NATALIE and CHASE DEBLASE - 5 and 3 yo (2010) - Mobile AL

The search for two missing siblings who were last seen in Mobile this summer intensified Wednesday after the arrest of the children’s stepmother in Kentucky, police said.



Natalie Alexis Deblase, 5, and Jonathan Chase Deblase, 3, have not been accounted for since July, spokesman Officer Christopher Levy said.


Levy said two Mobile detectives are in Louisville, Ky., working with police there after the arrest of 22-year-old Heather Leavell-Keaton, the stepmother. Leavell-Keaton was charged Tuesday by Mobile authorities with two counts of willful child abuse in connection with incidents when the children were living in Mobile with her and their father, John Deblase, Levy said. Levy said the charges against Leavell-Keaton stem from information learned during the investigation into the children’s disappearance. John Deblase, 27, has also not been located, Levy said. He said it is not known if he is with the children. “At this time we are not discounting anything,” Levy said. The case took an unusual turn Tuesday when a man, whose identity was not released, showed up at a Louisville police station and told officers there that the children were dead. Louisville police said the man’s account has been discounted, and there is no homicide investigation or body search going on in Kentucky. The man, who gave police no particular place to search for the children, was not charged. Levy said the case for now “is being treated as a missing persons case.” John Deblase, Leavell-Keaton and the children were listed as residents of Peach Place Extended Inn on Jeff Hamilton Road in west Mobile until they moved out in late July, Levy said. The family left a forwarding address in Rome, Ga., Levy said. A spokesman for the Floyd County Police Department in Rome said the department there is not taking part in any investigation regarding the children. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children posted online pictures of Natalie and Jonathan on Tuesday, listed them as “endangered missing.” The center described both children as having blonde hair and blue eyes, and it said the children’s current weights are about 35 pounds for Jonathan and 40 pounds for Natalie. Anyone who has information that can lead Mobile police to the children should call 251-208-7211. Informants can also call Louisville police at 502-574-7660 if information involves the investigation in Kentucky.

Jennifer Moffett of Mobile says she's friends with the mother of 5 year old Natalie Deblase and her little brother 3 Year old Jonathan Chase Deblase.
Moffett gave WKRG News 5 photos of the children she says were taken at a birthday party in November of 2009. Moffett says,"We loved, and we love them kids you know. Until said otherwise, I will believe they are still alive somewhere".

Moffett and her mother, Patricia Ward say the children attended the birthday party with their father who has custody of them, John Deblase. "Seemed like a great father you know. You know, struggling to take care of two children.....Pretty good dude you know from what we perceived of him, says Moffett.

Police say John Deblase lived in Mobile with his wife, Heather Leavell Keaton and the children. They stayed at Peach Place Extended Inn. "What we do know is they were here in Mobile. We're not able to find them", says Chris Levy, Mobile Police Spokesperson.

Mobile police started looking for them after a man notified police in Louisville, Kentucky that the children were dead. Louisville police haven't been able to substantiate that but, they arrested the stepmother and charged her with willful child abuse for incidents that happened in Mobile.

Moffett and Ward say when they saw the children they were well taken care of...and loved. "Our hope is that they're still alive and maybe he left them with somebody or we're still holding out that hope you know..that they're still alive", says Ward.

Two Mobile Police detectives are in Kentucky working with police there where the stepmother is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday morning. Meanwhile, the father is no where to be found.

Louisville woman charged with abusing children

Louisville, KY (WDRB-TV) Two Alabama children are missing and feared dead. Now, their step mother has been arrested in Louisville and is charged with abusing them.The step-mother points to the children's father as the killer. But she is the one behind bars, while the father is also missing.As police search for two missing children from Alabama, their step-mother, 22-year-old Heather Leavell-Keaton, remains behind bars at Metro Corrections charged with abusing them.But where 3-year-old Jonathan Deblase and his older sister 5-year-old Natalie Deblase are is still a mystery. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says they were last seen in March.Alabama police issued a warrant for Keaton. On Tuesday night, she was arrested on Breckenridge Lane at a building that houses offices for therapy sessions. The warrant says she lives at a home on South Third Street.Metro Police say detectives from Mobile also came up to interview Keaton. Last month, Keaton filed a domestic violence petition against the children's father John Deblase saying she fears he may have murdered his two children. They have another child together, a 3-month old daughter.In the petition, Keaton says she thinks he murdered the two kids because he said they were "non responsive."She says he would not let her check on them, saying choices were made, and "he had to do, what he had to do." Keaton also called him a "loose cannon."She says her mother called police because Deblase was holding her against her will.She says in a domestic violence order, "I am afraid he is going to do something to harm our daughter, because of what he has done to the other children."http://www.fox41.com/story/13604461/louisville-woman-charged-with-abusing-alabama-children

Father of Missing Children Being Questioned By Mobile Police



(MOBILE, Ala.) - Mobile Police have John Deblase in custody. There is still no sign of his two missing children. Police say he is not under arrest.

Natalie and Jonathan Chase Deblase were last seen in Mobile in July. Court documents reveal their stepmother Heather Leavell-Keaton fears their father killed them.

