ETHAN STACY (2010) - 4 yo/ Accused: Mother and Stepfather; Stephanie and Nathaniel Sloop - Layton (N of Salt Lake City) UT

Layton UT ---- The Layton Police
Department has stopped searching for a missing 4-year-old boy in his
apartment complex and shifted to an undisclosed location.
Ethan Stacy, described as 4-foot-4, about 50 pounds and with blond
hair, went missing from his apartment complex home around 11 p.m.
Monday. Police will not say whether the search has become a criminal
investigation or whether Ethan's mother and stepfather -- whom police
have not named -- are free to return home.
Layton police spokesman Lt. Garret Atkin said police are not looking
for volunteers.
Police say the boy, who had been with his father in Virginia
previously, has been living in Layton with his mother and stepfather for
less than two weeks as part of a summer visit. The mother told police
the boy has apparently wandered off several times before, but always
come back -- until now.



The boy was last seen wearing blue and red Spider-Man pajamas, what
he was wearing when his mother put him to bed.
Police have been focusing their search with a square mile of the 500
West and 1400 North area. They have interviewed a dozen registered sex
offenders in the area as well as searched neighboring apartments, police
said.
Roy police and a search dog from West Valley City also helped with
the search.
Anyone with information is urged to call Layton police at (801)
497-8300.

Police in Utah say they are disbanding a
search effort for a 4-year-old boy who was reported missing.
Layton Police Lt. Garret Atkin refused to say why the search was
being disbanded and whether the boy had been found or in what
condition. He says officers have what they believe to be solid
leads in the case and that members of the public don't need to
volunteer for search efforts.
Police said Tuesday that Ethan Stacy was last seen in his bed by
his mother in their Layton apartment about 11 p.m. Monday.
Atkin has said the boy is new to the area and is staying with
his mother and stepfather for the summer. His father lives in
Virginia.
Atkin said Tuesday Stacy's father had been contacted but he did
not know where he was.
The boy's mother says he has walked away five times in the past
10 nights.

Body found in Utah likely that of missing boy, 4



37 mins ago

LAYTON,Utah – Police in Utah say they have found the body of a boy who matches the description of a missing 4-year-old child and that his mother and stepfather will be charged.

Layton authorities on Tuesday said a charge of aggravated homicide will be filed against Ethan Stacy's stepfather, 31-year-old Nathan Sloop. They say Stacy's mother, 27-year-old Stephanie Sloop, will be charged with felony child abuse.

Police shifted their search from the family's apartment complex to a location about 25 miles away in Ogden Canyon. Five officers were seen carrying a blue bag out of the woods late Tuesday.

Ethan was reportedly last seen Monday night in bed by his mother, who said the preschooler had walked away from home five times in the past 10 nights.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
EDEN, Utah (AP) — Police say they are gathering forensic evidence at a crime scene in a Utah canyon in the case of a 4-year-old boy reported missing from a Layton apartment.

Ethan Stacy was last seen Monday night in bed by his mother, who said the preschooler had walked away five times in the past 10 nights.

Police on Tuesday shifted their search away from the apartment complex and to Ogden Canyon. Investigators wouldn't say what kind of evidence was being gathered or whether the boy had been found. But a police lieutenant said investigators had solid leads and members of the public no longer needed to volunteer for search efforts.

Late Tuesday afternoon, officers were seen carrying a blue bag off the mountain.

Layton is about 25 miles north of Salt Lake City.

After hours of searching for a missing 4-year-old boy, investigators
confirmed Tuesday they located his body buried near Powder Mountain Ski Resort.
"Charges are being filed against the mother and stepfather," said Layton Police Lt. Garret Atkin.
Nathan Sloop, 31, will be charged with aggravated murder, child abuse, obstruction of justice and desecration
of a corpse, Atkin said.
Stephanie Sloop, 27 will be charged with child abuse, obstruction of justice and desecration of a corpse.
The boy's biological father lives in Virginia.
Just before 5 p.m., five officers were seen carrying a large blue tarp folded in two off of the mountain with the
body of Ethan Stacy, who was reported missing about midnight.
Investigators had been searching and digging in a remote area near Powder Mountain for Ethan after receiving
information that he'd been buried there.
Several deputies carrying shovels were observed hiking into an area cordoned off by yellow crime-scene tape.
Several police vehicles and a mobile command station from the Weber
Metro Crime Scene Investigation unit were parked Tuesday off the side of
the road about 11 miles up Ogden Canyon near Wolf Creek Resort and
Powder Mountain, past Pineview Reservoir.About 200 yards off the main canyon road, in a heavily wooded area
close to a dirt access road owned by Powder Mountain Ski Resort,
investigators in yellow rain coats could be seen focusing on a specific area blocked off by yellow police tape.
Through a telephoto lens, detectives could been seen holding plastic evidence bags. Flashes from a
camera also went off frequently.
A canopy was set up about 30 yards away from the area where the investigators were working.
A steady rain, cold weather and muddy conditions were making the search extra-challenging.
Layton police announced earlier Tuesday afternoon that they no longer needed volunteers to help
search for Ethan, who has been missing since midnight, and said they
were focusing on a new area. They would not say where the new area was,
but officers were seen gathering near the Wolf Creek trailhead.
Even after the search changed from Layton to the mountains, Atkin said there was "no
indication this is an abduction."
"We are disbanding the search" in the area of the Layton apartment complex where Ethan went
missing, he said. "We are not in need of assistance from the public."
The end of the search in the area around the boy's apartment was prompted by new "solid leads"
based on "credible information," he said.Layton police say the Sloops apparently created a ruse when they
reported their son was missing at 11:55 p.m. Monday. Stephanie Sloop
said she'd put Ethan to bed about 9 p.m. and when she checked on him
later, he was gone, Atkin said.
Officers checked the apartments in the complex, trash bins, vehciles, storage sheds and area businesses. Police
dogs aided in the search and night vision equipment was used to help
search for the boy. Reverse 911 were made in the area and known sex
offenders in the area were questioned, he said.
At 5 a.m, additional searches were launched in the area of the complex near 500 West and 1425 North and more
vehicles were searched.
"Persons of interest were interviewed and information was obtained leading us to a possible burial site in the
area of Powder Mountain," Atkin said. That information was received
about 11 a.m. Ethan's body was located about 5 p.m. in an area that was
difficult for investigators to process because of the weather and terrain, the lieutenant said.
The boy's mother said the family was new to the area. "He's only lived here about 10 days. He came to stay with his
mom and stepfather for the summer," said Atkin. "He's done this in the
past. He's walked out of the home, but his mom has always found him in the general area."
The boy's mother said her son had walked away five times in the past 10 nights.
An Endangered Person Alert had been issued for the boy and Team ADAM,
a missing-child rapid-response system, had been activated. The ADAM
Team uses resources from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The boy's mother gave police a description of the 4-year-old and told police Ethan had last
been wearing red and blue Spider-Man pajamas

