How Could You? Hall of Shame-Sandra and Jeffrey Weller and Lawsuit 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 Vancouver, Washington, international adoptive parent Sandra Weller, 48, and her husband Jeffrey Weller, 42, “face second degree assault, unlawful imprisonment and criminal mistreatment charges” for abuse of their Filipino 16-year-old twins. Sandra adopted the boy and girl from California when they were two years old. They were homeschooled. Sandra and Jeffrey were arrested October 12 “after police got a tip from Child Protective Services.”

“Court documents say the couple kept food under lock and key and fed very small amounts to their adopted 16-year-old twins an average of once a day. The twins told police they had to constantly steal food to survive. When they were caught, the Wellers forced them to take off their pants and underwear and lie on the kitchen floor while Jeff Weller beat them with a 42’’ wooden stick, often making them bleed, according to court documents.”

“The twins told police the abuse went on for as long as they could remember. They are now in protective custody.

Court documents say the couple removed the interior door knob from the twins’ bedroom seven months ago and installed an alarm that activated when the door opened. They were not allowed to leave their bedroom other than to do chores and occasionally eat, court documents said.

There was no clock or electricity in their bedroom. The window was locked as well, documents said.

The twins were not allowed to touch other family members, sit with them or use the same utensils, documents said.

Recently, the 16-year-old boy stole some food and the “good utensils” and took them to his bedroom for him and his sister to eat. When Jeff Weller discovered it, he assaulted his adopted daughter by hitting her with a stick approximately 20 times, according to the documents. Documents say he also pushed her to the floor and strangled her until his wife Sandra told him to stop. He then hit Sandra, who said she was just trying to keep him from going to jail. Jeff Weller replied this one would be worth it, documents said.

Police said officers were allowed to look inside the Wellers’ home, located at 14118 NE 17th Circle, and said it was very dirty and extremely cluttered. The refrigerator had a bicycle lock on it, and the pantry doors had key locks on them. Jeff Weller kept the keys to those locks, police said.

Officers also discovered a large, boarded up hole in the twins’ bedroom that connected to an adjoining room. Police said the twins told them other children in the home used the hole to pass them food.
Court documents say when officers interviewed Jeff and Sandra Weller, they told police the twins hoarded food and eat a lot so they had to lock up the food. When police asked about the twins’ emaciated state, the Wellers replied the two are skinny because of their Filipino heritage.”

The Wellers posted bond and were released after their first court appearance on Oct. 13. They will be arraigned on Oct. 27.

“”My home, our property. No one likes to be falsely accused,” said Jeff Weller as he and his wife charged passed the reporter and into their home.

Neighbors said they’ve heard yelling, loud noises and have even seen some bizarre behavior from the teenagers in the middle of the night. They didn’t want to get involved but are now horrified to hear how prosecutors say these teens were tortured.”

Couple accused of beating, starving, imprisoning adopted twins
[KATU 10/18/11 by Max Barr]

There is no information yet on the other children that passed them food in the home. How many? Were they also adopted? Answer revealed in Update below.

Update: Jeffrey and Sandra Weller were charged with five counts of second-degree assault and two counts of unlawful imprisonment.”

” Both suspects already made a first appearance in Clark County Court and were appointed court attorneys. ”

“Child protective services case workers had ongoing concerns about two adopted twin children of Jeff and Sandra Weller long before the children were taken into protective custody earlier this month.

Child Protective Services Spokeswoman Sherry Hill said the state’s division logged eight separate allegations of child abuse involving the Weller’s since 2004.

Hill said case workers were concerned about the low body weight of the Weller’s adopted twins. They also voiced concerns the children were in danger of being abused. But when case workers interviewed the children they both denied being deprived of food or being abused.

That made it difficult for case workers to act even though they suspected the adopted twins were being mistreated.

Finally on Oct. 7, case workers responding to another alleged abuse allegation, concluded the children “needed help” and were removed from the Weller home. ”

Jeffrey’s Alleged Physical Punishment

“As punishment for stealing food from the home’s kitchen, the court probable cause documents allege the children were beaten by 42-year-old Jeff Weller, always under the supervision of his wife Sandra, 48.

“As a ‘punishment’ both are made to lie on the kitchen floor with no pants or underwear covering them and are struck in their buttock region repeatedly with a wooden stick, often making them bleed,” reads the documents.”

Child protective services had concerns about abuse of Vancouver twins
[KOIN 6 10/19/11]

“Now neighbours in the quiet suburban street are regretting not acting earlier…Last month, one neighboring family discovered three large containers of Greek yogurt missing from their refrigerator, and another family discovered ripe tomatoes had been snatched from their vines. Both neighbors assumed the culprits were the skinny twins.

They were saddened to learn the Wellers have been accused of beating them, confining them in a room with no doorknob or electricity and withholding food.”

“Yelena Makhanov, 24, who lives across from the Wellers, told oregonlive.com: ‘It’s heart-breaking. I feel guilty that this was going on 30ft away from our front door.’

“It was the 16-year-old girl who slipped a note to an authority figure about the alleged abuse on October 5.

Sherry Hill, spokeswoman for the Children’s Administration in the Washington Department of Social and Health Services said the note launched the ninth investigation of abuse.”

The Other Children in the House

Similar to the other ongoing How Could You? Cases in Washington, the Hana Williams Case  and the Trebilcock Case , only the adopted children had these inhumane punishments. 

“This time, after interviewing the twins at the house on October 7, child welfare workers removed them from the home, along with 14 and 12-year-old sons from Jeffrey Weller’s earlier marriage, a 10-year-old son from Sandra Weller’s first marriage and a four-year-old boy from the Weller union. ”

“The twins were adopted as toddlers in California by Sandra Weller and her first husband.”

In addition to the removal of the doorknob and alarms in their room, there was “no electricity inside the room; the fuses to the outlets had been removed and there were no working lights, police said. ”


Couple accused of beating, starving and imprisoning adopted teenage twins [Daily Mail 10/20/11]

Jeffrey’s Alleged History and How His Family Tried to Get the Kids Help

“According to court documents in Jeff Weller’s divorce and custody case with his ex-wife, Weller told the court his ex-wife had “a pattern of abuse against her children and neglected them.”