She is in jail in Kentucky charged with two counts of willful abuse of a child. Their biological mother says she does not know what to think.

"I don't want to think my children are dead. I don't even want to contemplate it. I'm just tying to keep hope," Corrine Heathcock said.

Staying hopeful in a seemingly hopeless situation, Heathcock says she is waiting for word on the fate her children.

"The waiting is the killing me. That's the worst part," Heathcock said.

As Heathcock waits, more information about her ex-husband John Deblase is coming out in court documents. Leavell-Keaton, who has an infant child with Deblase, told investigators in Kentucky she feared for her daughter's safety.

She wrote in a statement, "I am afraid that he is going to do something to harm our daughter" because "he may have murdered his children." She went on to write that Deblase found the children unresponsive and he "had to do what he had to do."

"Could I expect John Joseph Deblase of this? No. Do I know he's got a bad temper, yes. I don't want to believe it, not somebody that I trusted with my children," Heathcock said.

Heathcock shared a home video taken of her kids with John and Heather. In it, the kids are waving and smiling.

Dana Mullins says it was taken from a much happier time. She says she witnessed both verbal and physical abuse of the children when Deblase, his children and Leavell-Keaton stayed with her earlier this year.

"She had taken her by the hair of the head and was beating her with a studded belt. She let out a blood curling scream. So I stepped in," Mullins said.

"The police told me they don't think they're going to find the kids alive. If they don't, I want them so I can bury them. So, I don't go through the rest of my life wondering "what if," Heathcock said.

Mobile police say they are investigating the disappearance of the children as a missing persons case and are actively looking for Deblase; they also say he is not a suspect in any crime as of now.

Court documents show Heathcock and Deblase divorced June last year. Heathcock says Deblase had custody and that she has not seen them for more than a year.
http://www.local15tv.com/news/local/story/Father-of-Missing-Children-Being-Questioned-By/1Js3ofGtZU-_a0MO4L7gYg.cspx

DeBlase’s Friend tips off police to his whereabouts

Posted on December 3, 2010 at 5:52 PM
Updated today at 6:27 PM

Related:
Father of missing Ala. children talking to police, in custody

• Father of missing children in custody; considered person of interest
  
• Stepmother says she believes father killed his two children
  

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(WHAS11) -- The father of two missing children is talking to police after his own friend tipped them off.John DeBlase was last seen in Louisville almost two weeks ago. But he was found Thursday night staying with a friend in northwest Florida. His kids are missing out of Mobile, Ala.DeBlase was staying with what the police report describes as one of his old wrestling buddies in Milton, Fla.When another friend saw a story about him on the news Thursday night, he called the man that DeBlase was staying with, who dialed 911.A mug shot is the latest picture of John deblase we have, since he hasn't officially been charged yet in connection with the disappearance of his son and daughter.But we did learn from a report issued Thursday night from the Santa Rosa County, Fla. sheriff's office that he said "I didn't do it" when he was picked up for questioning.DeBlase has been on the run since his ex-wife Heather Leavell-Keaton filed an emergency protection order against him in Louisville on Nov. 18.In it, she claims she believes DeBlase murdered his two children Natalie and Chase.A hearing on the case was held earlier this week.Police aren't the only ones who have wanted to talk to DeBlase.DeBlase's family members say they've been trying to visit the children since before they left an extended stay hotel they were living in, in Mobile to move to Louisville during the summer.Since suspicions emerged about the safety of Natalie and Chase, John DeBlase's father Richard has been tracking his cell phone bill, trying to find him.“I honestly believe he knows what's happened to them. They question is, will you tell us? Will you be man enough to tell us?” Richard DeBlase said.Meanwhile, Heather Leavell-Keaton was back in court Friday afternoon.It was a closed hearing involving a child abuse allegation in Louisville.She was charged with two counts of child abuse on warrants from Mobile earlier this week.Police say she allegedly struck Natalie and Chase with objects prior to their disappearance, causing serious injuries.John DeBlase's father said whatever happened to his two precious grandchildren it didn't have to happen.“He has been told repeatedly, Heather has been told repeatedly,” Richard DeBlase said. “If there's any reason you have problems with the kids. You’re always welcome here.”So far, DeBlase has not been charged with anything.Heather Leavell-Keaton, who is being held here at Metro Corrections, is expected to be extradited to Alabama next week.
http://www.whas11.com/news/DeBlases-Friend-tips-off-police-to-his-whereabouts-111291554.html

Police: Two Missing Children Are Dead




BREAKING NEWS Based on information from the father of two missing children, Mobile police say they believe the kids are dead.


MOBILE, Alabama - Friday 7:30 p.m.
Richard DeBlase learned that police believe his grandchildren are dead while watching the news. Police did not call him before announcing they've charged his son John, the children's father, in connection with their deaths.

“God have mercy on their souls," Richard DeBlase told News 5. "There is no sense in this happening.”

Friday 5:40 p.m.
During a press conference, Mobile police said they believe two missing children are dead.

Police told reporters they believe the children are dead based on information from the children's father, John DeBlase, 28.

Investigators say the children's bodies are buried within 100 miles of Mobile. Police will begin searching for the bodies tomorrow.