May Ethan RIP and may there be justice for him.... 4 yrs old...what could a 4 yr old do that was so bad that he had to be killed....Im glad they are charging both the mother and stepfather....This has to stop. Why do people bring these babies into the world to then just kill them....I just dont understand.

WARNING: These documents and the article below contain graphic and disturbing
information describing the abuse, death and burial of Ethan Stacy. Read
the probable cause documents for Stephanie Sloop and Nathaneal Sloop.

Ethan Stacy died after several days of abuse, and the man accused of
killing him used a hammer to disfigure the 4-year-old's face and teeth
to delay identification, according to a probable cause statement
released by the Davis County Sheriff's Office.



Nathaneal Sloop, 31, the boy's stepfather, faces charges of
aggravated murder, child abuse, obstruction of justice and abuse or
desecration of a human body.



Stephanie Sloop, 27, Nathan's wife and Ethan's mother, faces charges
of child abuse, obstruction of justice and abuse or desecration of a
human body.

Both are in the Davis County jail, Nathaneal Sloop held without bail
and Stephanie Sloop held on $100,000 bail.
The sheriff's corrections division released the affidavits Wednesday
evening following open-records requests by the media.
Both affidavits briefly outline the Layton police investigation into
how the boy died, including details of increasingly violent abuse over a
period of days. The abuse ranged from beating the boy to scalding him
in a bathtub to forcing him to eat feces.
Detectives wrote that while questioning the parents, they found
photos and video images of the boy dated May 4 on Stephanie Sloop's cell
phone, "showing a progression of injuries" to the child's head and face.
Other than a statement that Nathaneal Sloop "became angry" at the boy
on May 5, there is no indication of what triggered the prolonged abuse.
Stephanie Sloop knew of the abuse but did nothing to stop it or get
medical help for the child, detectives wrote.
On Sunday, the Sloops found the boy dead in his bed, according to the
document. His body was placed in plastic garbage bags and taped shut,
before placing "Ethan in a plastic bin."
The couple then drove to the Powder Mountain area where they buried
the little boy's body.
Stephanie Sloop drove to a convenience store and bought lighter fluid
for Nathan Sloop, "because he wanted to burn the body," according to the documents.
The couple was married on May 6 in Farmington and left the boy in his
bedroom, locked in by removing the doorknob, because they were afraid
if he was seen in public, police would be called about his injuries.
The Davis County Attorney's Office plans to file formal charges in
2nd District Court on Friday against the Sloops. A news conference will
be held at 11 a.m. Friday to explain what the exact charges will be,
said Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings.
The two are expected to appear in court Friday afternoon for initial
appearance hearings.
"We are truly sorry for the family of Ethan Stacy and will be mindful
of them as this case progresses," Rawlings wrote in news release Wednesday.
An autopsy was conducted Wednesday at the state medical examiner's office.
A custody fight in Virginia led to a judge's order that the
4-year-old boy spend the summer with his mother in Utah, police said Wednesday.
Ethan's biological father, Joe G. Stacy, of Tazewell, Va., received a
full briefing on the case Wednesday, he told The Associated Press.
"I can't talk right now. I just got the horrible news, talking to
prosecutors," said Stacy. "Right now is not the time."
Ethan arrived in Utah on May 1 after flying here from Florida with
his mother, according to a news release.
A massive search for the boy began early Tuesday morning after his
mother called police reporting he was missing.
That report turned out to be false.
The Sloops became "persons of interest in the case" after their
stories kept changing, police said.
According to the state court website, Nathaneal Sloop has a number of
convictions, mostly drug related, with the last one in 2003.
Nathaneal Sloop also faces charges of damaging a jail, stemming from
damage he caused at the Layton Police Department, according to a news
release from the police department.

Neighbors of 4-year-old Ethan Stacy created a simple memorial at the
bottom of the stairs outside the apartment where he spent the last days
of his life, then gathered there to remember him Wednesday night.
About 200 people met at a vigil to light candles and recite the
Lord's Prayer. The group also held a moment of silence for Ethan and
sang "Amazing Grace."
Neighbors offered memories of Ethan; some said they had never met the
little boy but came to mourn and offer support.
Candiace Haynes said she had seen little Ethan outside at the Layton
Meadows apartment complex.
"How sad that this little boy had such a life ahead of him, so much
that he could offer the world with his kindness and his sweetness. It's
just a tragedy that he was hurt the way he (was)," Haynes said. "Hearing
what has happened, how tragic that a mother could hurt her child."
The Davis County Attorney's Office plans to file formal charges in
2nd District Court on Friday against Nathaneal Warren Sloop, 31, and
Stephanie Christine Croft Sloop, 27, mother of the little boy whose body
was found buried near Powder Mountain.
At the vigil, some expressed anger at the Sloops and a desire for
them to be punished. Others cautioned neighbors to watch for warning
signs of child abuse.
Earlier in the day, Steven Haynes gently added six little green Army
men and a dinosaur toy to the collection of candles, stuffed animals and
flowers sitting below handwritten signs expressing sympathy for the
little boy's death.
"I didn't know him, but I thought I'd pay my respects," Haynes said.
Steven Haynes' brother, Mike Williams, had placed a Hot Wheels car,
still in its package, at the collection earlier and signed his name to
one of the signs that read, "God bless you. We all love you."
Others talked about the little boy who police and prosecutors said
died at the hands of Nathaneal Sloop.
"I'm going to be watching over the kids more closely," said Mario
Valdez, who lives in the apartment complex.
His fiancee, Ashley Wright, said crying, "I don't understand how
anyone can do that to a little kid. I have two kids. It's not right."
Wright said Ethan played with her daughter in the courtyard a couple
of times.
She described him as "a cute little boy."
They said since learning of the boy's death there has been sadness
and outrage among the complex's residents.
Gary McPhie lives in the building where Nathaneal and Stephanie Sloop
recently moved in with Ethan, who came to live with his mother for the
summer.
"If I knew what was really going on, I would have gone in and took
care of it," he said.
Most of those sitting with McPhie said it is not unusual to hear
children crying, but they all agreed they are going to listen a little
more carefully and report anything suspicious.
"You hear people fighting here a lot of times, but it's going to be
different now," McPhie said.
Jamie Roberts lives in Layton and heard about the memorial on the
news. Her thoughts at the vigil were for Ethan's biological father, Joe
G. Stacy, who is currently in Virginia.
"I hope that the father, who is in my prayers, knows that his son was
loved and that people did care about his son," she said. "He sent him
off to spend the summer with his mom and this is the tragic (thing) that
he has to deal with."
Ogden resident Terra Garrett has friends at the apartment complex who
helped with the search for Ethan.
Garrett started a Facebook group to honor the boy.
"I've got four kids of my own. I've got a 2-, 3-, 4- and a
6-year-old, and I cannot imagine being in this situation. Not even being
in the situation, just having my child go, to pass away, to die," she
said. "I'm distraught. It just brings knots in my stomach. The poor
father. I feel his pain."

