SCHALA VERA - 3 yo (2009) - Chandler (SE of Phoenix) AZ

Chandler Police arrested the mother and her
boyfriend of a 3-year-old girl who died Monday after rescuers found the
child not breathing and covered in bruises from belts and buckles.
An autopsy performed Monday led the medical examiner to rule the death a homicide by multiple blunt force traumas.

Susan Witbracht, 26, and her boyfriend Dauntorian Sanders, 23, were
booked Tuesday and are facing charges of murder and child abuse.
Rescuers arrived at the home just before 3 p.m. Monday near the San
Tan Freeway and Cooper Road. The child wasn't breathing and they
immediately started CPR before taking her to a hospital where she died.

Chandler Police have arrested a woman and her boyfriend for the death of a 3-year-old child. On
Monday afternoon, police responded to a home in the 2300 block of E.
Wild Horse Place in Chandler in reference to a 3-year-old not breathing. The child later died at a hospital after CPR was unsuccessful. A
Tuesday autopsy found that the child's death was a homicide. The child
died of multiple blunt force traumas -- there were bruises all over the
child's body from getting hit with a belt.
The child's mother,
26-year-old Susan Witbracht, and her boyfriend 23-year-old Dauntorian
Sanders, have been booked on first degree murder and child abuse
charges. The investigation is ongoing.

From Original reports in September 2009----

Chandler AZ ---- Police say her boyfriend admitted to fatally beating her
3-year-old daughter with a belt buckle, but this Chandler woman
still says she "adores" him. Documents also allege, she didn't try to intervene.



3-year-old Schala Vera's death was homicide from brunt force
trauma, a medical examiner determined. There were bruises all over
her body, showing belt and belt buckle patterns.
The child's mother, 26-year-old Susan Witbracht, and her
boyfriend 23-year-old Dauntorian Sanders, were arrested on first
degree murder and child abuse charges on Tuesday.
On Monday afternoon, police responded to a home in the 2300
block of E. Wild Horse Place in Chandler in reference to a
3-year-old not breathing. The girl did not survive.
In questioning, Sanders admitted to hitting the little girl with
a belt, and told detectives he first started hitting her in June.
But he said that Monday, he "got out of control" and hit her with
more-than-usual force.
Sanders' mother Debra Ellens remarked she didn't think that
Sanders meant to kill her. "I think maybe at the time he was
disciplining her for whatever reason and it went too far."
Witbracht admitted she had witnessed these beatings frequently
but didn't try to stop the abuse, court documents allege. Witbracht
denied any involvement in the fatal beating, but did say she had
beaten her daughter in the past.
When police told Witbracht the results of the autopsy, she said
she "adored" her boyfriend nonetheless.
Ellens says Sanders and Witbracht served together in the
military and when Sanders returned from overseas, he was different.

One week after the incident----

A Chandler couple was indicted Tuesday on
charges of first-degree murder and child abuse in connection with the
death of 3-year-old, the Maricopa County attorney's office said. Dauntorian
Sanders, 23, and Susan Witbracht, 26, were taken into custody after
detectives reviewed autopsy results.



The victim, Schala Vera, was
Witbracht's daughter. Sanders is Witbracht's boyfriend.According
to the probable cause statements filed by Chandler Police, the child
stopped breathing and was rushed to the hospital on Aug. 31. Vera was
pronounced dead a short time later.Vera had bruises all over her
body consistent with being beaten with a belt, according to the probable
cause statement. The statement alleges that Sanders admitted to
repeatedly hitting the child with a belt.Witbracht also admitted
to hitting the child with a belt in the past but denied involvement in
the alleged fatal beating on Aug. 31, the statement said.Witbracht
told police she adored her boyfriend even after knowing the results of
the autopsy, the statement said.

Inspired by the story of 3-year-old Schala Vera a little Chandler
girl who was beaten to death by her mother's boyfriend, about 250
employees at the Department of Economic Security (DES) office in
Glendale held a stuffed animal and blanket drive in her memory.

Workers were so moved by Schala's story, who was severely beaten and died alone
squeezed between the bathroom toilet and vanity while the boyfriend
went out to buy cigarettes, that they collected more than 100 stuffed
animals and child sized blankets.

The employees carefully clipped out a news article about Schala
which they used as a center piece on a colorful poster titled, “Small Wonders.”

It was surrounded by photos, ribbons, and a plea to consider a donation so police officers
would have something to comfort a small child who has been traumatized
by crime.

On Monday morning, the toys and blankets were donated to the West
Valley Advocacy Center in Glendale whose goal is to provide services to
crime victims in a safe, comfortable environment.

When an abused child is brought to the WVAC they are given toys,
stuffed animals and a set of clothing.

The WVAC is a partnership between the Glendale
Police Department, A New Leaf (formerly PreHab of Arizona), Arizona
Child Protective Services, Forensic Nurse Examiners, the Maricopa County
Attorney's Office and St. Joseph's Medical Center.

It is designed to be a ‘one stop center' for victims of family violence, child abuse and sex crimes.

The WVAC includes facilities for forensic interviews and examinations, therapy and consultation between law
enforcement and victim services personnel.

The center is available for residents and law enforcement agencies throughout the West Valley.

Another horror case where a so called mother doesn't care about her child as long as she's happy with her boyfriend who is more important. Schala meant less than nothing to her. I hope they both rot in jail til they die.

kiwimom wrote:Another horror case where a so called mother doesn't care about her child as long as she's happy with her boyfriend who is more important. Schala meant less than nothing to her. I hope they both rot in jail til they die.

Agree wholeheartedly. I so want the death penalty to start being used more agressively for these types of people, they don't deserve to live off the tax-payer dollars. They don't deserve to live period.