Friday 1:16 p.m.
A police report released by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office details how investigators found John Deblase.

The detective who wrote the report says Randall Melville called police Thursday night about a "suspicious person." Melville, who went by the name Cory Jackson in his wrestling career, told Police John Deblase, 28, had been living in his home. Melville said he was called by another friend who saw Deblase on WKRG News 5.

"He received a phone call from Brian Reese stating John was on the channel 5 news out of Mobile, Alabama in reference to kidnapping and possible homicide," the detective wrote. "Melville said he asked John about this information which John then got up yelling 'I DIDN'T DO IT' and left the residence."

Melville, who followed Deblase as he left the house, directed investigators to the interesection of West Spencerfield Road and Giddens Road. When officers from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office approached Deblase "he made a spontaneous statement of 'I DIDN'T DO IT," according to the report.

Investigators from the Mobile Police Department went to the Santa Rosa County Jail to question Deblase. Mobile Police will not say where Deblase is now.



Friday 12:00 p.m.Friends of John Deblase tell News Five he has been living in Milton, FL since November 21.

Deblase was picked up at the intersection of Giddens and West Spencerville Roads after he left a friend's home where he had been staying since last Wednesday.

Deblase's friends say John Deblase told them that his children, who haven't been seen since July, were living with his father in Mobile. News Five spoke to Richard Deblase, John's father, this morning. He says he hasn't seen his grandchildren in a year.

Friday 8:00 a.m.
Police have found the father of two missing children last seen four months ago in West Mobile.

A source close to the family says John Deblase, 28, was picked up by police last night in Milton, FL. Police began looking for Deblase after his ex-wife went to police in Louisville, KY and said he killed his children.

Mobile police confirm they are talking to Deblase, but will not release any other details.

News Five will continue following this developing story. We will have the latest details on News Five at Noon.

Thursday 12:00 p.m.
Police documents from Louisville, Kentucky reveal disturbing information about the father of two missing children.

Heather Leavell-Keaton, 22, went to police on November 18 and asked for a restraining order against her ex-husband John Deblase, 28.

According to police records, Keaton told investigators "I feel he may have murdered his children because he said that they were nonresponsive." Keaton went on to say that John Deblase told her "choices were made this morning and he had to do what he had to do."

Natalie Deblase, 5, and Jonathan Chase Deblase, 3, were last seen at least four months ago when they lived at the Peach Place Inn on Jeff Hamilton Road in West Mobile.

Two investigators from the Mobile Police Department are in Louisville, Kentucky working with local police there on the investigation. Tuesday night, police arrested Leavell-Keaton and charged her with two counts of child abuse in connection with the missing children, but police have not found the children's father.

Officer Chris Levy, a spokesperson for the Mobile Police Department, said on Wednesday that Mobile police were alerted of the children's disappearance after Leavell-Keaton's stepfather, walked into a Louisville police station and told police the children were dead. We do not know whether the stepfather made the report before or after Leavell-Keaton went to police.

Leavell-Keaton waived extradition during a court hearing on Wednesday. She will be brought to Mobile to face the child abuse charges.

Officer Levy insists this is a missing persons investigation, not a homicide investigation, and John Deblase is not considered a suspect.

http://www.wkrg.com/alabama/article/step-mother-he-may-have-murdered-his-children/1203021/Dec-03-2010_7-31-pm/

Police Focused On Finding Children’s Bodies



Mobile police say two children, missing since July, are dead. Their father is believed to have played a role in their deaths. Police will start searching for the bodies on Saturday.


MOBILE, Alabama - Mobile Police Chief Micheal T. Williams said they believe 5-year-old Natalee and 3-year old Chase DeBlase are dead. They will start searching for the bodies on Saturday.

"Tomorrow and for the next few days, the investigators will put a team together, they'll be out looking for the children based on what they've been told," said Mobile Police Chief Micheal T. Williams.

Friday evening, they charged the children's father, John DeBlase, with two felonies, abuse of corpse and aggravated assault. Police interviewed him for several hours before his arrest.

"(Do you believe yo know where the children are, the bodies?) We're not sure exactly, but he's given us an indication of a location where they may be, where he remembers burying the children. So the investigators will go out and they will scout those areas with a team of people, with cadaver dogs and with the teams that do that for a living."

"(So you do believe at this point that these two young children are dead?) Based on what he has told us, um, we believe that. (Is it here in Mobile, or in Mobile County, or somewhere in the state of Alabama? Did he say where they are?) Well, at this point I can't say. But we believe that, based on what he has said, within 100 miles of Mobile."

Police are not sure who killed the children.

