But that does not negate the fact that they [the fathers] were never there for their children.. Thats when she attacked him. After two weeks of torture, Stephen succumbed to his injuries on August 30, 2012. Somehow this accusation never sat well with me. "Twenty-five scars and injuries on (the boy's) back, both old and new, as a result of physical abuse by Blair. A neighbor didnt waste any time disclosing Mitchelle Blairs whereabouts. Three months after her arrest, Mitchelle confessed to murdering her children, whom she referred to as demons.. Michelle continued to live in the same house with her other kids. Mitchelle confessed that she intended to kill Stoni: She raped my son. Moreover, her teachers mentioned that Gabi was a bright student with lots of aspirations for her future. A preliminary exam has been scheduled for April 9. She was going to turn herself into the police, she said, but when her youngest son told her that he didnt want her to go, she made other arrangements. Is Night Court a real thing? In April 2019, the outlet reported that Blairs prison incidents had risen to 49. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. I knew what he was feeling because thats exactly how I used to feel.. The child went on to say that Stephen would urinate on him in the morning, and he would force him to drink Windexa cleaning product she kept in the basement. The report doesn't say how he died, but that it happened on or about Aug. 30. Blair had two daughters, including Stoni, with Alexander J. Dorsey, and two sons, including Stephen, with Steven Berry. Steven Berry, 31, of Redford, is the father of Stephen and the surviving 8-year-old boy. The children's bodies were stored in the family's deep freezer, Stephen's since August 2012 and his sister's since the following May. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. These 2 children were tortured and murdered by their mother, Mitchelle Blair, after her younger son, Matthew, told her that he was being sexually abused by them. Police believe they died months apart in 2012 and 2013. (Clarence Tabb Jr./Detroit News via AP). The petition seeks to terminate the fathers' parental rights and give the state custody of the children. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The surviving brother told counselors he knew his siblings' bodies were in the freezer, the petition said. While the bodies were found in March 2015, a medical examination determined that the victims had been murdered a few years prior. However, even while plagued by the demons of her past, Gabi continued her studies and graduated high school soon after. The children were identified as Blairs kids Stephen Berry and Stoni Blair. Although they both had different fathers, they lived with their mother and two other siblings in a Detroit apartment. The surviving children are in the temporary custody of Blair's aunt. This episode won't be for everybody. Perpetrator, Mitchelle Blair confessed to killing her children and hiding their bodies in her deep freezer . They recounted incidents when their mother tortured them and their siblings for days and even revealed how she ended up murdering Stoni and Stephen in cold blood. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). Theres no excuse for rape I would kill them again.. DETROIT, MI -- The gruesome details of torment inflicted on two children were revealed in a Detroit courtroom Thursday. She was arrested March 24 after court deputies carrying out an eviction at her apartment found the bodies of Stoni Blair, 13, and Stephen Berry, 9, in a deep freezer. According toMLive, medical professionals found 25 scars and injuries on the surviving sons back. A probable cause hearing has been set for April 2 before 36th District Judge Kenneth King. If there is one thing I would kill over, it would be that,she said. At the time of Stonis death, Stephens body was already in the refrigerator, and Mitchelle forced Gabi to help her cover the victims body in plastic before placing it in the freezer. Blair also told police that when he died, she wrapped him 'in his favorite blanket' and put him in the freezer, the police report states. Detroit News. Schmidt spoke of the extreme pain the girl must have endured while it healed without a cast and as the broken bone ground against itself. A Wayne County sheriff's deputy discovered them while evicting Blair and her two surviving children, an 8-year-old boy and 17-year-old girl, from their Detroit apartment March 24. She allowed few, if any, outsiders in. A mother of four is left with only two children, but the discovery of her two missing children shocks the East Side of Detroit. Stoni Blair and Stephen Berry died. In the meantime, both Gabi and Matthew were sent to live with their maternal aunt and uncle, and the children had to spend numerous hours in therapy, which hoped to help them come to terms with the abuse they experienced. People who knew Stoni and Stephen described them as lively and cheerful