Chandler Detective Gary Fuller has investigated hundreds of murders,
but he has only one victim's photo on his desk: Schala Vera, 3, whose
brutal slaying a year ago Tuesday had a profound effect on police and
medical staff.
Kepra Jack, one of the nurses at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center who
tried in vain to save Schala's life, has never been so shaken. She just
recently began sleeping through the night again."It was the worst thing I have ever seen," said Jack, whose hospital is holding a memorial service Monday for the child.
"She was wet when she got here. She was naked," Jack said. There wasn't one part of her that wasn't bruised, Jack said.
The child was blue and purple from being whipped, police say,
repeatedly by a belt. Her mother, Susan Joan Witbracht, 27, and her
mother's boyfriend, Dauntorian Lydel Sanders, 24, have been charged with
her murder and could face the death penalty. They are being held
without bail.
In the year since her death, much has happened: Witbracht gave birth
to Sanders' child, who she never held and who was immediately put into
custody of Child Protective Services, the County Attorney's Office
reported.
Sanders' attorney offered a plea deal of life in prison plus 30 years, which county prosecutors rejected, police said.
Perhaps most significant was the kickoff of a child abuse awareness
campaign. Fuller and Jack belong to two of about a dozen agencies in the
effort, which has this core message: If you think a child is being
abused, report it.
"By the time it gets to me, it is too late," said Fuller, who has
been investigating homicides for 16 years. " . . . I am trying to turn
something very, very negative into something positive."
He said police would rather investigate 1,000 cases that go nowhere if it saves one life.
Schala had been living with Witbracht and Sanders for three months on
Wildhorse Place in Chandler. Court records allege both adults beat her
with a belt, and that Sanders tortured Schala, forcing her to stand for
long periods of time holding water bottles over her head. He would hold
her by her ankles on the second-floor balcony of his mother's home,
according to records. And he threw shoes at her, records stated.
The worst thing Sanders did, Witbracht told police, was to pick up
the girl at shoulder's length and drop her to the floor "like a rag
doll."
She was punished, Fuller said, because "she didn't listen. What could a 3-year-old do to deserve getting killed?"
There were signs that Schala was abused, Fuller said. Neighbors told
police after her death that she wore long-sleeved shirts and pants even
in the summer.
"She's outside playing in long sleeves," said Chandler police Sgt.
Joe Favazzo, a spokesman. "That's weird. All the other kids are wearing
summer dress."
One neighbor said he had seen Witbracht spanking Schala on the bottom and yanking her by the arm.
"The suspect (Sanders) said, 'I wish someone would have called and reported us. She would still be alive,'" Favazzo said.
Four children were slain in Chandler in 2009, and Schala's death was the "straw that broke the camel's back," Favazzo said.
The anti-abuse campaign began right away. The Police Department
produced two 30-second public service announcements urging the public to
report their suspicions. Gov. Jan Brewer proclaimed every April to be
Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Mayor Boyd Dunn did the same in
Chandler. A rally was held on the Arizona Capitol lawn, featuring 51
empty chairs, each representing a child in Arizona killed from abuse in
2008.
Favazzo said the campaign has applied for a $469,000 grant from the
Gila River Indian Community to be distributed over three years, which
would be used in part to hire someone to run the campaign.
Other plans awaiting funding include running ads at movie theaters
and billboards, and distributing thousands of cards showing the steps to
take if a doctor, teacher or anyone suspects abuse.
Schala presumably wore the long sleeves in summer to hide bruises,
which court records said bore patterns that match a belt of Sanders. At
the hospital, Schala had "too many bruises to count," Jack said.
She died five days after her third birthday. That day, Sanders whipped her repeatedly with a belt, investigators reported.
Schala's face fell between her knees, then Sanders whipped her back,
investigators said. He picked her up and dropped her, repeatedly, on the
tiled bathroom floor, according to court records. While she was
sprawled on the floor, a door was repeatedly slammed into her head,
records stated.
The reason, Witbracht told police, was because "she was being a bad little girl," according to records.
"That little child was literally beaten to death," Favazzo said. "She
had the strength to crawl between the toilet and the wall, between a
sink and a toilet. A 3-year-old has to die alone."
Jack, the nurse, and the paramedics, social workers, law enforcement
officials and others who were so profoundly moved by this case hope that
the anti-abuse campaign Schala's death triggered will help save lives.
Said Jack, "I've never had a case that touched me like this."

Two lawsuits and one law later, it's still difficult to see into CPS

On May 26, Schala Vera was taken to Chandler Regional Medical Center. Apparently, the mother feared the child had been molested while living with relatives in another state. A worker at the hospital called Child Protective Services, reporting that the girl seemed uncomfortable around the mother's boyfriend.

I can't tell you what, if anything, CPS did. Despite having won two lawsuits that opened records, despite having watched the Legislature enact a new law that's supposed to open CPS records, it seems more difficult than ever to get meaningful information about how well CPS is protecting kids.

But I can tell you this. Last week, Schala was beaten to death. Every inch of the three year old's body was covered in cuts and bruises, some of them the shape of a belt buckle.

Both the mother and the inevitable live-in boyfriend have been arrested. Chandler police say the boyfriend, Dauntorian Sanders, admitted that both he and the mother have been hitting the child with a belt since June but that this time he lost control. (Documents obtained by The Republic indicate that he put tape on the belt's buckle to protect his hands during the beating.)

Even after hearing the gruesome details of how her daughter died, the documents say Susan Witbracht – who, by the way, reported that Sanders would also hold Schala over the balcony by her feet as discipline -- hugged her boyfriend and told him just how much she adores him.

Which is why CPS is so critical to the children of this state. You can always replace a kid, I suppose, but a boyfriend, well, that's another thing altogether.

Sixteen Arizona children have so far died of abuse or neglect this year. I would love to tell you how many of those children died while CPS was supposed to be watching. But I can't.

The law says CPS must “promptly” provide summary information when a child dies or nearly dies of maltreatment and then “promptly” provide further details to anyone who asks, after consulting with prosecutors.

To its credit CPS maintains a website to report those summary details. Just don't expect the report to be “prompt” and when it is eventually filed, don't look for any actual details.

Like the child's last name. Or the date he died. Or how he died. Or whether he died while CPS should have been watching.

In the case of Schala Vera, CPS says that it had no prior reports involving Witbracht or Sanders. That, however, doesn't mean that CPS wasn't involved with the child.

CPS spokesman Steve Meissner says the agency is following the law.

“All this is being done at the advice of our attorneys, that's the only thing I can tell you,” he said. “I'm told this is what the law requires.”

If so, then the law needs to be changed -- again.

I can't tell you what, if anything, CPS did. Despite having won two lawsuits that opened records, despite having watched the Legislature enact a new law that's supposed to open CPS records, it seems more difficult than ever to get meaningful information about how well CPS is protecting kids.