"Investigators are continuing to talk with him. At this point, he's somewhat cooperative. So we want to gain as much information while he's talking to us so we can locate these children. We want to make sure we find these children's bodies. That's what's important right now."
http://www.wkrg.com/alabama/article/police-focused-on-finding-childrens-bodies/1203052/Dec-03-2010_7-56-pm/

Police Believe Father Buried His Two Children



Mobile Police Chief talks about the arrest of John DeBlase.


snipped...
MOBILE, Alabama - Mobile Police arrested John DeBlase Friday night and charged him with two counts of aggravated child abuse, and two counts of abuse of a corpse.
Police believe DeBlase buried his two children, Natalie and Chase.
DeBlaze said the children's stepmother killed them.
Do police believe the children are dead?
Mobile Police Chief Micheal T. Williams said, "Based on what he had told us, we believe that."
So, now begins the search for the children's bodies.
http://www.wkrg.com/alabama/article/police-believe-father-buried-his-two-children/1203053/Dec-03-2010_10-09-pm/

The father of two children who haven't been seen in months was arrested late Friday and charged with abuse of a corpse and aggravated child abuse.John Deblase was questioned by Mobile, Alabama police most of the day about the whereabouts of his kids, Natalie and Jonathan Chase Deblase. The kids were last seen in Mobile in July, shortly before Deblase and his wife moved to Louisville.The chief of police in Mobile says Deblase gave investigators indications the children were dead. Chief Micheal T. Williams says Deblase also gave them a vague idea of where the children's bodies may be. If or when the bodies are found, Williams says they will update the charges to murder.He also adds the children's stepmother, Heather Leavell-Keaton, could also face murder charges.The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Department picked up John Deblase late Thursday night.According to a police report, Deblase had been staying with a friend near Milton, Florida. That friend asked him about news reports on his two missing children. The police report says John Deblase, got up, yelling "I didn't do it," and left the home.Sheriff's deputies picked him up a short time later, when the report says Deblase told them the same thing.Friday, Mobile police traveled to Milton, Florida to question Deblase and then brought him back to Mobile. According to court documents filed by Leavell-Keaton in Louisville, she suspected the children were dead.Leavell-Keaton said in a request for emergency protection, filed in Jefferson County courts, that she felt Deblase may have murdered his children. She alleges the children were non-responsive and Deblase would not let her check on them. The court document does not indicate where or when that may have happened.Leavell-Keaton said in the document she was fearful for herself and the couple's three month old baby.Leavell-Keaton is behind bars in Louisville for child abuse charges out of Alabama and will return to Mobile at some point.She was in family court in Louisville Friday for a temporary removal hearing for all three children. That hearing is confidential, however, court staff says those hearings are usually requested by the state when there are allegations of abuse.Leavell-Keaton's family left the courtroom through a back door and had no comment.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS Mobile Police and other agencies have been searching in Mississippi for the bodies of 2 missing children.

MOBILE, Alabama - Saturday 7:06 p.m.
Mobile Police say officers and members of the Gulf Coast Search and Rescue Team were searching this morning in an area just north of Vancleave, Mississippi. Crews started their search at 7:30 and continued throughout the day, officers and dogs were unable to find any trace of the DeBlase children.

News 5 initially believed the children were missing since July, but we have now learned that it's been longer than that. Police believe the children were buried in late June.

http://www.wkrg.com/alabama/article/step-mother-he-may-have-murdered-his-children/1203021/Dec-05-2010_12-32-am/

Note...The mother and grandmother have left comments on this site.

Search for missing Mobile children conducted in Jackson County, Miss.



snipped...

Jackson County Sheriff Mike Byrd said he received information Saturday that the body of Jonathan DeBlase might have been tossed on the side of Miss. 57 just north of Vancleave.
“From what we understand, the father was going to bury the child about six months ago. He had a shovel and everything, but the ground was too hard. He’s not real sure where. Whether he’s telling us the truth or not, we just don’t know,” Byrd said.
Both John DeBlase and Heather Leavell-Keaton, the children’s stepmother, agree that at least one child’s body is in the Vancleave area, but each has accused the other of killing the youngsters, Byrd said.
Searchers will resume the search of the area at dawn today, Byrd said.
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/12/search_for_missing_mobile_chil.html

Police: Dad buried 1 child in Miss., other in Ala.

(AP)–1 hour agoMOBILE, Ala. (AP) — A father whose missing children are believed to be dead told investigators he buried one of his young children in Mississippi in March, then buried the other in Alabama in June, police said Monday.John DeBlase, 27, of Mobile, was being held on $206,000 bond. He is charged with child abuse and corpse abuse. The children's stepmother, Heather Leavell-Keaton, is jailed in Louisville, Ky. on child abuse charges. She will soon be extradited back to Alabama. The couple had been together since 2008 but they were not legally married.Mobile police say Deblase has admitted burying his two children — 5-year-old Natalie and 3-year-old Chase — but claims Leavell-Keaton killed them. She is pointing the finger at him.The children were last seen this summer, Mobile Officer Chris Levy said.DeBlase has been trying to help investigators find the bodies, which led to searches over the weekend in rural areas of Alabama and Mississippi, but nothing was found, Levy said."He's placing the blame on Heather, and Heather's placing the blame on him," he said. "Both of them are ultimately responsible for the deaths."Levy said DeBlase has had difficulty remembering the exact locations because the children were buried at two different times.He said the father told investigators he buried the boy's body around the end of March in Mississippi, and later disposed of his daughter's body near the end of June in Alabama.It remains unclear whether the children were killed at the same time."We're really trying to figure that out right now," Levy said. "Without the bodies, it's difficult to know."DeBlase was arrested Friday in the Florida Panhandle, and does not have an attorney. He is set for arraignment on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if Leavell-Keaton had a lawyer in Kentucky.http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jGtPI3zB7crDdvf0pamD95HMj1_A?docId=1506a0923b6c44de82e658e017d909c8

The father of two missing children who police believe are dead made his first court appearance Monday. Now, authorities believe John DeBlase buried his own children three months apart in two different states.

