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

Ethan Stacy’s mom and stepdad can’t claim spousal privilege, says attorney


Ethan Stacy’s mom and stepdad can’t claim spousal privilege, says attorneyAccording to the county attorney’s office, spousal privilege won’t be an issue in the upcoming preliminary hearings for the accused murderers of 4-year-old Ethan Stacy. The little boy’s mother, Stephanie Sloop, 27, and his stepfather, Nathan Sloop, 31, have been charged in his death.In May, while visiting his mother‘s Utah home, Nathan allegedly tortured and abused Ethan over the course of several days -- ultimately resulting in his death. His mother is accused of doing nothing to prevent the horrific treatment Ethan endured. After Ethan died, Nathan allegedly disfigured the body to discourage identification, and the couple buried the boy near Powder Mountain.To see photos regarding Ethan's case, click here.According to the Standard-Examiner, Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said Utah law does not allow a spouse to evoke the spousal privilege when the case involves “the possible abuse of a natural child of either party.”Both Stephanie and Nathan are charged with second-degree felony child abuse, second-degree felony obstruction of justice, third-degree felony abuse or desecration of a body, and aggravated murder in connection with Ethan’s death.The couple was in court Friday, learning they would be tried separately regarding the case. In addition, the judge announced Nathan’s preliminary hearing will begin February 1, while Stephanie’s will start weeks later.Rawlings also noted his office will likely seek the death penalty for both defendants
http://www.examiner.com/crime-in-national/ethan-stacy-s-mom-and-stepdad-can-t-claim-spousal-privilege-says-attorney

The attorneys for Stephanie and Nathan Sloop
have agreed to drop a marriage annulment after Judge David M. Connors
ruled that the case would not be sealed.

Stephanie Sloop’s attorney, Mary Corporon,
requested filings in the case be sealed from public view on Sept. 13,
arguing public disclosure would cause substantial harm to both parties
because there would be “personal and intimate details” about the
couple’s marriage.

The Sloops are both facing aggravated murder
charges for the early May death of Stephanie Sloop’s 4-year-old son,
Ethan Stacy. They could each face the death penalty if found guilty.
Stephanie Sloop had sought to annul the marriage because her
participation in the May 6 marriage “was not voluntary and was the
result or product of physical duress by” Nathan Sloop, according to the
initial filing.

The Salt Lake Tribune filed a motion against
sealing the annulment, arguing that the Sloops had given no real reason
for sealing the case and that the public has a right to open court
proceedings. The Tribune also argued that any confidential information
could be redacted rather than the entire case sealed.

When Connors said Monday he would not seal the case, Corporon and Nathan Sloop’s attorneys agreed to drop the annulment.

Neither side would comment on the decision Monday.

“It’s an interesting reaction, but I have no
insight into why they would drop the marriage dissolution case,” said
Mike O’Brien, who was arguing on behalf of The Salt Lake Tribune to keep
the case open.

The documents in the annulment case will not be available to the public until official documents opening the case are signed.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50818057-76/case-annulment-marriage-sloop.html.csp

Sloop Hearings Delayed



DAVIS COUNTY, Utah (ABC 4 News) - Stephanie and Nathan Sloop will have to wait longer to tell their stories in front of a judge, the Davis County couple's Preliminary hearings are delayed.

The hearings were initially scheduled for the first two weeks of February but now a court official tells ABC4 the Sloops won't be back in a courtroom until this summer. In the past few weeks, several sealed motions have been filed by Defense attorneys, but no one is saying what's in those documents.

The hearings are important because the public will get to hear for the first time how 4-year-old Ethan Stacy died, and see some the of State's evidence.

Stephanie and Nathan Sloop are accused of torturing and killing Stephanie's son last May while he visited the couple in their Layton home.

For now, the couple is scheduled for a roll call hearing June 27th.


http://www.abc4.com/content/news/slc/story/Sloop-Hearings-Delayed/UF9VwxyxqUasgsDBYftLhg.cspx

Ethan Stacy update: Evidence hearing in murdered boy case will be open to public


Bountiful, Utah - On Monday, it was announced that an evidence admissibility hearing to take place next month in the Ethan Stacy case, will be open to the public.
On April 21, a court hearing for the slain boy’s mother, Stephanie Sloop, and her new husband, Nathan Sloop regarding two items of evidence, will be heard in a public forum.
Ethan was killed during a May 2010 visit to his mother‘s Layton, Utah home. Nathan, 32, allegedly tortured and abused Ethan over the course of several days -- ultimately resulting in his death. Stephanie, 28, allegedly did nothing to prevent the horrific treatment Ethan endured.
After Ethan died, Nathan allegedly disfigured his body with a hammer to discourage identification. The couple then reportedly burned and buried the boy near Powder Mountain Ski Resort in Weber County.