His ex-wife’s mother, the boys’ grandmother, said it was Jeff Weller who was abusive.

“If he would talk his dad would beat him with a board.”

The boys’ grandmother, Beth, agreed to speak with KATU News if we did not use her last name or show her face.

Beth said she is sad about what happened to her grandchildren and she is mad at the system.

According to a January, 2008 Department of Social and Health Services report, one of her grandsons told a social worker the Wellers punished him by forcing him to stand in a corner for days.

He also said he was “going without food in his father’s home.”

“My grandson was telling me how his dad would give him one apple a day,” said Beth. “That’s what he got to eat for an entire day.”

“Beth said what’s most upsetting to her is the state of Washington knew all of this, but a guardian appointed by the court took the boys from their mother in June and placed them in the Wellers’ home.

In July, the boys’ great-grandmother told the family law court that Sandra Weller abused one of the boys by lifting him up against the wall by his throat. She also said Sandra Weller confined him in his room for a month.

The boys remained in the home until the Wellers were arrested Oct. 12 on abuse charges related to their adopted twins. They are now with their mother in Battle Ground, Washington.”

‘If he would talk his dad would beat him with a board’
[KATU 10/19/11 by Thom Jensen]

“The twins’ father, Tim Graf, told KPTV that he plans to attend a Vancouver juvenile court hearing Thursday to support his children and address his ex-wife.

Graf, a pilot in Utah, fought for custody of the twins and a son from his 15-year marriage to Sandra Weller during a messy seven-year-long divorce.

In a Dec. 20, 2004, divorce document, Graf said he believed “that the children need to be rescued.” The document goes on to say: “His hope is that some day, CPS will eventually get enough evidence to remove them.”

On Wednesday, neighbor Makhanov said she regretted not intervening.

“I’ve seen her smack some of the kids around but not over the top,” she said. She and another neighbor discussed calling child welfare authorities; the other woman called in a complaint about how the children were treated a few days after the Wellers’ arrest. ”
Vancouver couple accused of beating teenage twins, confining them to room without electricity
[The Oregonian 10/19/11 by Kimberly A.C. Wilson]

CPS Access Previously Denied

“According to a spokeswoman with the Department of Social and Health Services, eight past allegations were brought forth from 2004 to 2010 involving the children’s weight, medical neglect, physical abuse and the children being left home alone.

Abuse allegations of Vancouver twins date back years
[KPTV 10/20/11 by Natalie Brand]

Neighbors Tell of Escalating Violence and Odd Chores

“Neighbors told FOX 12 they long suspected something wasn’t right because of what they describe as constant yelling and fighting at the home.

Vancouver couple accused of locking twins in bedroom
[KPTV 10/19/11]

“Inside the children’s bedroom was also a small boarded-up hole, where apparently some of the other children in the house would sometimes try and sneak the twins something to eat.”

“The Wellers were released from prison after posting $100,000 bond.”
Jeffrey and Sandra Weller, Vancouver Parents, Charged With Routinely Starving and Beating Adopted Twins
[Seattle Weekly Blog 10/19/11 by Curtis Cartier]

Update 2: Neighbors DID report them to CPS as early as 2004.

“Chunks of hair missing on the children’s scalps. Late-night screaming matches. A sickly skinny runaway twin.

Child Protective Services reports and neighbors’ 911 calls reflect a pattern of alleged abuse by Vancouver parents accused of locking up and starving their adopted twins that dates back to at least 2004.”

“Residents surrounding the Weller home in an upscale cul-de-sac of Vancouver’s North Hearthwood neighborhood also said they called the police several times over the past six years to no avail.

“I could hear the kids screaming. I could hear the abuse,” said Kim, who’s home is behind the Weller house. She asked that her last name not be used for fear of retribution. “I’m happy for the kids that they’re out of the situation, but sad that it took so long.”

Kim said she’s called the police at least five times, including once when she heard Jeffrey Weller shout “he was going to kill his whole family.”

“She called all the time. It’s heartbreaking,” echoed Alice Glessner, who lives around the corner from the Wellers. “Those kids took enough abuse.”

Jeffrey Weller, a production specialist at Wafer Tech, and stay-at-home mom Sandra Weller were arrested Oct. 12 on suspicion of five counts of second-degree assault and two counts of unlawful imprisonment.”

“The Columbian has filed public records requests for the CPS reports and police reports in this case; the requests have yet to be answered, as public agencies have some time to respond.”

“Of the eight referrals to CPS, six were “concerns (the twins) were physically abused in some way, or that they were very underweight and seemed malnourished,” said Sherry Hill, spokeswoman for the Department of Social and Health Services.

Hill said most referrals were made by people who are mandated by law to report abuse or neglect.
In the referrals, the agency couldn’t take action, she said, because the twins would deny abuse. Also, in many of the cases, CPS workers weren’t allowed inside the home, so they were unaware of the living conditions, she said.

The case hit a turning point Oct. 5 when one of the twins passed a note to an authority figure detailing the abuse. The official reported it to CPS, which called in Vancouver police — something they hadn’t done previously because “they didn’t have enough information in earlier referrals,” Hill said.
Still, neighbors said they had tried to alert police before.”

The Children Were in Public School Until One of the CPS Complaints!

“Glessner remembered one of the twins as a very skinny boy who would walk to Hearthwood Elementary School with her granddaughter six years ago. She recalled that he had large chunks of hair missing. The boy said he was told to say it was cancer treatments, she said.

Glessner’s family was so concerned about possible warning signs that they told a school counselor, who referred the report to CPS, she said. The Glessner family never heard anything more — but then the boy was quickly removed from the elementary school, she recalled. Police reported the twins have been home-schooled.”

“In hindsight, Glessner said she wished she would have pushed harder. “I feel like I let the boy down without knowing him. But I just didn’t know,” she said. “Those kids went through another six years of torment.”

Her neighbor, Kim, said in the four years that she’s lived in the neighborhood, she constantly heard screaming coming from the house. One night six months ago, she said she heard a distinct smacking sound.“I could hear a slap from my house, hand to skin,” she said. “It was that hard.”

Earlier, about eight months ago, she said one of the twins, the girl, ran away from home late at night. She turned up at Kim’s neighbor’s house. Kim’s neighbor called her over to help.