The prosecutor asked that DeBlase be given no bond. But, the judge set his bond at more than 200-thousand on charges of aggravated child abuse and abuse of a corpse.

Police believe DeBlase and the children's stepmother, Heather Keaton, are responsible for the deaths of DeBlase's children, 3-year-old Chase and 5-year-old Natalie. Authorities think DeBlase then buried Chase near Vancleave, Mississippi and Natalie near Citronelle, Alabama.

Police have been looking for their bodies with cadaver dogs. But, Monday they did not search, we're told they're taking a day to regroup. Police say they have been going on information given to them by DeBlase. They have even taken him to the possible burial sites to help authorites with their search, "he has gone out there and he has given us some information, none of that information he's given us has produced any results. But, he has, we have taken him out to the scene and we have used information given to us from him to assist in the search," said Mobile Police Spokesman, Officer Chris Levy. We asked if Police know when the children were killed, "realistically, its hard to account for the girl after about March and the boy after about June," said Levy.

As for the children's stepmother, Heather Keaton, she is still behind bars in Kentucky facing charges of child abuse. She is expected to be extradited back to Mobile sometime this week.

10:59 a.m.
Bond is set at $206,000 for John DeBlase, the father of two missing children believed to be dead and buried.

DeBlase was arrested Friday night after he told police he buried the bodies of his children, 5-year-old Natalie and 3-year-old Chase. He's charged with two counts of Aggravated Child Abuse and two counts of Abuse of a Corpse.

Over the weekend, police searched in an area west of Citronelle and a wooded area near Vancleave, Mississippi.

Prosecutors had asked for no bond, calling DeBlase a flight risk.

The search for a 3-year-old Alabama boy began just weeks ago, but police now say that no one had seen him since March -- around when, they believe, he was killed by one or two of his parents. John Joseph DeBlase, Heather Keaton and Natalie -- the father, stepmother and 4-year-old sister, respectively, of Jonathan DeBlase -- continued to live in Mobile's Peach Place apartments for months after the boy's presumed death, Mobile police Officer Christopher Levy said Monday. They didn't leave until the summer, after Natalie was last spotted in June -- when police now think she was killed, according to Levy. Still, the search for the two children, whose bodies haven't been found, didn't begin until November 19. "It's really terrible, as if nobody really cared," Levy said of the time that transpired between the sightings and launch of the search. "That's what we can't seem to understand at this point." Both John DeBlase and Keaton are now in custody, and blaming each other for the siblings' deaths. The search for their bodies, meanwhile, continues. Mobile Police Chief Micheal T. Williams told HLN's Nancy Grace on Monday that the father "gave us an indication of where the two children buried," leading to searches for their bodies at two locations over the weekend. "Our hearts are broken, because these two beautiful children are missing and presumed to be dead," Williams said. "We will continue our searches until we locate the bodies and they are properly buried." This weekend, authorities started looking in a rural 12-mile swath in southeastern Mississippi, about one hour's drive from Mobile. "They think that somehow, maybe, one of the children may have been brought here and dumped," said Jackson County, Mississippi, Sheriff Mike Byrd. "But we're not really sure where to look." Byrd said that he believes that John DeBlase wanted to bury one of the children with a shovel, but tossed the body instead because the ground was too hard. Searchers, some with cadaver dogs, have looked on the sides of nearby roads and in a wooded area. Police have also searched for the children's bodies in Citronelle, about 33 miles north of Mobile, according to CNN affiliate WKRG. The investigation kicked off November 18, when Keaton told Louisville, Kentucky, police that she needed protection from DeBlase, who she claimed was "holding (her) against my will." According to the domestic violence petition, signed Heather L. Leavell-Keaton, she said, "I feel he may have murdered his children, because he said they were non-responsive. He would not let me check on them." She said John DeBlase had told her "choices were made ... and he had to do what he had to do." Keaton herself was arrested last Tuesday, charged with two counts of willful abuse and neglect of a child. Three days later, Randall Melville -- who for two days had been hosting his long-time friend, John DeBlase -- called Santa Rosa County, Florida, police after hearing news reports about the children's disappearance, according to a report from the county sheriff's department. When Melville asked DeBlase about it, the children's father yelled, "I didn't do it" and left the home, the report said. Police eventually tracked down John DeBlase, who again asserted his innocence before his arrest Friday. He faces two counts of aggravated child abuse and two counts of abuse of a corpse -- the latter because, Levy said, of his "disposing of the bodies in the woods." On Monday, Mobile County District Court Judge Charles McKnight set bail for DeBlase at $206,000 -- $100,000 each for the child abuse charges, and $3,000 apiece for the corpse abuse counts -- reported CNN affiliate WALA. Prosecutors had asked for no bail, given the severity of the crime and saying DeBlase was a flight risk given that he stayed in homeless shelters to avoid being caught. John DeBlase and Keaton had one infant daughter together, according to Keaton's account in the Kentucky police report. Police said one reason Keaton claimed she needed protection from DeBlase was that she feared for the safety of the infant, who was with Keaton in Kentucky. Levy said the two slain children's biological mother lives in Mobile, but she did not have custody "because, at the time, she didn't have a place to live." People in and around Mobile, meanwhile, are mourning the loss of the two youngsters.
"We're just heartbroken," said Creighton Hobbes, a family friend. "We miss them. We want to see their little faces... We wanted them back around Christmas."

