How Could You? Hall of Shame -Leslie and Gary Erickson 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 Eagle Mountain, Utah, adoptive parent Leslie Erickson (age 40) has pled not guilty to 5 counts of child abuse and her husband Gary Erickson (age 69) has pled not guilty to 3 counts of child abuse. All counts are second degree felonies. The child abuse allegations are related to abusing 3 kids in their care –a 5-year-old adopted daughter, a 6-year-old adopted son and a 7-year-old adopted son. They have 7 children in all, but only the adopted children were abused.

“According to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, the couple took their 5-year-old daughter to a fire station in March 2010, saying she had fallen and hit her head. The girl’s condition quickly deteriorated and she was flown by a medical helicopter to Primary Children’s Medical Center, where doctors cut away nearly half her skull to relieve pressure on her brain.

While Leslie Erickson reportedly claimed the girl tripped on a rug and hit her head on the bathroom floor, doctors told investigators the girl’s injuries were caused by a force equal to an unrestrained child hitting her head on a windshield in a car accident. She also allegedly had injuries consistent with strangulation and injuries in various stages of healing from “head to toe.”

According to police, both Erickson and her husband withheld information or gave false statements to doctors when asked how long the girl was without oxygen.”

Contender for most revolting defense lawyer statement: “She’s looking forward to getting her day in court,” Langford said. “She’s a wonderful mother.” To see how “wonderful” she is, please read the previous reports below.

Couple pleads not guilty to child abuse, get trial date
[Daily Herald 3/23/11 by Jim Dalrymple]

Previous Reports

“Police arrested a mother who they say locked her adopted children in their rooms at night, forced them to stand for hours in timeout and abused one child so badly she needed part of her skull removed to relieve swelling on her brain.”

The 5-year-old girl was adopted in October 2009 and had come from an “abusive, drug-filled home.”

“Police said at one point Erickson picked up a 6-year-old adopted son, cursed at him and threw him down the stairs, the police report states.

Erickson also allegedly caught the 6-year-old and his 7-year-old brother sneaking jelly beans, so she forced them to eat an entire bowl of jelly beans and then gave them buckets in which to vomit, according to the report.

Any children who wet the bed were forced to stand for hours in the bathtub, and Erickson told detectives she disciplined the children by striking the bottom of their feet and toes with a belt, the report states.”

7 children taken from Eagle Mountain mother in abuse case
[Deseret News 3/26/10 by Sara Israelsen-Hartley]

“Leslie Erickson has passed multiple criminal background checks in the past and was a foster parent.”

The “girl is still not doing well and is very damaged from the alleged abuse.”

Husband and wife charged with abusing three adopted children
[Daily Herald 4/1/10 by Janice Peterson]

Gary “also struck the children with a belt, according to the affidavit.”

Eagle Mountain couple charged with abusing adopted children
[Deseret News 4/8/10 by Paul Koepp]

Update: From August 2011, “In a wavering, barely audible whisper, a mother pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to abusing her children. Seconds later, her husband quietly bowed his head and pleaded guilty as well.

Moments earlier, attorneys for Leslie Erickson, 49, and Gary Erickson, 61, told the court that the couple’s charges were the result of serious physical injuries that were knowingly inflicted on their children. Leslie pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree child abuse, as well as two class A misdemeanors for child abuse. Gary pleaded guilty to three class A misdemeanors for child abuse.
Leslie originally was charged with five second-degree felonies and Gary was charged with three second-degree felonies, all for child abuse. Prosecutors reduced the charges as part of a plea bargain.

Leslie’s attorney Michael Langford told the court Tuesday that she had intentionally harmed her young daughter in 2010 while living in Eagle Mountain. The girl sustained serious injuries to her head, hands and neck, Langford said. He also told the court that sometime between 2007 and 2010 Leslie had “negligently caused serious injuries” to two adopted children.

Gary’s attorney Robert M. Archuleta told the court that Gary also had intentionally caused physical injury to two children between 2007 and 2010.”

“According to police, both Leslie and Gary withheld information or gave false statements to doctors when asked how long the girl was without oxygen. They also allegedly provided false written information to investigators.

Two boys also were physically abused, according to prosecutors, and all three children were allegedly forced to stand for hours without meals. If the children wet their beds they were reportedly required to stand in a tub for hours as well.

