This is Christian Choate.
Christian’s body was found in a shallow grave in Indiana in May. His body was found buried and encased in cement with a Bible put on his chest. He had been dead for two years before anybody had noticed he was dead.
Well, his family knew. His father and step-mother had kept him under “house arrest” for the last years of his life. He was kept locked in a 3-foot dog cage, repeatedly beaten and abused by his older sister and his father. When he asked for food, he received a beating. When he would cry because of the beatings, he would be beaten even more.
When he escaped from the cage, his father put seven locks on it. The keys were placed next to his father’s computer whom would play racing games feet away from his son struggling to survive in a metal cage.
In April 2009, Christian was too ill to eat. As opposed to receiving medical aid or proper attention, his father ”punched him with full force several times in the front, side and back of his head before throwing him back in the cage.”
One of the most horrific parts in my opinion? He was forced to write about it:
The almost unbearable part of the reports released by the court late last month is an account of letters that investigators say Christian had written while in the cage. While other children in the family were outside playing, he allegedly was told to write his thoughts down. The records indicate that his stepmother, in ordering him to do this, seemed especially sadistic; the topics she assigned him included “Why do you still want to see your mom?” and “Why can’t you let the past go?”
Here, according to the court-released documents, is some of what Christian wrote about:
- “Christian often stated he was hungry or thirsty.”
- “Christian wrote of why nobody liked him and how he just wanted to be liked by his family.”
- “Christian stated that he wanted to die because nobody liked the way he ‘acted.’ “
- “Christian wrote of how many times he had to steal food or use the bathroom in his place of confinement.”
- “Christian wrote of how he was ‘let out’ to clean or vacuum but then had to go back to his ‘place’ (the dog cage) immediately afterwards.”
- “Christian wrote of how he had nothing to do and if he asked for something to do he was given a piece of paper and a pencil.”
- “Christian wrote of how everybody else was outside playing but he was not.”
The report concluded: “The writings go on and on of how isolated and sad Christian was on a daily basis.”
(via tomatoneedles)