There is still no sign of little Natalie and Chase DeBlase. Police were not searching for a second day, Tuesday. We're told they were taking time to regroup and gather more resources.

Jackson County, Mississippi Sheriff, Mike Byrd, says they will be back out Wednesday searching for the body of one of the children. 3-year-old Chase DeBlase is believed to be buried near Vancleve. Mobile Police say they will starting searching near Vancleve around 9 Wednesday morning. Chase's sister, 5-year-old Natalie, is thought to be buried in Citronelle, Alabama.

Mobile Police believe both the children's father, John DeBlase, and their stepmother, Heather Keaton are responsible for their deaths. Police tell News 5, the children might have been killed and buried months apart in two separate states.

Sheriff Byrd says they will have several search teams out looking Wednesday, "this is just plain evil, hell's going to be a lot for them I feel like it's just horrible that you would do an innocent child this way and I hope they get prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and we're going to do everything we can to try to bring closure to the biological mother and you know because I know she's going through a hard, hard, time," said Byrd.

The children's father, John DeBlase, is still behind bars on a more than 200-thousand dollar bond. Right now, he's just facing charges of aggravated child abuse and abuse of a corpse for reportedly burying the children's bodies. It's likely he won't make bond, he said in court Monday morning he could not afford an attorney. DeBlase will be back in a Mobile County courtroom Wednesday morning for an arraignment, that's when he will enter a plea in the case.

The children's stepmother, Heather Keaton, is still behind bars in Kentucky facing child abuse charges. She is expected to be extradited back to Alabama some time this week.

Sheriff: Missing boy's body found



JACKSON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) - Search crews in Jackson County believe they've found the body of a missing three year old boy from Alabama. Sheriff Mike Byrd told WLOX News that forensic tests will still have to be done to verify the identity.



http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=13637727

Jackson County authorities find remains believed to be missing Alabama boy



Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2010/12/07/2698134/jackson-county-authorities-find.html#ixzz17XknjTAB

(VANCLEAVE, Miss.) - UPDATE 11:51am - Police on the scene tell LOCAL 15 News John DeBlase and the children's stepmother, Heather Leavell-Keaton, will both be charged with two counts of murder.

http://www.local15tv.com/news/local/story/UPDATE-Body-Found-Believed-to-be-Missing-DeBlase/Weo9LFLZUk-YJXUx2In6Ww.cspx?rss=217

The remains of 3-year-old Jonathon Chase DeBlase were recovered by Jackson County sheriff's officers at about 10:15 a.m. today just off Miss. 57 north of Vancleave, Miss. "We're sure it's him," Jackson County Sheriff Mike Byrd said after the search authorities referred to as "Operation Chase."His father, John DeBlase, and stepmother, Heather Leveall-Keaton, are being held on criminal charges in connection with his disappearance. His 5-year-old sister, Natalie DeBlase, is also missing, possibly having been left in Alabama. Chase was wearing only a diaper when his father placed him in a black trash bag, tied the red draw strings and dumped his tiny body in a wooded area off the road about 12 miles north of Vancleave, the sheriff said."He told us he parked on the side of the road, stepped in the woods, but could still see the headlights of his car," Byrd said. Byrd and a team of about 40 officers recovered Chase's bones.
"He said he took a bunch of sleeping pills and that's why he couldn't remember exactly were he left the boy," Byrd said.Authorities were first alerted in late November that the children were missing after their 22-year-old stepmother asked Kentucky police for a restraining order against John DeBlase. Police said the couple had been living in Louisville but had separated, and the father went to Florida.A sheriff's deputy in Milton, Fla. apprehended DeBlase last week.Leavell-Keaton told authorities that the children were killed in Mobile, police said. Investigators believe the children were likely killed separately in March and June.
Police say John DeBlase has admitted to dumping the lifeless bodies of the kids. He is being held in Mobile County Metro Jail, while Leavell-Keaton is being held in Kentucky.Mobile police have said they plan to search a 6-mile stretch of Citronelle, between Prine Road and Beverly Jeffries Highway, as early as today.John DeBlase appearedbriefly in a Mobile courtroom this morning for an arraignment hearing. DeBlase was escorted into Mobile County District Judge Charlie McKnight's courtroom, his hair disheveled and wearing a small pair of black glasses. He rested his handcuffed arms on a podium as the judge asked whether he had hired a lawyer. He replied that he had not.
McKnight then appointed attorney Jim Sears, who was not in the courtroom, and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Jan. 4.