Leslie allegedly told police she disciplines the children by striking the bottoms of their feet and toes with a belt, while Gary reportedly also admitted to using a belt on the children. Gary was not arrested when his wife was taken into custody, but was charged later.

Following the Ericksons’ hearing Tuesday, Archuleta said that the entire experience had been difficult for the couple.

“What a hellish experience they’ve been through,” he said. “They lost nine children as a result of these allegations.”  Excuse me? hellish for “the couple”?

“Prosecutor Julia Thomas said that the children have since been adopted and that they are in therapy.”

“The Ericksons will both be sentenced on Oct. 4. Leslie faces a possible one- to 15-year sentence in prison for her second-degree felony conviction, as well as up to a year in jail for each misdemeanor. Gary also could receive a year in jail for each of his misdemeanor convictions. Thomas said that prosecutors have not made any agreements with the couple regarding sentencing recommendations.”

Eagle Mountain couple pleads guilty to abusing their children
[Daily Herald 8/24/11 by Jim Dalrymple]

Leslie received “one to 15 years in prison for second-degree felony child abuse, as well as one year in jail for each of two class A misdemeanors, also for child abuse. Gary was sentenced to a total of three years in jail — one year for each of three class A misdemeanors for child abuse. Hansen ruled that all of the couple’s sentences would run consecutively.”

Their 5-year-old daughter “allegedly had injuries consistent with strangulation and wounds in various stages of healing from “head to toe.”

The investigation that ensued resulted in the couple being charged with abusing their two young adoptive sons as well. Leslie and Gary both accepted plea bargains in August and consequently earned reduced charges. Leslie had faced five second-degree felonies while Gary had faced three second-degree felonies.

Tuesday in court, defense attorneys representing the couple pleaded for fairness and mercy. Michael Langford, who represented Leslie, said probation would be an appropriate sentence. He pointed out that Leslie had sought counseling on her own and continues to suffer for what she did.

“She lost her family,” Langford told the court. “She is essentially an outcast in the community.” We are not shedding a tear for you!

“Gary’s attorney, Robert M. Archuleta, further explained that Gary was less culpable and would be better able to pay restitution if he remained out of jail and gainfully employed.

But prosecutor Julia Thomas painted a different picture of the Ericksons. She said that Leslie had never told police what actually happened to her adopted daughter, instead forcing authorities to speculate. Even without Leslie’s explanation, however, Thomas said authorities believe the girl was severely beaten, held up by the neck of her gown and then thrown against a hard object.

“This little girl very nearly died,” Thomas added, saying that doctors removed almost half of the girl’s skull and she continues to suffer neurological defects.

Following Thomas’s remarks, the children’s three foster parents recounted the difficulty the children continue to face. They said that the bottoms of the two boys’ feet were beaten, and all three kids were subjected to cruel and sadistic punishment methods. One foster mother — who said in court she did not want to be publicly identified — said those methods included zip tying the kids to beds, forcing them to stay up all night, requiring them to stand in a bath of ice water for hours and making them lie face down on the garage floor in their underwear for long periods of time.

“Why wasn’t she sorry when she had these children?” the foster mother said of Leslie. “These children will live with those scars probably for the rest of their lives.”

All three foster parents who testified asked the judge to impose the maximum possible prison sentences. Thomas also said that prosecutors had offered the plea bargain in the first place simply to protect the victims from having to testify about the abuse in court.

“It became apparent to us that it would be in their best interest to resolve this case,” Thomas said, referring to the children. “It’s not because I believe misdemeanors reflect what went on.”

Before the sentence was pronounced, Archuleta passionately argued that the information presented by the foster parents was not included in police reports and was not consistent with the facts of the case.

While Hansen commended Archuleta and Langford for their professionalism, he ultimately sided with prosecutors and ordered the couple to begin their sentences immediately. The ruling elicited loud sobbing from spectators in the courtroom. When prosecutors then asked that the Ericksons be taken into custody without a chance to say goodbye to family members, several people in the courtroom shouted “no.” Bailiffs also stood nearby as the Ericksons’ supporters exchanged angry words with supporters of the victims’ foster parents.

Langford had no comment after the sentencing, and Archuleta said he had nothing to add to his comments in court. Thomas said that the children continue to undergo therapy, but that she was satisfied with the resolution.

“These children needed somebody to stand up for them,” she said.”

Eagle Mountain couple sentenced for child abuse
[Daily Herald 11/2/11 by Jim Dalrymple]

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