But I can tell you this. Last week, Schala was beaten to death. Every inch of the three year old's body was covered in cuts and bruises, some of them the shape of a belt buckle.

Both the mother and the inevitable live-in boyfriend have been arrested. Chandler police say the boyfriend, Dauntorian Sanders, admitted that both he and the mother have been hitting the child with a belt since June but that this time he lost control. (Documents obtained by The Republic indicate that he put tape on the belt's buckle to protect his hands during the beating.)

Even after hearing the gruesome details of how her daughter died, the documents say Susan Witbracht – who, by the way, reported that Sanders would also hold Schala over the balcony by her feet as discipline -- hugged her boyfriend and told him just how much she adores him.

Which is why CPS is so critical to the children of this state. You can always replace a kid, I suppose, but a boyfriend, well, that's another thing altogether.

Sixteen Arizona children have so far died of abuse or neglect this year. I would love to tell you how many of those children died while CPS was supposed to be watching. But I can't.

The law says CPS must “promptly” provide summary information when a child dies or nearly dies of maltreatment and then “promptly” provide further details to anyone who asks, after consulting with prosecutors.

To its credit CPS maintains a website to report those summary details. Just don't expect the report to be “prompt” and when it is eventually filed, don't look for any actual details.

Like the child's last name. Or the date he died. Or how he died. Or whether he died while CPS should have been watching.
In the case of Schala Vera, CPS says that it had no prior reports involving Witbracht or Sanders. That, however, doesn't mean that CPS wasn't involved with the child.

CPS spokesman Steve Meissner says the agency is following the law.

“All this is being done at the advice of our attorneys, that's the only thing I can tell you,” he said. “I'm told this is what the law requires.”

If so, then the law needs to be changed -- again.

2 Face Child Abuse, Murder Charges
3-Year-Old Dies Of Multiple Blunt-Force Traumas, Autopsy Says

POSTED: 3:59 pm MST September 1, 2009
UPDATED: 5:54 pm MST September 1, 2009

CHANDLER, Ariz. -- The mother of a 3-year-old child who died of blunt force trauma and her 23-year-old boyfriend have been booked on charges of first-degree murder and child abuse, Chandler police said.

Officers took Susan Witbracht, 26, and Dauntorian Sanders, into custody after detectives reviewed autopsy results.

Police said they got a call on Monday afternoon that a child was not breathing. When officers arrived at the home at 2351 E. Wild Horse Place in Chandler, they found the girl and began administering CPR, said Sgt. Joe Favazzo of the Chandler Police Department. Firefighters also joined the effort when they arrived.

The 3-year-old was then rushed to an area hospital, where she later died, Favazzo said.

Autopsy findings released Tuesday indicated the death was a homicide attributed to multiple blunt-force traumas, Favazzo said.

The child was covered in bruises from apparent belt and belt buckle strikes, he said.



http://www.kpho.com/news/20674954/detail.html

Video

* Chandler Couple Arrested In 3-Year-Old's Death


http://www.kpho.com/video/20676301/index.html

Severity of child abuse acts and deaths increasing across Valley
by Alicia E. Barrón
Posted on March 10, 2010 at 8:38 PM
Updated Wednesday, Mar 10 at 9:54 PM

CHANDLER – There has been a disturbing number of deadly child abuse cases recently in the Valley.
One case in particular proved to be a tipping point for police. Three-year-old Schala Vera was allegedly beaten to death with belts in late August. Investigators say her murder was just the tragic conclusion to months of child abuse.
Dauntorian Sanders called police after he supposedly found the baby cramped behind a toilet not breathing. Sanders and his girlfriend, Susan Witbracht, the child's mother, were arrested for the baby's murder.

The county attorney will reportedly be seeking the death penalty. Detective Gary Fuller was assigned to the case. He is a Chandler homicide detective with decades of experience. On his desk you will find a picture of Schala Vera.

It is there not as a reminder of what happened but rather for what they can do to keep something like this from happening again. It is why officers worked so hard with other agencies to get some commercials up and running.

The ads promote a 1-800 number people can call for help. According to the police report, Sanders wishes someone had called the police on him and Susan earlier. He says if they had, Schala would probably still be alive.

In 2008 51 kids were killed by child abuse and over the last year alone in Chandler four children have been murdered.

Police tell 3TV the number of child abuse cases has not gone up too drastically but the severity of the attacks have.





http://www.azfamily.com/news/Severity-of-child-abuse-acts-and-deaths-across-the-Valley-increases-87298957.html

3-year-old's death spurs campaign to prevent abuse
by Megan Boehnke - Mar. 22, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Covered in bruises, 3-year-old Schala hid from her mother's boyfriend in the bathroom.

She squeezed herself between the toilet and the vanity and died there, alone.

The details of her death shook longtime nurses and veteran police officers.

Everyone who touched Schala's case - the detectives, paramedics, doctors and social workers - were so disturbed by what they saw last August that they took action.

They united with child advocates on a statewide campaign to describe the horrors of child abuse and what might be done to prevent it.

"I cried for two weeks, every day," said nurse Kepra Jack, who tended to Schala when she arrived at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. "I cried when I was taking care of her, and I cried myself to sleep that night.

"It was the hardest death I've had, ever, in 11 years. I don't know when or if it will ever go away," Jack said, tears still coming to her eyes seven months after the girl's death. "All I could think was, 'Somebody has failed.' "

Schala arrived at the hospital naked, her hair wet, her body purple and blue.

She had marks on her arms, legs, shoulders, head, wrist and back that matched the stitching of a leather belt that Chandler police found on the bathroom vanity. Bruises covered the back of her hand; she had raised her arms to protect herself.

Police reports say Schala upset her mother's boyfriend by not listening to him.

Susan Witbracht bathed her daughter that morning because she wasn't feeling well. According to the police reports, Witbracht's boyfriend, Dauntorian Sanders, then hit the little girl over and over with the belt.

Schala's face fell between her knees, and then Sanders whipped her back, investigators reported. She was picked up and dropped again and again on the bathroom floor, police say. While she was sprawled on the tile, a door was slammed repeatedly into her head, reports say.

Sanders went to Walgreens to buy cigarettes, the reports say. When he came back, Schala was naked, propped against the vanity, her legs in front of her, her eyes and mouth open.

