Found Deceased MO - Christopher Marks, 12, Eureka, 5 Aug 2012

[katydid23]

Originally Posted by Jules71

Step Dad is a 7 time DUI offender.

http://fox2now.com/2012/08/14/christ...-repeated-dui/

"Christopher Marks grandmother says they’ve heard from kids who were with Step-Dad Combs that August 5th weekend, reporting that he bought them Bud Light, Captain Morgan rum and a malt liquor called 4 Loko."

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All that hard booze for a group of 12 yr olds???????????? @#$%^^&&

That man should be locked up.

[katydid23]

THis really angers me that he allowed such young children to drink, let alone while they were in dangerous swimming conditions.

And this is coming from someone who purposely allowed both of her kids to 'learn' how to moderate their own use of alcohol when they were about 18. I know very well that kids are often exposed to alcohol once they leave for school, so I made sure my kids knew what their ability to drink was like. They were allowed some wine at Christmas and champagne on New years eve. It is dangerous for kids to be exposed to hard drinking in college if they have never had a drop. IMO

But twelve year olds?

[longtallcold]

http://fox2now.com/2012/08/14/christ...-repeated-dui/

Fox2 also made a legal request to Saint Louis County Police asking for all calls to Step-Dad Combs’ address. A printout lists 24 calls in 2011 and 2012 for things like “peace disturbance” and “domestic.”

I am impressed with Fox2 doing some investigating! Wish they had some people like that for all these cases!

[chicagofa13]

Lots of failure here. Mom, stepdad, other adults, state not locking SD up. Etc. Ridiculous.

[momtective]

Drowning expert called in to assist in case concerning Affton boy

http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/332...ing-Affton-boy

[Coldpizza]

But moments later, what had become a recovery effort, quickly moved almost two miles downstream to the Allenton river access near Eureka. Police said Christopher's stepfather, one of the last to see boy, was the first to spot his body.

"It's a freaky coincidence," explained Andrea Zaferes, vice president of Lifeguard Systems in Shokan, New York. "When I first heard about it, I said, yeah, that really doesn't make sense."

http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/332...ing-Affton-boy

[Coldpizza]

"It was a tragic, needless drowning," she explained. "The first issue is that the water was moving faster than it usually was."

She said that's thanks to a big storm the night before Christopher disappeared. The other issue, though, revolves around what his sister said he was doing earlier that night.
http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/332...ing-Affton-boy

Isn't that a contradiction of the water being shallow?

[Coldpizza]

High Ridge Deputy Chief Tom Lakin says he was surprised when Marks’ body turned up six miles down the shallow river.

http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Crimi...165498886.html

[luvhockey]

A little update with the investigation into the stepdad Todd Combs

court records indicating Combs is a seven time DUI offender. Combs even served prison time for DUIs and the courts revoked his license, yet we caught him driving to get a pack of cigarettes.

http://fox2now.com/2012/08/14/christ...-repeated-dui/

[Jules71]

http://www.southcountytimes.com/Arti...it-Family.html

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[Jules71]

http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-jou...309f47a04.html

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[SmoothOperator]

Thanks for posting jules!.. I was quite impressed with this piece and found it to be one of the more thorough, in detail explanations of just how very much a fellow students death can truly affect not only the studens, but faculty as well.. As they said even if they did not personally know Christopher.. That just by their hearing about the death of a fellow student could absolutely bring about personal, un dealt with situations of death that they have previously experienced, but for whatever reason had never had the opportunity to work through the multitude of feelings and phases that one goes through in grieving the loss of a loved one.. I am very much impressed with just how well this district is head on facing, dealing with, and helping one another cope with this beautiful young man's tragic death.. Kudos to those in charge!..

On a different note I take it that it was ruled an accidental drowning?.. As I do know some locals were very much throwing around their opinion that the step father was even more guilty of his death than by just mere negligence and lack of supervision involving alcohol consumption (as if that's not bad enough).. But as I said some felt possibly he'd been beaten to death and the drowning "staged" by the step dad.. I'm assuming it's been proven those accusations were false, but I do still find him culpable of this beautiful young man's death.. Jmo tho!

Has there been anything further about possible charges being brought against the stepfather?

TIA to anyone who may have any info .. And again thanks, jules for posting this..

[Jules71]

I sent an email to Fox 2 asking for an update on Todd Combs (Christopher's step dad).

http://fox2now.com

Will let you know if I hear anything.

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[Jules71]

Originally Posted by Jules71

I sent an email to Fox 2 asking for an update on Todd Combs (Christopher's step dad).

http://fox2now.com

Will let you know if I hear anything.

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I got an email back saying they are following this closely but do not have any new info. They said these things can take time.

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[IHAVENOCLUE]

Jules....thanks so much for taking the effort to keep us updated so thoroughly!

[neverletgo]

A 42-year-old was charged Wednesday for allegedly providing alcohol to his 12-year-old stepson in the hours leading up to the boy's drowning death in the Meramec River.

According to the St. Louis County Police Department, Todd Combs was charged with seven counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

<snipped>

[ more @ source ]

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Originally Posted by neverletgo

A 42-year-old was charged Wednesday for allegedly providing alcohol to his 12-year-old stepson in the hours leading up to the boy's drowning death in the Meramec River.

According to the St. Louis County Police Department, Todd Combs was charged with seven counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

<snipped>

[ more @ source ]

I am glad LE followed up on this guy...

But.... Too little... Too late....

[TxLady2]

What a shame! Anytime you put a kid like that near water, and give them alcohol to boot, that's just begging for trouble. This man should be put away for the rest of his miserable life!

[chicagofa13]

Calls for harsher charges imo. Might as well been drinking and driving and crashing the car. Still killed him.

[watcher9]

Another link about charging TC -

http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Stepd...171377631.html

Another link explaining why they could not pursue a manslaughter charge -

http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Boy-w...171558201.html