Disabled woman Christina Harms 22 found Bound and Tortured in a closet / 3 Charged

[Hellsbells]

Three arrested for alleged crucifixion-style murder of Kearns woman

Police have arrested three people in connection to an unusual abuse and murder of a disabled woman in Kearns.

Authorities say Christina Harms, 22, was found dead and bound in the form of a crucifix in the closet of her family home at 4978 South and 5415 West Friday. They say the body was bruised and evidence such as plastic zip ties and bandages allegedly show the victim was bound and tortured.

"They found a closet in the family room and in that closet there was an alarm on the door and a metal bar hanging in the closet to where they found evidence of the victim being hung crucifixion-style in this closet," said Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal.

Police arrested Harms' primary caretaker 27-year-old Cassandra Shepard for domestic violence murder and domestic violence obstructing justice. She was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. Shepard's mother Sherrie Lynn Beckering, 50, and stepfather Dale Beckering, 53, were booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on the charge of domestic violence of a vulnerable adult. Police say the Beckerings took care of the victim for a good part of last year and were aware of the crime.

Police are now awaiting the results of an autopsy to confirm Harms' official cause of death. A motive in the case has not yet been determined.

Authorities have confirmed children were in the home at the time of the crime. The victim had a 2-year-old daughter and Shepard has two children ages 5 and 9. All of the children are now in state custody. Police do not think the children are victims of abuse.

http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-th...,6065873.story

U N F U C K I N G B E L E V E A B L E

[Bulletproof]

Wow, that is fucking insane

[AngelFire]

I want to know how they got a hold of this young woman. Insane

[Hellsbells]

I want to know how they got a hold of this young woman. Insane

Found this

Cousin: Murder victim suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome

We're getting new insight into the case of a Kearns woman with special needs who police say was abused and murdered by her caregivers. Apparently the woman -- 22-year-old Christina Harms -- had been under the care of several people since she was a baby.

Her cousin says she was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and could barely care for herself. Lyle Chapin of Laverne, Minn., says he is "extremely shocked" and saddened by Harms' death.

He says his aunt adopted Harms as an infant. Her mother was an alcoholic. That aunt later passed away.

Ultimately, Harms wound up in Dale and Sherrie Lynn Beckering's hands last year. At the time of her death, Cassandra Shepard was Harms' legal guardian.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder says his officers investigate too many cases like this one.

"If we discover that individuals have knowledge of the abuse or neglect of individuals within their control, purview or awareness, we're going to come after you," he said.

Officers found Harms Friday with bruises on her head and thigh. She had pepper seed in her eye and her hands and arms were bound with bandages.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=14924535

[Bulletproof]

All I have been able to find out is she was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and was adopted at birth. The Beckerings were legal guardians of Christina untill about 8 months ago They turned over custody to the daughter.

How she ended up there I dont know. I dont believe they were her adopted parents.

They also found red pepper seeds under her eyelids

Holy mother of god, that is some sick, sadistic shit.

[biteme]

How in the world do they find each other, I always heard opposites attract, guess that's not the case when it comes to vile sadistic inhuman, slime, smegma fucks

[Hellsbells]

Christina Harms was capable but not self-sufficient.

She graduated from high school and could do many things for herself, friends and family said, but the effects of her fetal alcohol syndrome meant she functioned at a preteen level. She needed someone there to care for her.

Christina high school pict

Shepard petitioned to become Harms’ guardian after Harms’ mother died in 2008. Since then, family and friends have raised concerns about Shepard’s ability to care for her, but stopped short of legal intervention because of Harms’ wishes to remain with Shepard.

"I never cared for her from day one," Harms’ father, Ken Harms, said of Shepard.

There were times Ken Harms said his daughter called crying, complaining that Shepard was yelling again.

"It was getting pretty bad then," Ken Harms said by phone from Aberdeen, S.D. "And I’ve asked her quite a few times if she wanted to come live with me. She didn’t want to. She wanted to stay where she was at."

Ken Harms said his daughter had complained to him previously that Shepard had become violent, even striking her with a two-by-four.

Shepard was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence in February 2010, according to South Dakota court records, but the charges were dismissed shortly thereafter.

"It’s not shocking to me because I know Cassandra," said John Pitman, her ex-boyfriend.

