GUILTY IN - Christian Choate, 13, starved, beaten to death, Gary, April 2009

[KindraLore]

This is very interesting:

Meanwhile, Boswell hasn’t ruled on a request by prosecutors to order Choate and Kubina to provide handwriting samples. Deputy prosecutor Michael Woods, who is handling the case with trial supervisor Angela Brown and deputy prosecutor Michael Toth, told the judge they have more than 100 pages of handwritten material obtained through a search warrant. Most of the writing can be attributed to the victim, Woods said. There is other unidentified writing, “essentially questions he responded to and written in the same tone as one in a position of parental authority,” Woods said

Anyone have thoughts on this?

The article also states:

In a related matter, Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura of the Lake Superior Court-Juvenile Division granted a request today to turn over statements to police by CC, the victim’s 17-year-old sister. Attorney Scott King is handling a petition on behalf of Estrada for custody of CC, filed about one week ago.
Riley Choate had custody of Cn and Ca. He and Kubina are being held without bail.
“She’s safe, sound and doing well,” King said of Ca.
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said others could be charged in the case.
King said he’s protecting Ca’s interests in the investigation regarding her brother’s death. If Ca is charged, “it would be a great injustice,” King said. “She certainly was in danger for a good part of her life.”

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/l...ody-records-sought-in-choate-murder-case.html

 

[KindraLore]

This article states:

In a related matter, Lake Juvenile Court Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura confirmed reports that a hearing regarding CC, now 17, was to be held Tuesday afternoon. Attorney Scott King said he has been appointed by the Juvenile Court to represent the girl.
"I've been retained to represent her regarding the ongoing criminal investigation," King said.

As a side note, doesnt this make you just want to barf?

Named in the documents presented to the court Tuesday regarding Godshalk's request for custody records, Crown Point attorney George Galanos confirmed he represented the interests of RC in the case.
"I represented RC to gain custody from the mother, who was alleged to have abandoned the children to an ex-boyfriend, to reside with a new boyfriend," Galanos said Tuesday.
"We requested the assistance of a guardian ad litem," he said. "It was the determination of the guardian ad litem that it was in the children's best interest to be placed with the father."
Galanos declined to provide specifics on the case.
"All I can say is that the day Riley was finally able to see his children was the happiest day of his life," Galanos said.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/gary/article_64a25a0c-c3e3-5813-9a41-324c7865f3fc.html

 

[tlcya]

As no charges have so far been filed against Christian's sister, I am not sure it is within TOS to have her name listed here. Might want to check with a mod and edit the name down to initials if needed.

 

[Salem]

Hi Guys - What an awful case.

Please REMEMBER - we do not post names of minors unless they are the VICTIM or a PERP - we do not name minor witnesses, minor suspects/POI until they have been charged.

Even when a minor is mentioned in MSM - here at WS, we change their name to initials. This is important. We are all about helping, saving, finding children. We do everything we can to protect them.

I understand we have minors in this case that are witnesses and possible perps. They can not be named here - not even if they are mentioned in LE docs or MSM. You may use their initials.

When the minor that may be a perp is charged and the name is printed either in charging docs or MSM, then the name can be used here, but not until then.

Please let me know if you have any questions,

Salem

 

[KindraLore]

Hi Guys - What an awful case.

Please REMEMBER - we do not post names of minors unless they are the VICTIM or a PERP - we do not name minor witnesses, minor suspects/POI until they have been charged.

Even when a minor is mentioned in MSM - here at WS, we change their name to initials. This is important. We are all about helping, saving, finding children. We do everything we can to protect them.

I understand we have minors in this case that are witnesses and possible perps. They can not be named here - not even if they are mentioned in LE docs or MSM. You may use their initials.

When the minor that may be a perp is charged and the name is printed either in charging docs or MSM, then the name can be used here, but not until then.

Please let me know if you have any questions,

Salem

Thank you Salem. I just cut and pasted the article itself and I was also not sure if 17 is still considered a minor. I know Bessie told me this before but I did actually mention the name when the article didnt so I understood when she said that was a no no. I thought since the name was actually in the news article it was ok though since its public news. I will keep that in mind for the future and use initials. Sorry to cause issues.