“She said she was being locked up, not given food and (was) hit,” Kim said.

The neighbors called police. “Two officers responded and said her parents were very concerned,” Kim said, adding that the officers took the child back home.

Another Case Where CPS Tries to Play Cop

A common issue in many of these cases is that the police are not called often enough.

“When reached Thursday, Kim Kapp, spokeswoman for the Vancouver Police Department, said there have been three police calls to the Weller home this year and several others in previous years. However, she said according to the department’s records, only one call concerned an allegation of abuse. That was in 2007.

She said reports were forwarded to the Children’s Justice Center for review. The results of that investigation weren’t immediately known; a deputy prosecutor said he couldn’t find record of receiving the report.

Kim, the neighbor, said she has hope for the twins’ future safety now that they’re in foster care.

“I was happy and, at the same time, it was disheartening that it took so long,” she said of the investigation. “But I was happy something had been done about it.”

CPS, neighbors reported abuse suspicions starting in 2004
[The Columbian 10/20/11 by Laura McVicker]

Update 3: Tina Toth is the mother of two of the four children. She lives in Battle Ground, Washington. Those children are currently in her custody while the twins  and other two children are in foster care.

“”I can’t say this wasn’t predictable … deep down, I knew at some point there would be a major incident,” she said.

“Graff’s report, filed with the court in May, concluded that Toth – and not Weller –posed a safety risk to the children.

“The children in this matter … are at extreme risk of harm if they remain any longer in the mother’s home … they should be removed immediately,” the report states.

In contrast, Graff stated she had “no reservations” about having the children reside with Weller.

Graff’s recommendations were given despite a 2007 psychological evaluation listing what one local psychologist stated should have been a “warning flag for serious abuse.”

Per that evaluation, as quoted by Graff, Weller has “issues with chronic and intense anger;” and is “over-controlled with brief, impulsive episodes of acting out” coupled with “a subtle paranoia” that can make Weller “hostile when criticized.”

The same doctor also evaluated Sandra Weller and concluded she is “aggressive” and “defines her view as the correct one and assumes that to disagree with her is simply a demonstration of one’s lack of understanding,” per Graff’s report.

Rather than be concerned by the psychological evaluations of the Weller’s, Graff stated Toth’s children would benefit from exposure to both Jeff and Sandra Weller.”

Battle Ground mother speaks out: ‘the system failed’
[The Reflector 10/26/11 by Marcus Griffuth]

“Jeffrey Weller, 42, pleaded not guilty to five counts of second-degree assault and two counts of unlawful imprisonment. His trial was set for March 26.

Trial for Sandra Weller, 48, is in limbo, as her attorney requested a mental health evaluation to determine whether her client is competent to proceed. Sandra Weller will be evaluated at Western State Hospital. Clark County Superior Court Judge Robert Lewis set a review hearing for Nov. 29.”

“Lewis also granted a request by the defense to allow the Wellers supervised visitation of their four other sons, excluding the twins. A no-contact order is in place barring the parents from seeing the 16-year-old twins, a boy and a girl.

The judge said he would allow visitation with the other four children, as long as it didn’t interfere with the dependency matters in family court.

The judge’s decision angered the former spouses of both Wellers, who attended Thursday’s hearing.
“It’s unbelievable and we will be taking steps to protect our children,” said Tina Toth, Jeffrey Weller’s ex-wife, who shares two sons, 12 and 14, with him.

Tim Graf, Sandra Weller’s ex-husband from Colorado, flew in for the hearing. He shares a 10-year-old son with Sandra Weller. The two were married when she adopted the twins 14 years ago in California. Outside court, he said he simply cares about the children’s welfare.

“We’re concerned for the kids’ safety — concern for their safety and sense of safety,” Graf said.”

“Both Wellers are free on bail. ”

“Graf said he saw the twins two weeks ago and they seemed “surprisingly good.” He described them as special needs children, but couldn’t identify specific diagnoses or conditions.”
Couple accused of starving, imprisoning twins appear in court
[The Columbian 10/27/11 by Laura McVicker]

Update 4: “Judge Scott Collier said the two 16-year-olds will stay in their separate foster homes, in Woodland and Stevenson, respectively, until December. At that time, he will decide whether to place them together, per attorneys’ request.

The judge had initially placed them in separate homes, as one of the twins wanted to be temporarily apart from his sister. The male twin’s attorney, Maggie Smith Evansen, told the judge he had expressed a change of heart.

The male twin was present for the hearing, but declined to speak to a reporter because the criminal investigation against his adoptive parents, Jeffrey and Sandra Weller, is pending.

“I’m doing much better now,” he said outside the courtroom, standing next to Evansen.

At Monday’s hearing, the judge also denied a request for the Wellers to have supervised visitation of their four other children, excluding the twins.

The four boys are currently placed with family members or in foster care.

Collier said he is waiting on a letter from the Children’s Justice Center that outlines whether the Wellers face additional criminal charges relating to the other children before deciding on visitation.

Several attorneys in court had hinted of the possibility of more charges. A review hearing on that matter is set for Nov. 22.”

Imprisoned twins to stay in foster care for now
[The Columbian 11/14/11 by Laura McVicker]

Update 5: “Family law attorneys hinted of the possibility of additional charges against the twins’ adoptive parents, Jeffrey and Sandra Weller. Assistant Attorney General Cindy Gideon said in court that there was evidence the Wellers exhibited manipulation and control over the four children — all boys ranging in age from 4 to 14 — not currently named as victims by prosecutors.’

“After the hearing, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Dustin Richardson said he could not yet say whether more charges would be filed, but confirmed there’s an active investigation against the Wellers relating to the other children.

Also in court, attorneys raised concerns about one of the twins’ stability. Attorneys and social workers said the twin, a 16-year-old boy, who is in a foster home in Woodland, may be involved in gang activity. They said he was just suspended from high school for tagging on school grounds and marking himself with gang signs.

Outside the courtroom, the twin — skinny, not gaunt, and wearing a backwards hat and baggy pants — told a reporter, “I’m doing much better now.” His twin sister was not present for the hearing; she has been placed in a foster home in Stevenson.”

