LaFayette & Duree Pettress Finally Caught For The 1995 Murder Of 3yo Nephew

**Whisper** · April 5th, 2011, 02:29 PM

Couple arrested in NC for 1995 Calif child killing

BARSTOW, Calif. (AP) — A couple wanted for the 1995 killing of their 3-year-old nephew in California have been arrested in North Carolina.

Fayetteville, N.C., police spokesman Gavin MacRoberts says 57-year-old LaFayette Pettress and 54-year-old Duree Graves Pettress were arrested March 29 on a San Bernardino County murder warrant.
[....]
The couple was caring for Tycoon Graves because his mother was facing child abuse charges. He was found unresponsive in the Pettress home in Barstow on Dec. 7, 1995. The 3-year-old later died from internal injuries due to blunt force trauma.

The Victorville Daily Press reports the case remained unsolved until investigators got a phone call in February from one of the boy’s siblings, who elaborated on the circumstances of the preschooler’s death.

http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/apr/0...995-calif-chi/

Couple arrested in 16-year-old murder case

FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- A Fayetteville couple arrested in a 16-year-old murder case is facing extradition to California.
Duree Graves Pettress, 54, and her husband, Lafayette Pettress, 57, are charged in connection with their 3-year-old nephew's 1995 death in Barstow, California.
The couple recently moved to Fayetteville and is fighting extradition back to the west coast.
Neighbors say the couple lived in a Cumberland County mobile home about a month.

Neighbor Fisher lives next door. He says he spoke to the couple just about every day -- not knowing they had a dark secret in their past.

"You see them outside cleaning up and everything," Fisher said. "Wave, stay to their self. But like you say, whoever thought?"

Authorities say in December 1995, police were called to the Pettresses' home in Barstow where they found Duree Pettress' nephew, 3-year-old Tycoon Graves, dead from blunt-force trauma injuries.
He was one of five siblings placed in the Pettresses' home by Children's Protective Services workers.

The Pettresses and the other children told police that Graves' 9-year-old sister had kicked her brother to death.

The girl was not charged and the case went dormant for 16 years, until this past February when the boy's siblings came forward to tell police the Pettresses had forced them to lie.

"Anything can break a case open sometimes," said Gavin MacRoberts, Fayetteville Police Department spokesperson. "From the tiny little bit of evidence, to somebody who saw something who finally decided they wanted to come forward and tell authorities."
Siblings told authorities that they witnessed their aunt cause Graves' death. They told police that the family had pizza the night before his death and that Graves sneaked a leftover slice the next day without permission, which led to the beating.

Police in California later traveled to Fayetteville and arrested and charged the Pettresses with murder.
Authorities say though Layfayette Pettress is not accused of beating the child to death, under California law he is equally responsible because he did not stop the beating.

The couple is currently refusing to waive extradition, so California authorities have to obtain a governor's or state warrant for the extradition.
[..]

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?se...cal&id=8044998

Duree & LaFayette Pettress

**Bohring** · April 5th, 2011, 05:22 PM

I try to think of my two year old going to the refrigerator and helping himself to a slice of pizza, and wanting to beat him for it. He's done it. I've watched him do it. The first time I was so amused that he knew how to open the box, and that pizza would be in it. It was charming and cute, and I was in awe of it. I didn't fly into a blind rage and beat the shit out of him for wanting a piece of pizza. It's a goddamn piece of pizza.

Fucking monsters.

**badfish76** · April 5th, 2011, 05:34 PM

Oh.

Well I guess trash of all races will blame the older kid for the younger one's death.

So refreshing to know. Fuckers.

**Tundratot** · April 5th, 2011, 06:02 PM

Taken from their mother, who was an abuser, and given to a family member and her husband, who were abusers. Again, you sometimes have to be suspicious of the entire family.

**AngelFire** · April 5th, 2011, 06:10 PM

The couple was caring for Tycoon Graves because his mother was facing child abuse charges. He was found unresponsive in the Pettress home in Barstow on Dec. 7, 1995. The 3-year-old later died from internal injuries due to blunt force trauma.

Can I get a WTF?? Poor baby had no chance. Die you fuckers, die!!!