Sanders calmly called 911. When emergency help arrived, it was too late. He and Witbracht were arrested. The case is pending in Maricopa County Superior Court.

"You get the job done. You can't be emotional about it. You can be emotional later," said veteran homicide Detective Gary Fuller, the lead investigator on Schala's case.

Fuller's co-workers say he was extremely professional and helpful throughout the entire case, but afterward, it was clear the tragedy had affected him.

"It's the helplessness you feel, and you're angry it happened, because there wasn't a part of her body that wasn't bruised," Fuller said. "By the time it gets to me, it's too late. I don't investigate child abuses. I investigate child homicides. And that is so frustrating."

In the week after Schala died, the hospital held meetings to help workers cope. Workers held a memorial service for Schala in the hospital chapel and invited police and firefighters to attend.

Her body was cremated and sent to her father in New York. Schala's dad, who barely knew her, was devastated, Fuller said.

Nine days after Schala's case, a 3-week-old girl was beaten and molested by her father. By then, Fuller's unit had investigated four child-abuse homicides in the past year.

Fuller asked the public-information unit to see if anything could be done. In response, Sgt. Joe Favazzo turned to ChildHelp, a national foundation based in Arizona that assists child-abuse victims.

A dozen agencies, hospitals and police departments united to create public-service announcements and billboard advertisements and to start panel discussions on public-television stations.

They're planning a rally for the first week of April, which is national Child Abuse Prevention Month, and a proclamation by the governor.

In the first public-service announcement, faces of children flash on screen while a dispatcher talks a caller through compressions on a patient.

Two more videos are in the works for parents who struggle with anger and outsiders who see signs of abuse. The videos point both sides to resources that can help.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/2010/03/22/20100322child-abuse.html

3-year-old's death spurs campaign to prevent abuse
-SNIP-

Covered in bruises, 3-year-old Schala hid from her mother's boyfriend in the bathroom.
She squeezed herself between the toilet and the vanity and died there, alone.

-SNIP-

This is the line that haunts me the most. As a survivor of child abuse which included physical abuse, I could only too well empathize and envision this.

And even though it makes people uncomfortable, I will persist in spreading the awful news stories until society wakes up and we force changes that will protect our vulnerable members.

After all, many of the criminals of today have echoes of violence in their childhoods -- not an excuse, but certainly an identifiable root cause. We need to teach good coping mechanisms to survivors and help people learn to walk away from situations they cannot handle rather than lashing out in violence and anger.

And now I'll hop off my soap box.

Updated Sep 2, 2009 - 6:03 pm

CHANDLER, Ariz. - The Chandler Police Department has released the 911 call made in the death of a three-year-old.

Officers arrested the girl's mother and her boyfriend accusing them of brutally beating the child to death. Officials say the autopsy showed multiple bruises on her body from a belt strap and buckle.

Officers say the 911 call was placed because the young girl wasn't breathing. In the call you can hear the mom's boyfriend, Dauntorian Sanders, using expletives saying the girl isn't breathing.

"Hi, this is the Chandler Police Department," said the dispatcher. "We got a 911 call from your cell phone, is there an emergency?"

Sander's responded by saying, "Yes, my [expletive] child isn't breathing right now."

He and the child's mother, Susan Witbracht, face charges of murder and child abuse, according to the police.

In the background of the 911 call, you can hear Witbracht pleading for the child to wake up.

"Wake up," she said. "Come on please, please!"

After her pleading for the young girl to wake up, you can hear what appears to be Witbracht breaking out into tears.

Police reports show the 3-year-old girl had been beaten regularly for the past several months by Sanders. Witbracht admitted to police about knowing about the abuse but never doing anything to stop it.

Even after finding out the autopsy results, Witbracht tells police she still "adored" her boyfriend.

Responding officers to the home described the incident as "one of the worst ones they've seen."

http://ktar.com/?nid=388&sid=1206197

Police say that 3-year-old Schala Vera was beaten to death by a belt buckle.
Disturbing Details in Murder of 3yo Girl
Woman stands by beau accused of killing daughter
Updated: Wednesday, 02 Sep 2009, 10:18 PM MDT
Published : Wednesday, 02 Sep 2009, 4:25 PM MDT

by JULIE ROSE

CHANDLER - Police say her boyfriend admitted to fatally beating her 3-year-old daughter with a belt buckle, but this Chandler woman still says she "adores" him. Documents also allege, she didn't try to intervene.

3-year-old Schala Vera's death was homicide from brunt force trauma, a medical examiner determined. There were bruises all over her body, showing belt and belt buckle patterns.

The child's mother, 26-year-old Susan Witbracht, and her boyfriend 23-year-old Dauntorian Sanders, were arrested on first degree murder and child abuse charges on Tuesday.

On Monday afternoon, police responded to a home in the 2300 block of E. Wild Horse Place in Chandler in reference to a 3-year-old not breathing. The girl did not survive.

In questioning, Sanders admitted to hitting the little girl with a belt, and told detectives he first started hitting her in June. But he said that Monday, he "got out of control" and hit her with more-than-usual force.

Sanders' mother Debra Ellens told FOX 10 she didn't think that Sanders meant to kill her. "I think maybe at the time he was disciplining her for whatever reason and it went too far."

Witbracht admitted she had witnessed these beatings frequently but didn't try to stop the abuse, court documents allege. Witbracht denied any involvement in the fatal beating, but did say she had beaten her daughter in the past.

When police told Witbracht the results of the autopsy, she said she "adored" her boyfriend nonetheless.

Ellens says Sanders and Witbracht served together in the military and when Sanders returned from overseas, he was different.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/crime/3yo_girls_murder_09_02_2009

Report: Man had been beating girl for months
Posted: Tuesday, September 1, 2009 11:00 pm | Updated: 2:31 pm, Fri Apr 1, 2011.

Report: Man had been beating girl for months Tribune East Valley Tribune | 0 comments

A Chandler man arrested in the death of a 3-year-old girl told police he has been beating her since June, but Monday’s beating was worse than usual, according to court documents.

Chandler couple arrested in toddler's death

Dauntorian Sanders, 23, said he and his girlfriend, Susan Witbracht, 26, have both beaten the girl with a nylon belt.

Witbracht, the mother of the 3-year-old victim, told police she demanded Sanders stop the beatings, but she did nothing to stop him.