“The judge said he expects to set a trial on all six children’s permanent custody sometime next spring. A hearing to schedule the trial was set for April. 19.

Trial for Jeffrey Weller, 42, in the criminal case is set for March 26.

Trial for Sandra Weller, 48, has not yet been set; she has a review hearing Nov. 29 to determine whether she’s mentally competent to proceed.”

New charges possible in alleged abuse of twins
[The Columbian 11/14/11 by Laura McVicker]

Update 6: “Sandra Weller, 48, appeared in Clark County Superior Court Tuesday for review of a Western State Hospital evaluation on whether she’s competent to assist in her own defense.

The review was postponed until March 6, after attorneys heard the state hospital wouldn’t be able to evaluate Weller until next year.”

Mental check postponed for imprisonment suspect
[The Columbian 11/29/11]

Update 7: Sandra and Jeffrey both go to trial on June 25, 2012.

On Thursday January 19, 2012, “Sandra D. Weller, 48, pleaded not guilty to five counts of  second-degree assault and two counts of unlawful imprisonment.”

“After a series of postponements, Weller received a new  attorney, Suzan Clark, who dropped the request for a mental  evaluation, clearing the way for Weller to be arraigned.”

“The twins were placed in foster care; the other four children  in the Weller home were either placed in protective custody or  with another family member.

A trial to determine the children’s custody will be set this  spring and is expected to follow resolution of the defendants’  criminal cases.

Mother in child-imprisonment case arraigned

[Columbian 1/19/12 by Laura McVicker]

Clark County Superior Court public case record search reveals that on 2/1/12, Sandra was assigned a trial date of June 25, 2012. She had motion hearings on 3/5/12 and 4/6/12.

Clark County Superior Court public case record search reveals that on 2/1/12, Jeffrey was also assigned a trial date of June 25, 2012. On 3/9/12, he requested a substitute in counsel and it was granted on 3/15/12. His attorney filed for discovery for CPS records and on 6/1/12  this  motion was filed “To Suppress All Evidence  Seized From The Deft Residence For  Failure To Obtain Warrant , Failure Of State To Show An  Exception To Warrant Requirement.”

 

REFORM Puzzle Pieces

Update 8: A search of the Clark County public court case records shows that on June 11,2012 a court date of October 8, 2012 was set. On July 23, 2012, a motion to suppress the interviewing of the minor children was asked for. On September 12, 2012, a motion hearing was set for January 31, 2013 and a trial date of February 4, 2013 was set.

Update 9: “The trial of two parents who investigators said imprisoned, abused and starved two teenage twins began Monday [February 4, 2013] with jury selection.

Jeff and Sandra Weller face second degree assault, unlawful imprisonment and criminal mistreatment charges. They were arrested Oct. 12, 2011, after police were tipped off by child protective services.

Jeff Weller pleaded not guilty to all the charges last year. His wife Sandra was ordered to undergo a mental evaluation before she could enter a plea.

The twins are now in foster care and the Wellers have not been allowed any contact with them. However, the couple did get supervised visitation rights with their other four children.

Court documents said the couple kept food under lock and key and fed very small amounts to the twins an average of once a day. The twins told police they had to constantly steal food to survive.

When they were caught, the Wellers forced them to take off their pants and underwear and lie on the kitchen floor while Jeff Weller beat them with a 42-inch wooden stick, often making them bleed, according to court documents.

In one incident, court documents said Jeff hit the female twin with the stick about 20 times.

The twins, who were home-schooled, were adopted by Sandra Weller in California when they were 2 years old. The twins told police the abuse went on for as long as they could remember.

Court documents also said that early in 2011, the couple removed the interior door knob from the twins’ bedroom and installed an alarm that activated when the door opened. They were not allowed to leave their bedroom other than to do chores and occasionally eat, court documents said.

There was no clock or electricity in their bedroom. The window was locked as well, documents said.

Court documents indicated Sandra was also the target of some abuse by Jeff and detailed numerous other instances of abuse, including strangulation, directed at the teenagers.”

Trial of parents in Vanc. child abuse case begins today

[KATU 2/4/13]

“When investigators crossed the threshold of Jeffrey and Sandra Weller’s home to do a welfare check on Oct. 7, 2011, the tidy living room appeared to be a model of suburban family life. But as officers stepped into other rooms in the North Hearthwood house, they began to see signs of something more sinister, said Clark County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Dustin Richardson.

Richardson’s description during an opening statement Monday kicked off the trial of the Wellers, accused of imprisoning, starving and beating their 16-year-old adopted twins. The couple faces nearly a dozen charges of unlawful imprisonment and physical abuse of the twins.

The allegations are expected to be strongly contested by the Wellers’ attorneys.

“Pay close attention and careful attention and keep an open mind,” Suzan Clark, who represents Sandra Weller, told the jury. “The allegations in this case are false, and in the end, we will ask you to return a verdict of not guilty.”

After rejecting a plea offer in the case, Jeffrey Weller was slapped with an additional five charges of physically abusing four other children in the household. They include two biological sons, 14 and 12, of Jeffrey Weller and his ex-wife, a 10-year-old biological son of Sandra Weller, and a 4-year-old biological son of Jeffrey and Sandra Weller.

Richardson said investigators found a well-stocked kitchen pantry under lock and key. The refrigerator was locked with a rubber-coated bicycle lock. Upstairs, investigators found the bedroom that belonged to the twins, one boy and one girl. It lacked electricity, lights and floor covering. The bunk beds were missing one mattress. The door was locked from the outside, and there was no handle on the inside so that the children could let themselves out.

The twins told police that they were locked in their room, isolated from others and fed no more than once a day, Richardson said. They were prohibited from dining with the rest of the family. Instead, they were fed a can of vegetables, usually spinach or collard greens, with a spoonful of shortening. They had to eat it, standing, out of the can, Richardson said.

Because they were hungry, the twins often took food without their parents’ permission, he said. Their siblings would find the keys and give it to the twins, he said.

“When they were inevitably caught, this was when they would get this horrendous punishment,” Richardson said.

The 16-year-old girl took most of the blame, he said. Following Sandra Weller’s instructions, Jeffrey Weller would force the girl to remove her pants and panties and lie on her stomach on the kitchen floor, Richardson said. Jeffrey Weller then struck her with a piece of scrap lumber, measuring 1 inch by 2 inches by 42 inches. On one occasion, he also attempted to strangle her, he said.

