Jon Phillips and Sarah Berry Starve Child to Death: Seven-Year-Old Weighed only 30 Pounds
Jon Phillips, 26, and Sarah Berry, 21, were arrested in the death of a seven-year-old boy and are being charged with first degree murder.
Paramedics were called in to resuscitate the boy who was in cardiac arrest. He later died at the hospital. Police told reporters that the boy weighed about 30 pounds and appeared to be malnourished. The coroner’s office has performed an autopsy has yet to issue a report because they are trying to determine whether it as a natural death or caused by someone else.
The boy and his sibling were placed with Phillips and/or Berry, and officials are declining to release the boy’s name because they’re trying to locate his family. The boy’s younger sibling was taken by child protective services, placed with another foster family, and is receiving extensive services.
So not only do we have another Denver-area child abuse story about someone starving a little kid to death, but this time it’s by people who went through a supposedly thorough process to become foster parents.
How the hell did this happen?
Tags: child-abuse, Child-Protective-Service, death-by-starvation, denver, foster-parents, Jon-Phillips, malnutrition, Sarah-BerryRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Uncategorized
35 opinions for Jon Phillips and Sarah Berry Starve Child to Death: Seven-Year-Old Weighed only 30 Pounds
Anja
May 12, 2007 at 9:12 am
STARVING IS THE NEW BEATING!!
alalee
May 12, 2007 at 10:58 am
You’d have to start thinking that, wouldn’t you? Starving doesn’t leave “marks” and someone could always claim the fed the child but must have been “failure to thrive.” I tell ya, I am sick of people like this. These poor kids went from one situation that was obviously unacceptable to another situation that was even worse. These people need to be branded right on their creepy foreheads to say CHILD MURDERER so no one ever forgets what they did.
Yet another child “protected to death” by CPS.
alalee
May 12, 2007 at 11:00 am
OH, OH, OH…. and don’t ya just love the expressions on their faces? He has a “F**k off and die” look in his eye and she is SMIRKING. She is SMILING, knowing she is gonna get off with a slap on the wrist! How can you kill a child and then smile about it?
karen1066
May 12, 2007 at 11:33 am
as a foster mother, i’m getting sick and tired of the few “bad apples” giving the rest of us a bad image. i supposed i shouldn’t take it personally, seeing how as just as many, if not more, of these abusers are the child’s natural parents….and yet that doesn’t mean every parent out there is an abuser. as a foster mother, i realize that the little ones that are placed with me are not going to be your average, happy go lucky child. they take ALOT of time, work, PATIENCE and love to help heal the wounds and make them whole. i have to wonder though, why the agency would place a 7 year old child with a 21 year old woman? to me, it would seem that she was way to young and inexperienced to deal with a child that age, let alone one with a troubled past. not saying that she shouldn’t have been mature enough to realize that a child needs to be fed on a regular schedule. also, at what intervals was this child being checked up on by the agency? my caseworkers are here on a regular basis (once a month)…three different caseworkers, so really someone is checking 3 times a month. wouldn’t someone somewhere down the line have noticed that this little guy was wasting away to nothing???? a teacher? a neighbor? a relative?????ANYONE???? how do these situations keep happening without anyone having a clue until it’s too late? i just don’t get it.
CJ
May 12, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Neighbors, teachers, friends, and relatives can report abuse over and over again and mos tof the time nothing is done. Look at home many children have died with open investigations and or CPS involvement. It is not just forster care cases, birth family and adopted children too. I know I have been on the reporting end and watch the children get no help.
A mom of four, so far
May 12, 2007 at 2:07 pm
I can’t get over that look on the foster mom’s face. How can you SMIRK at a time like that, knowing what you did?
I’d like to reach through my computer screen and slap that self-righteous smirk right off her face.
Lisa
May 12, 2007 at 10:46 pm
karen1066, first I’d like to say thank you from society for taking in these poor angels and loving them the way their parents should have. Second, I agree with you when you said these people should have known “that a child needs to be fed on a regular schedule”. No duh, huh? My 6 week old and two year old both tell me when they are hungry, and, even if the toddler only picks at her food, she gets breakfast, lunch, nap time snack, dinner, and bed time snack. At the very least feed them when you eat, it’s realy easy to remember then. This is so evil, and such a slow, painful way to die. This poor boy.
tina
May 13, 2007 at 4:51 am
I didn’t notice a smirk untill someone pointed it out. I’m not sure if her mouth doesn’t naturally turn up though.
tina
May 13, 2007 at 4:59 am
In the “charged with first degree murder” link. There’s another picture of her. She’s got that same look on her face. I think that’s just the way her lips naturally are. Not that it makes anything better. Smirk or no smirk.
