GUILTY IN - Christian Choate, 13, starved, beaten to death, Gary, April 2009

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tlcox said:
So very sad that no one outside the trailer cared enough for this child to notice he was just "poof" gone one day. If my neighbor told me his kid "ran away" and he hadn't bothered to look for him because they were busy making funeral arrangements for my wife's granny, and I never saw a missing child report or flyers inquiring about him - you can bet your sweet hindend I would be raising a stink and calling authorities myself.

Poor kid. :shakehead: If the reports of his treatment by the adults in the house are true at least now he is not disparaged, raged at, treated like a second class citizen, beaten or worse. Sad that in death this young man may well be experiencing the first peace he can recall.
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Neighbors said that they had reported to CPS. And nothing happened. And they said that after they heard that Christian ran away, they did go look in the woods. Yes it is surprising that they didn't contact authorities. But maybe knowing the history, maybe they made themselves believe that after his treatment he did get fed up and run away.
 
I guess I can see myself hoping that he had just run off especially after nothing happening by contacting CPS. But look at him, he is such a very young 13. I think I would still have to raise a stink, simply because my haunting WS has taught me what a dangerous world it can be for a young boy out in this world trying to survive on his own.

Don't misunderstand, I am not picking up a pitchfork against the neighbors - simply noting that it is very sad to me that no one in this young man's life was concerned enough to raise a big red flag when he just disappeared.
 
This whole story is crazy. Why wouldnt some one call LE after the father said he ran away? Why wouldnt his mother try to be in contact in 6 years? Didnt anyone tell the mother he was missing before? Why did the sister wait 2 years to tell her mother he was dead? So many questions so few answers. I have a feeling this is gonna be a strange puzzle to solve. RIP Christian
 
westsidefox64 said:
This whole story is crazy. Why wouldnt some one call LE after the father said he ran away? Why wouldnt his mother try to be in contact in 6 years? Didnt anyone tell the mother he was missing before? Why did the sister wait 2 years to tell her mother he was dead? So many questions so few answers. I have a feeling this is gonna be a strange puzzle to solve. RIP Christian
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I don't know. My guess would be that when they didn't find his grave in the woods, that they maybe tried to convince themselves that he had run away because of his treatment in the home.

As far as the mother, it says that she left him because he was 'abusive'. But he doesn't have any criminal record of dv at least in Indianna. She left at least some of the children with him. Don't know why. Why didn't she keep in contact? Again don't know why. Finances? They chose to stay with him so could stay with school and friends?? Don't know. Maybe he hadn't been abusive to the kids before?

Didn't anyone tell the mother he was missing? According to media mother hadn't been in contact with them for 5-6 years. Don't know why. Could be that one or the other didn't have a phone.

Why did sister wait to tell her? Don't know why. Don't know when she tracked down her mother and moved back with her. My guess would be that the girl didn't have a lot of trust. If there was abuse in the home she came from and mom had been out of contact for years, she may have had to learn to trust before she could talk to her. Or she could have gone to mom recently.

Though my thoughts are leaning toward the father being the killer, we don't know for sure yet. Could have been him, could have been her, could have been another kid. All he has admitted to is moving and burying him. And LE is planning to talk to "family in Ky" still. So hopefully we will know more.
 
My condolensces to the OP - you might not want to read what I am going to post.



Half way through this thread I had to look up whether or not Indiana had the death penalty. This story has been all over local news all day. The earliest I caught mid afternoon or the 4pm televison news so no link - was the childs body was so decomposed he couldn't be identified but the bible was described as being in good condition.

Then I come here and read this child was buried and covered with lime- at 'granny's house and MSM is reporting bio mom relinquished custody because she did not want to raise him and his now 17 yr old sister?

Then Dad apparently throws daughter under the bus to save step mom? Claiming the daughter not step mom helped bury him?

Ok, daughter aside - and neighbors who tried to call and report abuse aside - at what point do fists not fly? If for nothing other than no one is listening and if it takes kicking some or making some noise to get attention?

