Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Ethan's Obituary
ETHAN JONATHAN DAVID STACY, 4 years old of Richlands, Virginia, passed away Tuesday, May 11, 2010 in Layton, Utah. Born at Fort Stewart Army Base in Savannah, Georgia on September 22, 2005, he was the son of Joe Gary Stacy of Richlands, Virginia. Ethan was a fun loving boy who enjoyed life and loved playing with his Transformers.
Ethan is survived by his loving father – Joe Gary Stacy and his fiancé Becky Leigh Elswick of Richlands, Virginia, One sister – Alisa Destiny Stacy, Mt. Carmel, IL, One Brother – Destrian Jonathan David Stacy, Mt. Carmel, IL, Paternal Grandmother – Peggy Jo and her husband David Akers, Grundy, VA, Paternal Grandfather – Gary Steven and his wife Freda Stacy, Hurley, VA, Maternal grandparents – John and Katrina Busby, Apopka, FL
He is also survived by several Aunts, Uncles and Cousins.
Funeral services for ETHAN JONATHAN DAVID STACY will be conducted Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 1:00 P.M. at the Grundy Funeral Home Chapel with Evangelist Mike Rife officiating with burial to follow in the Clinch Valley Memorial Cemetery, Richlands, Virginia.
Friends may call at the Grundy Funeral Home chapel after 5:00 P.M. Tuesday with evening services at 7:00 P.M.
Active Pallbearers will be Marshall Osborne, Brett Sword, Aaron Keene and Jacob Keene.
A memorial fund has been set up for Ethan Stacy at Tru Point Bank – P. O. Box 1010 – Grundy, Virginia 24614 – Ethan Stacy Memorial Fund.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.grundyfuneralhome.com
Grundy Funeral Home of Grundy, Virginia is in charge of all arrangements.
Ethan's Law
Please visit and click the link below to sign the petition for Ethan.
Ethan's Law
Please sign!!! Donations are optional and not required.
Ethan's Law
Please sign!!! Donations are optional and not required.
Photo of Ethan Stacy part of investigation, police say
SALT LAKE CITY — The FBI has now entered the investigation into the death of Ethan Stacy, partly because of its expertise in examining electronic evidence, which could provide valuable clues in the timeline of violence that led to the boy's death.
One of the photos the FBI is investigating is one that was posted on Stephanie Sloop's Facebook page.
The Layton Police Department says it is aware of a Facebook photo that has created a lot of buzz in the case. The lieutenant who KSL News spoke to would not go into details, but he said it's definitely part of the investigation.
The photo is a picture of 4-year-old Ethan playing video games like any other child. However, in this photo, his face is swollen and bruised, and he's sitting with the man accused of killing him: his stepfather, Nathan Sloop.
"A picture says a thousand words. And if we can have a picture of something that someone did, a crime that someone committed, then it becomes a lot easier for us to understand the elements of that crime," says Dr. Brent Horn, assistant professor of criminal justice at Weber State University.
Horn says electronic data, like that picture, can be important in any case, especially when trying to figure out a timeline. But he says detectives and prosecutors must be careful how much weight they give the photo.
"To have just one very specific piece of evidence that you're relying your whole case on is kind of very dangerous ground to be on," Horn says.
To be fair, prosecutors are looking at the bigger picture by processing physical data from the burial site at Powder Mountain and forensic evidence at the Sloops' apartment in Layton. But since there is so much electronic data in this case, the FBI was called in because of its specialized laboratory.
The agency only has 16 of these labs across the country, and one happens to be in Salt Lake City.
"In any case where you might have audio, video or other kinds of digital evidence, the regional computer forensic lab would be a great resource," Horn says.
Horn says there is always a possibility that people will manipulate electronic data by using programs like Photoshop. However, he says, these forensic scientists are highly trained to tell the difference between what's real and what's fake.
One of the photos the FBI is investigating is one that was posted on Stephanie Sloop's Facebook page.
The Layton Police Department says it is aware of a Facebook photo that has created a lot of buzz in the case. The lieutenant who KSL News spoke to would not go into details, but he said it's definitely part of the investigation.
The photo is a picture of 4-year-old Ethan playing video games like any other child. However, in this photo, his face is swollen and bruised, and he's sitting with the man accused of killing him: his stepfather, Nathan Sloop.
"A picture says a thousand words. And if we can have a picture of something that someone did, a crime that someone committed, then it becomes a lot easier for us to understand the elements of that crime," says Dr. Brent Horn, assistant professor of criminal justice at Weber State University.
Horn says electronic data, like that picture, can be important in any case, especially when trying to figure out a timeline. But he says detectives and prosecutors must be careful how much weight they give the photo.
"To have just one very specific piece of evidence that you're relying your whole case on is kind of very dangerous ground to be on," Horn says.
To be fair, prosecutors are looking at the bigger picture by processing physical data from the burial site at Powder Mountain and forensic evidence at the Sloops' apartment in Layton. But since there is so much electronic data in this case, the FBI was called in because of its specialized laboratory.
The agency only has 16 of these labs across the country, and one happens to be in Salt Lake City.
"In any case where you might have audio, video or other kinds of digital evidence, the regional computer forensic lab would be a great resource," Horn says.
Horn says there is always a possibility that people will manipulate electronic data by using programs like Photoshop. However, he says, these forensic scientists are highly trained to tell the difference between what's real and what's fake.
'They need to pay for taking my son away,' Ethan Stacy's father says
GRUNDY, Virginia — Ethan Stacy was a quick learner.
"I could show him how to do something, he'd pick it up just like that," his father, Joe Stacy, told the Deseret News Tuesday. "He's just a very intelligent boy."
Stacy recalled how his son was "a great boy," how he loved to go to the playground, and how most recently he had developed a strong liking for PlayStation video games.
"He'd stay glued to it all day if I let him," Joe Stacy said.
Stacy fought back tears, and sometimes just let them flow, as he recalled happy moments with his son. He recounted these stories while standing in the Grundy Funeral Home's chapel. As he spoke of his Ethan's short life, behind him, just 20 yards away, rested a small blue coffin surrounded by flowers and teddy bears.
A church service was planned Tuesday night for 4-year-old Ethan on the eve of his funeral Wednesday. Ethan, the boy hardly anyone in Utah knew in life, has touched the lives of people across the nation following his brutal death, allegedly at the hands of his mother, Stephanie Sloop, and her newlywed husband, Nathan Sloop.
The Sloops remained in the Davis County Jail Tuesday pending possible aggravated murder charges.
Joe Stacy, who has been in constant contact with both Davis County prosecutors and victim advocates in Utah, said if they can file aggravated murder charges, he expects they will seek the death penalty against his ex-wife and her husband.
He said he is OK with prosecutors needing additional time before filing official charges.
"I don't want any mistakes made at all. Nothing. I don't want them coming out of this in any type of way. They need to pay for taking my son away," Joe Stacy said.
Ethan Jonathan David Stacy's obituary listed May 11 as his day of death. That was the day Layton police and the Weber County Sheriff's Office found his body buried in a remote area near Powder Mountain. Ethan had been in Utah only a few days, sent to live with his mother for the summer per a court order. Stephanie Sloop originally told police that Ethan had walked away in the middle of the night.
But investigators said the Sloops' stories began to contradict each other the longer the search went on. Eventually, the Sloops were arrested after allegations arose that Nathan Sloop beat Ethan, and neither he nor Stephanie Sloop took him to a doctor. They locked him in a bedroom while they got married because they were afraid of showing his bruised and swollen face in public.
After Ethan died, police say the Sloops tried to disfigure the young boy so police would not be able to identify him.
On Tuesday, Joe Stacy, with his fiance Becky Elswick by his side, said he had been online and seen the tributes and photos of the two vigils held in Utah and of the hundreds of people who showed up for them.
"It's a wonderful feeling," he said. "There's so many good people out there."
Many of the flower bouquets and teddy bears surrounding Ethan's coffin were donated by people from Salt Lake City. A card on one bouquet read, "From a concerned stranger that saw you on TV."
Another was from the Buchanan County (Virginia) Sheriff's Office that simply said, "Praying for you." While another card had the words, "Safe in the arms of Jesus."
The small town of Grundy is tucked in a hollow of the Cumberland Plateau in the lush green Appalachian Mountains. The directors of the funeral home said Ethan Stacy has touched people like they've never seen in their town.