http://www.examiner.com/crime-in-national/ethan-stacy-update-evidence-hearing-murdered-boy-case-will-be-open-to-public

Dispute continues over evidence in Ethan Stacy case


FARMINGTON — It’s not a child abuse case, but a murder case, prosecutors said after a hearing for the couple accused of killing 4-year-old Ethan Stacy.
“I would say we’re not looking at child abuse. We’re looking at murder. We’re looking at a dead child here, so we’re looking at any evidence that will get us there,” said Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings after the hearings for Nathanael and Stephanie Sloop on Thursday.
The Layton couple are each charged with aggravated murder, second-degree felony child abuse, second-degree felony obstruction of justice and third-degree felony abuse or desecration of a body in the death of Ethan Stacy, Stephanie Sloop’s son. He died on May 9, 2010. Investigators found his body near Powder Mountain the following day.
Supporters for Ethan came to court wearing T-shirts saying “Ethan’s Army” and “Justice for Ethan.”
A bailiff told them they had to either take off the T-shirts or cover up the T-shirts before entering the courtroom. Court decorum does not allow signs, buttons or other displays for or against defendants in any case.
The Sloops appeared separately before Judge Glen C. Dawson in 2nd District Court in Farmington. Before the hearings, prosecutors and defense attorneys met with Dawson in his chambers for more than an hour to discuss possible evidence that Dr. Rob Pramann, a therapist, may have concerning the case.
It will be up to Dawson to decide what is privileged and protected concerning medical records between the Sloops and Pramann.
Mary Corporon, attorney for Stephanie Sloop, said that communication between her client and Pramann is protected and confidential and does not fall under Utah’s child abuse laws.
Both defense attorneys said prosecutors and defense attorneys have agreed that a patient/physician relationship existed between their clients and Pramann, but they disagree on what is protected and what is not.
Nathanael Sloop’s attorney, Richard Mauro, said there “is a difference between what is privileged and what is protected, what is a medical record.”
A hearing where both sides will present oral arguments is set for June 3.
“The communications we want, they are not privileged,” Rawlings said. “The communications were not made for the diagnosis or treatment of the patient.”
Mauro said he and prosecutors will argue in a separate hearing, July 27-28, about documents law enforcement seized out of Nathanael Sloop’s cell.
“Those are protected under the attorney/client privilege,” Mauro said. “We don’t want the government to have access to documents our client has in his cell.”
Rawlings said he knows the public wants this case to be resolved sooner than later, but his office wants to do everything correctly so the defense attorneys have no ground for appeals.
“Ultimately, we want the (Sloops) to have a fair, public preliminary hearing,” Rawlings said. “We want to present all of this evidence at a fair, public preliminary hearing and at a trial.”
The case is still on course for a death penalty and at this point no deals are being offered to either of the Sloops.
Prosecutors have 60 days after the Sloops have entered a plea to decide if they will seek the death penalty. A felony arraignment hearing is scheduled after a preliminary hearing has been completed or waived.

http://www.standard.net/topics/ethan-stacy/2011/04/21/dispute-continues-over-evidence-ethan-stacy-case

Judge sets June hearing on evidence in Ethan Stacy murder case

Prosecutors and defense attorneys on Thursday agreed some records of communications between murder defendants Nathan and Stephanie Sloop and their therapist are protected by patient-physician privilege.

But a dispute remains about whether prosecutors are barred from using all of the records in court against the Sloops.

Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings argued that some conversations between the Sloops and their therapist, Ogden psychologist Rob Pramann, were not carried out for the sake of treatment. Therefore, some of the conversations that took place should not be sealed for privacy and instead should be allowed for use by prosecutors as evidence, he said.

Defense attorneys maintain that the records are confidential and should not be admitted as evidence.

Second District Judge Glen Dawson asked attorneys to submit briefs on the issue by the end of May with oral arguments scheduled for June 3.The judge also scheduled a July 29 hearing to discuss whether materials seized from Nathan Sloop’s cell at the Davis County Jail might be admissible as evidence.

Nathan Sloop, 32, and Stephanie Sloop, 28, are both charged with aggravated murder in the slaying of 4-year-old Ethan Stacy in May 2010. Stephanie Sloop was Ethan’s mother and Nathan Sloop was his new stepfather.

Nathan Sloop spoke to Pramann about the boy’s behavior and physical state, according to court documents, and prosecutors are seeking records of those conversations.