 

[tlcya]

no harm no foul Kindra, this case really seems to have caught your heart. I see you are a longtime member but not a frequent poster. Glad to see you come out of lurkdom and join the conversation

 

[KindraLore]

no harm no foul Kindra, this case really seems to have caught your heart. I see you are a longtime member but not a frequent poster. Glad to see you come out of lurkdom and join the conversation

Thank you tlcox!

Yes, mostly a lurker. This case has caught my heart though. In a small way it reminds me a bit of the Ricky Holland case in that the abuse was so cruel and his "parents" had also "homeschooled" him to hide the abuse... sometimes one of these cases just really get to you.

This one did especially because so many people were aware of the abuse and he was failed by so many. It really breaks my heart.

 

[tlcya]

I understand. I too am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that so many were aware of this heinous abuse and gave affidavits to that affect. :shakehead:

Poor child. Vilified over some alleged molestation attempt on another child and then forever after scapegoated by everyone. It just makes me so angry that these kinds of cases continue to come to light.

 

[bessie]

Kindra, I agree with tlcox. I'm really glad you started posting for Christian.

Thank you for the latest news updates. I'm still getting caught up reading them. The 100 handwritten pages is interesting. Questions written by an adult that Christian had to answer??? Seems bizarre. I have to finish reading, but at least now we have an idea why the prosecutor requested the handwriting analysis.

 

[bessie]

A good article posted last night by the Chicago Tribune:

Despite warnings, authorities didn't prevent caged boy's death
By Andy Grimm, Tribune Reporter 10:57 p.m. CDT, May 25, 2011

Lori Wingard had a bad feeling about what was going on in the mobile home across the street, bad enough that she said she called authorities not once, but twice...


And there was one boy Wingard never saw: Christian Choate, a 12-year-old the Choates said needed to be "guarded" 24 hours a day. Wingard's husband went inside once in the summer of 2008 to fix a fuse box, and saw the scrawny child cower as Riley Choate bellowed threats at him.

"(Christian) was just terrified. He hid in a corner like they had him tied there," she recalled.

Wingard said she called the Indiana Department of Child Services that day, and again a few weeks later. After both calls, she saw someone, she assumes a caseworker for the state, visit the Choates' trailer and talk to Kubina on the front porch.

Child welfare authorities were very familiar with the Choate/Kubina children. At least several of the ten children who lived in the home were at one time or another placed in temporary foster care. Yet, Christian's abuse went undetected. A retired Lake County, Indiana DCS official admits the system failed Christian.

"We failed. We failed him," said Lavetta Sparks-Wade, who was head of the Lake County's Child Protective Services investigators until she retired in 2009.

There's much more at the link, including a statement that Indiana school officials do not monitor or regulate home schooling, and home schooled children are not required to take standardized tests.


Also, more background on the family.


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-caged-boy-20110525,0,5105969.story?page=1

 

[bessie]

Reporter Andy Grimm describes the Chicago Tribune's investigation of the case after the discovery of Christian's remains:

Finding out how this boy died and was buried in this shed

By Andy Grimm 9:54 a.m. CDT, May 26, 2011

The abuse was shockingly brutal, but beyond it was the question: How could this go on for years and no one know anything about it?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...-of-christian-choate-20110526,0,6976191.story


Graphic Timeline

 

[tlcya]

thank you Bessie, for that link. very good article. I am glad the retired welfare official said what she did. She is right and I can tell by her comments this one will haunt her til the end of her days.

I still cannot visit this thread without crying. What Christian endured. For so long. It is sickening, heartbreaking.

 

[bessie]

I hear ya, tl. Christian's story is painful. What makes it even sadder is that we know almost nothing about him other than the awful tale of torture and murder. We've heard very little from relatives. A couple of vigils were organized by strangers, which was a wonderful gesture on their part. I read the mother attended one. Then last weekend, the family held a memorial. The news articles I've seen said only that the family gathered to pay respects. That's it. No celebration of his life, and no one stepping up to talk about Christian, the boy. What was his favorite color? His favorite meal? Did he like sports? What did he want to be when he grew up? But I don't think anyone can answer those questions because nobody cared enough to know. That is so wrong.