**Jerri Blank** · April 5th, 2011, 06:15 PM

I can't get my almost 3-year-old to eat anything! today she said "I'm hungry, McDonald's!" So I take her to get a happy meal and she ate like 3 damn french fries!

If she helped her self to a left-over slice of pizza I would be frecken thrilled!

I can't imagine denying a kid food let alone beating them for being hungry, that really just blows my mind!

**princessgrandma** · April 5th, 2011, 06:43 PM

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, poor kid. He didn't stand a chance. and wtf is it with people blaming the other kids for doing these things?? These people (and I use the term loosely) should be shown what blunt force trauma feels like, over and over.

Not to make light of the story, but.... who the hell names a kid Tycoon? Please don't crucify me. It was just a question that came to my head. Maybe MY head needs to be examined.

**Whisper** · April 5th, 2011, 07:07 PM

Well heres hoping baby Tycoon gets justice finally and they get everything they deserve b/c Ill tell you(i dont think) they dont have pizza in prison

**Dakota Valkyrie** · May 5th, 2012, 08:01 PM

Siblings testify

Jacquetta Graves looked her aunt and uncle in the eyes Friday as she described the morning she said they killed her toddler brother over a slice of pizza in 1995.

Her eyes went glossy red and her voice trembled as she recalled how her aunt stomped on her 3-year-old brother’s stomach and back — 15 to 20 times — ultimately killing him.
[...]

Evelyn Graves told the court her aunt threatened to kill her if she didn’t say she beat her brother to death. She said out of fear she told Barstow police she beat her brother. The case was closed until Jacquetta Graves came to police with an alternate story in February 2011.

Only 6 years old at the time, Jacquetta Graves said she yelled, “Stop auntie, Stop auntie!” while her aunt stomped on Tycoon and intermittently shook him over the toilet, yelling, “Spit it out.”

Jacquetta Graves said she also remembered looking at her uncle, Lafayette Pettress, who pretended to sleep on the couch and did nothing to stop the beating.

Evelyn Graves said when the beating was over, Tycoon’s body was limp. She said she felt his skin was cold so she wrapped him in a blanket and rocked him back and forth in front of a heater. When asked if he ever warmed up, she said, quietly, “No.” That’s when she started to cry.

Both Evelyn and Jacquetta Graves described the Pettress’s discipline as severe and frequent during the year or so they and their four other siblings were in the Pettress’s custody. Evelyn said they would beat the children with shoes, fists, a belt — anything they could. Jacquetta said the two brothers received harsher punishment and were kicked into the wall or even beaten with a security guard baton.

As Jacquetta Graves looked her aunt in the eyes, glaring throughout her testimony, she said she felt a weight had been lifted.

“It was just a relief to at least be in there and tell people what happened to us,” Jacquetta Graves said. “It’s a relief to finally tell our story.”

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/tes...r-barstow.html

**Tundratot** · May 6th, 2012, 01:35 AM

OMG what a horrible, horrible nightmare those girls describe. And they had to hold their tongues until they were old enough to report it to the police themselves!

WTF is wrong with someone to not only yell at a toddler, which I can understand when you lose your shit, but shake him upside down and stomp on him repeatedly?!! And the other one who feigned sleep?!! Really? Try to feign sleep in prison, you asshole. And as for the POS Petress, I doubt you're big enough to try that shit and make it stick in prison. I wish I could witness your comeuppance.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · May 10th, 2012, 05:09 PM

A man convicted Wednesday in the 1995 death of a Barstow toddler could walk free next month after the court decides whether the statute of limitations applies to the 16-year-old crime.

Lafayette Pettress, 58, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter while his wife was convicted for second degree murder. The two were charged in the beating death of their 3-year-old nephew, Tycoon Graves — a crime blamed on his 9-year-old sister for years.
[...]

The jury had the choice to convict Lafayette Pettress of second degree murder, but instead found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter. However, they were never told the statute of limitations had passed for involuntary manslaughter.

This matter will be discussed at the Pettress’ sentencing hearing scheduled for June 21. There Lafayette Pettress will either be sentenced to a maximum of four years in prison or be dismissed.

Duree Pettress faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
[...]

Deputy District Attorney Joel Buckingham said the jury’s decision was understandable as the conduct of the two defendants was so different — one stomped and the other did nothing.

http://www.vvdailypress.com/articles...r-toddler.html