Autopsies determine children found in freezer were slain

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By COREY WILLIAMS

DETROIT (AP) — A brother and sister whose bodies were found in a deep freezer in their Detroit home had been beaten to death, autopsies determined Friday, painting a more complete picture of the horrors that unfolded inside the home for years but that apparently went unnoticed by the outside world.

The Wayne County medical examiner's office classified the deaths of Stoni Ann Blair and Stephen Gage Berry as homicides, saying both were killed by multiple blows and that the young boy also had "thermal injuries."

Their older sister, who is 17, told child welfare officials that their mother, Mitchelle Blair, tortured Stephen "for approximately two weeks prior to his death by tying a belt around his neck, throwing hot water on him while in the shower and putting a plastic bag over his head." The girl and Blair's other surviving child, an 8-year-old boy, have been placed in the care of a relative.

Blair, 35, is jailed on first-degree child abuse charges, but prosecutors said Thursday that she could face murder charges depending on what the autopsies found. The prosecutor's office said Friday that there would be no changes in the charges over the weekend.

FULL story at link. Video: http://launch.newsinc.com/share.html?trackingGroup=92351&siteSection=bigstory_hom_non_non_dynamic_wire_ap&videoId=28775127



Mitchelle Blair stands during her video arraignment at the 36th District Court, Thursday, March 26, 2015, in Detroit. The Detroit woman charged with child abuse after the bodies of two of her children were found in her home freezer has been ordered to stay in jail Thursday unless she can post a $1 million bond. (AP Photo/Detroit News, Jose Juarez )

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/537aa92513084e298cc5bef55239bf69/autopsies-scheduled-detroit-children-found-freezer

[shenmue]

1. Mercy

Those poor kids. Unspeakable.

[irisblue]

2. how do you do that?

I cannot imagine....

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

3. I'm not sure how a parent can come to such a devestating end.

How could somebody hurt their children let alone any child?

[FrodosPet]

9. She thought they had sexually assaulted another child

So if you believe your kids did something that terrible, you call the police on them. You don't torture and kill them.

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/03/25/bodies-freezer/70421218/

~ snip ~

Blair admitted to police that she killed her son, then her daughter months later because she believed they had sexually assaulted a child, a person familiar with the investigation said. The source said there is nothing to indicate the child had been sexually assaulted.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, the children who were killed are believed to have been ages 13 and 9 at the time of their deaths. If they were alive, Stoni would be 15 years old today and Stephen would be 11.

The source said there are signs of physical abuse on Blair's son who was killed, including puncture marks.

"The alleged facts in this case present examples of why we must be diligent and involved citizens," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement. "A good way to protect society's children is to be alert and look out [for] your neighborhood youth, refuse to look the other way, and report what you know when necessary. Even though we are issuing these charges today, this tragic case remains under investigation."

~ snip ~

[uppityperson]

4. Those poor children, all 4 of them.

[ileus]

5. was there ever any doubt?

[littlewolf]

6. speechless ... I can not fathom this ... nt

[jimlup]

7. This is a horrific story

It is awful that it is my neighboring city.

[XemaSab]

8. What a monster

This is a case where it's hard to be anti-death penalty.

[Arcadiasix]

14. I'm still anti-death penalty but

In he case if found guilt I would like for her to spend the rest of her life in a place that makes Cold Hand Luke look like down right the model of progressive prison reform.

[Scarsdale]

11. Relative?

Didn't this relative, who now has the two kids, notice anything wrong? The little giy was totrured for two weeks, before she finally killed him. Where was the relative during that time?

[Codeine]

12. I have lots of relatives I don't hang around.

Doesn't mean I wouldn't be able to step in and care for a child.

[Arcadiasix]

13. Reading aboout this has made me hug daughters all the tighter.