Richardson said he would present evidence of marks and scars on the girl that are consistent with this type of punishment. He said forensic evidence also would show that her blood was on one end of the board, and Jeffrey Weller’s DNA was on the other part, which would have been used as a handle.

The other four children, interviewed by police, corroborated the twins’ story and added their own accounts of abuse, including being thrown across a room for keeping a messy bedroom, the prosecutor said.

Defense attorney Clark said Sandra Weller denies abusing the twins and denies encouraging her husband to do so.

Clark said unlike the prosecution’s claim, the twins, who were home-schooled, were not isolated. She said they participated weekly in home-school social events outside the home.

“(They) were very much part of this family,” Clark said. “The children bear Mr. Weller’s last name (even though they were adopted by Sandra Weller and her ex-husband). They by choice wanted to adopt … the surname, Weller.”

Clark said the allegations of abuse happened after a change in the family dynamic: Jeffrey Weller’s sons from his previous marriage came into the home in June 2011 after a custody battle. Those children had behavioral issues, Clark said.

Monday began with jury selection in the case. Fifty-five candidates were whittled down to a jury of 12 with one alternate. Testimony is expected to begin today.”

Details emerge in child-imprisonment trial

[The Columbian 2/4/13 by Paris Achen]

Update 10: “A Child Protective Services investigator testified today that 16-year-old adopted twins were very thin and had dark, sunken eyes when she saw them on Oct. 7, 2011, during a welfare check at the Weller home in East Vancouver’s North Hearthwood neighborhood.

Kim Karu was the prosecution’s first witness in the trial of Jeffrey, 43, and Sandra Weller, 50, in Clark County Superior Court. The couple is accused of imprisoning, starving and beating the twins. Jeffrey Weller also has been charged with abuse of biological children in the home.

Karu described bicycle padlocks on the family’s kitchen cabinets and refrigerator. She said at the top of the stairs were food cans that appeared to have been jimmied open, rather than opened with a can opener.

Vancouver police officer Sandra Aldridge followed Karu on the stand just before 10:45 a.m., corroborating that account and adding more details.

“To me, it looked like (the cans) had been opened by any means necessary,” Aldridge testified.

Karu said the twins’ room was unlike any teenager’s bedroom she has seen as a social worker. It had no electricity or doorknobs, and there was a lock on the outside of the door, she said. There was no consistent flooring; it was a patchwork of floor boards and carpet scraps, she said. Photos entered into evidence showed a secret passageway between the twins’ bedroom and that of the two of the other children. The passageway was covered with a board and a pile of clothing. Previous reports by The Columbian indicated that the biological children used the passageway to sneak food to the twins.

Aldridge echoed Karu’s description of the twins’ bedroom. She also noted that it was cluttered, filthy and had a keyed lock on the window.

Defense attorney David Kurtz during cross-examination asked Aldridge whether she had seen other children’s bedrooms that were that cluttered.

“I have seen cluttered bedrooms,” Aldridge replied. “(The twins’) bedroom is the worst I’ve seen in 16 years.”

In contrast, the couple’s other four children’s rooms has electricity, flooring, colorful decorations and age-appropriate toys and games, Karu said. The other children also were “chubby” and appeared to be normal children, she said.

Alridge’s testimony also introduced a key piece of forensic evidence in the prosecution’s case: a piece of lumber Jeffrey Weller allegedly used to strike the twins until they bled.

At Senior Deputy Prosecutor Dustin Richardson’s direction, Aldridge unwrapped the piece of wood from police evidence packaging. She said the children referred to it as “the stick.” She said she found brown stains on one end of the stick that appeared to be blood stains.

In Richardson’s opening statement Monday, he said the prosecution would present evidence that Jeffrey Weller, at Sandra Weller’s urging, would beat the twins with the stick.

“That’s not the stick,” Sandra Weller murmured to her attorney. But after looking at some photographs, defense attorneys Suzan Clark and Kurtz made no immediate attempt to challenge the authenticity of the item. Clark is expected to cross-examine Aldridge after the lunch break.”

Investigator: Twins in Weller home very thin, with sunken eyes

[The Columbian 2/5/13 by Paris Achen]

Update 11: “A forensic scientist testified Wednesday that blood stains on the end of a piece of scrap lumber allegedly used by Jeffrey Weller to repeatedly beat his adopted twins match the DNA of the twin boy.

The testimony marked the third day of the Vancouver couple’s trial on charges that they imprisoned, starved and beat their adopted twins. Jeffrey Weller also is charged with physically abusing three biological children in the family’s east Vancouver home. The charges are restricted to the time period of Oct. 7, 2010, to Oct. 7, 2011, though the twins, now 17, allege the abuse began years before that.

Through their attorneys, the couple deny abusing the children.

Heather Pyles, a forensic scientist at the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory, testified that she made DNA profiles for three swabs of blood taken from the wood piece, and all three samples matched the DNA of the twin boy. The likelihood that someone else’s DNA would match blood samples is one in 13 sextillion, she said.

Pyles also testified that a mixture of DNA likely belonging to Jeffrey Weller and the twins was found on the opposite end of the wood piece, the area that most likely would have been used as the handle.

Pyles’ testimony followed another key prosecution witness: the twin girl who was allegedly abused. (Her twin brother testified on Tuesday.)

She testified that she and her twin brother were treated differently than the other four children, who all were biological children of Jeffrey and/or Sandra Weller.

The twin girl said she was expected to stay in her room except for chores, meals and schoolwork. She said there was no lock on the door to keep her inside, but there was an alarm that went off when the door was open. Her twin brother shared the room with her but sometimes was allowed to sleep with another brother for what the Wellers considered to be good behavior.

She testified that she and her twin brother were fed moldy food, including bread, while the rest of the family ate good food. When she refused to eat the food she was given, she said, she was punished. Her parents would force her to hold hot spices in her mouth, she said.

Child abuse physician Kim Copeland of the Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center’s Child Abuse Assessment Team, who evaluated and examined the girl, testified that the girl said that when she refused to eat food the Wellers gave her, she was forced to hold a spoonful of a hot or salty spice in her mouth and then swallow it without anything to drink. Spices included steak pepper, chili, salt, cayenne pepper and others, Copeland said.