children who were in love with life. I would kill them again. Reports regarding Blair's treatment of her four children are harrowing as they describe detailed and horrific torture and abuse, all as . Police believe they. Mitchelle Blair [Photo credit: Michigan Department of Corrections], Mitchelle Blair: Case of the Freezer Mom who murdered her two children, Stoni Blair and Stephen Berry, then hid bodies in deep freezer, On the morning of Mar. Blair was arraigned Thursday in 36th District Court on four counts of first-degree child abuse, a 15-year felony; and one count of committing child abuse first-degree in the presence of another child, a felony punishable by up to life in prison. When 35-year-old Mitchelle Blair was evicted from her Detroit home in March 2015 for failing to pay rent, authorities conducting a routine check of the property made a horrifying discovery. Both children overcame the majority of setbacks they encountered in the case.. Stoni Ann Blair was 13 when she was found dead in the freezer of their Detroit home in March 2015. . What happened to Mitchelle Blair? . I do not feel any remorse for what I did to Stoni because she had no remorse for what she did to my son. Gautz said Blair had accumulated 28 misconducts, including assaulting and spitting on prisoners and throwing urine on an officer. Autopsies have determined that the two children discovered dead in a Detroit freezer earlier this week were beaten to death, and that the youngest child also suffered 'thermal injuries'. Inside Sheins controversial culture, Does Noom really work? Prosecutor Carin Goldfarb stated that there was no evidence to prove that Mitchelles youngest son was sexually assaulted. I never tried to say I didnt. ', By While being questioned, Blair told investigators she placed Stephen 'in a boiling hot tub of water until his feet blistered' because she found out Stephen was allegedly sexually assaulting a relative, according to the Detroit News. Both fathers have criminal records, according to the petition, including convictions for drunken driving and firearm offenses. 1998) and younger brother (b. She has a good heart., The neighbors said they rarely saw the children; they hadnt seen Stephen and Stoni for more than a year. Lanier told the newspaper: 'When people asked her where her other two kids are, she said they were at their aunt's house. We strive to bring awareness back into focus with our coverage, which features Crime stories that are underpinned by reliable information from up-to-date sources, as told by . The caskets of the two childrenslate blue and a pale . Hidden inside a freezer in the living room were the bodies of two of Mitchelles children, Stoni Blair and Stephen Berry. Attorneys for Dorsey and Berry said the fathers . Afterward, she suffocated her to death with a grocery bag before storing her body inside the freezer, atop Stephens body, where they both remained for three years. Michigan state law at the time didnt require parents to register the home school with the state Education office. The autopsy comes just a day after child welfare officials said Blair's two surviving children had been terribly abused in a house of horrors. In June 2015, Blair pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and is serving a life sentence at the Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Michigan. 'It was a little girl and a little boy,' she said. Autopsies determined the two children, Stoni Blair and Stephen Berry, were beaten to death. Get the app! Hayden said the file was destroyed. Neighbor Shanetria Lanier, 21, told the Detroit News Blair home-schooled her children and 'that's why no schools were wondering where they were'. The Murders Of Stoni Ann Blair And Stephen Gage Berry Mitchelle Blair confessed to the murders at the Wayne County Circuit Court. Associated Press The Michigan Department of Human Services is taking steps to end Blair's rights to her two other children, a 17-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son, who are currently with a relative. Blair pleaded guilty to two counts of premeditated murder, two counts of felony murder, and one count of torture regarding the deaths of 13-year-old Stoni Ann Blair and 9-year-old son Stephen Gage Berry. Blair was temporarily removed during the custody trial to settle her parental rights to her surviving 8-year-old son and 17-year-old daughter. "Finally, they got into a physical confrontation when (Blair) strangled (Stoni) with a black shirt and suffocated her with a black garbage bag," according to the report. The documents detail Blair's alleged beatings of her children with hot irons, wood planks and extension cords. After Blair allegedly killed her children, she continued to receive welfare benefits, according to the petition, obtained through the state Attorney General's Office, which was based on what the two surviving children told counselors. Wayne County Medical Examiner Carl Schmidt took the stand in the custody