Pitman, of Portland, Ore., said his daughter, who he had with Cassandra Shepard, was one of the three children police found inside the Kearns home.

But Pitman and others said Cassandra Shepard suffers from bipolar disorder. He said it bothers him that she was given guardianship of Harms because of her mental state.

"She fooled everyone pretty much," Pitman said.

But Adam Shepard called the charges against his sister Cassandra and mother Sherrie Beckering shocking and doesn’t think they would commit the crimes they are accused of.

"I wouldn’t believe that [they] would be involved in that," he said.

Christina Harms had a 2-year-old daughter who also lived in the Kearns home. Adam Shepard, who lives in Aberdeen, S.D., and was the father of the child, said he dated Harms for about a year. He said she enjoyed playing games on the Internet and listening to music.

Said friend Dawn Knoepfle, "When she smiled and she giggled — she had an amazing laugh and an amazing smile. She was very quiet and very nice and very innocent."

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51...tml.csp?page=2

[AngelFire]

There has to be a special place in hell for fuckers like these.

[VXIII]

(CBS/AP/KUTV) KEARNS, Utah - Three people supposedly caring for a disabled Utah woman found dead on Friday are now accused of murder and torture.

Christina Harms, 22, was found dead at her home near Friday afternoon after a 911 caller reported a possible overdose. Unified Police detectives investigating her death say Harms appeared to have been tied up in a closet crucifixion-style.


They also say the woman had what is believed to be pepper seed in her eye lids and had her arms bandaged so she was unable to remove it, reports CBS affiliate KUTV.


Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal says investigators found Harms' body covered in bruises and marks on her wrists and ankles consistent with the use of restraints.

A cause of death is pending an autopsy by the state medical examiner's office.

Police say Harms had special needs and was unable to care for herself. Three of her caretakers are now facing charges in her death.

Cassandra Sheppard was booked in to the Salt Lake County Jail for domestic violence-murder and domestic violence-obstructing justice as she was the victim's legally documented guardian caretaker and cohabitant, according to Unified Police. Dale and Sherrie Beckering were booked on the charge of domestic violence abuse of a vulnerable adult

Clearer pictures of the assholes at the link..

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_1...29-504083.html

[Dakota Valkyrie]

A Utah couple facing charges stemming from the death of a disabled woman who was bound crucifixion-style to a metal bar inside a small closet pleaded not guilty Monday to criminal charges in a Salt Lake City courtroom.

Prosecutors have charged 52-year-old Dale Beckering and his wife, 50-year-old Sherrie Beckering, with intentional aggravated abuse of a disabled adult in the death of 22-year-old Christina Harms.
[...]

Attorney Rudy Bautista, who represents Dale Beckering, said his client had been working 12 hour shifts as a machinist and was not involved in Harm's care.

He said he wants the cases separated because of statements made by Sherrie Beckering during a preliminary hearing that they had "all" cared for Harms.

"That's not factually true," Bautista said after the hearing. "(Dale Beckering) was not her legal guardian, he had no responsibility for her care."

Trying to separate those facts during a joint trial for the couple would be difficult for a jury, Bautista said.

Bautista said Beckering had allowed his step-daughter and Harms to live in the main part of his home, while he and his wife stayed in the basement. Despite that proximity, Bautista said Dale Beckering didn't know the details of Harms' care and compared the situation to parents who don't know their own children are using drugs or alcohol.

Salt Lake County prosecutors, however, contend the Beckerings had watched Harms at one point because Shepard was overwhelmed.
[...]

If they are convicted of the charges, the Beckerings each face a life prison sentence.

http://www.thespectrum.com/article/2...on-style-death

Christina Harms was constantly kept in a small closet, where she was forced to eat and go to the bathroom while being bound to a metal bar.

She was also forced to wear an adult diaper and could often be heard making whining noises, according to charges filed Friday in 3rd District Court.
[...]

The cause of Harms' death was listed as "positional asphyxiation."

Shepard "tied her (Harms') hands together and put tape around her mouth and (Harms) never got to come out," a child witness told investigators.

Although Dale Beckering and Shepard often cooked for the family, "Harms was never let out of the closet, and was actually required to eat her food inside the closet," according to the charges.

The juvenile witness told detectives that Harms could often be heard whining from inside the closet. Another juvenile told police much of the same, saying that the children were warned by Shepard that police would be asking questions. Shepard told the children, "Don't talk too much," the charges state.
[...]