Chandler police arrested the couple Tuesday after an autopsy that found the girl died from blunt force trauma.

“Witbracht further stated she adored the boyfriend even after knowing the results of the autopsy,” court documents state.

Witbracht and Sanders were each booked on suspicion of first-degree murder and child abuse.

Police were called to the home Monday about 2:50 p.m. when the child was unresponsive.

She was pronounced dead at 4:30 p.m. at Gilbert Mercy Hospital.

She had bruises on her legs, arms, torso and head that were consistent with a belt and belt buckle, police said.

“Witbracht admitted to witnessing the boyfriend hit the child several times with the belt and watched him drop her to the floor,” the document states.

Witbracht said she wasn’t involved in the fatal beating, however.

Sanders said he lost control and beat the child more forceful than usual.

“Suspect admitted he knew child was hurt and that is why he checked on child, which resulted in finding child not breathing, which lead to 911 call,” the document states.

In the 911 call, Sanders uses a curse word as an adjective to refer to the girl, and he calmly tells the dispatcher she is not breathing.

Toward the end of the 40-second call, Witbracht can be heard in the background pleading with the girl to breathe.

Sgt. Joe Favazzo, Chandler police spokesman, said investigators haven’t found any history of police or CPS involvement with the couple.

There were no other children in the home, Favazzo said.


http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/article_300233ed-3925-5769-8999-b1787dee408a.html?mode=print

Longtime Chandler homicide detective dies
Service information

A memorial service for Fuller is planned for 10 a.m. on Dec. 4 at the Chandler Christian Church, 1825 S. Alma School, Chandler.

Posted: Wednesday, November 17, 2010 4:36 pm | Updated: 11:05 am, Thu Dec 2, 2010.

Longtime Chandler homicide detective dies Mike Sakal, Tribune East Valley Tribune | 2 comments

Longtime Chandler homicide Detective Gary Fuller has died.

Fuller, 55, died Tuesday after a battle against pancreatic cancer, according to Chandler police spokesman David Ramer.

Fuller, who has served with the Chandler Police Department since 1987, was known for being meticulous in investigations and working numerous high-profile cases in the city while discovering clues others could not.

One of those cases that haunted him included the December 2008 unsolved death of Zachary Rowe, a 25-year-old Arizona State University student whose body was found shot in his home after someone set fire to it to cover up the killing.

More recently, Fuller was the case agent on the 2009 fatal child abuse case of Schala Vera, a 3-year-old girl who police say was beaten to death with a belt by her mother’s boyfriend, Dauntorian Saunders, on Aug. 31, 2009. Police discovered Schala’s badly beaten body between the bathroom sink and the toilet where she had crawled to hide.

Fuller stopped working about a month ago, Ramer said. He is survived by his wife, Val Fuller; and sons Jarrod, 33, and Jason, 31. Fuller came to Chandler 23 years ago after serving as police chief for a small-town police department in South Dakota, Ramer said.

Information about Fuller’s service arrangements were not available.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/chandler/article_0a3796ba-f2a3-11df-9a29-001cc4c03286.html


How sad this passionate and caring detective has died -- his heart and compassion helped so many to deal with the trauma Schala's death created.
Sympathy & condolences to his family.

East Valley police investigate second child abuse death
Posted: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 4:17 pm | Updated: 2:31 pm, Fri Apr 1, 2011.

East Valley police investigate second child abuse death Mike Sakal, Tribune East Valley Tribune | 1 comment

For the second time in less than a month, police say that another child has died from a brutal beating at the hands of an adult caretaker.

Sergio Thomas, 21, of Chandler was arrested early Tuesday on suspicion of first-degree murder and two counts of child abuse in connection to the beating death of his 7-month-old daughter who was pronounced dead at 7:01 a.m. at Phoenix Children's Hospital. The girl died from a skull fracture and bleeding on her brain. Thomas initially was arrested on suspicion of child abuse on Monday.

~SNIP~

In 2009, half of Chandler's six homicides were from severe abuse of children ranging from 3 weeks to 3 years old. All of the suspects accused in those beatings have been charged with first-degree murder and their hearings are proceeding through the Maricopa County Superior Court. One of the worst cases of abuse Chandler law enforcement officers and hospital workers saw was the one involving the death of 3-year-old Schala Vera, who died in August, 2009. Schala's body was discovered lying between the bathroom sink and toilet where she had crawled to hide after police say her mother's boyfriend, Dauntorian Sanders beat her with a belt and had dangled her over the upstairs bannister. Schala's mother, Susan Wichbracht, also has been charged with first-degree murder.

The disturbing outbreak of severe child abuses cases caused the Chandler police and Valley agencies to form the Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Coalition, which now consists of about 50 agencies, according to Sgt. Joe Favazzo, a Chandler police spokesman. Favazzo helped organize the coalition with Detective Gary Fuller, who investigated the Vera case, but died in November of pancreatic cancer.

Arizona experienced 51 child deaths from severe abuse in 2008; the 2009 stats aren't in yet.

"Enough is enough," Favazzo said. "We saw the need to form the coalition to educate people such as neighbors or family members on signs of child abuse and to help people who are under stress, frustrated and who think they may harm a child. If you're in a situation where you think you're going to harm a child, call 1-800-4ACHILD."

Dr. Erin Nelson, a forensic psychologist for Steven Pitt and Associates in Scottsdale, told the Tribune that such child abuse and domestic violence incidents can escalate during the holidays for a number of reasons such as struggling with the loss of a job,

"Unfortunately, it's common," Nelson said. "When people have difficulty controlling their impulses and anger, (they) can lash out. Sometimes, during the holidays, people are under financial stress and there can be family discord that can lead to domestic violence."

Both Busso and Thomas are being held in a Maricopa County jail without bond.

In a statement, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said, "Adults who harm children must be held accountable for their actions, especially when those actions result in the death of an innocent child. The degree to which any society can be judged civilized is, in part, to the degree that we protect and defend the most innocent and defenseless among us. We will vigorously prosecute (the Busso case) to the fullest possible extent to ensure that justice is done."


http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/article_ed47620c-07d7-11e0-b1b0-001cc4c002e0.html

As a researcher on child abuse cases, I am curious if anyone else has noticed the large number of cases in Arizona?