this mother is just as guilty just as if she had dealt the blow herself "the world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but THOSE WHO STAND BY AND DO NOTHING" ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, whats that old saying -it takes a village to raise a child- so true ''''''''''''''''''' i look at my 4 year old just couldnt FATHOM i just sit and shake my head in disbelif and cry

Missing Utah Boy Found Murdered: Ethan Stacy Killed By Mom and Step Dad

http://blinkoncrime.com/2010/05/13/missing-utah-boy-found-murdered-ethan-stacy-killed-by-mom-and-step-dad/

A stepfather linked to the death of a 4-year-old Tazewell County, Va.,
boy could face the death penalty in Utah.

The Davis County Attorney’s Office in Utah is conducting a press
conference today concerning the death of 4-year-old Ethan Stacy of
Tazewell County, Va. His body, wrapped in plastic, was found by police
Tuesday after an extensive search.

Charges are being filed against his mother, Stephanie Sloop, 27 and his
stepfather, Nathan Sloop, 31, according to a statement supplied to the
Bluefield Daily Telegraph by the Layton City Police Department.

“There’s not been a preliminary hearing scheduled at this point,” said
Office Shawn Lewis of the Layton police told the Daily Telegraph.
“They’re still in the charging stage. There’s an investigation going on,
and they’re still gathering evidence.”

Both Nathan and Stephanie Sloop are incarcerated at the Davis County
Jail in Farmington, Utah.

Nathan Sloop has been charged at this point with aggravated homicide,
felony child abuse, obstruction of justice and desecration of a corpse.
Stephanie Sloop has been charged with felony child abuse, obstruction of
justice and desecration of a corpse.

“Aggravated homicide could potentially be a death penalty case,” Lewis
said.

Nathan Sloop acknowledged hitting the child, causing his face to swell,
and leaving him locked in a bedroom while he and the boy’s mother left
to get married, investigators told the Associated Press. The couple told
investigators that they found Ethan dead the morning of May 9. Nathan
Sloop allegedly used a hammer to disfigure the child’s face and teeth
before burying him. Investigators also said they had found photographs
of the child’s injuries on the mother’s cell phone.

Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings told the Telegraph that his office
was declining all media requests until a press conference scheduled
today for 11 a.m. Mountain time (1 p.m. Eastern time). More details
would be released then, he said.

Ethan Stacy was in Utah for a summertime visit with his mother that was
part of a custody order issued in Florida when his parents divorced. He
lived in Richlands, Va., with his father, Joe G. Stacy, since October
2009.

Joe G. Stacy was not available for comment Thursday.

A search for Ethan started at 11:55 p.m. Monday when the Layton police
received a call about a missing boy. Stephanie Sloop told police that
she had put him to bed about 9 p.m., and that he was gone when she
checked on him later, according to the department’s statement. She told
officers that Ethan had snuck out of the home on prior occasions.

Officer arrived within five minutes, according to the police report.
After obtaining Ethan’s description, they searched the apartment ground,
trash receptacles, vehicles in the parking lot, storage sheds and area
businesses. K-9 units from the Layton Police and the Davis County
Sheriff’s Office joined the search along with a bloodhound from the West
Valley Police Department. Searchers also used thermal imaging and night
vision equipment to aid their efforts.

A countywide search was started at 12:35 a.m. Tuesday. A list of all
known sex offenders in a one-mile radius was compiled, and an Endangered
Person Alert was issued due to Ethan’s age, the time lapse since his
disappearance and the outdoor elements. The situation did not fit the
criteria of an Amber Alert. Such an alert requires a child less than 18
years old, a confirmed abduction, evidence they are in danger of serious
bodily injury or death, and information that can be given to the public
that can lead to the safe return of the victim and/or the suspect’s
apprehension.

FBI agents, the county’s child protective services, and Davis County
Search and Rescue personnel were assembled for a more extensive search.
The Department of Public Safety responded with a helicopter to search
the area.

Layton police said that after interviewing “persons of interest,”
information led investigators to a possible burial site in the area of
Powder Mountain. This information was obtained at approximately 11 a.m.
Tuesday.

Due to the weather and the area’s terrain, personnel with Weber County
CSI, in conjunction with the Layton City Police Department, found the
crime scene difficult to process.

At approximately 5 p.m. Tuesday, a body of a juvenile male matching
Ethan’s description was found at the site, the Layton police said in
their statement.

Formal charges are expected Friday against
the mother and stepfather of a 4-year-old boy whose badly beaten body
was found buried in Ogden Canyon.
Nathanael Sloop, 31, is being held on suspicion of aggravated
murder in Ethan Stacy's death. He and Stephanie Sloop, 27, also
face charges of desecration of a corpse, felony child abuse and
obstruction of justice, police said.