The Grundy Funeral Home's website normally receives 3,000 hits a month. In the past four days alone it has received 7,000 hits. More than 450 e-mail messages were sent to the website for Ethan, said funeral home vice president Curtis Mullins, Sr.
For Joe Stacy, a tall, fit man who has served in the military and grew up in the Grundy/Richlands area of Virginia where he currently lives, part of him is feeling indescribable grief over Ethan's tragic loss, while another part of him still questions why it happened at all.
"I can't even imagine why a mother would stand by and let someone do that to her child," he said. "I would have found some way to stop him. Do something. Don't just stand there and watch. There had to have been something she could have done.
"There's just no excuse for it. None whatsoever."
A funeral service will be held Wednesday afternoon for Ethan, followed by a procession to the Clinch Valley Memorial Cemetery in Richlands, Va., about 30 miles away.
"I could show him how to do something, he'd pick it up just like that," his father, Joe Stacy, told the Deseret News Tuesday. "He's just a very intelligent boy."
Stacy recalled how his son was "a great boy," how he loved to go to the playground, and how most recently he had developed a strong liking for PlayStation video games.
"He'd stay glued to it all day if I let him," Joe Stacy said.
Stacy fought back tears, and sometimes just let them flow, as he recalled happy moments with his son. He recounted these stories while standing in the Grundy Funeral Home's chapel. As he spoke of his Ethan's short life, behind him, just 20 yards away, rested a small blue coffin surrounded by flowers and teddy bears.
A church service was planned Tuesday night for 4-year-old Ethan on the eve of his funeral Wednesday. Ethan, the boy hardly anyone in Utah knew in life, has touched the lives of people across the nation following his brutal death, allegedly at the hands of his mother, Stephanie Sloop, and her newlywed husband, Nathan Sloop.
The Sloops remained in the Davis County Jail Tuesday pending possible aggravated murder charges.
Joe Stacy, who has been in constant contact with both Davis County prosecutors and victim advocates in Utah, said if they can file aggravated murder charges, he expects they will seek the death penalty against his ex-wife and her husband.
He said he is OK with prosecutors needing additional time before filing official charges.
"I don't want any mistakes made at all. Nothing. I don't want them coming out of this in any type of way. They need to pay for taking my son away," Joe Stacy said.
Ethan Jonathan David Stacy's obituary listed May 11 as his day of death. That was the day Layton police and the Weber County Sheriff's Office found his body buried in a remote area near Powder Mountain. Ethan had been in Utah only a few days, sent to live with his mother for the summer per a court order. Stephanie Sloop originally told police that Ethan had walked away in the middle of the night.
But investigators said the Sloops' stories began to contradict each other the longer the search went on. Eventually, the Sloops were arrested after allegations arose that Nathan Sloop beat Ethan, and neither he nor Stephanie Sloop took him to a doctor. They locked him in a bedroom while they got married because they were afraid of showing his bruised and swollen face in public.
After Ethan died, police say the Sloops tried to disfigure the young boy so police would not be able to identify him.
On Tuesday, Joe Stacy, with his fiance Becky Elswick by his side, said he had been online and seen the tributes and photos of the two vigils held in Utah and of the hundreds of people who showed up for them.
"It's a wonderful feeling," he said. "There's so many good people out there."
Many of the flower bouquets and teddy bears surrounding Ethan's coffin were donated by people from Salt Lake City. A card on one bouquet read, "From a concerned stranger that saw you on TV."
Another was from the Buchanan County (Virginia) Sheriff's Office that simply said, "Praying for you." While another card had the words, "Safe in the arms of Jesus."
The small town of Grundy is tucked in a hollow of the Cumberland Plateau in the lush green Appalachian Mountains. The directors of the funeral home said Ethan Stacy has touched people like they've never seen in their town.
The Grundy Funeral Home's website normally receives 3,000 hits a month. In the past four days alone it has received 7,000 hits. More than 450 e-mail messages were sent to the website for Ethan, said funeral home vice president Curtis Mullins, Sr.
For Joe Stacy, a tall, fit man who has served in the military and grew up in the Grundy/Richlands area of Virginia where he currently lives, part of him is feeling indescribable grief over Ethan's tragic loss, while another part of him still questions why it happened at all.
"I can't even imagine why a mother would stand by and let someone do that to her child," he said. "I would have found some way to stop him. Do something. Don't just stand there and watch. There had to have been something she could have done.
"There's just no excuse for it. None whatsoever."
A funeral service will be held Wednesday afternoon for Ethan, followed by a procession to the Clinch Valley Memorial Cemetery in Richlands, Va., about 30 miles away.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Ethan Stacy case could be first test for Shelby's Law
Ethan Stacy case could be first test for Shelby's Law
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 1:00 P.M. at the Grundy Funeral Home Chapel
The florist shops assisting with the service are:
Main Street Floral
PO Box 1550, Grundy, VA 24614-1550
(276) 935-2146
Grundy Floral & Gift Shop
23577 Riverside Drive, Grundy, VA 24614-6141
(276) 935-2245
Personal condolences f...or the family can be submitted via the Grundy Funeral Hope website via the condolences page. The family will receive a printed copy of submitted messages.
The florist shops assisting with the service are:
Main Street Floral
PO Box 1550, Grundy, VA 24614-1550
(276) 935-2146
Grundy Floral & Gift Shop
23577 Riverside Drive, Grundy, VA 24614-6141
(276) 935-2245
Personal condolences f...or the family can be submitted via the Grundy Funeral Hope website via the condolences page. The family will receive a printed copy of submitted messages.
Ethan Stacy's Funeral...
LAYTON — Ethan Stacy will be laid to rest in Virginia on Wednesday.
A funeral for Ethan, whose stepfather and mother are accused of killing him just a week after arriving in Utah to spend the summer with them, will be held Wednesday in Richlands, Va.
An obituary for Ethan on the Grundy Funeral Home's website said the boy was born at Fort Stewart Army Base in Savannah, Ga., on Sept. 22, 2005.
"Ethan was a fun-loving boy who enjoyed life and loved playing with his Transformers," the obituary states.
Ethan is survived by his father, Joe Stacy; a brother, sister, grandparents and "several aunts, uncles and cousins." There is no mention in the obituary, however, of Ethan's mother, Stephanie Sloop, who remained in the Davis County Jail on Monday waiting to hear if she and her newlywed husband, Nathan Sloop, will be charged with aggravated murder, which Davis County Attorney's Office says it is pursuing.
A public viewing followed by a church service will be held Tuesday evening, with the funeral scheduled for Wednesday.
"We expect a big crowd. We've had a lot of calls on this kid," said Ralph Keene, an office manager at Grundy Funeral Home.
A memorial fund was set up for Ethan at TruPoint Bank, P. O. Box 1010, Grundy, VA 24614. Donations can be made to the Ethan Stacy Memorial Fund.
The Sloops both agreed last week to waive bail pending their next court hearing May 28. Friday, Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings announced charges against the pair are still pending the outcome of additional evidence, namely autopsy results from the medical examiner.
Ethan's body arrived in Virginia on Sunday, according to the funeral home.
Rawlings said Monday the autopsy is not completed, but the Utah Medical Examiner's Office has what it needs to complete those tests and was able to release Ethan's body back to his family.
Rawlings said he would seek aggravated murder charges against both Stephanie and Nathan Sloop, if the evidence supports it.
Police say Ethan suffered a progressive and systematic pattern of child abuse, ultimately leading to his death.
On May 5, Nathan Sloop took Ethan into a back bedroom and severely beat him, leaving him with swelling around his jaw, according to a probable cause statement written by detectives. The swelling to his face was so noticeable that the couple opted to leave Ethan in a bedroom and remove the door handle while they went to the Davis County Courthouse to be married. Investigators say the couple didn't want to take Ethan out in public for fear someone would report them.
Over the next few days, Ethan exhibited signs of possible head trauma, including vomiting, being lethargic and unresponsive, and not eating, according to detectives.
On May 9, Mother's Day, Nathan Sloop found Ethan dead in his bed.
In a horrific series of events that followed, police say Nathan and Stephanie Sloop attempted to hide Ethan's body and disfigured him to make it harder for officers to later identify him. The Sloops drove to Powder Mountain, where the boy was buried and other evidence was burned.
The Sloops made their initial court appearances Friday, each appearing separately. Nathan wiped away tears during the brief hearing while Stephanie Sloop looked visibly intimidated.
There have been two candlelight vigils over the past week outside the Layton apartment where Ethan briefly lived.