When emergency officials found Harms on March 25, she had ligature marks on her ankles consistent with plastic zip ties, severe bruising on her thigh and head, bloodshot eyes, a pepper seed in one of her eyelids, and her hands were completely covered with bandaging material, which would have prevented her from getting the pepper seed out.

Inside the closet, investigators found a metal clothes bar but no clothes hanging from it. Instead, they found plastic zip ties on each end of the bar that had been cut "consistent with a person having been bound to the bar and cut down. The ties were secured far apart and immovable in position," the charges state.

When officers opened the closet door, a high-pitched alarm sounded. On the floor of the closet, police discovered a blood- and urine-stained piece of cardboard.

Police also found uncut zip ties, clear packaging tape, disposable plastic drop cloths, cleaning supplies and air fresheners, including several deodorizers in the closet, the charges state.

While officers were investigating the incident, which was originally called in as a possible overdose, Sherrie Beckering commented to one officer "how difficult (Harms) had been lately," according to the charges. The family also said Harms had never been taken to a doctor while living in Utah.

The Utah State Medical Examiner's Office reported that when the bandages were removed from Harms' hands during the autopsy, they found markings consistent with the bandaging being "placed tightly for an extended period," including multiple lesions and skin falling off.

Harms' body had bruises consistent with "chronic physical abuse," according to the charges.

Harms suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome and was unable to completely care for herself, authorities said.

Shepard and Harms used to live in Aberdeen, S.D. Police say they had only lived in Kearns since January.
[...]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7...rns-woman.html

[redsaid]

dt_common_streams_StreamServer.jpg

She was so cute.

Christina Harms had a 2-year-old daughter who also lived in the Kearns home. Adam Shepard, who lives in Aberdeen, S.D., and was the father of the child, said he dated Harms for about a year. He said she enjoyed playing games on the Internet and listening to music.

She even had a boyfriend at one time and a baby of her own. *hinky meter beeping*

[Obsolete]

But Adam Shepard called the charges against his sister Cassandra and mother Sherrie Beckering shocking and doesn’t think they would commit the crimes they are accused of.

Christina Harms had a 2-year-old daughter who also lived in the Kearns home. Adam Shepard, who lives in Aberdeen, S.D., and was the father of the child, said he dated Harms for about a year.

So the women accused of abusing the victim, has a son/brother and that son/brother had a baby with the victim? WHAT.THE.FUCK.

[redsaid]

So the women accused of abusing the victim, has a son/brother and that son/brother had a baby with the victim? WHAT.THE.FUCK.

I knew there was something hinky. My poor little mind just couldn't get it together today!

[VXIII]

But Adam Shepard called the charges against his sister Cassandra and mother Sherrie Beckering shocking and doesn’t think they would commit the crimes they are accused of.

Christina Harms had a 2-year-old daughter who also lived in the Kearns home. Adam Shepard, who lives in Aberdeen, S.D., and was the father of the child, said he dated Harms for about a year.

She was very, very cute... This is terrible, I want to ask adam shepard how did she end up tied up and in the closet crucified if your family didnt do it then? Why didnt her father someone to check on her, especially after hearing she was hit with a 2x4, hope most peoples dads would check on them if their daughter said she was being hit with a piece of wood... Here is more from an earlier story, looks like she was trying to get away from them and told a few people who did call the cops but nothing was done...

A married couple whose balcony faced the couple's balcony said they would often see Harms on the balcony performing exercises or choking down food from a coffee can. Both reported seeing Shepard and Sherrie Beckering shouting at Harms about having a sexually transmitted disease.

When neighbor Amber Whitman came home from work one cold day in December and saw Harms on the balcony with very little clothes on, she placed an anonymous call to police.

"She looked at me like she needed help," Whitman said. "She was just crying."

She saw police arrive later, but never spoke to them.

Another neighbor, Lacey Bazinet, spent almost a full day with Harms in July 2010 when the woman showed up at her door.

"I woke up to a knock on the door and there was a young lady with a suitcase, bag and pillow," Bazinet said. "She was panicking, saying she was being abused."

She testified she let Harms into her home and saw bruises on the woman's chest and wrists. She called around, trying to find a place at a shelter and ultimately took Harms on errands with her.