Both remain in the Davis County Jail. Their first court appearances
are scheduled
for Friday and security will be tight, said Deputy Davis County
Attorney David Cole.
People are expected to picket outside the courthouse and call for the
harshest penalties possible. On Facebook, the group "Justice for Ethan
Stacy" is approaching 15,000 members.
Attorney Richard Gallegos, who has represented Nathanael Sloop
in previous criminal cases, has not returned messages seeking
comment. It was unknown if Stephanie Sloop had an attorney.
The charges stem from the days leading up to Ethan Stacy's death and
Nathan and Stephanie's cover-up attempt afterward.
A probable cause statement details the timeline of the criminal acts:

• Around May 1, Ethan arrived in Utah from Virginia to visit
  his mother.
  
• May 4, a cell phone time stamp reveals Stephanie took a picture
  of Ethan with swelling and bruising on his jaw.
  
• May 5, Stephanie says Nathan beat Ethan, leaving him with head
  wounds.
  
• May 6, Stephanie and Nathan get married at the Farmington
  courthouse. They locked Ethan in his room while they were gone.
  
• In the days leading up to his death, Ethan didn't eat well; he
  was burned in a hot tub and received no medical attention.
  
• On May 9, Ethan was found dead in his bed. That's also the day
  Nathan and Stephanie buried him.
  
• The night of May 10, Stephanie reported her son missing.
  
• Early morning on May 11, the search to find Ethan began.
  
• At 11 a.m. on May 11, police interviewed Nathan and Stephanie
  again and find out about the burial site.
  
• Around noon on May 11, the search moved up Ogden Valley to
  Powder Mountain.
  
• At 5 p.m. on May 11, teams discovered Ethan's body.
  

Investigators on the case have been working around the clock.
"Our people are very professional," Atkin says. "They've worked
diligently with this case to try and provide the best possible case they
can to the county attorney's office."
Investigators talked to the Sloops Wednesday to clear up the timeline of
events. Thursday, police also interviewed and cleared a third person
whom Stephanie mentioned was involved in the burial.
Divorce records show both of the former spouses of
Nathan and Stephanie Sloop were fearful because of the unstable behavior
of their exes. The documents include transcripts of profanity-laced
voice mail messages Nathan Sloop left for his former wife, Jennifer
Freeman, in September.
A relative of the family says Stephanie Sloop had a volatile
personality.
Moments after learning his little boy had been murdered, Ethan's father
Joe Stacy called his first wife and mother of Ethan's siblings,
Michelle.
Michelle says her first thought was that Stephanie had killed Ethan. She
says Stephanie was manipulative and used Ethan as leverage in the
couple's divorce.
Michelle says Joe called his son every day, then about a week ago,
Stephanie started telling him Ethan was unavailable.
The Sloops will make their first appearance at the Davis County
courthouse at 1 p.m. The Davis County Attorney has scheduled a press
conference for Friday at 11 a.m.

When "Ghost," one of
Nathan Sloop's multiple personalities, took over, he flew into
frightening rages and took offense at "any perceived slight or
criticism," according to a protective order filed by his former wife.
Jennifer Freeman, of Orlando, Fla., didn't want to leave their
5-year-old daughter alone with him.
"He is too unstable and might hurt [their daughter] to get back at
me," she wrote in a petition for a protective order filed in the Ninth
Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. About a month after the judge finalized a protective order
against him, Sloop's new fiance, Stephanie, brought her 4-year-old son
Ethan to live with them in Utah for the summer.
But according to divorce papers filed by Ethan's father, the boy's
mother was also "unstable" and he didn't want Ethan to spend the summer
with her.
"The mother has abandoned the child and I'm afraid the mother will
come and take him and I'll never see him again," Joe Stacy wrote in an
emergency petition for temporary custody filed in November.
That request was denied. On April 28, Ethan arrived in Layton to
spend the summer with his mother and her fiance.
A week later, Nathan Sloop closed a bedroom door and began slapping
and beating Ethan around the head and face, leaving him bruised and
swollen, according to police documents. Ethan's mother didn't stop the
beating, and didn't take him to the doctor.
The next day, the couple locked
Ethan in a bedroom and went to the county courthouse in Farmington to
get married, documents say. They didn't bring him for fear that someone
would see his injuries and call police.
Over the next few days, Ethan would not eat, was lethargic, had a
fever and was vomiting, possible signs of a brain injury. On Friday,
Stephanie Sloop said she came home to find her son badly burned on his
feet and legs. She said she didn't believe Sloop's story about an
accident in an overly hot bath, but thought he would hurt her and didn't
call police.
Ethan died the next day, Mother's Day. The Sloops disfigured his
body and buried him off a trail near Powder Mountain Ski Resort.
Stephanie Sloop reported Ethan missing Monday. After a 12-hour
search, the couple's story unraveled, and they admitted where they had
buried the body.
They are being held on suspicion of child abuse and desecration of a
corpse; Nathan Sloop is also being held on suspicion of aggravated
homicide. Charges are expected to be filed today.
They are not allowed near other inmates and are being held alone in
cells 23 hours a day, allowed out only to shower and exercise, jail
officers said.
Carla Jones, a former friend of Stephanie Sloop from when she lived
in Florida, said that last week she received "a few" messages from
Stephanie Sloop, but she did not return them because she "was sick of
the drama."
"You carry a lot of guilt around when someone calls you hysterical
and you don't call them back, but she had cried wolf one too many
times," Jones said. "Had I ever known they would have done this to
Ethan, I would have intervened."
According to divorce papers, Sloop was abusive in his first
marriage. He and Freeman married in 1999 in Florida, when he was 20 and
she was 19. The couple moved to Utah and bought a house in Roy. When she
got pregnant in 2004, he insisted she stay at home with the child.
He exerted an "unreasonable" and "unhealthy level of control" over
her, Freeman claimed in divorce papers. He hit and slapped her, pulled
her hair and pushed her into walls, Freeman said. She left him in
October 2007 and took their daughter to her parents' home in Florida,
according to court papers.
Freeman could not be contacted Thursday for comment.
In court filings, Nathan Sloop denied abusing her and denied being
diagnosed with a mental illness other than obsessive compulsive
disorder. No domestic violence charges were filed against him in Utah.
In the settlement, the couple shared custody, with the girl
designated to spend summers and half of holidays with her father and
live the rest of the year with her mother in Florida.
About a year after the divorce was finalized, Freeman filed for a
protective order, quoting from a 1½-hour stream of threatening voice
mails Sloop had left on Sept. 2 for both Freeman and her boyfriend.
"I don't give a f--- if I gotta spend the rest of my life in f------
prison, f--- you, I'm coming for your f------ throat," he told her,
according to the filing.
"I believe he has the ability to carry out these threats," she
wrote.
Meanwhile, Nathan Sloop had reconnected with Stephanie Stacy, with
whom he had gone to the same high school in Florida.
Carla Jones said she befriended Stephanie Sloop five years ago when
she came to the Florida doctor's office where Jones worked. Jones
watched Ethan while his mother had her appointments.
She said their families would have dinner at each other's homes and
hang out a lot.
When Stephanie left, Carla and her family did their best to be
supportive and kept doing activities with Ethan and Joe Stacy before
they moved to Virginia.
"We were friends until Stephanie went off the deep end and abandoned
Joe and Ethan," Jones said. "It was always all about Stephanie."