If the judge decides Nathan Sloop’s communications regarding Ethan are privileged, prosecutors want the judge to then consider if the sessions should have triggered a child-abuse report by the therapist, and whether that constitutes an exception to the privilege.

read more>
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51666858-78/sloop-ethan-nathan-judge.html.csp

Preliminary hearings set for Stephanie and Nathan Sloop



5/17 4:46 pm



FARMINGTON, Utah (ABC 4 News) - Preliminary hearings have now been set for Stephanie and Nathan Sloop.

The couple is accused of killing Stephanie’s four year old son Ethan Stacy last year.

Today, the judge set Nathan’s preliminary hearing for November 1st through 3rd. Stephanie's will be held November 15th through the 17th.

http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top_stories/story/Preliminary-hearings-set-for-Stephanie-and-Nathan/9FYSgPq6sUmGvgON1e_9jQ.cspx

Defense now seeks therapist's records in Ethan Stacy murder case

July 7, 2011
FARMINGTON, Utah—


Lawyers for a woman accused of killing her 4-year-old son are urging a judge to force a therapist to hand over medical records.
Fox 13 obtained a court filing from Stephanie Sloop's defense attorney, demanding the therapist's records as part of the ongoing murder case. The July 1 filing by attorney Mary Corporon complains that Dr. Rob Pramann is not complying with a subpoena for records.
"Defendant's counsell received a letter from Dr. Pramann, shortly after being served with the subpoena, informing defendant that the records she requested would not be provided because the identified records are classified as private and protected," Corporon wrote in the filing.
Sloop provided a written release to the therapist in April, Corporon claims, but they apparently have not been released. The filing requests a judge force Pramann to turn over the records to Sloop's defense attorneys.
Davis County prosecutors have also fought for the therapist's records. They subpoenaed him in April seeking not only his records but testimony. Pramann has counseled both Nathan and Stephanie Sloop. Prosecutors sought to glean what may or may not have been said about Ethan Stacy to the psychologist as it related to the murder case.]A deal was struck that certain communications between the therapist and the Sloops were privileged between a doctor and patient. No response had yet been filed by Pramann's attorney to this latest request by defense attorneys.

The Sloops are accused of abusing and killing 4-year-old Ethan Stacy and then burying his body near Powder Mountain back in 2009. If convicted of aggravated murder, the couple could potentially face the death penalty.



http://www.fox13now.com/news/local/kstu-defense-now-seeks-therapists-records-in-ethan-stacy-murder-case-20110707,0,468043.story

thank you all for keeping little Ethan's story updated. I do google searches but you all have it all here. Thx for all that you do. I am just a grandmother who fell for this sweet little boys face. When I think of these monsters defacing his features and teeth to avoid detection, it makes me want to take a hammer to them. I hope they can give both of them the death penalty and it sticks.

FARMINGTON -- Evidentary hearings for the man accused of
murdering 4-year-old Ethan Stacy were set to get underway Wednesday in
2nd District Court.

Layton residents Stephanie Sloop, 28, and her husband, Nathanael, 32,
are each charged with aggravated murder, second-degree felony child
abuse, second-degree felony obstruction of justice and third-degree
felony abuse or desecration of a body in the death of Ethan Stacy,
Stephanie Sloop’s son.

The boy died May 9, 2010, and investigators found his body buried near Powder Mountain on May 11, 2010.

Nathanael Sloop and Stephanie Sloop could each could face the death penalty if convicted of the aggravated murder charge.

Stephanie Sloop will be in court on Friday for an evidentiary hearing.


http://www.standard.net/stories/2011/07/27/nathanael-sloop-evidentiary-hearing-begin

FARMINGTON — Evidentiary hearings for Nathanael and Stephanie
Sloop, who are accused of murdering 4-year-old Ethan Stacy, have been
continued until late October and early November.
Defense attorneys and prosecutors met with Judge Glen C. Dawson in his chambers for about 90 minutes Wednesday morning.
Nathanael
Sloop, 32, appeared in 2nd District Court for a brief hearing.
Stephanie Sloop, 29, did not appear, but her attorney, Mary Corporon,
was in court. Stephanie Sloop was scheduled for a hearing Friday, which
also will not take place.
The Sloops, who are being held in Davis
County Jail on no bail, are each charged with aggravated murder,
second-degree felony child abuse, second-degree felony obstruction of
justice and third-degree felony abuse or desecration of a body in the
death of Ethan Stacy, Stephanie Sloop’s son.
The evidentiary
hearings will be part of the preliminary hearings set for late October
and early November. Nathanael Sloop’s preliminary hearing is set to run
from Oct. 31 to Nov. 4. Stephanie Sloop’s preliminary hearing is set to
run from Nov. 15 through Nov. 17.
Ethan died May 9, 2010, and investigators found his body buried near Powder Mountain on May 11, 2010.
Both
Nathanael Sloop and Stephanie Sloop could face the death penalty if
each is convicted of the aggravated murder charge. Prosecutors have 60
days after the Sloops enter a plea at a felony arraignment hearing to
file their intention to seek the death penalty.
A felony arraignment hearing is scheduled after a preliminary hearing is concluded.
The
evidentiary hearings that were set for this week would have heard
testimony about evidence including documents seized from Nathanael
Sloop’s jail cell, attorneys said at a previous hearing.
Attorneys on Wednesday declined to discuss what evidence would have been presented during this week’s hearings.
“We are not going to comment on the evidence,” Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings after the hearing.
Rawlings said neither side has “given up on the legal issues.”
In
court, Nathanael Sloop’s attorney, Scott C. Williams, said that after
discussing the legal issues with the judge and the prosecution, it would
be better for both sides if the evidentiary hearing is held at the same
time as the preliminary hearing.
“This is just a routine example
of a hearing being scheduled that was thought necessary, and then it was
decided it was not,” Williams said after the hearing.
Rawlings said judges typically hear motions concerning evidence during preliminary hearings, not before.
Rawlings
said holding the hearings together “makes an awful lot of sense,”
because it speeds up the case and “avoids or eliminates appeals.”
Rawlings
said if either side decides to appeal an issue, it can be done in one
appeal instead of multiple appeals, which could delay the case.


