Burow's husband, Loren, is Mona Hauer's brother. Robin Burow said the boy and his two siblings, who are still living with the Hauers, were originally brought to them for foster care when they were taken from their birth mother's home. The Burows were happy when they found out the Hauers would be adopting the children and keeping them in the family. That changed about five years ago when Mona Hauer cut off ties with the Burows. They were shocked to see the boy's condition when he was returned to their care during the investigation of the Hauers.
"Those first transitional weeks were pretty rough for everyone," Robin Burow said. "As (the boy) got more comfortable, he shared more and more what life was like with the Hauers. The isolation, corporal punishment and their 'fix-it' plan solutions were just the opposite of what a child of trauma responds positively to.
"Their rigid parenting was like rubbing salt in an open wound, causing pain and adding to his trauma history."
The boy put his statement into story form. The first half of his story talked about a child who was starved, spanked and endured a month of treatment in the hospital. After making it clear the story was really about him, the second half talked about a boy who is "awesome," loves to ride his bike and looks forward to going to school.
It was the comparison of two photographs that "tipped the scales" and made it clear the Hauers deserved jail time, Krehbiel said. One photo was of the boy after he had been taken to the hospital. The other was a recent photo from the Burows, who said his weight has doubled and he has grown nearly 8 inches during the past year. The boy had only gained 5 pounds during the five years he was under the care of the Hauers.