I suppose if I felt that desperate that no one was listening, it would be worth raising a hollar and maybe going to jail if it meant saving a childs life.

I'm flabbergasted - gobsmacked that this child was just taken across the street and 'sprinkled' with lime (seriously Gacy and the lime) in a shallow grave on a property that was not too wide - trailer parks are not even 25' wide city lots and no one had a red flag when 'granny' moved in and someone started 'remodeling' ' grannies' home? Seriously, trailer park lots are not even owned by the residents. Where the hmpf was the property managers? and how do you not notice what neighbors are doing when they are a few feet away?

I do not blame the 15 year old daughter. One had to be subjected to a whole lot of abuse to not speak up after being told to go try CPR on her already dead sibling.

It is very very sad this now 17 yr old couldn't even trust a neighbor at the age of 15- when neighbors reported 'big parties' for all 10 kids in this tiny two bedroom single wide trailor. In most area's occupancy with a family of 12 in a 2 br trailer would be a violation - someone should have known to call and report. and if reports are accurate that someone did call CPS - well I suppose blood on your dime is a bit different than heads rolling. No number of heads rolling will bring this child back.
 
Cubby said:
My condolensces to the OP - you might not want to read what I am going to post.



Half way through this thread I had to look up whether or not Indiana had the death penalty. This story has been all over local news all day. The earliest I caught mid afternoon or the 4pm televison news so no link - was the childs body was so decomposed he couldn't be identified but the bible was described as being in good condition.

Then I come here and read this child was buried and covered with lime- at 'granny's house and MSM is reporting bio mom relinquished custody because she did not want to raise him and his now 17 yr old sister?

Then Dad apparently throws daughter under the bus to save step mom? Claiming the daughter not step mom helped bury him?

Ok, daughter aside - and neighbors who tried to call and report abuse aside - at what point do fists not fly? If for nothing other than no one is listening and if it takes kicking some or making some noise to get attention?

I suppose if I felt that desperate that no one was listening, it would be worth raising a hollar and maybe going to jail if it meant saving a childs life.

I'm flabbergasted - gobsmacked that this child was just taken across the street and 'sprinkled' with lime (seriously Gacy and the lime) in a shallow grave on a property that was not too wide - trailer parks are not even 25' wide city lots and no one had a red flag when 'granny' moved in and someone started 'remodeling' ' grannies' home? Seriously, trailer park lots are not even owned by the residents. Where the hmpf was the property managers? and how do you not notice what neighbors are doing when they are a few feet away?

I do not blame the 15 year old daughter. One had to be subjected to a whole lot of abuse to not speak up after being told to go try CPR on her already dead sibling.

It is very very sad this now 17 yr old couldn't even trust a neighbor at the age of 15- when neighbors reported 'big parties' for all 10 kids in this tiny two bedroom single wide trailor. In most area's occupancy with a family of 12 in a 2 br trailer would be a violation - someone should have known to call and report. and if reports are accurate that someone did call CPS - well I suppose blood on your dime is a bit different than heads rolling. No number of heads rolling will bring this child back.
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Oh, don't for a minute think that you've offended me in any way.

I have never met my BIL's family. HE is a nice man and treats my sister well. We have no control over who we are related to.

I just want LE to get to the bottom of this, punish the guilty and somehow keep this from happening to another human being.

I will NEVER understand the disconnect in some women between giving birth and mothering. NEVER.
 
And YES - we have the death penalty. Our current governor, Mitch Daniels, and the man I hope will be next, Mike Pence, are supporters of appropriately used capital punishment.
 
Sickening! What a cute boy Christian was. For a mother to abandon her children is hard to fathom, but to leave them with a man you left because he was abusive is unthinkable!

RIP Christian, I'm so sorry your short life was filled with such horror.
 
The tiniest hint of closure was brought to a family of sisters Thursday as the women visited the spot where their nephew's body had been dug up just the day before.

Kristin Serrata, four of her sisters, their mother and a few other close friends went to the shallow grave site in the Gary mobile home park where investigators dug up the presumed body of their beloved friend and family member, Christian Choate.