http://www.standard.net/stories/2011/07/27/nathanael-sloop-hearing-continued

FARMINGTON — Prosecutors may have evidence that could prove the innocence of Stephanie Sloop, her attorney said.

Stephanie Sloop, 28, and her husband, Nathanael Warren Sloop, 32, are
each charged with aggravated murder, second-degree felony child abuse,
second-degree felony obstruction of justice and third-degree felony
abuse or desecration of a body. The charges stem from the death of
4-year-old Ethan Stacy, Stephanie Sloop’s son, on May 9, 2010. The
murder charge carries a possible death sentence, if either Sloop is
convicted. Prosecutors have 60 days following a felony arraignment
hearing to file their intent to seek the death penalty.

Investigators found the young boy’s disfigured body buried near Powder Mountain on May 10, 2010.

The Layton couple appeared separately in 2nd District Court on
Tuesday before Judge Glen C. Dawson, asking the judge to cancel dates
set for preliminary hearings.

Mary C. Corporon, Stephanie Sloop’s attorney, filed a motion on Oct.
19, asking the judge to order prosecutors to hand over evidence that may
be “exculpatory” for Stephanie Sloop. She also filed a motion to have a
preliminary hearing set for Nov. 15 through Nov. 17 to be continued to
another date.

Corporon said during Tuesday’s hearing that prosecutors have given
her 16,480 documents and 412 disks, which have recordings and/or
photographs to examine. But in the last several weeks, new evidence has
come forward, which she has not had time to review.

According to court documents, prosecutors have “received material in
search of the cell of Mr. Nathanael Sloop, which is or may be
exculpatory” of Stephanie Sloop.

Also, the Layton Police Department has physical evidence which
Corporon wants to examine, but no agreement has been reached between the
police department and Corporon on how that will be done.

Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said he likes the new evidence.

“We like it and we want to use it,” Rawlings said.

Rawlings said some of the new evidence came about due to advances in technology.

“We looked at it a year ago, and it’s always been available,” Rawlings said.

What that evidence is, Rawlings could not comment because of court rules.

“We are ready, willing and able to do the preliminary hearings today,” Rawlings said. “We’re ready to roll.”

But it in the best interest of the victims and the public to allow
the defense attorneys time to review all the evidence so the case
against the Sloops cannot be appealed, if they are convicted, he said.

Rawlings said the Sloops are presumed innocent until a court finds them guilty of any of the charges.

A five-day preliminary hearing for Nathan Sloop that was supposed to
start on Oct. 31, but has been changed to March 19, 2012 through March
23, 2012. A preliminary hearing is when the judge hears evidence from
prosecutors and decides if the case should move forward.

The preliminary hearing dates of Nov. 15 through Nov. 17 for Stephanie Sloop were also canceled. No new dates have been set.

Anissa Martinez and Lucinda Martin both attended Tuesday’s hearings.
They came, they said, to support Ethan and his family in Virginia, who
cannot attend.

They said they would like to see the case move forward, but understand why prosecutors want to wait.

“We’d rather have the delays than have mistakes,” Martinez said.
http://www.standard.net/stories/2011/10/25/could-evidence-prove-stephanie-sloop-innocent

Accused child killer’s arraignment delayed

by Ben Winslow
Posted on: 9:15 pm, May 21, 2012
updated on: 07:43am, May 22, 2012

FARMINGTON — The man accused of killing 4-year-old Ethan Stacy will not be entering a plea to the charges on Tuesday.