May 14, 2010 12:35 PM

Ethan Stacy Murder: Divorce Settlement Apparently Put 4-Year-Old in Danger

SALT LAKE CITY (CBS/AP) As charges loom for the mother and stepfather of Ethan Stacy, whose badly beaten and disfigured body was found buried in a Utah canyon this week, one has to ask how these alleged monsters got their hands on this innocent 4-year-old in the first place.

PICTURES: Ethan Stacy Dead; Mother, Stepfather Charged

The answer: a nasty divorce. In Nov. 2009, Ethan's biological father, Joe Stacy of Tazewell, Va., wrote in a custody petition that Ethan's mother, Stephanie Sloop, was unstable and had abandoned the youngster.

Stacy, who then lived in Apopka, Fla., eventually agreed to share custody of the boy, with Ethan spending the school year with his father and summers with his mother, according to divorce papers obtained by The Associated Press. The divorce settlement was approved by Judge Maura T. Smith of the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida in Orlando. Smith said Thursday the divorce was a "cut-and-dried" uncontested settlement.

She said she had not read Joe Stacy's initial petition and simply approved the final divorce and custody agreement. Ethan's father appeared alone April 28 for the 10-minute hearing, one of hundreds of divorce cases the court handles a week, Smith told The Associated Press.

The couple divided their personal property, and Stephanie Sloop gave up claims to a Florida house that fell into foreclosure in December, according to court files.

She didn't wait long to remarry. On Thursday, May 6 -- just eight days after her divorce -- Stephanie exchanged vows with Nathanael Sloop in a courthouse wedding in Utah.

The couple locked a badly beaten Ethan in his bedroom while they drove 10 miles for the ceremony, according to police. Nathanael Sloop, 31, is being held on suspicion of aggravated murder. He and Stephanie Sloop, 27, also face charges of desecration of a corpse, felony child abuse and obstruction of justice, police said.

Both remain jailed. Their first court appearances are scheduled for Friday and security will be tight.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20004997-504083.html?tag=cbsnewsCrimesiderArea.1

Affidavit reveals disturbing details of Ethan Stacy's last days

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700031731/Affidavit-reveals-disturbing-details-of-4-year-old-Ethan-Stacys-last-days.html?pg=2

Arrest Affidavits:

http://www.fox13now.com/media/acroba...5/53729228.pdf

http://www.fox13now.com/media/acroba...5/53729187.pdf

DA not ready to file formal charges against Sloops

May 14th, 2010 @ 11:52am

FARMINGTON -- The Davis County District Attorney's Office announced Friday it was not ready to formally file charges against the couple suspected in the murder of 4-year-old Ethan Stacy.

Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said they are still in the middle of the investigation and will gather the evidence needed before pursuing the harshest charges possible. Because there is the potential for the death penalty, prosecutors want to first make certain they have a solid case.

"It would be a disservice to Ethan, his family and all who are seeking justice in this case if we jumped the gun and made premature decisions and premature filings," he said.

However, Rawlings said once they have built a strong case, they will come down hard.

"It's the intent of the Davis County District Attorney's Office to file the most serious charges and seek the maximum penalties that the facts and law will allow us to do against Nathan and Stephanie Sloop for the death of 4-year-old Ethan Stacy," he said.

Rawlings said he believes there is probable cause to seek aggravated murder charges against both Nathaniel Sloop, 31, and his wife and Ethan's mother, Stephanie Sloop, 27. Before Friday, only Nathanael Sloop had been held on suspicion of aggravated murder.

"At this time we believe there is probable cause that both suspects in this case, Stephanie and Nathan Sloop, committed the crime of aggravated murder," Rawlings said.

Both are being held in the Davis County Jail without bail. Rawlings said along with the aggravated murder charges, his office is looking at a slew of other charges against the couple.

"We're looking at child abuse, a second-degree felony. We're looking at obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony. And we're looking at desecration of a dead body, a human corpse, a third-degree felony," he said.

Rawlings said he spoke with Ethan's father, Joe Stacy, Friday morning to explain why charges would not be filed yet. He said Stacy was supportive of the decision.

"He actually was appreciative of that because we explained to him in a lot more detail that I can't go into today," said Rawlings. "He said, ‘My interest is that you get it right so there are no mistakes and things can't come back on appeal and there's problems with the case if you pursue it.' So he appreciated the information and he was on board with this decision."

The couple's first court appearances are scheduled for Friday and security will be tight, said Deputy Davis County Attorney David Cole.

People are expected to picket outside the courthouse and call for the harshest penalties possible. On Facebook, the group "Justice for Ethan Stacy" is approaching 15,000 members.

Attorney Richard Gallegos, who has represented Nathanael Sloop in previous criminal cases, has not returned messages seeking comment. It was unknown if Stephanie Sloop had an attorney.

The charges stem from the days leading up to Ethan Stacy's death and Nathan and Stephanie's cover-up attempt afterward.