I was researching the case of Matthew Vandergriff and I was struck by the number of cases and (of course) by the very secretive nature of their child protection services department.

Is it a state that is hit by unusually high economic stress? Or are penalties non-existent?

Or is it something in the water? (sarcasm)

Seriously, I just wonder. Especially cases like the Hopf and Vandergriff cases.

8/4/2011

8:30

Complex / Capital Case

http://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/docket/CriminalCourtCases/caseInfo.asp?caseNumber=CR2010-165319

Dauntorian Lydel Sanders And Susan Joan Witbracht
They say once a marine, always a marine. And the bond that marines feel for one another can be awe inspiring, like the serial killer marine, Gerald Parker, aka the Bedroom Basher, who confessed to the crime Kevin Green was unjustly convicted of and served 15.5 years in prison for – since Parker was going to jail anyway, he wanted to clear Green’s name. Why? Parker and Green were marines.

Like many units of the armed forces, your unit or platoon becomes a second family. But even the best of families can have a black sheep, one member that always seems to be a disappointment, a problem. So the fact that these two are marines should be taken with a grain of salt. Marines are proud dedicated and honorable men and women. The two marines in this story? Not honorable at all. In fact, they cast a nasty negative shadow upon a very special unit of American fighting power. A VERY negative shadow.

Meet 27-year-old Susan Witbracht and her lover, 24-year-old Dauntorian Sanders. Both are marines, both served in the Middle East, and both are charged in the brutal first degree murder of Witbracht’s 3-year-old- daughter, Schala Vera.

Truth be told, there is only one fellow marine making excuses for Dauntorian and you can check out Dauntorian’s MySpace page to see his ramblings. Most of Dauntorian’s fellow marines are furious, and so they should be.

Dauntorian Sanders admitted that he had been beating Schala regularly since June, 2009. Why he began beating her at that particular point in time had been a puzzle to investigators, but when they looked a little closer, it made sense given a couple of creepy details. You see, by June of 2009, Witbracht was in her first trimester with Dauntorian’s child and she was really happy at having his baby. Dauntorian? He was just as pleased, but hmmm, you know, there was something that just didn’t seem right about raising the child of another man, ya know?

Susan’s first marriage didn’t quite work out, and the unhappy couple divorced, with Susan insisting on custody of Schala. Indeed, Susan fought sending Schala to visit her father and relatives in New York as Susan complained loudly that she was just sure someone would physically abuse poor little Schala – someone other than herself, that is.

Eventually Susan relented and sent Schala to see her father. Upon Schala’s return, Susan took Schala to the Chandler Regional Medical Center as Susan was convinced Schala had been sexually molested while out of state with the relatives. The results of that investigation are sealed, but what IS known is that the social worker on the scene at the Medical Center noticed that Schala was upset and nervous around Dauntorian Sanders. Schala’s reaction was so pronounced that the social worker reported her concerns to child protection services.

Schala Vera had been living with Witbracht and Sanders since June, 2009, on Wildhorse Place in Chandler, Arizona. Some of Sanders’s choice punishments for Schala? Throwing shoes at her, forcing her to stand stock-still holding full water bottles above her head for long periods of time, and smacking Schala on the back of the head if she didn’t move fast enough. At Dauntorian’s mother’s place, Dauntorian Sanders used to hang Schala upside down by her ankles over the second-floor balcony.

And, of course, there was the belt of discipline.

This was not abuse in isolation – people saw, people knew – but no one said a word.



The beating of August 31st, 2009, was because, according to her mother, Schala was being “a bad little girl.” According to Sanders, it was because Schala wasn’t listening to him to his satisfaction. Earlier in the day, Susan Witbracht had bathed Schala as the little girl was not feeling well. When she failed to “listen properly” to whatever drivel Sanders was blathering, it was time for the belt.

Both the mother and her boyfriend regularly beat Schala with a nylon belt as a form of “discipline”. On the final day of Schala’s life, however, it was just Dauntorian and he admitted that he went a little overboard. It was also revealed that he had a wrap around the belt to protect his hands while using it on Schala.

Six days after her third birthday, Schala Alexandria Vera was beaten to death.

Infuriating Dauntorian, Schala tried to run away. He cornered her in the bathroom and picked her up and body slammed her into the floor, again and again. Sanders then began to beat the child as she cowered on the floor. As Schala tried to tuck her head to the floor while she was on her knees, he continued to whip her back, arms, shoulders – any exposed area at all. Her hands showed bruises as she tried to deflect the blows he continued to rain down upon her. Dauntorian just hit her harder and harder. He picked her up and slammed her again to the floor. Sprawled on the floor, the child was the ultimate target. Dauntorian slammed the bathroom door repeatedly against her head, over and over.

Beating the crap out of a three-year-old little girl takes a toll on a man, eh? After Schala passed out, Dauntorian Sanders decided he needed a smoke break and left to go to Walgreens to buy some cigarettes.

At some point, Schala must have regained consciousness.

Schala closed the bathroom door and tried desperately to hide from Dauntorian and her mother.

When Dauntorian returned, he went back to where he had left Schala to finish “disciplining” her. The closed door pissed him off so he violently kicked it open and strode in. Dauntorian cast his eyes around the cramped area. As his returning rage increased, Dauntorian Sanders spotted Schala and her hiding place.

Between the toilet and the vanity, little Schala, naked, bruised and bleeding, had crawled into this tiny space in a futile effort to escape her fate. Dauntorian saw her there, her eyes wide and mouth open.

Dauntorian yanked her from where she was and flung her to the bathroom floor.

But Schala didn’t react as usual this time.

Schala didn’t scream.

Schala didn’t tremble and quiver.

Schala didn’t cry.

Schala was dead.

Schala Alexandria Vera, battered, bruised and bleeding, sought refuge in the area between the toilet and the vanity. In pain, filled with terror, she died there – alone.

Dauntorian was now thoroughly pissed off. He called 9-11 but then hung up.

The operator called back and he said, “Yes, my fucking child isn’t breathing,” while in the background Susan could be heard yelling at Schala to breathe.

Too bad someone couldn’t have told the “mother” to save her breath.

Schala was far away and forever safe now, safe from her mother’s commands and threats, safe from Dauntorian’s “discipline.”

Never again would Schala feel pain and fear and terror.

