Christina Harms
When you read stories like this one, I just cannot comprehend how is it possible that no one really knew about the abuse. My goodness, my heart goes out to the victim and I hope justice prevails because those involve with this horrific murder deserve the DEATH PENALTY!
KEARNS -
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.
Cassandra Marie Shepard, 27, was charged with murder and intentional aggravated abuse of a disabled adult, first-degree felonies. She was also charged with obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
The cause of Harms' death was listed as "positional asphyxiation."
Shepard was the legal guardian of
Christina Harms, a 22-year-old disabled woman who investigators say had the mental capacity of an 8- to 12-year-old.The charges lay out horrific details of the abuses suffered by Harms, who police say was bound crucifixion-style inside a small closet in a house at 4978 S. 5415 West where Shepard lived with her mother, Sherrie Beckering, 50, and her stepfather, Dale Beckering, 52.
The Beckerings were each charged Friday with intentional aggravated abuse of a disabled person, a first-degree felony. The Beckerings were Harms' primary caretakers for a few months in 2010.
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.
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 eye lids, and her hands were completely covered with bandaging material, which would have prevented her from getting the pepper seed out. Source 3