A probable cause statement details the timeline of the criminal acts:

• Around May 1, Ethan arrived in Utah from Virginia to visit his mother.
  
• May 4, a cell phone time stamp reveals Stephanie took a picture of Ethan with swelling and bruising on his jaw.
  
• May 5, Stephanie says Nathan beat Ethan, leaving him with head wounds.
  
• May 6, Stephanie and Nathan get married at the Farmington courthouse. They locked Ethan in his room while they were gone. In the days leading up tohis death, Ethan didn't eat well; he was burned in a hot tub and received no medical attention.
  
• On May 9, Ethan was found dead in his bed. That's also the day Nathan and Stephanie buried him.
  
• The night of May 10, Stephanie reported her son missing.
  
• Early morning on May 11, the search to find Ethan began.
  
• At 11 a.m. on May 11, police interviewed Nathan and Stephanie again and find out about the burial site.
  
• Around noon on May 11, the search moved up Ogden Valley to Powder Mountain. At 5 p.m. on May 11, teams discovered Ethan's body.
  

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=10769121&autostart=y

Sherry Durst
didn't know Ethan Stacy -- few in Utah did. But Saturday, she felt drawn
to his memorial near the apartment where his short life brutally ended.

"I come out here every day, just to see," Durst, 44, of Syracuse,
said. "You have to feel it. If you have a heart, you have to feel this."

Davis County prosecutors claim the 4-year-old boy died May 9
following four days of abuse by his stepfather and mother. He had
recently arrived in Utah to spend the summer with his mother as part of a
child custody agreement.
His death has struck a chord in thousands of people. By Saturday,
three Facebook pages dedicated to his case had a combined total of
nearly 32,000 fans. Davis County attorneys have been flooded with
e-mails offering both sympathy for Ethan's family and demanding swift
justice for the crime.
The abuse started May 5, when 31-year-old Nathan Sloop dealt a
brutal beating to the boy's head and face, according to police
documents. Ethan's 27-year-old mother Stephanie Sloop did nothing to
stop the beating, and might have had a substantial hand in the abuse,
prosecutors said Friday. The couple married one day after the beating,
locking the injured boy in a bedroom and going to the Davis County
Memorial Courthouse.
Ethan got no medical attention and suffered further abuse, including
burns to his feet and legs, before his death, police said. After he
died, the couple allegedly disfigured his face and buried him near
Powder Mountain ski resort. They reported him missing Monday, but their
story unraveled about 12 hours later.
Both are now being held in the Davis County jail without bail. If
prosecutors file anticipated aggravated murder charges against them
later this month, they could both face the death penalty.
Several days after Ethan's death, strangers continued to pay their
respects at a memorial a few feet from the apartment where he died.
They left candles, flowers and handwritten letters along with dozens
of stuffed animals and balloons. An elementary school group signed two
large posters and pasted them next to pictures of the blond,
bespectacled little boy. There were kites and water guns with the image
of his favorite superhero, Spider-Man, and notes to Ethan's father, Joe
Stacy, who lives in Virginia.
Many mourners said they have never been so affected by a news story.

"There's a picture of him sitting in a pool, and he just looks
completely vulnerable ... he was helpless," Chris Gagnier, 42, said
through tears. "I just can't imagine laying hands on my child the way
they did."
Courtney Fulmer, 20, heard about the crime from her boyfriend's
parents. For her, it's a reminder that a tranquil city is not
necessarily immune to shocking crime.
"We always think that we're kind of a safe haven, especially in
Layton, but we're not," she said from behind the counter at the coffee
shop The Daily Rise.
For others, Ethan's death is a call to action. Valleri Lyngle,
general manager at the Iceberg ice cream shop in Syracuse, has been a
foster parent to six children and adopted one boy who had been abused.
She is organizing a Teddy Bear Drive, slated for May 29, to collect
stuffed animals for firefighters and police officers to give to children
in traumatic situations.
"I really want people to stop and think about [Ethan's death]," she
said. She hopes it increases awareness about child abuse. "People need
to take action."

Ethan Stacy: Dealing with the Feelings

Posted on May 15th, 2010 by Valhall

Excerpt:

I have not been so devastated in quite some time because of events that have no real physical connection to me as I currently am over the horrific account of what little Ethan Stacy went through in the last few days of his short life. And I am also overwhelmed with grief at the thoughts of what his loving father must be enduring this time. I am filled with anger, an urge for vengeance (which I normally don’t have), and an over-whelming sense of hopelessness and helplessness at the plight of children who are in abusive situations. I could not sleep well last night because of the thoughts of these small innocent angels in our midst who at this very moment may be enduring atrocities we can’t even imagine (and I don’t want to imagine them).


READ MORE: http://www.thehinkymeter.com/2010/05/15/ethan-stacy-dealing-with-the-feelings/

Joe Stacy will lay his
4-year-old son, Ethan, to rest Wednesday in the small mountain town
where he wanted to boy to grow up.
Ethan will be buried in Richlands, Va., less than three weeks after
he arrived in Utah to spend the summer with his mother, Stephanie Sloop,
who along with her new husband is a suspect in the boy's death.
A public service will be Tuesday at the Grundy Funeral Home in
Grundy, Va., with a funeral to follow Wednesday. He will be buried in
Clinch Valley Memorial Cemetery in Richlands.
Ethan had been in Utah for one week when, police say, on May 5
Nathan Sloop severely beat the child on the head and face.
Nathan and Stephanie Sloop married at the old memorial courthouse in
Farmington the day after the beating, leaving the boy locked in a
bedroom without medical attention, according to a police probable cause
statement. Investigators say Ethan was also badly burned by Nathan Sloop
before his death four days later.
The Sloops allegedly disfigured his body and buried him off a trail
near Powder Mountain Ski Resort, then reported him missing. Authorities
say the couple admitted to the location of his body after a 12-hour
search.
Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said his office is waiting
autopsy results and testing of other key evidence before filing charges
against the Sloops.
Rawlings has urged the public "not to treat the probable cause
statement like the Bible" because dozens of pieces of new evidence have
since surfaced. The involvement of Ethan's mother, initially told police
she was scared of her husband, could be enough to justify aggravated
murder charges against her in addition to her husband, Rawlings said.
In Utah, aggravated murder charges can carry three penalties: the
death penalty, life in prison without parole, or 25 years to life in
prison with the option of parole. Prosecutors now have 60 days to decide
which option to pursue.
Second District Court Judge David Connors on Friday ordered the
couple held without bail until May 28, by which time charges should be
filed.