Alone and in pain, Schala had tried to hide from her tormentor. When he kicked the door open, it isn’t too hard to imagine that Schala’s heart just gave out – her fear so overwhelmed her.

Three-year-old Schala Alexadria Vera was beaten to death by two marines trained by Uncle Sam to kill enemy combatants – Schala never stood a chance.

The paramedics and the police responded to the home at 2:50 p.m. and transported Schala to Gilbert Mercy Hospital where, despite CPR efforts by paramedics and firefighters, Schala was finally declared dead at 4:30 p.m. on August 31st, 2009.

The men and women who responded to the call and treated the body of the little girl had to have counseling afterwards. What Schala Vera endured marked each and every person who entered her story, but especially the nurse who cared for her in emergency. In her entire career, Kepra Jack had never had a death affect her so much as Schala’s. Schala’s tiny body, naked, wet hair clinging to her bruised and bleeding purple flesh – the image haunted her nightmares for weeks afterwards.

Schala was covered from the top of her head to the soles of her feet with cuts and bruises, many in the shape of a belt and belt buckle, the pattern of which matched the belt police found on the vanity in the bathroom.

The abuse that Schala Vera endured, particularly in the last three months of her life, defied belief.

Oh yes, neighbors noticed that in 100-degree summer weather, little Schala was in long-pants and sweaters. They thought it odd, but no one reported the situation. Hmmm, guess Schala wasn’t worth any one’s time or consideration, eh?

Chandler Detective Greg Fuller had been deeply impacted by Schala Vera’s brief life and horrific death. He and the others who were touched by her gathered together to do something – and they have raised awareness and promoted more education about reporting child abuse. As Fuller said, by the time a case gets to him, it is too late. If anyone had reported just the fact that Schala was inappropriately attired for the summer in Arizona, then perhaps she could have been saved. There is no question that the toddler was a mess of bruises and cuts, both new and old, so the chance to save her did exist.

Interviewed by the police, both Susan and Dauntorian gave “misleading and minimizing” statements. Once the results of the autopsy were known, Dauntorian Sanders and Susan Witbracht were arrested. Investigators pressed for the truth and were given the gruesome details.

Despite the results of the autopsy being explained to Susan, the fact that Schala died from multiple blunt force traumas, Susan stated that she still “adored” Dauntorian, that he hadn’t done anything wrong, that the final beating had just got a little out of hand.

The limit of credulity was reached with Dauntorian’s mother’s attempt to minimize Dauntorian’s evil and brutal actions with the statement: “”I think maybe at the time he was disciplining her for whatever reason and it went too far.”

This was NOT a case where an accident occurred. It was NOT acceptable to beat Schala ever, let alone to go “overboard” just once, OK?

And yet, there are those who would like you to believe that this one time was an anomaly – just a little more force than usual.

Apologist number one, Dauntorian Sanders’s mother Debra Ellens, said that Susan and Dauntorian served together in the marines and in the Middle East, but that when Dauntorian came back, he was “different”.

So we already know that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) will be playing a key role in Dauntorian Sanders’s excuse defense, but it is all bullshit.

Big fucking hairy deal if you had to handle combat situations – you’re a freaking marine! Boo, hoo!

Stress? Try being a three year old girl whose parents have split up and aren’t together anymore. To see your daddy, your mother fusses and fights but eventually sends you alone to a new place where you know no one and your daddy has a new wife who isn’t that keen on you. No comfort or sanctuary there.

Coming back from the visit, your mommy makes you get a medical exam – the invasive exam was kind of like punishment for seeing your daddy, wasn’t it? And you have no one to take you away from it all.

Your mommy beats you and her new boyfriend beats you. They yell and scream at you all the time. In the heat of the summer, you have to wear sweaters and long pants to cover the bruises they leave behind. You are in pain all the time and you never know when or why the next beating will come from.

Try Schala’s stress on for size. Personally, handling bullets and bad guys isn’t so hard for adults, especially when you get weapons to use. What did Schala have? Nothing, nada, zip.

Big, brave, bad-ass marines, aren’t they? The two ass-hats had to beat up Schala to discipline her. Neither of these adults appear capable of complex thought, so intelligent parenting is totally out of the question. Glad to see Uncle Sam’s military combat training being used to root out unruly toddlers and smashing any dissidents in the pre-school set.

The police waited for the results of the autopsy and then arrested both Witbracht and Dauntorian Sanders. The prosecutor’s office has decided that there are sufficient mitigating factors and are seeking the death penalty for both Susan Witbracht and Dauntorian Sanders.

Oh, and we can’t forget Arizona’s excellent child protection services – because they haven’t got one. Remember the medical exam of Schala on May 26th, 2009, and the social worker’s concerns about Schala’s fear and unease of Dauntorian? She passed along her observations to child protection services and thought it would be followed up.

It wasn’t.

Schala was cremated and her remains sent to her father in New York. Her father has kept an extremely low profile throughout this whole debacle, but he is said to be devastated. He just had Susan allow a visit with Schala and he was looking forward to building a relationship with his little girl. His wife, in an effort to appease Susan, was a bit standoffish with Schala. She didn’t want Susan to feel threatened as a mother and thus give Susan a reason to refuse to send the little girl at all.

Too bad no one put Schala first, but again, adults worry about other adults, not the children in situations like this.

If it sounds a bit harsh and judgmental, it is supposed to.

The fear and helplessness Schala must have felt in her dying minutes cannot compare to any so-called hardship any of the adults endured or will encounter.

Schala was alone in a world of grown-ups, adults too concerned with themselves to put her first.

What does it say about a society that cannot protect innocents like Schala?

You just know that the rights of Dauntorian Sanders and Susan Witbracht will be guaranteed and accorded to them in spite of the fact that Schala’s rights were never protected.

Dauntorian Sanders and Susan Witbracht have both been charged with one count of first-degree capital murder and three counts of child abuse.

In pressing for the death penalty, the prosecution stated the following aggravating factors:
- previously convicted of a serious felony;
- victim under 15 years of age;
- murder done in an especially cruel, heinous and depraved manner.

No one can dispute that last factor.

Yes, the prosecution has decided to seek the death penalty on both of these wonderful and brave marines and now the dance of dragging heels has begun for both defendants. The state’s case is being handled by Franki Lynn Grimsman and Marischa H. Gilla. On the defense’s side, Maria L. Schaffer will stand up for Dauntorian Sanders, whilst his woman is represented by by Robert L. Storrs and Robyn Greenberg Varcoe.