A funeral for Ethan, whose stepfather and mother are accused of killing him just a week after arriving in Utah to spend the summer with them, will be held Wednesday in Richlands, Va.
An obituary for Ethan on the Grundy Funeral Home's website said the boy was born at Fort Stewart Army Base in Savannah, Ga., on Sept. 22, 2005.
"Ethan was a fun-loving boy who enjoyed life and loved playing with his Transformers," the obituary states.
Ethan is survived by his father, Joe Stacy; a brother, sister, grandparents and "several aunts, uncles and cousins." There is no mention in the obituary, however, of Ethan's mother, Stephanie Sloop, who remained in the Davis County Jail on Monday waiting to hear if she and her newlywed husband, Nathan Sloop, will be charged with aggravated murder, which Davis County Attorney's Office says it is pursuing.
A public viewing followed by a church service will be held Tuesday evening, with the funeral scheduled for Wednesday.
"We expect a big crowd. We've had a lot of calls on this kid," said Ralph Keene, an office manager at Grundy Funeral Home.
A memorial fund was set up for Ethan at TruPoint Bank, P. O. Box 1010, Grundy, VA 24614. Donations can be made to the Ethan Stacy Memorial Fund.
The Sloops both agreed last week to waive bail pending their next court hearing May 28. Friday, Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings announced charges against the pair are still pending the outcome of additional evidence, namely autopsy results from the medical examiner.
Ethan's body arrived in Virginia on Sunday, according to the funeral home.
Rawlings said Monday the autopsy is not completed, but the Utah Medical Examiner's Office has what it needs to complete those tests and was able to release Ethan's body back to his family.
Rawlings said he would seek aggravated murder charges against both Stephanie and Nathan Sloop, if the evidence supports it.
Police say Ethan suffered a progressive and systematic pattern of child abuse, ultimately leading to his death.
On May 5, Nathan Sloop took Ethan into a back bedroom and severely beat him, leaving him with swelling around his jaw, according to a probable cause statement written by detectives. The swelling to his face was so noticeable that the couple opted to leave Ethan in a bedroom and remove the door handle while they went to the Davis County Courthouse to be married. Investigators say the couple didn't want to take Ethan out in public for fear someone would report them.
Over the next few days, Ethan exhibited signs of possible head trauma, including vomiting, being lethargic and unresponsive, and not eating, according to detectives.
On May 9, Mother's Day, Nathan Sloop found Ethan dead in his bed.
In a horrific series of events that followed, police say Nathan and Stephanie Sloop attempted to hide Ethan's body and disfigured him to make it harder for officers to later identify him. The Sloops drove to Powder Mountain, where the boy was buried and other evidence was burned.
The Sloops made their initial court appearances Friday, each appearing separately. Nathan wiped away tears during the brief hearing while Stephanie Sloop looked visibly intimidated.
There have been two candlelight vigils over the past week outside the Layton apartment where Ethan briefly lived.
Ethan
Here are some pictures that people have placed in Ethan's honor and behalf. Obviously there was about 223 pictures on one of his FB groups. So i just decided to add a few.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Teddy Bear Memorial Drive - For Ethan- INFO..
Ethan Stacy Memorial Teddy Bear Drive
Come out and join us on
Day / Date: Saturday May 29 2010
Time: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Iceberg Drive Inn
Address: 1792 South 2000 West, Syracuse, UT 84075
Come out and join us on
Day / Date: Saturday May 29 2010
Time: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Iceberg Drive Inn
Address: 1792 South 2000 West, Syracuse, UT 84075
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Memorial Fund for Ethan
there has been a Memorial fund for Ethan where donations can be sent in his name to help his family etc.
DONATIONS MAY BE SENT TO:
The Ethan Stacy Memorial Fund:
TruPoint Bank
PO Box 1010
Grundy, VA 24614
276-935-8729
DONATIONS MAY BE SENT TO:
The Ethan Stacy Memorial Fund:
TruPoint Bank
PO Box 1010
Grundy, VA 24614
276-935-8729
Ethan is mourned at tearful vigil
LAYTON — With candles lit, tears in their eyes and a collective broken heart, they stood to honor a little boy they'd never met.
They mourned his death, grieved over the brutality of his suffering and sought solace in their belief that he's now an angel.
Ethan Stacy may have died alone, isolated from the rest of the world as he lived out his last days in repeated abuse, but a community of strangers touched by his plight are with him now.
"Who am I to say anything about Ethan — a complete stranger?" said David Mumma, a neighbor who lives in the same apartment complex.
Mumma, who organized a Saturday night vigil in honor of the little boy, paused through tears as he addressed a crowd of 200 people gathered for the event.
He talked of how a Layton police officer with mournful eyes approached him, asking to search his car the morning Ethan was reported missing by his mother, Stephanie Sloop, and Nathan Sloop.
At the time, the request was just a mild interruption of the Layton man's day and not much more to think about until the awful circumstances of the boy's death began to unfold.
"Anytime a child has gone through this much, it tugs at your heart."
The Sloops have since been arrested after the boy's body was discovered near Powder Mountain Ski Resort. The Davis County Attorney's Office has said it will pursue aggravated murder charges pending the results of an autopsy.
Prosecutors and police allege the boy was beaten repeatedly in the apartment after just recently coming to stay with his mother for the summer. After he died, his face was intentionally disfigured in an attempt to conceal his identity.
The horrific nature of the homicide has prompted an outpouring of grief and a call to action for increased awareness of child abuse.
"I hope this will be an event that will remind people to open their eyes to what is going on around them, and they will be kinder to their family," Mumma said.
Even as four uniformed Layton police officers stood in the distance, trying to look discreet well behind the crowd, members of Bikers Against Child Abuse marched confidently through the crowd.
When a biker named Ish grabbed the microphone to address the tearful group, he was met was applause.
"Let us bring to light the huge epidemic of child abuse," he told them. "Let this be a reminder to everybody."
While those gathered were mourning the loss of Ethan, Ish reminded them that there are "lots of little ones, lots of little faces" who need protection.
"BACA is an organization I wish I did not have to be part of. Let's end this epidemic," he said.
They mourned his death, grieved over the brutality of his suffering and sought solace in their belief that he's now an angel.
Ethan Stacy may have died alone, isolated from the rest of the world as he lived out his last days in repeated abuse, but a community of strangers touched by his plight are with him now.
"Who am I to say anything about Ethan — a complete stranger?" said David Mumma, a neighbor who lives in the same apartment complex.
Mumma, who organized a Saturday night vigil in honor of the little boy, paused through tears as he addressed a crowd of 200 people gathered for the event.
He talked of how a Layton police officer with mournful eyes approached him, asking to search his car the morning Ethan was reported missing by his mother, Stephanie Sloop, and Nathan Sloop.
At the time, the request was just a mild interruption of the Layton man's day and not much more to think about until the awful circumstances of the boy's death began to unfold.
"Anytime a child has gone through this much, it tugs at your heart."
The Sloops have since been arrested after the boy's body was discovered near Powder Mountain Ski Resort. The Davis County Attorney's Office has said it will pursue aggravated murder charges pending the results of an autopsy.
Prosecutors and police allege the boy was beaten repeatedly in the apartment after just recently coming to stay with his mother for the summer. After he died, his face was intentionally disfigured in an attempt to conceal his identity.
The horrific nature of the homicide has prompted an outpouring of grief and a call to action for increased awareness of child abuse.
"I hope this will be an event that will remind people to open their eyes to what is going on around them, and they will be kinder to their family," Mumma said.
Even as four uniformed Layton police officers stood in the distance, trying to look discreet well behind the crowd, members of Bikers Against Child Abuse marched confidently through the crowd.
When a biker named Ish grabbed the microphone to address the tearful group, he was met was applause.
"Let us bring to light the huge epidemic of child abuse," he told them. "Let this be a reminder to everybody."
While those gathered were mourning the loss of Ethan, Ish reminded them that there are "lots of little ones, lots of little faces" who need protection.
"BACA is an organization I wish I did not have to be part of. Let's end this epidemic," he said.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Prosecutors: Not enough evidence for murder charges in Ethan Stacy case yet
FARMINGTON — Nathan Sloop held a tissue in his shackled hands, wiped away occasional tears and kept his head held low, looking down for most of his brief court appearance Friday.
His wife and co-defendant Stephanie Sloop looked very intimidated as she walked into the courtroom, not saying a word and only at one point writing a message to her attorney on a note pad.