An article just posted tonight says Christian's mother, Aimee Estrada, filed an emergency motion seeking custody of his sister on May 14th. She's been living with Kimberly Kubina-Choate's brother. He claims Kentucky granted him temporary custody after KKC abandoned the girl four weeks before she revealed Christian's murder.

Mother seeks custody of CC
By Susan Brown Posted: Thursday, May 26, 2011 10:00.

Heidel [Estrada's attorney] argues it's not in Christina's best interest to be in the custody of a family member of her brother's accused killer.

According to the documents, Christina contends her stepmother's family in Kentucky has "put a price on her head." She also wants a maternal aunt to call the police if anything happens to her.

However, Hamby contends Christina was safe while living with him, and he was actually the target of threats, not Christina.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/gary/article_577e55a7-9939-543c-8f05-c0a2a7f60116.html

 

[burbqueen]

put a price on her head? ok what did I just read? You've got to be kidding me. The mother is living with Kimberly Choate's brother? What in the world is up with this family!

 

[bessie]

Sorry if I wasn't clear, BQ. Christian's 17 year-old sister, CC, has been living with KKC's brother in Kentucky. Christian's mother now wants custody of the sister.

Here's a new article with video. The girl in the video is Christian and CC's older stepsister. Aimee Estrada is her mother, but Riley Choate is not her father. She tells the story of Christian's murder as related to her by CC. An interesting take with a new twist.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Mother-Seeks-Custody-of-Murdered-Sons-Sister--122715054.html

 

[tlcya]

"dad probably just knocked him out again"

allegedly said by Riley's daughter RC to Christian's sister C when she was informed that Christian was unresponsive and not breathing.

*shudder* This whole air of normalcy from all these people, albeit many of the minors, who all knew this was a regular thing. Makes you wonder what sorts of hell all those minors may have been threatened with or subjected to if they didn't toe the line doesn't it?

 

[bessie]

Too late for Christian, but might save other children in the future.

Agency response probed in caged boy's death

By Andy Grimm Tribune reporter 4:55 p.m. CDT, June 1, 2011

“As a result of the tragic death of Christian Choate, the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) has initiated an expedited examination of this case,” said the DCS release issued this afternoon.

http://www.wgnradio.com/news/local/...boys-death-20110601,0,5867352.story?track=rss

 

[bessie]

Christian's older sister is now in the temporary custody of her mother in Indiana. Seems she was content to stay in Kentucky, but her attorney advised her to return to Indiana to avoid facing murder charges. He is seeking immunity for her in exchange for her testimony against her father and stepmother.

CC told officials in Kentucky she was happy and felt safe with her temporary guardian there, according to court documents from a May 19 hearing in Lake County. However, Christina's attorney Scott King said it was in her best interest to come back to Indiana to avoid facing possible charges in connection with her brother's murder.

During the Children In Need of Services hearing, King said he was trying to work out an agreement with the Lake County prosecutor's office to have Christina return to Indiana in exchange for immunity and testify as a witness in her father's pending case.

King said if she did not return to Indiana, there was a possibility she would be charged in connection with her brother's murder and be extradited to Indiana, according to the documents.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/gary/92a2ae4b-2528-5c77-9cd6-e74b82b5a277.html

If only someone had looked out for Christian's "best interest".

 

[bessie]

Prosecutors have amended the charges against RC and KK to reflect a narrowed timeline in Christian's murder.

The new charges indicate the battery that resulted in his death occurred between March 31, 2009, and April 8, 2009. The neglect charges that allege Choate and Kubina put Christian in a situation that endangered his life and resulted in his death occurred between Jan. 1, 2007, and April 8, 2009.

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/5...which-christian-choate-was-likely-killed.html

 

[Kat]

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/6018696-537/cold-case-detectives-recall-finding-boys-body.html

By Jerry Davich June 18, 2011 11:08PM

Cold-case detectives recall finding boy’s body

This is a really interesting article about the detectives that found Christian and the case itself for those unfamiliar with it.