One week ago, officers from Layton and Weber County dug up the body
of 4-year-old Ethan Stacy.
Critical incident stress debriefing sessions will be held later this
week to help officers, investigators, dispatchers and other police staff
cope with what they saw and heard during the search and investigation,
officials said.
Layton police Lt. Garret Atkin said the death of Ethan Stacy has been
difficult on officers, dispatchers and the support staff at the
department.
"We consider our police department as a family," Atkin said. "We went
through this together and hopefully we will heal together."
Atkin said the debriefing sessions are not mandatory, but it helps to
get together with peers to discuss what they are feeling.
Officers cannot or do not want to always discuss with family members
what they have gone through in cases like Ethan Stacy's, Atkin said.
Cases involving children can be extra hard not only on officers but
on dispatchers and support personnel who are behind the scenes and do
not always know what is going on during the investigation, he said.
Dispatchers are the ones who receive the 911 calls of a missing
child, Atkin said. Then, as the investigation goes on, they are the ones
who handle the hundreds of calls from people who want to help or to
complain.
"They also see the officers who come in and are struggling a little
bit with what is going on," Atkin said.
Layton City, like other agencies, offer employee assistance, where an
officer or other employee struggling with the incident can receive
counseling one-on-one without a report going to city officials, he said.
Law enforcement "officers do not see the horrors of war, but they see
a lot of cruelty imposed on humanity and it takes its toll," said Jack
Rickards, director of the Weber State University Law Enforcement
Academy.
Rickards said he knows military personnel go through a lot, but law
enforcement does to and it is rarely recognized.
Public-trained safety personnel, communications officials, medical
officials and mental health workers will be on hand during the
debriefing sessions to help those involved discuss the feelings and
emotions they are going through.
Weber County Sheriff's Capt. Klint Anderson said if officers do not
get help they can become like a pressure cooker with emotions and images
they do not know what to do with.
"Everyone copes differently, so we let them know it's OK to vent,"
Anderson said.
Also, officers keep an eye on each other in case someone is not
coping well, officials said.
Davis County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Bob Yeaman said supervisors at
the jail where Stephanie and Nathan Sloop are booked are watching
corrections officers to make sure they are coping well.
The Sloops are accused of the murder of the 4-year-old boy. Formal
charges have not been filed yet.
It's not the first time the jail has housed defendants accused of
killing a child, he said.
The jail has two professionals from Davis Behavioral Health, Inc., on
hand who talk, when requested, to deputies who are in charge of the
Sloop case about what they are going through emotionally and mentally,
Yeaman said.
Also, deputies who work in the jail are told during their briefing
sessions, before their shift begins, to remember to be professional,
Yeaman said.
"Sometimes it's hard to be professional, but we force ourselves to do
it," Yeaman said. "We talk about thinking about what you're going to
say and what you do before you do it. And, if you need guidance to talk
to your supervisor, we'll get you help."
Officers receive basic training either at WSU's law enforcement
academy or at the state's Police Officer Standards Training on how to
cope with stress.
Staying physically fit is one way to cope with stress instead of
grabbing "a fifth of Jack Daniels" said Lt. Wade Breur with POST.
Those going into law enforcement know they will see their share of
mangled body and horrific crime scenes, but nothing really prepares them
for reality, Breur said.
"So when you're stressed out, it's good to hit the gym," Breur said.

Ethan Stacy's mother, Stephanie Sloop, may face aggravated murder
charges along with her husband in her 4-year-old's son's gruesome
murder, according to Utah prosecutors.
Searchers dug up Ethan's badly beaten and disfigured body May 11, about
10 days after he arrived in Utah for a summer visit with his 27-year-old
mother.



Police said Stephanie Sloop initially told officers her son had
wandered away from her Layton, Utah apartment and the couple reported
him missing soon after.But court documents filed by prosecutors paint
a very different story.According to probable cause statements, Nathanael
Sloop, the boy's stepfather, acknowledged beating the boy for days
before his May 9 death and Stephanie Sloop did nothing to stop it.After the boy died, Nathanael Stoop used a hammer to disfigure the
boy's face and teeth to keep him from being identified, then buried the
body in a canyon, according to the papers.The couple were
arrested, but prosecutors delayed charging them in order to prepare for a
potential death penalty case.

"We're not going to file charges before all of our ducks are
in a row
and we're ready to go, but we intend to get there," Rawlings said.On
Friday, Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said both Stephanie and
Nathanael Sloop will likely be charged with aggravated murder. The
Sloops may also be charged with felony child abuse, obstruction of
justice and desecration of a corpse, Rawlings said. At Friday's
hearing, both separately agreed to waive their right to be bailed out of
jail until at least their next court appearance on May 28. Nathanael
Sloop kept his head low and wept softly during his court appearance.
Stephanie Sloop appeared withdrawn and showed no visible emotion during
the twin hearings that together lasted less than 15 minutes.

My heart goes out to the Stacy family. I hope neither of the Sloops ever walk among us again.

Davis County prosecutors began going over evidence
today in the case against Nathanael and Stephanie Sloop, accused of
killing 4-year-old Ethan Stacy. The medical examiner is conducting tests on tissue samples taken
from Ethan Stacy's body. The FBI is also involved, conducting forensic
tests on cell phones and other electronics.

Prosecutors are considering leveling aggravated murder charges against
the Sloops. They would bring them under "Shelby's Law," which made child
abuse that leads to death, a potential death penalty crime. It was
prompted by the murder of 10-year-old Shelby Andrews in 2006. Police
said Shelby was abused so badly, she eventually died inside the Syracuse
home of her father and stepmother. Shelby's biological mother, Kim
Hale, said she was tortured.

"What could a 4-year-old, or even a 10-year-old, do to deserve anything
like this?" Hale asked.

Hale said the similarities between Shelby's case and Ethan's case are
striking. Shelby's father, Ryan Andrews, and her stepmother, Angela,
were both convicted of murder, but Davis County prosecutors were
frustrated that they couldn't seek the death penalty. That led to
"Shelby's Law."