trial Friday and shared his findings of heinous abuse that he said occurred over a "period of time.". Children's artwork, a colored lion, truck, kitten and others hang on the wall above a freezer inside of which a Wayne County Sheriff's Deputy found the bodies. According to reports, Stephen was tortured mercilessly in the days leading up to his death, as his mother choked him with a leather belt and poured boiling water all over his genitals. Wherever you looked there was either a scar, an ulceration, a burn or a blow.". YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Their statement made even the most experienced officers uncomfortable, as the children accused Mitchelle of being a cruel and heartless abuser. Berry admitted in court Friday his current home isn't a fit environment for his surviving 8-year-old son, and he can't financially support him, but he still wants guardian rights. Evidence indicates Blair held her children captive there. She insisted that she found Matthew touching a doll inappropriately, and once he informed her about the alleged sexual abuse, she took matters into her own hands and disciplined Stephen. Authorities in Detroit, Michigan, witnessed a horrifying and shocking incident when the bodies of Stoni Blair and Stephen Berry Jr were discovered inside a freezer in their own house. Today, I have a gruesome case. Mitchelle Blair said she intended to turn herself over to the police following the second murder, but her son told her he wanted her to stay. Besides, both Stephen and Stoni were known to be brilliant students and had great aspirations for the future. Mitchelle Blair apparently disregarded their advice because on the morning of March 24, 2015, she was served an eviction notice. Without wasting time, the men informed authorities about the incident, and once first responders arrived, they declared Stephen and Stoni dead on the spot. However, the investigation turned on its head when Matthew and Gabi, the two surviving children, decided to approach the police with the intention of revealing the truth. It is estimated Stoni and Stephen's deaths occurred upwards of three years ago. She had only 5 millimeters of fat padding her stomach, Schmidt said. Medical examinations and testimonies from the children revealed theyd endured extensive abuse. Megyesi accused the fathers of failing to protect their children. 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper. However, the neighbors never noticed anything out of the ordinary regarding the family, which made their deaths even more surprising. He said yesSo I started punching Stephen I put a bag over his head, he lost consciousness, I did that a couple of times.. Blair described the sexual assault of children as an unforgivable crime. Still, people who knew the teenager described her as a responsible older sibling who took care of the others and shared an excellent bond with them. There is no record of the children attending classes, according to a Detroit Public Schools official. The children did not mention sexual abuse to counselors, according to the juvenile court petition. Blair was sentenced to 38 months to five years for the two incidents. CPS investigated and confirmed another report of abuse in 2005 after Dorsey's sister, while bathing the girls, found numerous scars on their backs. Blair said she returned home one day in August 2012 to find her son simulating sexual activity using dolls. She was arrested March 24 after court deputies carrying out an eviction at her apartment found the bodies of Stoni Blair, 13, and Stephen Berry, 9, in a deep freezer. There was no other option. The children, along with their older sister (b. He owes more than $10,000 in child support for the two children, the petition said, adding he also "neglected to protect his children from an abusive environment.". Authorities in Detroit, Michigan, witnessed a horrifying and shocking incident when the bodies of Stoni Blair and Stephen Berry Jr were discovered inside a freezer in their own house. She made Stephen drink Windex and lifted him up using a belt wrapped around his neck. Wayne County Medical Examiner spokesman Ryan Bridges said plans to perform autopsies on the bodies have been postponed until the bodies thaw. Police found her at another neighbors house with her two children, aged eight and 17, but her other children, Stephen Gage Berry, nine, and Stoni Ann Blair, 13, were missing. "These injuries are consistent with Blair using an extension cord to physically abuse them. Blair, 36, pleaded guilty Monday to premeditated murder and felony murder in the deaths of 13-year-old Stoni Blair and 9-year-old Stephen Berry. Everything happened how it was meant to happen.. According to the petition, "Stoni informed her mother that she did not like (her two surviving siblings). Stoni died in her home May 25, 2013.She had a brother Stephen Gage Berry who also passed away. Blair, who claimed Stephens death was accidental, placed his body in a