How Could You? Hall of Shame-Christina Harms case-Death UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Kearns, Utah, 22-year-old disabled adult adoptee Christina Harms was found dead after being horribly abused. She had been adopted by her aunt. After the aunt’s death, she was then placed in the care of guardians Dale and Sherrie Beckering. After 8 months, she came into the care of Sherrie’s daughter, Cassandra Shepard.

Christina is believed to have had Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. She leaves behind a 2-year-old daughter who is now in protective custody.

Much like the reasoning of child collectors  who are incentived by collecting government money, there is a disturbing trend of gaining guardianship over disabled adults, both adopted and not. Many times child collectors also have disabled adults in their home, some of who are tapped to care for the adopted children.

Police were called to the scene on Friday March 25 to investigate a possible drug overdose. There they found Christina. Police believe that she had been “bound in a crucifix formation in a small closet .”

“The suspects were accused of putting a pepper seed in the eyelid of  22-year-old Christina Harms and covering her hands with bandages to stop her getting it out.”

“Investigators found Harms’ body covered in bruises with marks on her wrists and ankles.”

“In a closet protected by an alarm system, they discovered a metal bar and plastic zipper ties officers believe were used to bind her.”

“An autopsy conducted by the Utah state medical examiner revealed ‘significant injuries to Harms’ body,’ which were ‘consistent with with evidence’ found at the scene, according to Salt Lake County Jail report.”

Three caregivers arrested as disabled woman ‘bound like crucifix in closet’ is found dead
[Daily Mail 3/29/11]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

 

Update: “One of three individuals charged in a death described as “straight out of a horror movie” was sent to prison Monday.

Dale Beckering, 53, said little before he was sentenced by 3rd District Judge Robert Faust to one to 15 years in prison for aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult acting recklessly, a second-degree felony, in the death of 22-year-old Christina Harms.

“As much as I deeply regret what happened … I can’t make a statement at this time because I’ve instructed my attorney to appeal this case,” he said

Beckering was found guilty by a jury in November. He was originally charged with a first-degree felony, which could have carried a potential sentence of life in prison.

The 22-year-old woman’s body was found March 25, 2011, in the living room of the Kearns home she shared with Beckering, his wife Sherrie, stepdaughter Cassandra Shepard and a number of children.

Harms’ hands and arms were bound with ace bandages, and there was a pepper seed in her eye. Bruises spanned her side and leg. When police arrived at the home, Harms’ body was just feet from the closet where she was apparently housed and sometimes bound, crucifixion-style.

Sherrie Beckering and Shepard are each facing a first-degree felony charge of aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult, but Shepard is also charged with murder, a first-degree felony, and obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.

Harms suffered from fetal-alcohol syndrome, and witnesses said she functioned at the level of a young teenager. Shepard was Harms’ legal guardian.”

Prison sentence for man accused in abuse and death of vulnerable woman[Deseret News 2/14/12 by Emiley Morgan]

“Noting that even a 5-year-old knew what was going on in the house, a judge on Friday sentenced Sherrie Beckering to the maximum term of five years to life in prison for the death of a disabled woman living in her home.

 

Sherrie Beckering, 51, was found guilty in September of aggravated abuse of a disabled adult, a first-degree felony, in the 2011 death of Christina “Nina” Harms.

 

Harms, 22, lived in Beckering’s home at 4978 S. 5415 West. Prosecutors say Harms, who suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome and had the mental capacity of an 8- to 12-year-old, was constantly kept in a small closet where she was bound crucifixion-style and forced to eat and go to the bathroom while being bound to a metal bar.

 

Beckering’s daughter, Cassandra Shepard, 27, of South Dakota, was Harms’ legal guardian. Beckering and her husband, Dale Beckering, were both arrested and charged. All three lived together in their Kearns house with Harms.

 

Before sentencing, defense attorney David Berceau pleaded with 3rd District Judge Katie Bernards-Goodman not to send his client to prison. She has no prior criminal history, spent much of her life taking care of Harms, and wasn’t aware of the abuse that was happening in her house because she worked so late every night to support the family, Berceau argued.

 

“She believes she should have known,” he told the judge. “She should have put two and two together. She loved Nina, there’s no doubt about it.

 

“This has been a tragedy all around. My client has lost everything. … I’m asking this court not to imprison my client. I think she deserves an opportunity to get back on her feet.”

Beckering made her own tearful plea to the court before being sentenced.

 

“Nothing I say will bring Christina back,” she said. “I’ll never forgive myself for this, ever.”

 

But prosecutor Chad Platt reminded the court of the trial testimony from witnesses, including grandchildren who were also living in the house at the time. When a 5-year-old granddaughter was asked when Harms got to come out of the closet, she said never.

 

“Nina never got to come out of that closet. She never made it out alive,” Platt said.

 

Goodman agreed, saying that the abuse Harms suffered didn’t just happen in one day, and the red flags were abundant.

 

Outside the courtroom, Berceau said it was a “sad day for everyone.” The presumption of “you should have known” was a strong bias to overcome.

 

“I think that’s the end result of why my client got convicted because there’s that type of bias that people have that, ‘You should know,'” he said. “My client is reacting horribly, as you can expect. She’s never had an ounce of trouble in her life. She intends to appeal. I believe the jury got it wrong.”

Berceau said the testimony of the children during the trial was “all over the place,” and he’d be surprised if anybody who read their transcripts would find his client guilty based on their testimonies.

 

Beckering cried with her head hung low, often times shaking her head, as she listened to Platt and and the judge talk in court. Three unidentified people were in the audience of the courtroom, apparently to support Beckering. The courtroom, however, was largely empty. None of Harms’ friends or relatives were present, though several submitted letters to the court.

 

“I think the decision was the correct decision,” Platt said after the hearing. “We’re satisfied to see justice done to this point.”

 

“She had to know — anybody would have known,” Platt said of Beckering’s claim that she was unaware of the abuse going on in her home.

 

Dale Beckering, Sherrie’s former husband, was sentenced in February to one to 15 years in prison after he was convicted of a reduced charge of aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult, a second-degree felony. He, too, claimed he had no idea of the abuse taking place.

 

Shepard is charged with murder, a first-degree felony, aggravated abuse of a disabled adult, a first-degree felony, and obstructing justice, a second-degree felony. Her seven-day trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 25.”

Kearns woman ordered to life sentence in death of disabled adult[KSL 1/4/13 by Pat Reavy]

“A former Aberdeen woman who admitted to abuse and manslaughter in a case involving the 2011 death of Central High School graduate Christina Harms could spend life in prison.

Cassandra M. Shepard, 29, was sentenced Friday in Utah to from five years to life in prison on a charge of intentional aggravated abuse of a disabled adult. She was sentenced from one year to 15 years in prison on the manslaughter count. She previously pleaded guilty to the charges, resulting in a murder charge being dropped.

The prison terms will be served consecutively. Ultimately, a Utah parole board will decide when or if Shepard ever gets out of prison.”

Shepard could spend life in prison for Harms death[Aberdeen News 3/22/13 by Scott Waltman]