"She's very emotional and having a difficult time," defense attorney Julie George told the court.
The newlywed Layton couple accused of killing Stephanie Sloop's son, 4-year-old Ethan Stacy, made their first court appearance Friday. Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings announced earlier that his office is not yet ready to file formal charges against the couple.
He noted, however, that he hopes to eventually file aggravated murder charges against both Ethan's mother and his stepfather.
Nathan and Stephanie Sloop appeared separately in court. They walked in before a standing-room-only courtroom that included nearly a dozen bailiffs, several reporters and more than a dozen members of the group Bikers Against Child Abuse, as well as concerned members of the public.
Also in the courtroom was Nathan Sloop's mother, Pam Sloop, who was escorted out a back door after the hearing to avoid reporters.
Nathan Sloop, wearing a red jail jumpsuit, spoke only twice, saying a barely audible, "Yes, your honor" when asked if he could not afford a lawyer and if he agreed to waive his right to bail at least until his next court hearing on May 28. Stephanie Sloop, also wearing a red jail jumpsuit, agreed to the same stipulations.
Both lawyers for the Sloops asked 2nd District Judge David Connors, at the request of their clients, to restrict access to them to their lawyers and family members only.
"People are trying to get in and see her who have no connection to the case," George said of Stephanie Sloop.
Defense attorney Todd Utzinger added that Nathan Sloop had received more than a dozen interview requests from the media, but he has no interest in talking.
During his hearing, Utzinger said it would be in his client's interest to be denied bail while charges were being considered and his client may actually "benefit" from the discovery of additional evidence.
As Nathan Sloop was led out of the courtroom, he gave a quick glance around the room, finally focusing on a back aisle where his mother was sitting.
Before the court hearing, Rawlings announced that prosecutors need additional evidence before filing charges — particularly a cause-of-death determination from the medical examiner.
While the Utah State Medical Examiner's Office has been working "feverishly," Rawlings said it needs to conduct additional tests that could take two weeks or more in order to determine which of Ethan's injuries may have caused his death and which injuries were inflicted on his body after he died.
Stephanie Sloop was not originally jailed for investigation of aggravated murder, but Rawlings said Friday he believes she was as equally culpable in her son's death as her husband. He pointed to a recently added subsection to the aggravated murder statute in the Utah law that allows for such a charge to be filed if another party is a "substantial participant" or "major participant" in the crime.
Ethan came to Utah less than two weeks ago to spend the summer with his biological mother, in compliance with a divorce settlement with his biological father, Joe Stacy, who lives in Virginia. Probable cause affidavits written by police when the Sloops were arrested said the boy suffered a progressive and systematic pattern of child abuse from Nathan Sloop.
Police say that on May 5, Nathan Sloop took Ethan into a back bedroom and severely beat him, leaving him with swelling around his jaw. The swelling to his face was so noticeable that the couple opted to leave Ethan in a bedroom and remove the door handle while they went to the Davis County Courthouse to be married. Investigators say the couple didn't want to take Ethan out in public for fear someone would report them.
Over the next few days, Ethan exhibited signs of possible head trauma, including vomiting, being lethargic, unresponsive and not eating, according to detectives.
On May 9, Mother's Day, Nathan Sloop found Ethan dead in his bedroom in bed.
In a horrific series of events that followed, Nathan and Stephanie Sloop attempted to hide Ethan's body and disfigured him to make it harder for police to later identify him, the affidavits state. The Sloops drove to Powder Mountain, where the boy was buried and other evidence was burned at the grave site.
On Friday, Rawlings cautioned the public to remember that the affidavits were accurate at the time of the arrests but were just a "microcosm" of the additional evidence that had been collected and continues to be gathered.
Rawlings said he wanted to be responsible in filing the correct charges.
"Make no mistake, we plan to file charges," he said. "We don't want to make any mistakes in our charging decisions."
Rawlings said he had spoken with Joe Stacy, Ethan's biological father in Virginia, and informed him Friday about the decision. He described Stacy as a "devastated man," but said he was appreciative of their decision to delay filing charges.
"My interest is you do it right and get it right," Rawlings said Stacy told him.
If the Davis County Attorney's Office is unable to obtain the evidence it needs to file charges of aggravated murder, then prosecutors will seek a lesser charge, Rawlings said. Until then, he asked the public to be patient.
"The investigation phase is not yet complete," he said. "I understand you want answers now. … It would be an injustice if we jumped the gun."
Referring to the investigation, Rawlings promised he would "make it as swift" as he could, "but it's not going to happen overnight."
A charge of aggravated murder carries three possible punishments: a death sentence, life in prison without the possibility of parole, or 25 years to life with the possibility of parole.
David Cole, with the Davis County Attorney's Office, said he and his staff would not consider whether to seek the death penalty until they determine if the Sloops will be charged with aggravated murder.
Rawlings praised the Layton Police Department for the "lightning speed" with which it brought a resolution to the case and its professionalism in dealing with Ethan's biological father. He also acknowledged the mass amount of phone calls and e-mails his office has received from concerned citizens. He said he received 150 e-mails in his private e-mail account alone Thursday. One elderly woman offered to donate her burial plot in Bountiful to Ethan.
"I feel a great responsibility as a prosecutor to do the right thing for the right reasons," Rawlings said.
Ethan's body will remain with the medical examiner until test results are completed and then will be turned over to his family, Rawlings said.
Outside the courtroom, a handful of residents who never knew the Sloops or Ethan but have been touched by the story gathered to show support, and some to express anger.
"They should be put through the hell they put this baby through," said August Teuscher of Clinton.
Teuscher carried a sign in the hallway with messages that included "Rest in peace, Ethan," and "We demand swift justice."
"Give them the punishment they deserve," she said.
Ogden residents Deana Castel and Sarah Sykes also never knew Ethan, but were moved to tears as they held their own young boys outside the courtroom.
"Our hearts go out to that little boy," Sykes said.
Castel said her wish would be to hold Ethan and let him know that not everyone is like his mother and stepfather.
About a dozen members of Bikers Against Child Abuse attended the hearing, arriving on their Harley motorcycles and wearing their black leather vests.
"Our goal is to empower children," said a member who identified himself only by his biker name of "Ish."
The bikers attended to be Ethan's "voice" in the fight against child abuse, he said, calling Ethan's death and any case of child abuse "ridiculous."
"It did strike a nerve with us, as they all do."
His wife and co-defendant Stephanie Sloop looked very intimidated as she walked into the courtroom, not saying a word and only at one point writing a message to her attorney on a note pad.
"She's very emotional and having a difficult time," defense attorney Julie George told the court.
The newlywed Layton couple accused of killing Stephanie Sloop's son, 4-year-old Ethan Stacy, made their first court appearance Friday. Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings announced earlier that his office is not yet ready to file formal charges against the couple.
He noted, however, that he hopes to eventually file aggravated murder charges against both Ethan's mother and his stepfather.
Nathan and Stephanie Sloop appeared separately in court. They walked in before a standing-room-only courtroom that included nearly a dozen bailiffs, several reporters and more than a dozen members of the group Bikers Against Child Abuse, as well as concerned members of the public.
Also in the courtroom was Nathan Sloop's mother, Pam Sloop, who was escorted out a back door after the hearing to avoid reporters.
Nathan Sloop, wearing a red jail jumpsuit, spoke only twice, saying a barely audible, "Yes, your honor" when asked if he could not afford a lawyer and if he agreed to waive his right to bail at least until his next court hearing on May 28. Stephanie Sloop, also wearing a red jail jumpsuit, agreed to the same stipulations.
Both lawyers for the Sloops asked 2nd District Judge David Connors, at the request of their clients, to restrict access to them to their lawyers and family members only.
"People are trying to get in and see her who have no connection to the case," George said of Stephanie Sloop.
Defense attorney Todd Utzinger added that Nathan Sloop had received more than a dozen interview requests from the media, but he has no interest in talking.
During his hearing, Utzinger said it would be in his client's interest to be denied bail while charges were being considered and his client may actually "benefit" from the discovery of additional evidence.
As Nathan Sloop was led out of the courtroom, he gave a quick glance around the room, finally focusing on a back aisle where his mother was sitting.
Before the court hearing, Rawlings announced that prosecutors need additional evidence before filing charges — particularly a cause-of-death determination from the medical examiner.
While the Utah State Medical Examiner's Office has been working "feverishly," Rawlings said it needs to conduct additional tests that could take two weeks or more in order to determine which of Ethan's injuries may have caused his death and which injuries were inflicted on his body after he died.