"She told me she was only allowed to eat one cup of uncooked rice a day, one cup of water a day," Bazinet said.

Later, Bazinet heard police talking about Harms and told them she knew where the woman was.

"(Harms) went in my bathroom and shut the bathroom door," Bazinet said. "She sat down in the dark, rolling back and forth, crying hysterically and begging me not to let them take her."

Before the judge's decision, attorney Rudy Bautista, who represents Dale Beckering, argued that his client works 12-hour days and had no legal or custodial obligation to Harms. Nor did he believe prosecutors proved the intent or knowledge of abuse, as required by statute.

"The state overcharged (Dale Beckering)," Bautista said, arguing that the man's involvement warranted a misdemeanor charge as opposed to a felony. "The state has not proven he knew or wanted to see (Harms) suffer death or physical injury."

Platt said Harms went to Bazinet in July 2010, within the time frame it is believed the Beckerings were watching Harms because Shepard was overwhelmed.

"There were bruises when (Shepard) wasn't even in the picture," Platt said. "There isn't some magical moment where (Shepard) comes onto the scene and they said, 'We aren't involved anymore.' That is simply not reasonable."

Shepard is charged with murder and aggravated abuse of disabled adult, first-degree felonies, and obstructing justice, a second-degree felony. Her next court appearance is slated for July 11. The couple will have an arraignment on June 20.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7...oset.html?pg=2

Harms' death has angered area caregivers, one of whom told AOL News she is "completely disgusted" by the case.

"Where is her family ... the father of her child?" Jessie Peters, a caregiver from nearby Provo, told AOL News. "Why isn't there a system put into place where a person not able to take care of themselves is checked up on like they do for the many foster kids here?"

Peters added: "This woman was tortured to death and the only thing people are saying is sometimes the caregivers get overwhelmed. When did we start sympathizing with the aggressors when we should be focused on what the last hours of this woman's life was like and who is going to take care of her baby. These so-called caregivers ... need to be dealt with accordingly."

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/30/po...red-crucified/

[Bohring]

Sherrie Beckering has permanent wrinkles from goddamn frowning.

[Tundratot]

Shit! That psycho Cassandra and her monster Sherrie were in on it together at the very least. Yelling at Christina on the balcony and accusing her of having VD? Yet Sherrie admitted that Christina hadn't been to a doctor since coming to Utah. That must have been just so much invective.

I bet they were bitched out about her having a relationship with Cassandra's brother and then having a baby. It sounds to me like Cassandra wanted the money the state probably paid her to take care of Christina, but not the hassle. She might also have wanted to get her hands on her niece.

Those children were abused because they were witnesses to the abuse. Christina's little girl had to be suffering from a huge amount of confusion and anxiety. I also can't imagine how Cassandra's kids must have felt about what their mother was capable of, doing that right in front of them.

Those people should be charged with child abuse on top of everything else.

[Valasca]

Seriously. I hope there is a hell.

[TheZeitgeist]

If I were to take a guess here, I suspect someone was getting a check to take care of Ms. Harms from a public entity. Why else would such trashy people be anxious to take care of someone like that? Sadistic as what was going on here was, the whole scene strikes me as incompetents being overwhelmed with the task Ms. Harms presented, so instead of coping and adapting just started lashing out and make Ms. Hurns 'go away' and 'be quiet,' but of course still get that tasty check every month.

Similar situation happened with the Deblase kids; Natalie and I don't remember the boy's name. They were nice kids, five and three I think. Both ended up suffocating to death; bound, gagged, and stuffed into a suitcase dumped in a closet. Probably because they were little kids doing what little kids do (which is drive people up the wall sometimes...but you deal with it if you're not a complete idiot without even a shred of empathy, or intrinsic compassion for children etc.). Same deal here I think.

[Hellsbells]

Jury convicts man of lesser abuse charge

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A jury convicted a caregiver of felony abuse Thursday night in the case of a disabled woman who police say was bound crucifixion-style to a bar and kept inside a coat closet.

Dale Beckering, 53, was found guilty of second-degree felony aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult in the case involving the death of 22-year-old Christina Harms.

Beckering had been tried on the first-degree version of the charge — which carried a possible life sentence — but the jury opted for the lesser charge. The maximum sentence for that charge wasn't immediately clear.