freezer. CrimeDoor is a trusted news resource for those seeking the freshest perspective on cases worldwide. It took two days for the bodies to thaw, then he began the autopsies. Stoni Blair and Stephen Berry [Photo credit: Family Handout via Detroit Free Press]According to her statement, she returned home one day in August 2012 and found her eldest daughter waiting for her at the door. They [the children] lived in terrible fear of you,Judge Dana Hathaway, the sentencing judge, said,and I find that so sad in this case. The convicted murderers whereabouts, Zachariah Andersons story His alleged crimes, Angela Pollinas story: Her role in Thomas Valvas murder. Reports mention that Stephen was murdered on August 30, 2012, while Stoni met her end on May 25, 2013. Alexander J. Dorsey is the 35-year-old father of Stoni and the surviving 17-year-old girl. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. 2007), were homeschooled. "And if everybody got to know, yes, I did kill her," Blair shouted in a fit of rage while being removed from the courtroom Thursday. [They] had no remorse for what [they] did to my son. Inside a white deep freezer located in the living room of the home, was the frozen body of a teenage girl wrapped in a large plastic bag. Mitchelle told the judge that she had always told my kids, the worst thing you could ever do to somebody is rape them., I always told my son that, and I always told the girls, the worst thing you could do is cry rape on somebody else if they didnt rape them., They fully knew what they were doing. When he told her that his brother Stephen had, she went upstairs to confront him. The petition said Dorsey "failed to protect his children from an unfit home environment where the children were physically abused, tortured and murdered," adding he owes $39,000 in back child support payments. I did not know that.. Dorsey's daughter will turn 18 in July. Stoni had "freshly carved-out tissue" on her right shoulder, possibly caused by a caustic substance being poured on a wound. The girl was wrapped in a plastic bag, and just beneath her body was the frozen body of another childa boy. Alexander J. Dorsey, the 35-year-old father of Stoni and Blair's surviving 17-year-old daughter; and Steven Berry, 31, of Redford, the father of Stephen and Blair's surviving 8-year-old, said they hadn't seen their slain children for years leading up to their discovery. Nine months later in May 2013, Blair told police she found out Stoni was allegedly sexually assaulting the same relative so "over the course of the next week, (Blair) assaulted (Stoni), starved her, serving her only a bowl of oatmeal a day and water," the report said. Blair said he confessed, and thats when she began punching and kicking him before placing a garbage bag over his head until he lost consciousness. Anneta Konstantinides For Dailymail.com Theyve been through a lot, a tremendous trauma.. She said they were 'the nicest kids' who were 'so respectable'. They had chipped teeth and "both were severely malnourished," Schmidt said. She really dont let them outside,Shay Wilson, another neighbor, said. During police questioning, Blair told investigators she became enraged in August 2012 after finding out Stephen was allegedly sexually assaulting a relative, so she "placed him in a boiling hot tub of water until his feet blistered." Stoni, whose nickname was "Honey Bear," had a bubbly personality, always looked forward to her birthdays and balloons made her smile. Besides, the mother even mentioned that she was ready to surrender to the police but did not, as her children would have been taken away from her. Stoni Ann Blair, 13, and her brother Stephen Berry, 8, were found dead in the freezer of their Detroit home in March 2015. Stoni Ann Blair (b. Mitchelle Blair, 35, has currently only been charged with child abuse, but that may change now that the deaths of her children Stoni Blair, 13, and Stephen Berry, 9, have been ruled a. Victims, Stephen Berry and Stoni Blair lived with their mother and two siblings in Detroit. The picture painted through interviews with Blair and the surviving children belies the image she projected on her Facebook page, where she wrote "Loyal to my babies," and posted a picture with the message "there is no greater blessing than being called Mom.". Mitchelle Blair, 36, spoke about horrendous abuse Stoni Blair and Stephen Berry endured before their deaths. The apartment was reportedly filled with food and trash and rendered almost 'unlivable', according to the report. Today, an eviction crew removed property from the home at the Martin Luther King Apartments -- a process started last week and that led to the discovery of Stoni Blair and Stephen Berry's frozen . Nine months after murdering Stephen, Blair said she found out that Stoni was also raping her youngest son. "Mitchelle Blair then made (the oldest daughter) put Stoni in the deep freezer following her death.". 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