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Boy, 5, recalls details of brother's death

By Sue Lindsay, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 20, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.

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Chandler Grafner, 7, died May 8 of starvation.

Chandler Grafner, 7, died May 8 of starvation.

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Chandler Grafner's 5-year-old brother told a therapist that Chandler had to stay in a closet where he had to "pee and poop" and that he wondered if his brother died because he was hungry.

Therapist Tammie Ellis testified in a motions hearing Tuesday afternoon in the case against Jon Phillips, 26, and Sarah Berry, 21, who are charged with first-degree murder in 7- year-old Chandler's death. Chandler died May 8 of starvation, about two months after being removed from school and allegedly kept in a closet for punishment.

Chandler's brother told Ellis that Phillips and Berry put Chandler in the closet because he was "bad," Ellis said.

He told Ellis that his brother drank bleach water in the closet once when Berry refused to give him anything to drink.

Chandler's brother said Chandler was sick and had thrown up the day he died.

"He said his brother's eyes were open and looking at him, but he couldn't talk to him because his throat hurt," Ellis said. The boy told Ellis he saw Phillips and Berry take a box and blanket out of the closet after Chandler died and put them in a dumpster. Then, he said, they called 911 and sat on the couch watching TV until paramedics arrived. The boy said his father didn't "blow into Chandler's mouth" but the "ambulance people did."

"He said he wondered why his big brother had died. He wondered if his dad didn't give him enough food," Ellis said.

He told Ellis that Chandler got in trouble for "stealing" pizza from the kitchen.

During one session the boy said he missed his parents but knew why they were away.

"My Mommy and Daddy did bad things," he told Ellis. They made me take (cold) showers. They didn't take care of me, and they made me eat fish."

Ellis said the boy explained that he and Chandler would vomit when forced to eat fish and that Phillips and Berry would mix up the vomit with the fish and force them to eat that.

lindsays@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5181

Comments

  • February 20, 2008

    9:44 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    rickg19611 writes:

    Phillips and Berry deserve the same punishment. Shame on the public for not being concerned about this kind of inhumanity in their own midst. The lack of concern by people is a contributing factor to this kind of inhumanity.

  • February 20, 2008

    12:50 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Victoria writes:

    Absolutely disgusting!!!! Those pigs deserve to have their eyes gauged out!!!! I pray that sweet little Chandler found peace in Heaven.

  • February 20, 2008

    9:59 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    rurude writes:

    Of course they did this to their child - they are white. They should blame it on rap music.

  • February 20, 2008

    11:50 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    iggypuppet writes:

    I'm not a huge fan of the death penalty, but in this case I would push the button or fire the shots. What they did to those poor children is one of the most disgusting things I have ever heard. How in the world can this sin be forgiven?

  • February 22, 2008

    4:03 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    annie143 writes:

    My heart goes out to this poor child, the scars he will carry his whole life because of this. I pray, and I mean that literally, that this boy is with a good loving family. He deserves love and care.

    Poor Chandler, he never had a chance.