VANCLEAVE, Miss. (CBS/WKRG/AP) Police say crews found what they believe is the the body of Chase DeBlase, the missing 5-year-old Alabama boy, in a heavily wooded area near Vancleave, Mississippi.
The boy's father, John DeBlase, allegedly told police he tried to bury the body on Father's Day. But the ground was too hard, so he put the body in a garbage back and dumped it about 30 to 40 feet off the side of the road, reports CBS affiliate WKRG.
John DeBlase pleaded not guilty in a Mobile courtroom this morning to charges of aggravated child abuse and abuse of a corpse.Mobile Police Officer Chris Levy said the discovery of a boy's bones in rural Mississippi gives authorities enough evidence to file two murder charges against John DeBlase. Levy said authorities are convinced the remains found Wednesday morning are those of Chase DeBlase, but they're conducting tests to confirm the identity.
Police have still not found the body of Chase's 5-year-old sister Natalie. DeBlase told police he buried her near Citronelle in North Mobile County. Investigators only began searching for the bodies of two young Alabama children just weeks ago, but police say they were last seen in March and June. Their disappearance wasn't reported until police inKentucky received a tip recently from a relative of the stepmother,police said. Mobile police said they began investigating Nov. 19. The children's father, John DeBlase, 27, admitted to burying Jonathan and Natalie, in March and June, but claimed it was their stepmother Heather Leavell-Keaton who killed them, police said. Police aren't ready yet to charge Leavell-Keaton with killing either of the children, but Levy has said that both suspects shared responsibility for their deaths.According to Levy, DeBlase had a problem remembering exactly where the bodies are located because the children were buried at two different times. He said the father told investigators that he buried the boy's body around the end of March in Mississippi and later disposed of his daughter's body near the end of June in Alabama. It remains unclear whether the children were killed at the same time.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20025045-504083.html

Documents: DeBlase children horrifically abused before their deaths

Published: Wednesday, December 08, 2010, 6:45 PM Updated: Wednesday, December 08, 2010, 7:41 PM

Editor's note: The following report contains graphic details of allegations of child abuse and torture. Parents are cautioned against allowing children to view the documents or read this article.

View full sizeThis family photo shows Natalie DeBlase opening Christmas presents. Documents obtained by The Mississippi Press allege that at one point before her death, Natalie was duct-taped, then placed inside a suitcase and let to stay there for a day. (Photo Courtesy Richard DeBlase)
Documents obtained by the Mississippi Press detail horrific abuse allegations against John DeBlase and his second wife, Heather Leavell-Keaton, involving the treatment of DeBlase's 2 children, one of whom was found dead in a plastic bag today.

One Mobile County District Court document, an arrest warrant for John DeBlase, alleges that DeBlase committed an act of cruelty and mistreatment by allowing Leavell-Keaton to duct tape Jonathan Chase DeBlase's hands to the sides of his legs and a broom to his back, then place a sock in his mouth before making the 3-year-old stand in a corner all night as the adults went to bed.

Chase's body -- clothed in just a diaper and left in a black plastic garbage bag -- was discovered this morning in a wooded area north of Vancleave, Mississippi, this morning, authorities have said. Police said they are planning to search a wooded area near Citronelle for the boy's sister, 5-year-old Natalie Alexis DeBlase, although the operation won't begin until later in the week.

Boy's body found, father charged with murder, other developments in case
Authorities first discovered that the siblings were missing in November, although they hadn't been seen in months. Police believe Chase was killed in June, while Natalie died in March -- and their bodies were dumped in different states.

So far, police say, DeBlase and Keaton are accusing each other of killing the children. DeBlase was arrested Dec. 3 on charges of aggravated child abuse and abuse of a corpse. Police said he has admitted to discarding their lifeless bodies.

The documents obtained by the Mississippi Press also state:

• Sometime between March 1, 2010, and Nov. 10, 2010, John DeBlase allowed Leavell-Keaton to duct tape Natalie's hands and feet, place a sock in her mouth, place her inside a black suitcase, then leave the suitcase inside a closet until from about 8 in the morning until 10 at night. View document in PDF format
  

• DeBlase abused Natalie's corpse by, on or about March 4, "treating the corpse in a way that outraged ordinary family sensibilities, to-wit: taking the child's body somewhere in the woods around Citronelle and dumping it there." View document in PDF format
  

• DeBlase abused Chase's body by "knowingly treating the corpse in a way that outrages ordinary family sensibilities, to-wit: taking the child's body to Jackson County, Mississippi, and dumping it somewhere in the woods." View document in PDF format
  

The documents appear to indicate that it was that it was the abuse and torture specified that led to Chase and Natalie's death.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2010/12/deblase_documents_horrific_abuse.html

A woman being held in Louisville on charges in connection with the disappearance of two young children will be back in Mobile on Sunday, investigators said.

Heather Leavell-Keaton, 22, is being picked up in Kentucky today, where she was being held on child abuse charges. The two children of her common-law husband, John DeBlase, were reported missing in November and had not been seen in months.

Natalie DeBlase, 5, and Jonathan Chase DeBlase, 3, are presumed dead after their father admitted to dumping their lifeless bodies, one in Mississippi and another in Alabama, police say.

