GUILTY MI - Charlie Bothuell, 12, Detroit, 16 June 2014

[BetteDavisEyes]

Just because Charlie smiles doesn't mean that the boy hasn't been abused by either or both of his parents.

 

[CarolinaMoon]

After this, there was a follow-up interview at Kid's Talk with FBI. She was there. She was not part of the pre-discussion team.

Smith wants officer to say her "nickname" which is her undercover name. Nerve, he wants her to tell him it secretly! Judge says they'll deal with it at sidebar. Now asks why she told Charlie her nickname. She doesn't want it over the media. She likes to decide to whom she gives the nickname.

 

[CarolinaMoon]

Oh, this is a preliminary hearing. Judge will deal with at sidebar.

Redirect, Goldfarb

What is the cutoff for 911 calls to be retained. She doesn't know how long.

Goldfarb wants to show her the June 24, 2015 Search Warrant. Objection, not mentioned! Overruled

Too confusing!

PS. I'm getting frozen screen, WS wobbles.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

WS was down momentarily. Database error memo.

 

[CarolinaMoon]

Goldfarb has a Search Warrant that caused a big kerfuffle which I missed.

Every question so far has objections.

Basically, is it important to know if there's possibility that the child is in danger (or something like that).

Clothes: She found it interesting that Ms. Dillard said Charlie went upstairs to take a shower and she didn't see him leave the house. How would she know what he was wearing?

Finally, some of the who-dunnit coming in.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Search warrant discussion related to the scope of the original and/or subsequent search warrants for more in depth searches of premises. Not sure exactly what they're getting at. There was evidently more than one search warrant because original SW was limited in scope.

Hearing adjourned until next week.

 

[CarolinaMoon]

I sure hope they don't start with Dillon. We really need to hear from Charlie.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Abuse case of boy in basement continues today

Oralandar Brand-Williams and Karen Bouffard, The Detroit News 10:05 a.m. EDT April 16, 2015

Detroit — Testimony continues Thursday in the torture and child abuse case involving the father and stepmother of 12-year-old Charlie Bothuell V.

The hearing is being held before 36th District Court Judge Shannon Holmes. The boy is expected to testify...

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2015/04/16/bothuell-case/25865271/

 

[heartgoesout]

Thank you again for the updates.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Homeschooling policies to be introduced today

Lawmakers hope new policies will prevent future tragedies

Published On: Apr 17 2015 03:52:57 AM EDT Updated 1 h

DETROIT -
A new bill will be introduced Friday concerning home-schooled students at a news conference.

State Representative Stephanie Chang and Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Sheffield will lead the conference at the “Spirit of Detroit” statue.

This announcement comes just one month after the bodies of two Detroit children were found in an apartment freezer...

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/homeschooling-policies-to-be-introduced-today/32415658

I'm glad to learn about this proposal and hope it becomes law. Monitoring of Detroit children who are home-schooled could prevent tragedies like the two youngsters recently found in their mother's freezer and the abuse and torture of young Charlie Bothuell. :moo:

 

[CarolinaMoon]

As a retired public school teacher, I couldn't agree with you more. There are many parents who do a fantastic job of homeschooling their children. Likewise, there are many who don't. It is really a full-time job. I personally know of parents who would enroll the child in a computer school and sit them in front of a computer all day while they worked. At night, she would go home and correct all the errors, complete assignments the child did not bother with... and send the material to the school to be graded!

Somehow, with Monique burdened with two small children, one with challenges, I don't see her sitting and working with Charlie.

On another topic, I followed the defense's arguments that Charlie did socialize. Did anyone notice that the only times they mentioned were family events? I'm sure they trotted Charlie out from time to time to avoid suspicion. I'm of the opinion that Charlie was too afraid of his father and step-mother and did not mention his abuse to anyone strictly out of fear. Now, of course, he's being called a liar.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Much ado was made during cross-examination of the LE witness, Ms. Dillon. She was asked why cadaver dogs didn't detect Charlie's presence in the basement. Well, for starters, Charlie wasn't dead, and cadaver dogs are only trained to hit on human remains.