The prosecution has already rejected Dauntorian Sanders’s plea deal offer – thirty years without possibility of parole. Guess they want Schala’s death to have some sort of justice. Apparently, some adults are willing to do what they can for Schala even at this late juncture.

The legislation for handling capital murder cases has changed in the state of Arizona so that twenty-four months of preparation are allotted to each defendant. When this case finally makes it to trial, one can only hope that each of these pieces of shit will have had a rough time of it in prison.

Things have crept along slowly towards the inevitable trial with motions to get records from all conceivable agencies and there are signs that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder will be somehow to blame for these two oxygen-thieves and their actions, but the fact is that Dauntorian Sanders and Susan Witbracht are just sociopathic pieces of shit who derived a great deal of enjoyment out of beating a little girl.

The date tentatively set for Dauntorian Sanders’ trial was February 22nd, 2011, at 8:30 a.m., with the Honorable Judge Roland J. Steinle scheduled to preside over the festivities, but that date has obviously passed. According to Sanders’ court records, his trial is now slated to begin at the beginning of October in Maricopa County Superior Court.

For the beast in this “beauty & the beast” coupling, the proposed trial date for Susan Witbracht is now the same as Dauntorian Sanders’ – October 3rd, 2011 – and although I cannot confirm this, I suspect the two lovers may end up being tried together, perhaps with separate juries.

Karma’s a bitch and I know that some of the payback has already started, at least for Susan Witbracht. Susan Witbracht gave birth to her child with Dauntorian Sanders, the child Dauntorian and Susan were so happy to be having, the child that was to replace Schala – Susan gave birth in prison, and the baby was immediately taken by Child Protective Services – Susan never even got to hold the baby. Somewhere, somehow, you just KNOW that this fact alone bothered Susan Witbracht, Dauntorian Sanders, and hopefully Grandma Sanders too.

One hopes and prays that Arizona’s Child Services does the right thing by this baby and ensures he is given a new chance in life and is protected from contact from Susan, Dauntorian, and any of their kin folk.

Both Susan Witbracht and Dauntorian Sanders are used to calling the shots and controlling their environment. They must now face the fact that those days are gone. It is undoubtedly galling to find themselves in their present circumstances, dancing in attendance to someone else’s tune.

By the time they show up in hell, here’s hoping they’ve had a long time to think about living life at the direction of someone else’s hellish command – sort of like Schala’s life was for its all too brief time.

http://pysih.com/2011/07/01/dauntorian-lydel-sanders-and-susan-joan-witbracht/

What that poor baby went through is incomprehensible. Even worse is how her own mother could watch and participate in slowly torturing and killing her own baby. And she still adores the killer. How sick. There are numerous photos still available on his disgusting Myspace page. It looks like his duty in Iraq was in the kitchen. Maybe he was disappointed that he didn’t get to do much killing so he decided to do it once he got back. Such a sick jerk. I wish he could suffer daily the same brutality he inflicted on that sweet baby girl. She was so defenseless that that monster. May he burn in hell. To see several photos of this pig, google his name and it should come up. Then click on photos.

5/15/2012 10:00 Trial
5/15/2012 10:00 Trial

http://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/docket/CriminalCourtCases/caseInfo.asp?caseNumber=CR2009-157459

Chandler tot's beating death leaves scar
Murder spurs program of abuse awareness

by Laurie Merrill - Mar. 3, 2012 06:36 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com

Three-year-old Schala Vera of Chandler was killed in 2009, but her death continues to reverberate throughout the city.

Her death, allegedly at the hands of her mother and mother's boyfriend, was among the most heinous that many officials said they had seen. The toddler was beaten to death, with bruises and injuries on every inch of her body. She died a crumpled heap in the bathroom trying to hide behind a toilet.

Among a spate of child-abuse cases in Chandler in 2009, her fatal beating launched the Chandler Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Coalition, which urges people to call the police and report suspected abuse.

Today, the coalition is participating in the Chandler Police Department's inaugural Public Safety Day and Department Open House. It will be followed by other public awareness activities.

"We would rather go out on a false alarm then go out and find a body," said Chandler Police Sgt. Joe Favazzo.

"We want people to get involved and help children. Report it when you see an adult hurt a child.''

Schala's death also continues to be a focus of the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, which is seeking the death penalty against her mother's boyfriend, Dauntorian Sanders, whose suspected blunt-force beatings are said to be the official cause of her death, and her mother, Susan Witbracht, who is accused of allowing her boyfriend to hurt her child.

"Ms. Witbracht is charged with first-degree murder based on the theory that she failed to protect her (daughter) from being beaten by Dauntorian Sanders," Witbracht's attorneys, Robert Storrs and Robyn Greenberg Varcoe, said in a court document.

"The beating resulted in Schala's death. At the time of the beating, Mrs Witbracht was six months pregnant with Mr. Sanders child. Ms. Witbracht was sick and asked Mr. Sanders to stop. He did not and Ms. Witbracht took no further action to protect her daughter."

It is unclear whether Schala's case marks one of the first times in Arizona that the state has sought the death penalty against a person for failing to take action, in this case, failing to protect one's child.

Similar cases have been filed since Schala's death, including the Phoenix case of a child who was tortured and died after she was locked in a foot locker.

Prosecutors have rejected all plea-offer attempts in Schala's case and have countered with no resolution that does not involve a trial.

Sanders is accused of systemically abusing Schala by making her hold her arms out for 10 or 15 minutes, beating her with a belt, dangling her by her ankles over a second-story banister, and dropping her, repeatedly, onto hard floors.

Witbracht also is suspected of beating the child, but it is Sanders who is charged with delivering the fatal blows, and who admitted, court papers say, that the beatings got out of control that day.

Witbracht's attorneys say their client suffered neglect and physical, sexual, verbal and emotional abuse as a child. Born to teenaged parents, she had no positive role models and a history of depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and alienation, they say.

The trial was scheduled for May 15, but Jerry Cobb, spokesman for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, said it will be continued. Meanwhile, Saunders and Witbracht remain in jail.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/2012/03/01/20120301chandler-beating-death-leaves-scar.html#ixzz2w9ta8GKA