In court, Bautista told jurors Beckering had no knowledge of the abuse because he worked long hours and lived mostly in the basement of the family home, where he watched television, used a computer and did needlework.

The disabled woman was under the care of Beckering's step-daughter Cassandra Shepard and lived with Shepard's family, which included Shepard's mother and three children. Two of the children belonged to Shepard and the third to Harms.

Shepard, 28, who was Harms' legal guardian, has been charged with first-degree felonies of murder and aggravated abuse of a disabled adult. She's also facing a second-degree felony charge of obstructing justice.

She has not yet entered a plea and a hearing in her case is set for Nov. 22.

Cross-examined by Bautista on Thursday, however, a second Unified Police detective acknowledged there was no fingerprint or DNA evidence linking Beckering to the crime.

Detective Ben Pender also acknowledged that at least two other police agencies — one in Utah and one in South Dakota — had investigated previous allegations of abuse related to Harms, but neither had resulted in criminal charges

http://www.timesleader.com/news/Jury...e-charge-.html

[Rockin Ma]

and did needlework

I'm not buying his sweet old grandma image. When will we know his sentence?

[Hellsbells]

When will we know his sentence?

Beckering will remain free on bail until his Jan. 30 sentencing date.

[redsaid]

What a disgrace

[Dakota Valkyrie]

A trial date has been set in Utah for a former Aberdeen woman charged with murder in the death of Christina Harms.

Cassandra M. Shepard, 28, is scheduled to be tried in Salt Like City starting Sept. 17, according to paperwork filed in her case. She's also charged with aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult and obstruction of justice. She's entered not guilty pleas to each of the charges. If convicted of murder or the abuse charge, she could be sentenced to life in prison.
[...]

Sherrie Beckering, 51, has entered a not guilty plea to a charge of aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult. Her trial is set for June. The crime has a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Dale Beckering, 53, was previously found guilty at trial of a lesser charge of abuse of a vulnerable adult. He was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison.

http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/aan...,5833555.story

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Noting that even a 5-year-old knew what was going on in the house, a judge on Friday sentenced Sherrie Beckering to the maximum term of five years to life in prison for the death of a disabled woman living in her home.

Sherrie Beckering, 51, was found guilty in September of aggravated abuse of a disabled adult, a first-degree felony, in the 2011 death of Christina "Nina" Harms.
[...]

Before sentencing, defense attorney David Berceau pleaded with 3rd District Judge Katie Bernards-Goodman not to send his client to prison. She has no prior criminal history, spent much of her life taking care of Harms, and wasn't aware of the abuse that was happening in her house because she worked so late every night to support the family, Berceau argued.

"She believes she should have known," he told the judge. "She should have put two and two together. She loved Nina, there's no doubt about it.

"This has been a tragedy all around. My client has lost everything. ... I'm asking this court not to imprison my client. I think she deserves an opportunity to get back on her feet."

Beckering made her own tearful plea to the court before being sentenced.

"Nothing I say will bring Christina back," she said. "I'll never forgive myself for this, ever."

But prosecutor Chad Platt reminded the court of the trial testimony from witnesses, including grandchildren who were also living in the house at the time. When a 5-year-old granddaughter was asked when Harms got to come out of the closet, she said never.

"Nina never got to come out of that closet. She never made it out alive," Platt said.

Goodman agreed, saying that the abuse Harms suffered didn't just happen in one day, and the red flags were abundant.
[...]

Beckering cried with her head hung low, often times shaking her head, as she listened to Platt and and the judge talk in court. Three unidentified people were in the audience of the courtroom, apparently to support Beckering. The courtroom, however, was largely empty. None of Harms' friends or relatives were present, though several submitted letters to the court.

"I think the decision was the correct decision," Platt said after the hearing. "We're satisfied to see justice done to this point."

"She had to know — anybody would have known," Platt said of Beckering's claim that she was unaware of the abuse going on in her home.
[...]

Cassandra Shepard is charged with murder, a first-degree felony, aggravated abuse of a disabled adult, a first-degree felony, and obstructing justice, a second-degree felony. Her seven-day trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 25

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8...led-adult.html

[HeatherHabilatory]

It's fucking depressing that no one was there for Christina, either in life, death, or her killer's trials.