“Her mouth would be swollen and bleeding inside,” Copeland said. “She said, ‘It felt like a hole in my cheeks.’ ”

She also disclosed that Sandy Weller mixed moldy food, dead and alive flies and bacon grease in her food, Copeland said.

“She would throw up often when that happened,” Copeland said.

During cross-examination, David Kurtz, Jeffrey Weller’s attorney, asked whether the twin girl was ever fed hot dogs, burgers or steak in the Weller home. She said that she had been.

The 11-year-old son of Sandra Weller later testified that the twins were only allowed to share food that the rest of the family ate when there were guests in the household.

The food in the household was locked up, all the children testified. There were locks on the refrigerator and on kitchen cabinets.

The 11-year-old testified that he and the other biological children would smuggle food to the twins or find ways to get the keys to cabinets, unlock them and tell the twins to go get food from the cabinet.

“I felt kind of bad about (the twins) eating rotten food,” the 11-year-old testified. “One day, we decided that’s not fair, so we decided to get real food for them.”

When the Wellers found out food had been stolen, they punished the twins by beating them with “the board,” which is what the children called the piece of wood.

The twin girl said the beatings caused splinters and bleeding. Sometimes, she said she was whipped with the cable-style bicycle lock that was on the refrigerator. She also described one occasion when Jeffrey Weller tried to choke her. Sandra Weller stopped him.

The 11-year-old said the twins’ beatings usually happened after he went to bed. He said he found out about the beatings because one time the sounds of one of the twins screaming woke him up.

He said Jeffrey Weller did all of the beatings, but Sandra Weller would tell him how many times to strike.

Copeland testified Wednesday that the twins showed signs of malnutrition and had scars consistent with being repeatedly beaten.

Copeland said the twin boy had a broken arm that never was set and had healed with a bend in the bone. The boy told her that the injury happened when Jeffrey Weller was beating him with “the board,” she said. The boy said the board hit his arm when he tried to protect himself, she said. She said the injury was consistent with that description. She said he also had skin discolorations consistent with being repeatedly beaten with a board.

Copeland also said she found scars on the twin sister’s back that were consistent with being whipped with a cable-style bicycle lock.

She said both of the twins were underweight. She said the twin girl was 5-foot-5-inches and 89 pounds, about the fifth to seventh percentile of weight for her age and height. The twin girl testified Wednesday that she now weighs 138 pounds.

At 119 pounds and about 5-foot-9 inches, the twin boy was in the 10th to 25th percentile for his age and height, she said. He testified Tuesday that he now weighs 145 pounds.

The physician also gleaned other details about the alleged abuse from evaluations and examinations she did on the twins and three biological children in the home.

Jeffrey Weller’s son, now 13, told her that the children were bathed only once a week. They also had to share the bath water because the Wellers didn’t want to waste water, she said.

She said the twin boy had disclosed that his twin sister had soiled the floor in their bedroom because she couldn’t get out of the room to go to the bathroom. Her twin brother said his sister had to stay in her room about 22 hours per day, Copeland said.

He told Copeland that the soiled area was cleaned up with bleach, she said. After the bleach was poured, he told her that he and his twin sister were forced to sit in the room for 15 minutes with the door and window shut, she said.

“He described it as being hard to breathe and choking,” she said.

Pieces of particle board, carpet scraps and rugs were then thrown over the spot, she said.”

Forensic scientist, child abuse expert testify in Weller trial

[The Columbian 2/6/13 by Paris Achen]

“The trial of a Vancouver, Wash., couple accused of abusing adopted twins is in the hands of a jury after both the man and woman took the stand to deny beating the children.

Clark County prosecutors say Jeffrey and Sandra Weller imprisoned, beat and starved the boy and girl in 2011 before they were removed from the home. Jeffrey Weller also is charged with physically abusing three biological children.

KATU-TV reports (http://is.gd/wVu2iu ) that Jeffrey Weller acknowledged hitting the boy once as discipline. The station says Sandra Weller testified Thursday that she saw her husband “use a belt one time” but she said she never hit the children.

The now-17-year-old twins both testified. The girl said they were fed moldy food and she was beaten with a cable-style bicycle lock.

Dr. Kim Copeland testified the girl has scars on her back and the boy had a broken bone that was never set after he said he was beaten with a board.

Copeland said both teens were malnourished but have since gained weight.”

WA child abuse trial goes to jury

[San Francisco Chronicle 2/7/13 by Associated Press]

Update 12: The jury came back with guilty verdicts on Friday afternoon.

“Clark County Superior Court jurors convicted Jeffrey and Sandra Weller on multiple counts including second-degree assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful imprisonment and third-degree assault causing bodily harm, The Columbian reported (http://is.gd/JcpOib).

Jeffrey Weller was also convicted of choking the twin girl and assaulting his biological son and Sandra Weller’s biological son.

The couple testified Thursday in their own defense, denying the charges.

“I didn’t do it. I was framed. I will appeal this,” Jeffrey Weller declared Friday as he was taken away in handcuffs. Sandra Weller’s lawyer said her client would appeal as well.

Sentencing was set for March 12.

The Columbian says the six children in the family were removed from the home in 2011.

Five of the six children testified during the five-day trial, including the twins, now 17. The twin girl said she was beaten with a cable-style bicycle lock.

A doctor testified the girl has scars on her back and the twin boy had a broken bone that was never set after he said he was beaten with a board.

The twins and their adoptive siblings testified that the Wellers fed the twins only once a day with moldy food or bowls of canned vegetables served with shortening. The other four children were fed hot prepared meals at the dining room table, testimony showed.

The refrigerator and cabinets were locked, the children said. The six children worked together to access food in the cabinets for the twins to eat by unscrewing cabinet hinges, swiping their parents’ keys and smuggling food through a hole they cut between their bedrooms, they said.

When the Wellers found out, the twins were beaten with a scrap of lumber until they bled, the twins said.

Jurors were told that outside of the daily meal, chores and schoolwork, the twins were expected to remain in their room, which was monitored by an alarm over the door.

The twins now live in separate foster homes in different parts of Washington.”