Stephanie Sloop was not originally jailed for investigation of aggravated murder, but Rawlings said Friday he believes she was as equally culpable in her son's death as her husband. He pointed to a recently added subsection to the aggravated murder statute in the Utah law that allows for such a charge to be filed if another party is a "substantial participant" or "major participant" in the crime.
Ethan came to Utah less than two weeks ago to spend the summer with his biological mother, in compliance with a divorce settlement with his biological father, Joe Stacy, who lives in Virginia. Probable cause affidavits written by police when the Sloops were arrested said the boy suffered a progressive and systematic pattern of child abuse from Nathan Sloop.
Police say that on May 5, Nathan Sloop took Ethan into a back bedroom and severely beat him, leaving him with swelling around his jaw. The swelling to his face was so noticeable that the couple opted to leave Ethan in a bedroom and remove the door handle while they went to the Davis County Courthouse to be married. Investigators say the couple didn't want to take Ethan out in public for fear someone would report them.
Over the next few days, Ethan exhibited signs of possible head trauma, including vomiting, being lethargic, unresponsive and not eating, according to detectives.
On May 9, Mother's Day, Nathan Sloop found Ethan dead in his bedroom in bed.
In a horrific series of events that followed, Nathan and Stephanie Sloop attempted to hide Ethan's body and disfigured him to make it harder for police to later identify him, the affidavits state. The Sloops drove to Powder Mountain, where the boy was buried and other evidence was burned at the grave site.
On Friday, Rawlings cautioned the public to remember that the affidavits were accurate at the time of the arrests but were just a "microcosm" of the additional evidence that had been collected and continues to be gathered.
Rawlings said he wanted to be responsible in filing the correct charges.
"Make no mistake, we plan to file charges," he said. "We don't want to make any mistakes in our charging decisions."
Rawlings said he had spoken with Joe Stacy, Ethan's biological father in Virginia, and informed him Friday about the decision. He described Stacy as a "devastated man," but said he was appreciative of their decision to delay filing charges.
"My interest is you do it right and get it right," Rawlings said Stacy told him.
If the Davis County Attorney's Office is unable to obtain the evidence it needs to file charges of aggravated murder, then prosecutors will seek a lesser charge, Rawlings said. Until then, he asked the public to be patient.
"The investigation phase is not yet complete," he said. "I understand you want answers now. … It would be an injustice if we jumped the gun."
Referring to the investigation, Rawlings promised he would "make it as swift" as he could, "but it's not going to happen overnight."
A charge of aggravated murder carries three possible punishments: a death sentence, life in prison without the possibility of parole, or 25 years to life with the possibility of parole.
David Cole, with the Davis County Attorney's Office, said he and his staff would not consider whether to seek the death penalty until they determine if the Sloops will be charged with aggravated murder.
Rawlings praised the Layton Police Department for the "lightning speed" with which it brought a resolution to the case and its professionalism in dealing with Ethan's biological father. He also acknowledged the mass amount of phone calls and e-mails his office has received from concerned citizens. He said he received 150 e-mails in his private e-mail account alone Thursday. One elderly woman offered to donate her burial plot in Bountiful to Ethan.
"I feel a great responsibility as a prosecutor to do the right thing for the right reasons," Rawlings said.
Ethan's body will remain with the medical examiner until test results are completed and then will be turned over to his family, Rawlings said.
Outside the courtroom, a handful of residents who never knew the Sloops or Ethan but have been touched by the story gathered to show support, and some to express anger.
"They should be put through the hell they put this baby through," said August Teuscher of Clinton.
Teuscher carried a sign in the hallway with messages that included "Rest in peace, Ethan," and "We demand swift justice."
"Give them the punishment they deserve," she said.
Ogden residents Deana Castel and Sarah Sykes also never knew Ethan, but were moved to tears as they held their own young boys outside the courtroom.
"Our hearts go out to that little boy," Sykes said.
Castel said her wish would be to hold Ethan and let him know that not everyone is like his mother and stepfather.
About a dozen members of Bikers Against Child Abuse attended the hearing, arriving on their Harley motorcycles and wearing their black leather vests.
"Our goal is to empower children," said a member who identified himself only by his biker name of "Ish."
The bikers attended to be Ethan's "voice" in the fight against child abuse, he said, calling Ethan's death and any case of child abuse "ridiculous."
"It did strike a nerve with us, as they all do."
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Make sure to check out the event in the events section and mark your calendars. We will finalize the location tomorrow. This will be a local event held here in Utah. There is a thread for event questions in the discussion area. Lets keep spreading the word about this page and the group as well. tell your friends about the event, even if you are not able to donate come out and join us and show your support.
Check out the event page on Ethan's group page and event tomorrow.
Check out the event page on Ethan's group page and event tomorrow.
In the Eyes of a Chid...
I want to post and dedicate this song and video in the memory of Ethan Stacy! who was tragically taken from us all. Rest in Peace sweetheart! It's such a tragedy that he did not have the trust and protection of the people who was supposed to protect and take care of him. His mother and step father.
Memorial Teddy Bear Drive
Here is a link to the Teddy Bear memorial drive for Ethan Stacy.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=110599635649317&ref=mf
if you can't click on the link then copy and paste it into your browser. It can also be found on Facebook.
Thanks!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=110599635649317&ref=mf
if you can't click on the link then copy and paste it into your browser. It can also be found on Facebook.
Thanks!
ksl.com - Layton community, police officers deal with boy's tragic murder
Ethan Stacy!! - i think there is a video in this post as well.
ksl.com - Layton community, police officers deal with boy's tragic murder
Please click on the link above to hear the video and read the article.
ksl.com - Layton community, police officers deal with boy's tragic murder
Please click on the link above to hear the video and read the article.
Teddy Bear Memorial Drive- Ethan Stacy
There will be a Memorial Teddy Bear Drive held in honor of Ethan Stacy whose young and short life came to a tragic end this week.
Ethan Stacy Memorial Teddy Bear Drive
Come out and join us on
Saturday May 29 2010
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
(Location will be finalized tomorrow)
You can see and find the details and event on Facebook.
Thanks!
Ethan Stacy Memorial Teddy Bear Drive
Come out and join us on
Saturday May 29 2010
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
(Location will be finalized tomorrow)
You can see and find the details and event on Facebook.
Thanks!
LAYTON — Joe Stacy was concerned that if his 4-year-old son Ethan went to Utah, he would never see him again.
"The mother has abandoned the child and I'm afraid the mother will come and take him and I'll never see him again," Joe Stacy, who then lived in Apopka, Fla., wrote in the November 2009 custody petition filed in the Circuit Court of the 9th Judicial Court of Orange County, Fla. "The mother is unstable."
Despite the repeated warnings, Ethan was sent to Utah and was killed less than two weeks later and his body buried in a remote area near Powder Mountain.
Nathan Sloop was booked Tuesday into the Davis County Jail for investigation of aggravated murder. He and Stephanie Sloop were both booked for investigation of child abuse, obstruction of justice and desecration of a corpse.
The Sloops are accused in a horrific crime that has shocked the nation. Police believe Ethan died following a "systematic and progressively more violent pattern of abuse" from Nathan that eventually led to head trauma that went untreated, and ultimately his death. After he died, Nathan used a hammer and lighter fluid and matches to try and disfigure Ethan and burn potential evidence before burying him in Ogden Valley.
As prosecutors plan for a scheduled news conference Friday, at which time they are expected to announce formal charges against the Sloops, more disturbing information was revealed Thursday, leading many to question why Stephanie Sloop was allowed visitation rights with Ethan.
"Joe absolutely did not want him to go (to Utah), and she threatened to sue him for kidnapping, threatened him with this and that. He had no choice," Freida Stacy, Joe Stacy's stepmother, told the Deseret News.
"Ethan did not want to go. Ethan did not want to even talk to (his mother) on the phone. She'd call and he'd say, 'I don't want to talk to her,' " Freida Stacy said from her home in Hurley, Va.
Joe Stacy filed for divorce from Stephanie C. Stacy in October, according to records from the Florida court. Both were required to undergo parenting classes and the Uniform Child Custody Act was invoked, which deals with children of divorced parents who live in different states.
Judge Maura T. Smith handled the Stacys' divorce. She told the Deseret News Thursday, however, that the couple had already reached a marital agreement settlement on their own, which was signed in front of a mediator, by the time the divorce was finalized in her courtroom.