Defense also seems to be harping on various search warrants and the scope of said documents. I sense they are trying to get the case thrown out on some type of technicality related to the validity of the SWs and the scope of same. With regard to the basement search, it's my understanding and indicated in photos of the basement area of the condominium, that these areas are shared by residents in the building. Basements seem to be connected by a hallway or tunnel where trash cans are stored, etc. that has access to the outdoors.

Defense is playing word games when they suggest that the entire basement wasn't searched and that every stone was not unturned. Detectives might have thought that some areas of the basement and contents were not the property of the Bothuells and did not search every nook and cranny for fear of exceeding the scope of the search warrant/s: Damned if they did, and damned if they didn't. Like I said, semantics and word games. :moo:

 

[CarolinaMoon]

Does the hearing continue Monday? I'm confused!

According to the article posted earlier:

On Thursday, 36th District Judge Shannon Holmes scheduled more hearings for 9:30 a.m. April 28, May 6 and May 7 for the preliminary examination at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2015/04/16/bothuell-case/25865271/

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

^ I closed the live stream screen at the conclusion of the hearing and didn't hear what the Judge said about the day/date they'd continue. Looks like the case is on hiatus until next week.

 

[CarolinaMoon]

I agree. I listened to the bitter end and still couldn't get it right.

 

[luckyseven]

Boy found in basement after 11-day search could testify
April 28, 2015

snipped

The hearing is scheduled to resume Tuesday to determine if Charlie Bothuell (BAHTH'-yoo-ehl) and Monique Dillard-Bothuell will go to trial. They deny any abuse and say they didn't know the boy, also named Charlie Bothuell, was there.

The boy could testify Tuesday.

Prosecutors say Charlie was struck with a plastic pipe, forced to perform rigorous workouts and given a limited diet. He went missing in June.

Defense attorneys claim the now-13-year-old-boy lied to police and was moving around on his own.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Court is currently on lunch break until 1:30. I was away most of the morning but watched about 15 minutes of the hearing before they went to lunch. Smith is questioning a police officer who was called to search the Bothuell home. Judge seems annoyed with Smith's line of questioning - "it's not relevant". Judge told Smith she hopes he's going to "wrap this up shortly". I'll check the live stream at 1:30 to see if young Charlie will testify sometime today.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Police officer is finished with his testimony. May be setting up for young Charlie to testify. WDIV live stream:

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...ent-after-11day-search-could-testify/32613424

 

[Guinevere]

WATCH LIVE: Charlie Bothuell testifying against father and stepmother in child abuse case

6:27 AM, Apr 28, 2015
7 mins ago


WXYZ) - Charlie Bothuell, 13, is testifying in court against his father and stepmother who are both charged with torture and child abuse.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE

It's a case that's gained national attention.

http://www.wxyz.com/news/charlie-bo...nd-stepmother-in-torture-and-child-abuse-case

LIVE STREAM LINK:

http://www.wxyz.com/live2?_ga=1.133793294.1081470420.1427819260

~

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Boy in basement testifies: 'I tried to commit suicide'

Holly Fournier, The Detroit News 6:24 p.m. EDT April 28, 2015

Detroit — The 13-year-old Detroit boy who was found in the basement of his family's home after an 11-day search testified Tuesday to a lonely life of intense exercise, punishment and an attempted suicide during a hearing for his father and stepmother, who are charged with child abuse and torture.

In harrowing testimony, Charlie Bothuell V said he was beaten with a PVC pipe after briefly running away when he was 11 years old.

Charlie said he wandered the neighborhood nearly three hours until police found him and took him home. After police left, the boy's father told him to lie across the dining room table and hit him with a wooden stick and a PVC pipe, Charlie said.

"After that, any whupping I had was done with the PVC pipe," testified Charlie, who said he doesn't know how many times he was struck with the pipe in the years after he tried to run away in 2012.

He said he was hit all over his body with the pipe.

"My head, my sides, my butt, my feet," he said. The skin on his backside split open from the blows, he said.

"I could feel it and I saw it."

During subsequent punishments, Charlie was told to roll over to expose more parts of his body to be hit, he said.

Charlie said he could not recall if he was clothed during the beatings. It got bad enough that the boy attempted suicide in May 2013 by slashing his wrists, he said...

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...ase-detroit-boy-basement-back-court/26506389/