Wash. couple convicted in adopted twins abuse case

[Seattle Times 2/8/13 by The Associated Press]

Three remaining issues: Why are the twins separated? Why didn’t the noncustodial adoptive father gain custody of them? Was this a private, domestic placement; a California foster care placement; or international adoption. Some agency or attorney was involved in this placement and needs to have accountability as well.

Update 13: Hat tip to commenter TAO for answering question 3-info pasted below. Now the questions are who was the homestudy agency and placing agency? Did US DOS report this to the Philippines?

http://www.scribd.com/doc/110850354/Severe-Abuse-of-Adopted-Children-Report-9-27-2012-2

“AD and BD- 16 year old twins

AD and BD, teenage twins, were adopted internationally  when they were approximately 2 years old. There is significant CPS history on the family prior to the children being placed into protective custody. Previous  allegations included: multiple allegations of physical  abuse and other inappropriate discipline,parents  withholding food, and concerns about the children being  under weight and overall well-being.

When interviewed the adoptive mother spoke with open  hostility about the children. The motherdescribed that the family no longer attend certain community events due to  people making commentsabout how sad and malnourished the adopted children looked. The children were homeschooled as the mother did not want the teachers feeling sorry for them because they are “all sad” and looked like theyare  starved at home. The mother referred to the adopted twins as “monsters” and reported that one child had multiple mental health disorders. Previous contacts with the  child’s school did not substantiate the behaviors reported by the mother.

The adoptive mother and her current husband physically punished the adopted children with a boardmade of  splintered wood. When law enforcement found the board, the  bottom third was covered indried blood. In addition to being physically punished, the twins were subject to   discipline”

Update 14: The sentencing was supposed to be on March 12. That did not occur. I checked the public court case record and it was rescheduled to March 20 at 3 PM.

Update 15: Jeffrey was sentenced to 21 years in prison. Sandra was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

“The sentences were delivered before a standing-room-only crowd by Clark County Superior Court Judge Barbara Johnson. Jeffrey Weller, 43, and Sandra Weller 50, were dressed in navy blue jumpsuits. The twins, a boy and girl now 17, sat in the front row.

 

The Wellers showed no visible reaction to the sentence.

 

“They got what they deserved,” the boy said after the sentencing. “Now it’s time to put it behind us and for me and my family to move on.”

 

Jeffrey and Sandra Weller were convicted Feb. 8 of three counts of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful imprisonment, second-degree assault, and four counts of third-degree assault causing bodily harm. Jeffrey Weller was also found guilty of strangulation of the girl twin, another count of third-degree assault and two counts of fourth-degree assault.

 

“I’ve seen tears, I’ve breathed the meaning of agony,” the boy twin wrote in a victim impact statement read aloud Wednesday by his attorney, Maggie Smith Evansen. “I’ve watched long nights of hurt and sorrow that can only come from a lonely hell. Yet still, we pushed on, waiting for a light at the end that took so many years to come.”

 

That light appeared on Oct. 7, 2011, when Child Protective Services removed him, his twin sister, and four other siblings from the Weller house.

 

In the trial, the twins and their adoptive siblings described that “lonely hell” in graphic detail. The twins, their adoptive brother, and another sibling all wrote victim impact statements to the judge, as did the couple’s ex-spouses.

 

The Wellers fed the twins only once a day with moldy food or bowls of canned vegetables served with shortening. The twins were ordered to eat it while standing up. Meanwhile, the other four children were fed hot prepared meals at the dining room table.

 

If the twins refused to eat what they were given, they were punished. For instance, the twin girl said she was forced to hold a spoonful of hot spices in her mouth and then swallow them without anything to wash it down.

 

All of the cabinets and the refrigerator were locked, the children said. The six children worked together to access food in the cabinets for the twins to eat by unscrewing cabinet hinges, stealing their parents’ keys and smuggling food through a hole they cut between their bedrooms, they said.

 

When the Wellers found out, the twins were beaten with a scrap piece of lumber until they bled, they said. On rarer occasions, Sandra Weller whipped the girl twin with a cable-style bicycle lock normally used to secure the refrigerator, the twins said.

 

“We all grew up in a place where the people who are there to protect us were the monsters that other children fear,” the boy twin wrote. “The people who were there to hold us drew our blood on a regular basis.”

 

Outside of the daily meal, chores and schoolwork, the twins were expected to remain in their room, they said. The Wellers monitored the twins’ movement with an alarm over the door and over the staircase between the bedrooms and kitchen, and a lock on their window, they said.

 

The girl twin soiled the carpet in her bedroom because she was unable to leave, her twin brother said.

 

Clark County Deputy Prosecutor Dustin Richardson  had recommended a sentence of 20 years each for the couple. Under standard sentencing guidelines, the couple would have faced no more than 10 years in prison, but the jury found that there were aggravating factors, which allowed for an “exceptional” sentence. Among the factors were that the abuse was on par with torture.

 

Judge Johnson said she found that an exceptional sentence was appropriate. Jeffrey Weller received an extra year in prison because he was convicted of also assaulting his biological son and Sandra Weller’s biological son.

 

Johnson said the trial was “one of the most difficult” she had heard since she became a judge in 1987. Juror Deanna Imri, who attended the sentencing, echoed that sentiment.

 

“That was the roughest thing we’ve ever gone through,” Imri said.

 

The couple claim they were framed. They plan to appeal their convictions, their attorneys have said.

 

The male twin said he now lives with a foster family in Carson, where he eats ice cream every night. His twin sister lives in Olympia, and they are able to visit each other occasionally.

 

“I’m glad it’s over,” he said.”

 

Vancouver couple sentenced for imprisoning, beating adopted twins

[The Columbian 3/20/13 by Paris Achen]

“I love my children and would do anything for my children,” Sandra Weller said  in court. “I wish the truth would come out.”

 

They were convicted by a jury last month. Jeffrey Weller was found guilty on  multiple counts of assault, assault of a child and unlawful imprisonment. Sandra  Weller is guilty of assault and unlawful imprisonment.

 

The jury found each of them not guilty on one count of unlawful  imprisonment.

 

“We didn’t do what we’re charged with,” Jeffrey Weller said. “I always loved  my children and always will.””