The divorce was uncontested by both parties, she said. During a brief 10 minute hearing to finalize the divorce, she said only Joe Stacy was present.
Because the case was still active, meaning the court had jurisdiction over the divorce to make sure all stipulations were being met, Smith said she could not talk about specific details regarding the case. She said she heard the news about Ethan but could not comment on the matter.
She noted that the Orange County courthouse sees hundreds of cases similar to the Stacys' divorce every few days.
The Davis County Attorney's Office said it had received numerous calls from angry members of the public on the eve of announcing charges. Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said his office was going through an extensive amount of evidence and promised, "We will seek the maximum penalty allowed by law for the crimes we can prove."
At the Sloops' Layton apartment Thursday, the sunny spring day did little to lighten the mood.
A steady stream of friends, neighbors and complete strangers continued to visit the site Thursday as a small makeshift memorial to Ethan continued to grow.
The pile of gifts included stuffed animals, flowers, candles, balloons and even a Happy Meal signed by the "Layton McDonalds staff."
Many messages bore the telltale signatures and pictures of neighborhood children.
"I'm sorry your (sic) gone," read one message, scrawled in a child's handwriting.
Other letters and cards offered messages of hope.
"God is watching and waiting. … You'll know you're in a much better place," read another letter addressed to Ethan.
"The mother has abandoned the child and I'm afraid the mother will come and take him and I'll never see him again," Joe Stacy, who then lived in Apopka, Fla., wrote in the November 2009 custody petition filed in the Circuit Court of the 9th Judicial Court of Orange County, Fla. "The mother is unstable."
Despite the repeated warnings, Ethan was sent to Utah and was killed less than two weeks later and his body buried in a remote area near Powder Mountain.
Nathan Sloop was booked Tuesday into the Davis County Jail for investigation of aggravated murder. He and Stephanie Sloop were both booked for investigation of child abuse, obstruction of justice and desecration of a corpse.
The Sloops are accused in a horrific crime that has shocked the nation. Police believe Ethan died following a "systematic and progressively more violent pattern of abuse" from Nathan that eventually led to head trauma that went untreated, and ultimately his death. After he died, Nathan used a hammer and lighter fluid and matches to try and disfigure Ethan and burn potential evidence before burying him in Ogden Valley.
As prosecutors plan for a scheduled news conference Friday, at which time they are expected to announce formal charges against the Sloops, more disturbing information was revealed Thursday, leading many to question why Stephanie Sloop was allowed visitation rights with Ethan.
"Joe absolutely did not want him to go (to Utah), and she threatened to sue him for kidnapping, threatened him with this and that. He had no choice," Freida Stacy, Joe Stacy's stepmother, told the Deseret News.
"Ethan did not want to go. Ethan did not want to even talk to (his mother) on the phone. She'd call and he'd say, 'I don't want to talk to her,' " Freida Stacy said from her home in Hurley, Va.
Joe Stacy filed for divorce from Stephanie C. Stacy in October, according to records from the Florida court. Both were required to undergo parenting classes and the Uniform Child Custody Act was invoked, which deals with children of divorced parents who live in different states.
Judge Maura T. Smith handled the Stacys' divorce. She told the Deseret News Thursday, however, that the couple had already reached a marital agreement settlement on their own, which was signed in front of a mediator, by the time the divorce was finalized in her courtroom.
The divorce was uncontested by both parties, she said. During a brief 10 minute hearing to finalize the divorce, she said only Joe Stacy was present.
Because the case was still active, meaning the court had jurisdiction over the divorce to make sure all stipulations were being met, Smith said she could not talk about specific details regarding the case. She said she heard the news about Ethan but could not comment on the matter.
She noted that the Orange County courthouse sees hundreds of cases similar to the Stacys' divorce every few days.
The Davis County Attorney's Office said it had received numerous calls from angry members of the public on the eve of announcing charges. Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said his office was going through an extensive amount of evidence and promised, "We will seek the maximum penalty allowed by law for the crimes we can prove."
At the Sloops' Layton apartment Thursday, the sunny spring day did little to lighten the mood.
A steady stream of friends, neighbors and complete strangers continued to visit the site Thursday as a small makeshift memorial to Ethan continued to grow.
The pile of gifts included stuffed animals, flowers, candles, balloons and even a Happy Meal signed by the "Layton McDonalds staff."
Many messages bore the telltale signatures and pictures of neighborhood children.
"I'm sorry your (sic) gone," read one message, scrawled in a child's handwriting.
Other letters and cards offered messages of hope.
"God is watching and waiting. … You'll know you're in a much better place," read another letter addressed to Ethan.
FACEBOOK GROUP
There is a Facebook group for all to join in behalf of little Ethan Stacy.
It's titled "Justice for Ethan Stacy" (i believe) something to that effect. you can find it on Facebook.
It's titled "Justice for Ethan Stacy" (i believe) something to that effect. you can find it on Facebook.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Article i got off of www.fox13now.com
FARMINGTON, Utah - A pair of probable cause statements obtained by Fox 13 detail an extensive pattern of child abuse that Layton police detectives allege led up to the death of 4-year-old Ethan Stacy. They accuse his stepfather, Nathan Sloop, of murder and accuse him of burying the body in a shallow grave near Powder Mountain, using a hammer to destroy the boy's face to prevent identification.
The statements were part of what a judge in Farmington's 2nd District Court used to deny bail to Nathan Sloop, accused of murdering his stepson. The documents were given to Fox 13 and other news media under a government records request.
The graphic statements detail a pattern of abuse that officers discovered when investigating Ethan's disappearance. Detectives found photos of a bruised and swollen boy on Stephanie Sloop's cell phone, police wrote in the documents. When confronted, police said she revealed that her son had been beaten by Nathan Sloop.
"On 05/05/10 Nate became angry with Ethan and took him into his bedroom to be disciplined and closed the door. Stephanie stated that she could hear Nate slapping Ethan in the bedroom, and that when Nate left the bedroom, she entered the bedroom and found Ethan badly beaten about the head area and that Ethan's face was already beginning to swell," Layton police detective B. Plotnick wrote in the probable cause statement.
"Stephanie told us that she never got medical attention for Ethan, even though she knew that medical attention was needed."
The probable cause statements allege that the next day, Ethan was locked in his bedroom and left alone while Stephanie and Nathan went to the Farmington courthouse to be married.
"Stephanie stated that they locked Ethan in his bedroom by taking off the inside door knob," Plotnick wrote. "Stephanie further stated that they left Ethan locked in his bedroom due to the swelling and bruising on his face, and they felt that if Ethan was with them, someone might call the police."
Over the next several days, Ethan got progressively ill, police said Stephanie Sloop told detectives. He was vomiting, running a fever and would not eat. The couple forced the boy to drink two 16 oz. bottles of water, a bottle of KoolAid and orange juice in a two-hour period, police wrote in the jail statement.
On May 7, police said the boy was burned in the bathtub.
"Stephanie told us that she did not believe that Ethan had turned the hot water up, and that Nate had intentionally burned Ethan," Plotnick wrote, adding that Stephanie Sloop discovered feces in her son's mouth.
"Stephanie told us that she did not get medical attention for Ethan because Nate would harm her if she tried to do so," Plotnick wrote.
On May 9, police wrote that Stephanie Sloop checked on her son about 3 a.m., and found him asleep. When she returned from getting a prescription for her husband, Nate, about 5:30 a.m., police wrote that he informed her the boy was dead.
"Stephanie claimed that she attempted CPR, but that Ethan did not respond," police wrote. "Stephanie stated that she knew that Ethan was dead due to the fact that his arms were stiff, his body was cold to the touch and he had no pulse. Stephanie stated that she did not call the police because Nate told her that she would go to prison because of the bruising on Ethan from the prior abuse that week."
A probable cause statement filed when Nathan Sloop was booked into jail alleges the couple plotted to dispose of the body.
"This plan involved placing Ethan's body into plastic garbage bags and taping them up. He then put Ethan in a plastic bin," Layton police detective J. Roderick wrote. "Mr. and Mrs. Sloop drove Ethan to the Powder Mountain area where Mr. Sloop buried Ethan."
One of the statements says Stephanie Sloop purchased lighter fluid so they could burn the body, but another says only other evidence was burned. One of the jail statements also suggests a man named "Frank" was called to help bury the body. Layton police have not said they are seeking someone else in the killing.
Nathan Sloop led police to the grave at Powder Mountain, Fox 13 has learned.