The Mobile County Sheriff's Office hired a private service to pick up Leavell-Keaton, 22, and bring her back to Mobile, a sheriff's spokeswoman said.

A Mobile police spokesman said she is scheduled to arrive Sunday.

Authorities discovered what they said are the remains of Chase DeBlase in a wooded area near Vancleave yesterday, although forensics tests are pending. Police said DeBlase was probably killed in June.

A search for his sister's remains, believed to be in a wooded area near Citronelle, is slated to begin later this week.

Their father, John DeBlase, 27, has been charged with two counts of felony murder and is being held with no bail in Mobile County Metro Jail.

So far, police say, DeBlase and Leavell-Keaton are blaming each for killing the children.

Stepmother of slain children headed back to Ala.

Published December 10, 2010
Associated Press


Crime & Courts Crime & Courts
Stepmother of slain children headed back to Ala.

Published December 10, 2010
| Associated Press
Print Email Share Comments (2) Text Size LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The stepmother of two Alabama children who authorities say were killed and buried in the woods was on her way back to Alabama, where she could be charged in the deaths, a Kentucky jail spokeswoman said early Friday.

Heather Leavell-Keaton was being held in Louisville, Ky., on child abuse charges. She was picked up from the jail around 1 a.m. Friday to be brought back to Mobile, Ala., Louisville Metro Corrections spokeswoman Pam Windsor said.

The children's father, John DeBlase, is charged with two counts of murder, child abuse and corpse abuse in their deaths. Skeletal remains found in the woods of rural Mississippi on Wednesday are believed to belong to his 3-year-old son Chase. Authorities are still searching for the remains of 5-year-old Natalie DeBlase.

DeBlase told police he dumped his daughter Natalie in the woods north of Mobile in March. He said he discarded the boy's body, dressed only in a diaper and stuffed into a plastic garbage bag, in Mississippi in June on or around Father's Day. Police say the children were killed separately, then immediately disposed of.

"He didn't keep them around," Mobile Police Officer Chris Levy said Thursday.

Arrest warrants in the case accuse Leavell-Keaton of abusing the little boy and girl.

The documents were prepared before the murder charges were filed and detail the children's mistreatment at the hands of Leavell-Keaton. They say DeBlase allowed her to bind the girl's hands and feet with duct tape, put a sock in her mouth and stuff her in a suitcase in a closet for about 14 hours.

The warrants also detail how Leavell-Keaton duct-taped the boy's hands to the side of his legs, strapped a broom handle to his back and shoved a sock in his mouth. The boy was then forced to stand in a corner all night while the adults went to bed.

The documents don't specify when the abuse occurred, only saying it happened sometime after March 1.

Police have said she and DeBlase share responsibility for the killings, but each one blames the other.

The two were arrested last week on the abuse charges, and authorities began their search for the children's remains in Alabama and Mississippi over the weekend. Neither child had been seen for months.

An investigation into their disappearance didn't start until late last month after Leavell-Keaton sought a protective order against DeBlase in Kentucky, Levy said. She said in the Nov. 18 filing that DeBlase "may have murdered his children," and that she feared for her life because he was abusive. The couple just had a child together this summer.

"I am afraid that he is going to do something to harm our daughter because of what he has done to the other children," she wrote.

DeBlase pleaded not guilty to the lesser charges Wednesday and is due in court again Friday for a bond hearing on the murder charges. His attorney, Jim Sears, said DeBlase will plead not guilty to those charges, as well.

"He maintains his innocence," Sears said Thursday. "He is terribly upset about everything.

"He maintains that it was his common-law wife" who murdered the children, Sears added.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/12/10/stepmother-slain-children-headed-ala/?test=latestnews

Bond for 27-year-old John Deblase was raised Friday morning to half a million dollars. Deblase is accused of killing his two children, then burying them in separate locations. His son, Chase, was found Wednesday in Vancleave, Mississippi. His daughter, Natalie, is believed to be buried in Northern Mobile County, but her remains have not been recovered. Deblase was being held on $206,000 bond for two counts of aggravated abuse and two counts of abuse of a corpse. His charges were upgraded to two counts of felony murder on Wednesday. Assistant District Attorney Jo Beth Murphree said the aggravated abuse charges no longer exist, because of the upgraded charges. “The child abuse charges are subsumed in the murder charges," said Murphree. Therefore, Deblase now faces two counts of felony murder and two counts of abuse of corpse. "We will have a preliminary hearing next on January fourth. At that time, we will put on witnesses to establish probable cause and at that time more details will come out."

John DeBlase, the man accused of killing both his children and dumping their bodies, intends to plead not guilty by reason of insanity or mental disease, an attorney told a Mobile County District Court judge this morning.

DeBlase, 27, is charged with two counts of murder, aggravated abuse of a child and abuse of a corpse. He is accused of killing Natalie DeBlase, 5, and leaving her body in Citronelle and killing Jonathan "Chase" DeBlase, 3, and leaving his body just north of Vancleave, Miss. Investigators have recovered Chase's remains, but were still searching today for Natalie.