Arraignment has been postponed for Nathan Sloop at the request of attorneys in the case. Court records show a series of legal motions being filed under seal in the aggravated murder case. It is now scheduled for July 10.

At his last hearing, Sloop waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Defense attorneys suggested to FOX 13 they were open to plea deal discussions, although no bargain had been offered by the Davis County Attorney.

Court records show the case against Nathan’s wife, Stephanie Sloop, has been postponed indefinitely because it is set to follow his legal proceedings.

The couple is accused of beating Ethan Stacy so badly that he died. His body was found buried in a shallow grave near Powder Mountain two years ago. Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings has said the couple is “on track” to get the death penalty, if convicted.

http://fox13now.com/2012/05/21/accused-child-killers-arraignment-delayed/

A felony arraignment hearing for Nathan Sloop, 33, of Layton,
scheduled for Tuesday, was continued until July 10. Sloop and his wife,
Stephanie Sloop, are charged with aggravated murder, second-degree
felony child abuse, second-degree felony obstruction of justice and
third-degree felony abuse or desecration of a body in connection with
the death of the boy.

The court docket also shows that a five-day preliminary hearing for Nathan Sloop is scheduled to run from July 30 to Aug. 3.

Normally, preliminary hearings are scheduled before a felony arraignment hearing is set.

Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said the preliminary hearing has
been set after the felony arraignment is because "the state wants to
expedite the case forward and it is unlikely to be resolved at the
arraignment hearing. We wanted a firm preliminary hearing date so all
parties will be ready to go."

According to the court website, several sealed motions were filed by Nathan Sloop's attorneys within the last two months.

Rawlings said the state has been ready to go forward with a
preliminary hearing for "at least the last 18 months. However, based
upon the nature of the facts, the legal issues and the potential penalty
being death, we can understand why the defense does not want to move
forward until they are fully prepared."

Rawlings said every effort is being made to avoid legitimate appeal
issues. If Nathan Sloop is convicted of aggravated murder charge and is
sentenced to either death or life without parole, by law, the case
automatically goes to the appellate court for review.

Rawlings also said that once Nathan Sloop's case makes it past the
felony arraignment, he believes it will go to trial and the time period
will be "relatively short because all of the issues will be dealt with
up front."

Those issues include mitigating factors, evidence issues and other legal issues that could be vetted.

According to the court website, no court hearings have been set for
Stephanie Sloop. At the last court hearing in March, her attorney, Mary
Corporon, said her client's case will follow Nathan Sloop's hearings.

Ethan, the son of Stephanie Sloop, came to Utah on May 1, 2010, to
spend the summer with the Sloops. His body was found buried near Powder
Mountain on May 11, 2010.

The Sloops are accused of abusing Ethan for days in their Layton apartment before he died on May 9, 2010.

Both Sloops being held in the Davis County Jail without bail and both
could receive the death penalty if they are convicted of the aggravated
murder charge.
http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/05/22/nathan-sloop-hearing-delayed-again

Nathan Sloop pleads not guilty in Ethan Stacy killing
Prosecutors have 60 days to decide to pursue death penalty.

By aaron falk, | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published 54 minutes ago • Updated 39 minutes ago

Farmington » Nathan Sloop, charged in the slaying of 4-year-old Ethan Stacy, has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder charge against him.

Sloop, 33, appeared in 2nd District Court and conditionally waived his preliminary hearing, moving the capital murder case closer to trial.

"This case is moving forward," Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings told reporters after the brief hearing. "Progress is being made. We’re going to the next stage."

Prosecutors now have 60 days to file a notice if they intend to seek the death penalty, a topic Rawlings said he was not ready to discuss Tuesday.

Sloop and Stephanie Sloop, 29, are both charged with aggravated murder in connection with the boy’s 2010 death.

Charging documents allege the Layton couple engaged in multiple acts of "severe abuse" between April 29 and May 8 in 2010, which led to Ethan’s death, including "beatings, burning, drugging, isolating, malnourishing, leaving the child alone and unattended while suffering, and refusing to seek vital life-sustaining medical attention."

At preliminary hearings, prosecutors must show enough evidence to a judge to demonstrate there is sufficient cause for a defendant to stand trial. Defense attorneys have the opportunity to challenge that evidence and seek a dismissal or reduction of the charges. Rawlings would not say on what conditions Sloop waived his preliminary hearing.

His next court date was set for October.

A status hearing for Stephanie Sloop has been set for July 31.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54463921-78/sloop-hearing-death-preliminary.html.csp

Stephanie Sloop's Hearing Rescheduled

POSTED: Jul 31 2012 05:33:07 AM EDT
UPDATED: 6:41 AM Aug 01 2012

A Utah woman charged in the murder of her four-year-old son from Richlands, Virginia will now appear in court in November. Her hearing was reset for November 15th.