“Tim Graf originally adopted the twins with Sandra Weller years ago. Last month,  he said the kids, now 17, were put in a good home and are getting counseling. He  did not plan to seek custody.”

Couple convicted of child abuse sentenced to 20 years

[KPTV 3/20/13]

“In February, Jeffrey was found guilty on 14 out of 15 counts of assault and unlawful imprisonment. Sandra was found guilty on nine out of 10 counts.

 

A judge told the couple the abuse suffered by the twins was “torture,” adding later that their acts were “incomprehensible.”

 

Jeffrey Weller’s attorney requested a 74-month sentence. Sandra Weller’s lawyer asked the judge for a sentence of four years and two months.

 

The victims were in the courtroom for sentencing Wednesday when the Wellers spoke, still claiming they were innocent. Their attorneys have already announced plans to appeal.”

“Sandra acknowledged during the trial that the kitchen cabinets with  food were locked and said that was to prevent the twins from pilfering  junk food. The twins’ bedroom doors were also locked. Sandra said it was  to keep them from climbing onto the roof of the home.

 

Tim Graf had strong words against his ex-wife, Sandra, when he read a statement in court.

 

“Sandra Weller is by far, the most brazen, dangerously evil and manipulative person that I have personally known. She is a criminal mastermind,” he said. “We’re glad we don’t have to worry about them creating havoc in our lives for a long time.”

 

Another dramatic moment came when Sandra herself was speaking in court and several of the victims’ family members stood up and walked out. The Wellers blamed their ex-spouses on the way out of court, saying they  were framed.

 

Juror Deanna Imri returned to the courtroom to hear the sentencing, and said it was appropriate.

 

“I’m glad they got that. I wish they would have gotten more,” she  said. “Because those children are going to be damaged for the rest of  their lives.”

Abusive Vancouver parents sent to prison

[KGW 3/20/13]

“The prosecution asked the judge to sentence both Wellers to 20 years in prison, citing an “ongoing pattern of psychological or physical abuse.”

 

Judge Barbara Johnson said the exceptional sentence was appropriate. He told the twins in court, “do not let these experiences destroy you.””

 

Husband gets 21 years, wife gets 20 in Vancouver abuse case

[KATU 3/20/13]

Update 16: “Five children who were abused by their parents in Vancouver have filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the state, alleging that the Department of Social and Health Services failed to adequately respond to dozens of complaints about their welfare over an eight-year period.

Jeffrey and Sandra Weller of Vancouver each were sentenced March 20, 2013, to two decades in prison for imprisoning, starving and beating their adopted twins. A Clark County jury found Sandra Weller guilty of nine separate counts related to the twins’ abuse; Jeffrey Weller was found guilty of 13, related to both the twins’ abuse and assaults against the couple’s biological children.

The children’s Seattle attorney, David Moody, filed the lawsuit on behalf of the children Friday in Clark Superior Court.

One of the children’s teachers alone warned the DSHS a dozen times about possible abuse of the children and urged that they be removed from the Weller home, Moody said.

“He has documents he kept,” Moody said Friday. “He has voice-mail messages. There are a number of educators from the local school district who voiced serious warnings to DSHS over a period of years.”

“Those concerns were ignored every time,” he said.

The lawsuit follows a $54 million tort claim the children filed Dec. 18 with the DSHS. Tort claims give public agencies a 60-day notice of a lawsuit and allows them an opportunity to settle a case before litigation.

In this case, the children received no response, Moody said.

John Wiley, a DSHS spokesman, said the agency often does respond to and resolve tort claims prior to litigation.

“However, this case is complex, involving numerous plaintiffs alleging negligence based on activities that occurred over a number of years. As such, it requires more than the statutory 60 days to analyze and investigate the merits of the plaintiffs’ claim,” Wiley said. “It would not be in the taxpayers’ best interest to quickly make a settlement offer on a $54 million claim without a reasonable and diligent investigation into that claim by the state.”

Wiley said the agency has no other comment on the lawsuit at this time.

“We’ll let the court decide the merits of the case,” he said. “We don’t comment on the merits of the case.”

The lawsuit also alleges that the DSHS failed to obtain Sandra Weller’s Child Protective Services history in California, where she adopted the twins with her ex-husband. There were seven referrals about Sandra Weller’s possibly abusing and neglecting the twins and some other foster children who were in her care between 1998 and 2002, the lawsuit states. At one point, the state of California revoked her foster care license and took the twins into protective custody, according to the lawsuit.

Some of the complaints that Washington caseworkers allegedly ignored included allegations of threats against one of the twins’ lives and withholding food as punishment, according to the lawsuit.

For example, in April 2004, the DSHS received a complaint that Sandra Weller had told the 8-year-old female twin that, “If I had a knife right now, you would be gone,” according to the lawsuit. A month later, the agency received another complaint that the twins were “so stressed they are literally pulling their hair out,” the lawsuit states.

In September 2004, there was a complaint that the Wellers locked food cabinets in the house and locked the children in their room, which had an alarm on the door, the lawsuit says.

DSHS social workers visited the Weller home in October 2004. On Nov. 1, 2004, the social worker concluded that the allegations of negligent treatment or maltreatment were “unfounded,” according to the lawsuit.

The DSHS finally removed the children from the Weller home Oct. 7, 2011, after one of the twins left a note about their abuse at her therapist’s office.

“Please, help,” the twin wrote. “Behind the laundry room door is a big wooden stick covered in blood. They use it on me and (my brother) … If you leave without us, we’ll all ran (sic) away.”

The twins were substantially underweight and malnourished when they were taken into state custody, according to testimony at the Wellers’ trial.

They also testified at trial that Jeffrey Weller, often at the instruction of Sandra, regularly beat them with a 42-inch-long piece of scrap lumber. Police investigators found it stained with blood.

Moody, the children’s attorney, specializes in civil litigation against the DSHS related to the abuse of children or vulnerable adults. He said he won the largest jury verdict award against the DSHS — $17.8 million — in February 2000 in a vulnerable adult abuse case in Pierce County in which he demonstrated that the DSHS was negligent by inadequately investigating abuse allegations.”

Weller children file lawsuit against state DSHS[The Columbian 3/7/14 By Paris Achen]