"I find it probable to believe that Mr. Sloop engaged in a pattern of progressively more violent and injurious behavior towards Ethan," Roderick wrote.
Police wrote that Nathan Sloop took a hammer to the boy's face, disfiguring it and knocking out teeth "in an effort to defeat or delay identification."
A judge denied Nathan Sloop bail. He did set bail at $100,000 cash only for Stephanie Sloop, the Davis County Sheriff's Office said. The couple is due in court on Friday where they are expected to be formally charged.
FARMINGTON, Utah - A pair of probable cause statements obtained by Fox 13 detail an extensive pattern of child abuse that Layton police detectives allege led up to the death of 4-year-old Ethan Stacy. They accuse his stepfather, Nathan Sloop, of murder and accuse him of burying the body in a shallow grave near Powder Mountain, using a hammer to destroy the boy's face to prevent identification.
The statements were part of what a judge in Farmington's 2nd District Court used to deny bail to Nathan Sloop, accused of murdering his stepson. The documents were given to Fox 13 and other news media under a government records request.
The graphic statements detail a pattern of abuse that officers discovered when investigating Ethan's disappearance. Detectives found photos of a bruised and swollen boy on Stephanie Sloop's cell phone, police wrote in the documents. When confronted, police said she revealed that her son had been beaten by Nathan Sloop.
"On 05/05/10 Nate became angry with Ethan and took him into his bedroom to be disciplined and closed the door. Stephanie stated that she could hear Nate slapping Ethan in the bedroom, and that when Nate left the bedroom, she entered the bedroom and found Ethan badly beaten about the head area and that Ethan's face was already beginning to swell," Layton police detective B. Plotnick wrote in the probable cause statement.
"Stephanie told us that she never got medical attention for Ethan, even though she knew that medical attention was needed."
The probable cause statements allege that the next day, Ethan was locked in his bedroom and left alone while Stephanie and Nathan went to the Farmington courthouse to be married.
"Stephanie stated that they locked Ethan in his bedroom by taking off the inside door knob," Plotnick wrote. "Stephanie further stated that they left Ethan locked in his bedroom due to the swelling and bruising on his face, and they felt that if Ethan was with them, someone might call the police."
Over the next several days, Ethan got progressively ill, police said Stephanie Sloop told detectives. He was vomiting, running a fever and would not eat. The couple forced the boy to drink two 16 oz. bottles of water, a bottle of KoolAid and orange juice in a two-hour period, police wrote in the jail statement.
On May 7, police said the boy was burned in the bathtub.
"Stephanie told us that she did not believe that Ethan had turned the hot water up, and that Nate had intentionally burned Ethan," Plotnick wrote, adding that Stephanie Sloop discovered feces in her son's mouth.
"Stephanie told us that she did not get medical attention for Ethan because Nate would harm her if she tried to do so," Plotnick wrote.
On May 9, police wrote that Stephanie Sloop checked on her son about 3 a.m., and found him asleep. When she returned from getting a prescription for her husband, Nate, about 5:30 a.m., police wrote that he informed her the boy was dead.
"Stephanie claimed that she attempted CPR, but that Ethan did not respond," police wrote. "Stephanie stated that she knew that Ethan was dead due to the fact that his arms were stiff, his body was cold to the touch and he had no pulse. Stephanie stated that she did not call the police because Nate told her that she would go to prison because of the bruising on Ethan from the prior abuse that week."
A probable cause statement filed when Nathan Sloop was booked into jail alleges the couple plotted to dispose of the body.
"This plan involved placing Ethan's body into plastic garbage bags and taping them up. He then put Ethan in a plastic bin," Layton police detective J. Roderick wrote. "Mr. and Mrs. Sloop drove Ethan to the Powder Mountain area where Mr. Sloop buried Ethan."
One of the statements says Stephanie Sloop purchased lighter fluid so they could burn the body, but another says only other evidence was burned. One of the jail statements also suggests a man named "Frank" was called to help bury the body. Layton police have not said they are seeking someone else in the killing.
Nathan Sloop led police to the grave at Powder Mountain, Fox 13 has learned.
"I find it probable to believe that Mr. Sloop engaged in a pattern of progressively more violent and injurious behavior towards Ethan," Roderick wrote.
Police wrote that Nathan Sloop took a hammer to the boy's face, disfiguring it and knocking out teeth "in an effort to defeat or delay identification."
A judge denied Nathan Sloop bail. He did set bail at $100,000 cash only for Stephanie Sloop, the Davis County Sheriff's Office said. The couple is due in court on Friday where they are expected to be formally charged.
I got this off of Fox's website www.fox13now.com
this is where you can see the video about the story.
LAYTON, Utah - The search for a missing 4-year-old Layton boy, Ethan Stacy, ended tragically Tuesday afternoon as authorities found his body in a shallow grave near Powder Mountain Resort. The mother and stepfather of the boy were arrested and booked into the Davis County Jail as investigators unraveled a web of lies used to cover up the murder. Stephanie Sloop, 27, faces felony child abuse, obstruction of justice and desecration charges. Nathanael Warren Sloop, 31, faces the same charges as well as aggravated homicide. He also faces a new charge of damage to a jail cell. Police say he allegedly damaged the cell during the course of his arrest.
Formal charges are expected to be issued during a court appearance for the couple Wednesday afternoon at the Davis County Courthouse in Farmington. This will be their first court appearance. Results pending from an autopsy performed on Ethan Wednesday morning by the Utah State Office of the Medical Examiner will determine the official cause of death.
The Layton Police Department says they do not believe the murder was premeditated.
Layton Police Lt. Garret Atkin conducted a news conference Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. announcing the discovery of the body and charges filed against Ethan's mother and stepfather.
"Anytime you get a crime involving a child like this it makes you really wonder how does something like that happen," said Atkin.
Layton police initially focused their search for Ethan in the vicinity of his apartment after he was reported missing Monday night. The search was later focused on an area near Powder Mountain after police received new leads Tuesday afternoon. Those leads brought the Layton Police Department, Weber County Sheriff's deputies and other crime scene investigation workers to an area near Wolf Canyon trail head, close by Powder Mountain Resort where they discovered a body of a boy matching Ethan's description.
The body was brought down from the mountain side off the Wolf Creek trail and was given to the state medical examiner, according to Layton Police.
"Persons of interest were interviewed, and information was obtained leading us to the possible burial site in the area of Powder Mountain," said Layton Police Lt. Garret Atkin. "At approximately 5:00 p.m. a body of a juvenile male matching Ethan's description was discovered at this site."
Stephanie Sloop, Ethan's mother, claimed she tucked him into bed late Monday night before he disappeared. She said the boy wandered from the apartment about five times in the last 10 days. Police Lt. Atkin says that the story of Ethan walking in his sleep "appears to be a ruse created by the mother, something to cover her tracks."
Prior to the search in the Powder Mountain area, authorities Tuesday morning searched the apartment complex, the Layton Hills Mall across the street and also questioned neighbors. As part of the investigation, police contacted all known registered sex offenders within a one-mile radius of Ethan Stacy's home.
Nathan's biological father was notified of the incident according to Layton Police Lt. Phillip Howell.
this is where you can see the video about the story.
LAYTON, Utah - The search for a missing 4-year-old Layton boy, Ethan Stacy, ended tragically Tuesday afternoon as authorities found his body in a shallow grave near Powder Mountain Resort. The mother and stepfather of the boy were arrested and booked into the Davis County Jail as investigators unraveled a web of lies used to cover up the murder. Stephanie Sloop, 27, faces felony child abuse, obstruction of justice and desecration charges. Nathanael Warren Sloop, 31, faces the same charges as well as aggravated homicide. He also faces a new charge of damage to a jail cell. Police say he allegedly damaged the cell during the course of his arrest.
Formal charges are expected to be issued during a court appearance for the couple Wednesday afternoon at the Davis County Courthouse in Farmington. This will be their first court appearance. Results pending from an autopsy performed on Ethan Wednesday morning by the Utah State Office of the Medical Examiner will determine the official cause of death.
The Layton Police Department says they do not believe the murder was premeditated.
Layton Police Lt. Garret Atkin conducted a news conference Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. announcing the discovery of the body and charges filed against Ethan's mother and stepfather.
"Anytime you get a crime involving a child like this it makes you really wonder how does something like that happen," said Atkin.