Authorities say Ethan Stacy was visiting Stephanie Sloop at her home in Utah between April 29 and May 8 of 2010.

Autopsy results show that he was severely abused before authorities found Ethan's body in a remote location in Utah.

Ethan's stepfather, Nathan Sloop, pleaded not guilty to brutally beating and killing the boy.

He is expected back in court in October.

http://www.wcyb.com/news/Stephanie-Sloop-s-Hearing-Rescheduled/-/14590844/15865826/-/jyhnb5/-/index.html

Stephanie Sloop's attorney awaits status of Nathanael's case

By Loretta Park, Standard-Examiner staff
Tue, 08/14/2012 - 6:38pm

FARMINGTON — Stephanie Sloop’s attorney wants to wait before she and her client move forward, to make sure Nathanael Sloop is not going to ask for a preliminary hearing.

Nathanael Sloop’s preliminary hearing “went away with a conditional waiver, and it remains to be seen if it will be gone permanently or if it will come back,” said Mary C. Corporon, Stephanie Sloop’s attorney.

Stephanie Sloop and Corporon appeared before Judge Glen C. Dawson in 2nd District Court on Tuesday. Dawson set another roll call hearing for Oct. 12.

Stephanie Sloop, 29, and her husband, Nathanael Sloop, 33, both of Layton, are each charged with aggravated murder, second-degree felony child abuse, second-degree felony obstruction of justice and third-degree felony abuse or desecration of a body.

Both are being held in Davis County Jail on no bail. The charges stem from the death of Ethan Stacy, Stephanie Sloop’s 4-year-old son, in 2010.

Both could face the death penalty if convicted.

Nathanael Sloop appeared in court in July, waived his right to a preliminary hearing and entered not guilty pleas to the charges. Another hearing is set for Nathanael Sloop on Oct. 9.

Corporon said Tuesday in court that she requested documents concerning the case, but those documents were given to her blank, with only words describing the documents as “privileged.”

“That issue must be resolved,” Corporon said.

Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said he understands Corporon’s strategy and believes, under the circumstances, it is the right thing to do.

Both attorneys said the delay is not due to any lack of preparation.

Rawlings said after the hearing that he expects both cases to be resolved next year, if evidentiary and legal issues are resolved.

Because of constitutional issues and bar rules, Rawlings said he could not discuss the specifics of those issues.

http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/08/14/stephanie-sloops-attorney-awaits-status-nathanaels-case

Notice to seek death penalty filed in Ethan Stacy murder case

by Ben Winslow
Posted on: 11:07 pm, December 6, 2012
updated on: 11:10pm, December 6, 2012

FARMINGTON, Utah – Davis County prosecutors filed notice they intend to seek the death penalty against Nathan Sloop in the murder of Ethan Stacy.

The notice was filed late Thursday in Farmington’s 2nd District Court. The move gives prosecutors the option to pursue a capital punishment if Sloop is convicted of aggravated murder in the child abuse death of 4-year-old Ethan Stacy.

The move is a potential sign that any plea deal discussions taking place between Sloop’s defense attorneys and prosecutors have broken down. Sloop’s attorneys have previously told FOX 13 they were in talks to resolve the case short of trial.

A check of court records late Thursday showed that a notice of intent to seek the death penalty was not filed in Stephanie Sloop’s case. Nathan Sloop is due back in court for a pre-trial conference on Dec. 11.

The couple is charged with aggravated murder in the 2010 child abuse death of her son, Ethan Stacy. Prosecutors have called it a “horrific” case of child abuse, detailing the beatings, drugging, malnourishment and refusal to seek medical attention for the toddler.

http://fox13now.com/2012/12/06/notice-to-seek-death-penalty-filed-in-ethan-stacy-murder-case/

Stepfather pleads guilty to brutal murder of boy, 4, who was bashed with a hammer, burnt and buried in a shallow grave sprinkled with dog food

The body of Ethan Stacy, 4, was found in a shallow grave on a mountainside in Weber County, Utah, in May 2010
He died from a combination of too many over-the-counter medications, aspiration pneumonia and severe burns, likely caused from hot water in a tub
Police alleged the boy was forced to eat his own fecal matter and his face had been disfigured with a hammer after he died

His stepfather, Nathan Sloop, 35, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to aggravated murder on Tuesday as part of a plea deal to avoid the death penalty

He was sentenced to 25 years to life plus 1 to 15 years for a charge of aggravated assault
The boy's mother, Stephanie Sloop, 30, is awaiting trial for her alleged role in the murder

By Daily Mail Reporter  PUBLISHED: 11:28 EST, 5 February 2014

Nearly four years after the body of Ethan Stacy was found buried on a mountainside in Utah, the child’s stepfather — Nathan Sloop — admitted Tuesday that he played a role in the four-year-old’s death.