"As to what it does for Ethan, is it allows for the dad and potentially
the mother to be charged with a capital homicide," said Rep. Paul Ray,
R-Clearfield.

The case against the Sloop's is the first time Shelby's Law could be
used.

"It's gratifying to have it in place so that when a monster performs
these acts that happened here, you have the ability to go after them
now," Ray remarked.

As horrified as they are by Ethan's death, Shelby's mother, Kim, and
stepfather, Guy, say they believe her death was not in vain.

"It's bittersweet," Guy Hale said.

"We knew that Shelby was put on this earth for a purpose," Kim Hale
said. "We just didn't realize that her death was going to be the purpose
for everything."

Funeral services for Ethan Stacy are scheduled for Wednesday in Grundy,
Va.

As mourners gathered
Tuesday evening to give their condolences to Joe Stacy over the loss of
his 4-year-old son, Ethan Stacy, the grieving father said he understands
why charges have not been filed yet in the boy's death.
Ethan's mother, Stephanie Sloop, and her new husband, Nathan Sloop,
are in Davis County Jail on suspicion of child abuse and aggravated
murder for Ethan's May 9 death. The prosecutor has said he is awaiting
more evidence before seeking charges.
"I don't want any mistakes made at all," Stacy said. "I don't want
them getting out of this in any sort of way. They need to pay for taking
my son away from me."
Asked whether he supported prosecutors seeking the death penalty
against the couple, Stacy said, "death penalty if they can."
He said he plans to attend the trial in Utah.




The boy's death has sparked outrage across Utah, where Ethan came to
spend the summer with his mother as part of visitation in his parents'
divorce decree. Joe Stacy had hoped Ethan would grow up in Virginia, in
the small mountain burgs where his father spent his youth.
Instead, his son has come back under the saddest of circumstances.
Hundreds of people are expected to attend Tuesday's public service
in Grundy. The Grundy Funeral home has had 7,000 page views on its
website in the past four days, funeral director Curtis Mullins said. The
site usual garners 3,000 views a month.
Stacy said he has gotten "many, many condolences" from people online
and is starting to receive letters, cards and donations from all over
the country.
"It's a wonderful feeling there are so many good people out there,"
he said.
Mullins said there have been more than 450 condolences posted on the
funeral home's website, and he plans to have them printed in book form
and given to the family.
The funeral home sits in two rectangular red-brick buildings on Main
Street amid the lush green Appalachian Mountains that tower over the
coal town of about 1,100 people. The Levisa Fork River, which has
flooded nine times since the town's inception, is again barely contained
in its tree-lined banks.
The public service will be followed by Ethan's funeral tomorrow. He
will be buried in Clinch Valley Memorial Cemetery in Richlands.
Ethan had been in Utah for one week when, police say, on May 5
Nathan Sloop severely beat the child on the head and face.
Nathan and Stephanie Sloop married at the old memorial courthouse in
Farmington the day after the beating, leaving the boy locked in a
bedroom without medical attention, according to a police probable cause
statement. Investigators say Ethan was also badly burned by Nathan Sloop
before his death four days later.
The Sloops allegedly disfigured his body and buried him off a trail
near Powder Mountain Ski Resort, then reported him missing. Authorities
say the couple admitted to the location of his body after a 12-hour
search.
Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said his office is waiting
autopsy results and testing of other key evidence before filing charges
against the Sloops.
Rawlings has urged the public "not to treat the probable cause
statement like the Bible" because dozens of pieces of new evidence have
since surfaced. The involvement of Ethan's mother, who initially told
police she was scared of her husband, could be enough to justify
aggravated murder charges against her in addition to her husband,
Rawlings said.
In Utah, aggravated murder charges can carry three penalties: the
death penalty, life in prison without parole, or 25 years to life in
prison with the option of parole. Prosecutors now have 60 days to decide
which option to pursue.
Second District Court Judge David Connors on Friday ordered the
couple held without bail until May 28, by which time charges should be
filed.

A former close friend of Stephanie Sloop says their friendship fell
apart when Sloop split from Ethan's father, Joe Stacy.
But in the emotional crisis surrounding Ethan's death, Sloop apparently reached out to her former friend for help.
Carla Jones, who lives in Florida, says she's
turned over to police as potential evidence, recordings of Sloop's
voice messages. Jones blames herself for not reacting in time to save the little boy she calls "Pumpkin."
Photos document years of friendship between Jones, Ethan and his parents.
"We were very, very close," Jones said. "We did a lot of things as families and as couples."
When the couple's marriage fell apart, Jones said Sloop forced her to choose between her and Joe Stacy.
"I love Joe and Ethan. They are extended family to us," she said.
Jones said she's infuriated by claims that Sloop was a nurturing mother.
"Stephanie is a very conniving, manipulating and deceiving person," Jones said. "She would sell her own mother if it
was going to get her something.
"She was not a fit mother. She was not a fit
wife. She had a personality disorder. She had anger issues. She should
have never had that child," she said.Jones said she believes Sloop took custody of Ethan for the summer
and brought him to Utah "so she could hurt Joe."
"She knew the only way she could hurt Joe was by getting Ethan," she said.
Three nights before Sloopand her new husband, Nathan Sloop, reported Ethan missing, Jones said
Stephanie Sloop left her a series of frantic voice messages.
"She left … messages while she was crying, 'Ethan, he's crying. He won't stop crying. He just
wants mommy. I don't know what to do. Please, please, call me. I don't
know how to handle it. I don't know what to do,' " Jones said.
The final message, Jones now believes, may have come after Ethan died.
"It was absolutely hysterical sobbing to where I couldn't understand what she was saying,"
she said. "If I had to look deep into my heart, yeah, I would probably
have to say that Ethan probably was dead, if not close to being dead at
that point. And it was her grief reaching out."
Now, Jones wishes she'd called Ethan's dad or the police.
"I actually feel terrible, and I have tremendous guilt," she said.
Jones said the death penalty would be too good for her former friend and her new husband.
She'd like to see Nathan and Stephanie Sloop locked up for life,
surrounded by pictures to remind them of what they did.