"(We) had gone over to the shed where they had found him, and we laid flowers back there," she said. "It was bad. It was hard, and I still I can't believe it."
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/gary/article_d513fbec-ae21-5262-a86e-77b2702ac06c.html
 
I am happy to know that Christian was loved by his aunts!
 
Teacher: Gary boy sweet, energetic


Christian Choate was a sweet, cute blond-haired little boy with lots of energy, one of his teachers said.

Sheila Bechinski, a first-grade teacher at Hosford Park Elementary School in Gary, said when she had Christian as a student, he was living with his mother and her boyfriend.

"He was a very sweet little boy, high energy like most kids his age," she said.

Bechinski said she often saw the mother's boyfriend who would come to the school whenever requested
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Sounds like when Christian was enrolled as a 1st grader it was his mothers boyfriend at the time who was perhaps the main caregiver.

I guess I am unsure, given dads criminal record and moms boyfriend being what appears to be (at least externally) the main caregiver how ultimately no one intervened during the time he was enrolled at Hosford.

And when he was pulled from school in March of 2005 (a few months prior to his mom leaving in July of 2005) why there was no follow up to ensure he was re-enrolled and attending school?

Where was the sister who ultimately reported his death attending school? I assume they attended the same school, at least through the spring of 2005.

Does Indiana not have required physicals for KG or by such and such a date for 1st graders? Do they not have required dental exams for students at a certain grade?

It's hard to understand how this child fell through so many cracks. Very very sad.
 
Christian's body will remain at the Lake County coroner's office until DNA testing can confirm the identity, Adams said.

The body then will be released to Ridgelawn Funeral Home and Ridgelawn Cemetery, whose owner Robert Williams said he is donating full burial services to the family because he feels "obligated" to help.

"That's why we're here," he said. "To service the families under any circumstances."
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/gary/article_8da9e8d1-f931-51b1-9cdb-c902ffc3b7be.html
 
I am glad Christian will receive a proper burial. Thanks go to Ridgelawn for stepping up to offer their services.
 
Oh bless, and LE thought this 12 year old child was a runaway. 2 years is a very long time for a youngster like that to be missing.

Bless his heart - he can rest in peace now.

Please Lord, if you're listening, please no more missing children. The heart can only take so much.

Hugs,

Mel
 
LE was unaware til very recently. The child was never reported missing. Because his father and stepmother were apparently responsible for killing and burying him and his bio mother was reported to have either "given him and his sister up because she didn't want to raise them" or "father won custody even though he is abusive" depending which report you wish to believe. NOt a soul reporetd that this child had been "missing" for two years.
 
tlcox said:
LE was unaware til very recently. The child was never reported missing. Because his father and stepmother were apparently responsible for killing and burying him and his bio mother was reported to have either "given him and his sister up because she didn't want to raise them" or "father won custody even though he is abusive" depending which report you wish to believe. NOt a soul reporetd that this child had been "missing" for two years.
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Don't get it! Not a family member, friend, the school? A 12 year old isn't exactly out of sight (well at least mine isn't). An employer who asks - do you need health insurance for your child. OMGosh so many scenarios.

I know that if a friend of my sons 12 year old went missing, I'd be all over it like glue. Where was the extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, neices, nephews).

Oh he's gone....oh well.

I'm gobsmaked!

Mel
 
A resident of Gary's Black Oak neighborhood, Christian began his public education in Lake Ridge Schools, district officials said. They said he finished kindergarten, two years of first grade and began his second-grade year at Hosford Park Elementary School in Gary.

He was withdrawn in March 2005, three months before school was over for the summer, and transferred to Merrillville Community School Corp
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/gary/article_a70eb2cf-866e-5377-b951-db37022687d8.html
 
“In Kentucky, detectives executed several search warrants and have been taking statements from several individuals,” Assistant Chief Dan Murchek said Friday.

“They will be back either late tonight or early tomorrow.”
http://www.wlsam.com/Article.asp?id=2180456&spid=
 
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