Sloop, 35, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to aggravated murder for the 2010 death of Ethan Stacy, who was found near Powder Mountain in Weber Country with his face disfigured by hammer blows and his grave sprinkled with dog food.

Sloop was immediately sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder and 1 to 15 years for aggravated assault by a prisoner for attacking a David County jail officer.

A number of other charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal, which also spared him from the death penalty, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.


Nathan Sloop (right) stands next to his attorneys during his court appearance on Tuesday February 4, 2014, in Farmington, Utah. Sloop has pleaded 'guilty and mentally ill' to the aggravated murder of his 4-year-old stepson, Ethan Stacy


Nathan Sloop was immediately sentenced to 25 years to life for the murder and was spared the death penalty


Ethan Stacy, 4, was bashed in the face with a hammer and burned so badly in the bathtub his skin fell off. His body was found in May 2010 covered in dog food on a mountain


Ethan Stacy was starved and abused in the days leading up to his death in May 2010

Sloop told the judge that his state of mind was 'reckless indifference' in the months before Ethan’s death.

Attorneys said that while Sloop was mentally ill at the time Ethan died, he is no longer mentally ill.

'That boy died on my watch, and I’m horribly sorry,' Nathan Sloop told 2nd District Judge Glen Dawson, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

He said he wanted to plead guilty on Tuesday to accept responsibility for his actions.

'I want to apologize to all those who were affected by my reckless indifference to Ethan Stacy,' Sloop said.

Sloop’s attorney, Richard Mauro, said his client’s mental illness coupled with a high number of prescription painkillers and other medications Sloop was taking at the time led to his indifference to the child’s life.

Previous court documents show Sloop was prescribed 4,146 pills in an 11-month period.

Among the prescriptions were Lortab, Valium, Percocet, Xanax and an antihistamine.

Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings told Dawson on Tuesday that while Ethan’s father, Joe Stacy, was in the courtroom, he was too emotional to make a statement before the sentence was handed down.


Mother: Stephanie Sloop, 30, is awaiting trial on charges of aggravated murder, inflicting a serious injury on a child, obstructing justice and abuse or desecration of a human body


Ethan Stacy is seen here with his biological father Joe Stacy, who flew to Utah from Virginia on Tuesday for Nathan Sloop's hearing


Tragic: A medical examiner testified that Ethan Stacy died from a combination of too many over-the-counter medications, aspiration pneumonia and severe burns

'It was a very traumatic experience for them to come on a plane and come to Utah,' Rawlings said of Joe Stacy and his wife, who live in Virginia.

'He felt the need and desire and the want to be here for his son.'

Rawlings told the judge that the plea negotiation minimizes the risk of appeal.

Ethan's mother, Stephanie Sloop, is awaiting trial for her alleged role in the murder.

Nathan Sloop’s defense attorney Richard Mauro said Ethan Stacy died of an accidental overdose of a number of over-the-counter medications.

A medical examiner testified that Ethan died from a combination of too many over-the-counter medications, aspiration pneumonia and severe burns, likely caused from hot water in a tub.

Aspiration pneumonia is caused by an inhalation of foreign materials into the lungs, potentially vomit, or as prosecutors suggested, fecal matter that the boy allegedly was forced to eat, according to prior police testimony.      

The burns would have required skin grafts and weeks of hospital treatment, doctors said.


Nathan Sloop during an earlier court appearance last year. The Stepfather has now pleaded guilty to the murder of Ethan Stacy


Joe Stacy with his son Ethan. Mr Stacy was too overcome with emotion to make a statement in court this week

Nathan Sloop confessed to wrapping the body in garbage bags.

Ethan's body was taken to an area near Powder Mountain on May 8, where a deep hole was dug.

The boy’s body and items used to bury it were put in the hole in layers.

A hammer was used to disfigure the boy.

'Stephanie was worried about his dental records,' Nathan Sloop allegedly told detectives in a transcript read aloud in court.

Detective Roderick testified that Stephanie Sloop went to a market in Eden, Utah, and purchased lighter fluid, as surveillance video was broadcast to the court.

Prosecutors also showed surveillance video of her purchasing a shovel and some gloves at a hardware store.

Dog food was also placed around the grave.


The day the boy was buried, Nathan Sloop sent a text message to his wife, which was shown in court:  'Baby can you get antioxidant vitamins please. That would be great. I can’t wait to take you to Happy Sumo. Memories. Love you!!!'

Days later, they called police and reported Ethan as missing.

