a guilty verdict, it means they agreed with the defense attorney who said, ""It's her mental illness, her mental problems, and that's why she's doing what she's doing." I will be completely disgusted if this jury lets that child down.

 

[jojowood]

http://chadandmelindachrittonlegalfund.com/index_files/indexwhoarethechrittons.htm

I dont know if this has been posted or if im even aloud to be posting this but has anyone seen this?

 

[Hopeful One]

Nothing yet? Why is it taking so long?? Seems pretty open and shut to me.

 

[3kgirlsmommy]

Child abuse trial jury deadlocked on at least one charge


Sounds like maybe they're getting closer. My fingers are really crossed for justice for this poor girl!