Layton police initially focused their search for Ethan in the vicinity of his apartment after he was reported missing Monday night. The search was later focused on an area near Powder Mountain after police received new leads Tuesday afternoon. Those leads brought the Layton Police Department, Weber County Sheriff's deputies and other crime scene investigation workers to an area near Wolf Canyon trail head, close by Powder Mountain Resort where they discovered a body of a boy matching Ethan's description.
The body was brought down from the mountain side off the Wolf Creek trail and was given to the state medical examiner, according to Layton Police.
"Persons of interest were interviewed, and information was obtained leading us to the possible burial site in the area of Powder Mountain," said Layton Police Lt. Garret Atkin. "At approximately 5:00 p.m. a body of a juvenile male matching Ethan's description was discovered at this site."
Stephanie Sloop, Ethan's mother, claimed she tucked him into bed late Monday night before he disappeared. She said the boy wandered from the apartment about five times in the last 10 days. Police Lt. Atkin says that the story of Ethan walking in his sleep "appears to be a ruse created by the mother, something to cover her tracks."
Prior to the search in the Powder Mountain area, authorities Tuesday morning searched the apartment complex, the Layton Hills Mall across the street and also questioned neighbors. As part of the investigation, police contacted all known registered sex offenders within a one-mile radius of Ethan Stacy's home.
Nathan's biological father was notified of the incident according to Layton Police Lt. Phillip Howell.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Ethan Stacy
This is a Blog set up for the sweet innocent 4 year old boy Ethan Stacy who was tragically taken from this earth on May 10th, 2010. And whose little defenseless body was found at 5 PM on May 11th, 2010
this is the story from the Deseret News found on www.deseretnews.com
4-year-old Layton boy was murdered, police say
Newlywed parents expected to be charged in death
LAYTON — His mother claimed her 4-year-old son had a habit of wandering out of their apartment in the middle of the night.
But police don't believe that was ever the case. Instead, detectives believe Ethan Stacy's step-father killed him and then he and the boy's mother tried to cover it up.
Ethan had been in Utah just 10 days. He'd been in Virginia with his father and arrived to spend the summer with his mother and his new step-father. The couple had just gotten married on May 1.
Nearly 17 hours after his mother reported him missing from their Layton apartment, Ethan's body was found buried more than 30 miles away in a remote area near Powder Mountain.
Just before 5 p.m., five officers were seen carrying a large blue tarp folded in two off of the mountain with the body of Ethan inside.
Nathan Sloop, 31, was arrested for investigation of aggravated murder, child abuse, obstruction of justice and desecration of a corpse. Stephanie Sloop, 27, was arrested for investigation of child abuse, obstruction of justice and desecration of a corpse.
Police say they contacted Ethan's biological father in Virginia and informed him of the tragic situation.
The announcement of the arrests capped a long and heartbreaking day for police officers who had searched throughout the night for the blond-haired, blue eyed boy with glasses, allegedly last seen wearing Spiderman pajamas.
"Anytime you get a case involving a child like this, it makes you wonder how that happens," Layton Police Lt. Garret Atkin said.
Investigators did not say Tuesday how, when or why Ethan was killed, but Atkin noted they do not believe his death was pre-meditated. Police believe after Ethan was killed, his body was driven to a remote area about 11 miles up Ogden Canyon near Wolf Creek Resort and Powder Mountain, past Pineview Reservoir, about 200 yards off the main canyon road in a heavily wooded area close to a dirt access road owned by Powder Mountain Ski Resort.
Investigators wearing yellow rain coats and carrying evidence bags and shovels focused on the specific area Tuesday afternoon. "Due to the weather and terrain, it (was) a very difficult crime scene to process," Atkin said.
Police were originally contacted by the boy's parents at 11:55 p.m. Monday. They claimed Ethan had gotten out of bed and wandered off again without them noticing.
Officers went door-to-door in the apartment complex asking if tenants had seen anything, checked trash bins, vehicles, storage sheds and area businesses. Police dogs aided in the search and night vision equipment was used to help search for the boy. Reverse 911 calls were made in the area and known sex offenders in the area were also questioned, Atkin said.
About 3 a.m., tenants said police knocked on all the apartment doors again, this time asking to conduct a thorough search of each unit.
Residents said the Sloops had just recently moved into the apartment complex.
"They checked the washer, the dryer, lower cupboards, the bathroom, that's good though," said neighbor Steve Haynes.
Even before the discovery of Ethan's body, many tenants questioned how the boy could have sneaked out of the apartment without the parents hearing the door.
Most residents said they had never seen the boy before and didn't even knew he was staying there.
By 11 a.m., after conducting several interviews with the Sloops, detectives got a break in the case and learned of a possible burial site near Powder Mountain.
"Their stories changed during the process. … They were trying to cover some tracks." Atkin said of the parents.
"Parents are always the ones (investigators) want to start with first in a missing person case. They are typically the last ones who have seen (the child)," Atkin said. "You have to do very, very thorough interviews with the parents."
About two hours later, Layton police announced they no longer needed volunteers to help search for Ethan. By 5 p.m. Ethan's body was recovered.
this is the story from the Deseret News found on www.deseretnews.com
4-year-old Layton boy was murdered, police say
Newlywed parents expected to be charged in death
LAYTON — His mother claimed her 4-year-old son had a habit of wandering out of their apartment in the middle of the night.
But police don't believe that was ever the case. Instead, detectives believe Ethan Stacy's step-father killed him and then he and the boy's mother tried to cover it up.
Ethan had been in Utah just 10 days. He'd been in Virginia with his father and arrived to spend the summer with his mother and his new step-father. The couple had just gotten married on May 1.
Nearly 17 hours after his mother reported him missing from their Layton apartment, Ethan's body was found buried more than 30 miles away in a remote area near Powder Mountain.
Just before 5 p.m., five officers were seen carrying a large blue tarp folded in two off of the mountain with the body of Ethan inside.
Nathan Sloop, 31, was arrested for investigation of aggravated murder, child abuse, obstruction of justice and desecration of a corpse. Stephanie Sloop, 27, was arrested for investigation of child abuse, obstruction of justice and desecration of a corpse.
Police say they contacted Ethan's biological father in Virginia and informed him of the tragic situation.
The announcement of the arrests capped a long and heartbreaking day for police officers who had searched throughout the night for the blond-haired, blue eyed boy with glasses, allegedly last seen wearing Spiderman pajamas.
"Anytime you get a case involving a child like this, it makes you wonder how that happens," Layton Police Lt. Garret Atkin said.
Investigators did not say Tuesday how, when or why Ethan was killed, but Atkin noted they do not believe his death was pre-meditated. Police believe after Ethan was killed, his body was driven to a remote area about 11 miles up Ogden Canyon near Wolf Creek Resort and Powder Mountain, past Pineview Reservoir, about 200 yards off the main canyon road in a heavily wooded area close to a dirt access road owned by Powder Mountain Ski Resort.
Investigators wearing yellow rain coats and carrying evidence bags and shovels focused on the specific area Tuesday afternoon. "Due to the weather and terrain, it (was) a very difficult crime scene to process," Atkin said.
Police were originally contacted by the boy's parents at 11:55 p.m. Monday. They claimed Ethan had gotten out of bed and wandered off again without them noticing.
Officers went door-to-door in the apartment complex asking if tenants had seen anything, checked trash bins, vehicles, storage sheds and area businesses. Police dogs aided in the search and night vision equipment was used to help search for the boy. Reverse 911 calls were made in the area and known sex offenders in the area were also questioned, Atkin said.
About 3 a.m., tenants said police knocked on all the apartment doors again, this time asking to conduct a thorough search of each unit.
Residents said the Sloops had just recently moved into the apartment complex.
"They checked the washer, the dryer, lower cupboards, the bathroom, that's good though," said neighbor Steve Haynes.
Even before the discovery of Ethan's body, many tenants questioned how the boy could have sneaked out of the apartment without the parents hearing the door.
Most residents said they had never seen the boy before and didn't even knew he was staying there.
By 11 a.m., after conducting several interviews with the Sloops, detectives got a break in the case and learned of a possible burial site near Powder Mountain.
"Their stories changed during the process. … They were trying to cover some tracks." Atkin said of the parents.
"Parents are always the ones (investigators) want to start with first in a missing person case. They are typically the last ones who have seen (the child)," Atkin said. "You have to do very, very thorough interviews with the parents."
About two hours later, Layton police announced they no longer needed volunteers to help search for Ethan. By 5 p.m. Ethan's body was recovered.
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