Nathan Sloop ultimately led police to where the boy was buried.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2552311/Stepfather-pleads-guilty-brutal-murder-boy-4-bashed-hammer-buried-shallow-grave-sprinkled-dog-food.html

"He said he wanted to plead guilty on Tuesday to accept responsibility for his actions."
This is why he plead guilty.  To get off the death penalty.  Death for a death.
"plea deal to avoid the death penalty"

This is hard to stomach.  He doesn't want to die but he sure didn't mind torturing a helpless little boy to death.  I hope they torture him to death in prison.

Another POS mother.  Another POS man.  Another dead baby.

This poor baby died an agonizing death.  Too bad this slime ball murderer was given such a light sentence.

William, you are absolutely right, this yellow coward doesn't want to die even though he deserves to.

The biggest brutes are the biggest cowards.  He's not man enough to take his punishment.

Stephanie Sloop pleads guilty to murder in death of 4-year-old son Ethan Stacy

By JESSICA MILLER | The Salt Lake Tribune connect
First Published Nov 17 2014 08:45AM • Last Updated Nov 22 2014 05:37 pm

Farmington • Stephanie Sloop was supposed to be 4-year-old Ethan Stacy’s protector. His comforter. His mother.

But for nine days in 2010, she was none of those things, she told a 2nd District judge on Monday before pleading guilty to first-degree felony aggravated murder and second-degree felony obstructing justice in Ethan’s death.

"I am entirely responsible," Sloop said between sobs. "Because I was his mommy."

The 31-year-old Layton woman — along with her husband, Nathan Sloop — was accused of engaging in multiple acts of "severe abuse" between April 29 and May 8, 2010, that led to Ethan’s death.

While prosecutors said Monday that the physical abuse — which included severe burns from being placed in scalding bath water — came from Nathan Sloop, Stephanie Sloop did nothing to help or protect her son.

"This child was abused in a certain way," Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings told Judge Thomas Kay. "... This defendant knows that that abuse was being suffered at the hands of another individual. [But] she failed to act. She failed to protect." After Stephanie Sloop pleaded guilty Monday morning, Kay immediately sentenced her to spend 20 years to life in prison for the murder charge and one to 15 years on the obstruction count. The judge ordered the prison terms to run concurrently.

Charges of second-degree felony inflicting serious injury on a child and third-degree felony abuse or desecration of a dead human body were dismissed as part of a plea deal.

Rawlings said prosecutors will ask the state Board of Pardons and Parole to keep Stephanie Sloop in prison for natural life — meaning she never would be released.

"It is our hope and our intent," Rawlings said, "that this person is never again a free person in society."

Throughout Monday’s hearing — which was originally scheduled as a three-day preliminary hearing — Stephanie Sloop fidgeted and at times sobbed while details of Ethan’s death were discussed.

Her attorney, Mary Corporon, told the judge that her client suffered from "battered spouse syndrome" and was abusing prescription medications during the time that Ethan was being abused.

"I am pleading guilty today because I am just that," Stephanie Sloop said. "I chose to abuse my medications to the point I was unable to make sound choices and decisions, thus causing me to be reckless and indifferent with my Ethan’s life. I was selfish when I brought Ethan into this world. I was selfish during his life. But I refuse to be selfish during his death, and I refuse to blame Nathan or Joe [Stacy] or anybody else."

Ethan’s father, Joe Stacy, was in the Farmington courtroom Monday when Stephanie Sloop entered the guilty pleas. He declined to make a statement in court, and stared ahead, clutching his wife’s hand, during the hearing.

Rawlings said after the hearing that Joe Stacy supported the plea deal for his ex-wife, but said he has been "devastated" and "broken up" by his child’s death.

"That’s what has had the biggest impact on me," Rawlings said. "To deal personally with a father who loved a 4½-year old child, that lost that 4½-year old child through no fault of his own and in a circumstance he had no control over. [There was] a court order to send his son out here, to where he was sending his son to his death, and to the toxic environment, and the perfect storm of Nathanial and Stephanie Sloop."

Corporon told the judge that her client was initially unaware of Nathan Sloop’s mental health issues and his violent tendencies. When Ethan came to Utah as part of a child-custody order from a Virginia judge, Nathan Sloop became jealous of Stephanie Sloop’s relationship with her son, Corporon said.

Nathan Sloop, 35, faced the same charges in the death of his stepson. He pleaded guilty but mentally ill in February to aggravated murder — a capital offense — while the remaining charges related to the boy’s death were dismissed. He also pleaded guilty but mentally ill to second-degree felony aggravated assault by a prisoner for attacking a Davis County jail officer.

A judge sentenced Nathan Sloop to 25 years to life in prison for the murder, and one to 15 years for the aggravated assault. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/1835956-155/sloop-death-degree-felony-guilty-aggravated