NIKKI
May 14, 2007 at 7:10 am
Poor baby! Then the “protection laws” make him annonnamous (I know I spelled it wrong So what HAHAHA) I know I hate to be hungry and don’t like the idea of my kids even possibly being hungry! I get all grumpy and sassy and I am a grown woman. So imagine a 7 year old hungry and scared! Poor guy he probably stop feeling his hunger pangs after a while! His little body just acclimated! He was found in cardiac arrest, his body was shutting down! No food no water! He probably wanted his mommy. Even if she was mean she prob fed the baby! I say starve these two! Put ‘em in jail and starve them both! An eye for an eye!
NIKKI
May 14, 2007 at 7:34 am
I found another story about this baby! His name was Chandler.Sad so sad!!! read about him athttp://www.denverpost.com/watercooler/ci_5867869
NIKKI
May 14, 2007 at 8:01 am
sorry that link doesn’t work. go to denverpost.com and search this story. There are interviews from his “alleged biological” father. The maternal grandmother. picture of mother. Sad so sad every adult that was supposedly responsible for Chandler failed him!
WTF
May 14, 2007 at 1:23 pm
My 17 month old weighs 30lbs are you kidding me a 7year old weighing as little as my almost 1 1/2 year old son… WTF…Seriously..
CHW1981
May 15, 2007 at 9:59 pm
I am so sick and tired of these PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why can’t children just have loving people in their life ??? I hope there cold hearted sons’ (daughters) of bitches really get it back!! hhmmm…….I wonder if theres a way to leak it into prison that theres a couple of low life fucking asshole child murderers in there?? These people deserved to get starved and beaten, very slowly!!!!!
Carol
May 16, 2007 at 11:05 am
I just don’t understand. I know everyone says that, but really…I just DON’T understand. I can’t even let myself think about what this child must have gone through and been feeling, because I feel like I honestly might vomit if I do.
What kind of fucking monster does that to anyone, let alone a child???!!! I think that anyone who hurts, or God-forbid, kills a child should be treated in the exact same way. You starve a 7 year old to death - let’s see when the next time your ass gets to eat something.
How IN THE HELL did a 21 year old and a 26 year old aren’t married (as far as I can tell) manage to get to foster parents anyway?
Lauren
May 17, 2007 at 4:21 am
i would like to know how they became foster parents myself. CHW1981, trust me they find out who did what in prison, prison justice will prevail. All child molesters and killers get thier ass handed to them in prison. BUT that still is not justice enough for me, these babies are getting killed more and more everyday. We all need to come up with a plan and take action on it. It’s time to start raising hell on captial hill. Someone needs to speak up for these poor babues, I wonder how we could all get that started? Anyone know?
MsMonster
May 17, 2007 at 10:14 am
This story is appaling. That woman better hope to god to never get out of jail, cuz I will slap that damn smirk off her face. My heart goes out to that boy, and to all the children on this website. They definatly don’t deserve this. They are precious, innocent children. Yes, they may get on our nerves sometimes, but that doesn’t mean you starve them. How in the hell did these people become foster parents? I can’t even imagine being 7 years old and 30 pounds. I wonder who knew about that boy. And I’m wondering why no one did anything about it. You don’t just wake up one morning that skinny and sick. It makes me so mad.
anonymous
May 17, 2007 at 7:22 pm
I know this girl. She worked as a server at a restaurant I go to several times a week. Because of bad press, management won’t release details and legal has had all employees sign some sort of confidentiallity agreement, but from what I have gathered, they had the boy locked in a closet. Heartbreaking.
anonymous
May 17, 2007 at 7:28 pm
wanted to add, too, someone made the comment that they thought Berry will likely face just a ’slap on the wrist.’ There is a man facing similar charges currently in denver in an unrelated case and he is facing a minimum of 48 years for ‘child abuse resulting in death’ alone. In other words, i think she’ll have it much worse.
Recalling the Brief Life of Chandler Grafner - Why Was this Child Starved to Death?
May 20, 2007 at 12:17 pm
[…] Denver Post provides an in depth update to our Jon Phillips and Sarah Berry Starve Child to Death: Seven-Year-Old Weighed only 30 Pounds story. There are also links to several more stories about the […]
shawna
May 23, 2007 at 9:29 am
look at this
http://www.myspace.com/justice4emily
How Awful
May 23, 2007 at 10:48 am
Another state funded kidnapping and murder. This is so sad to see, and once again I bet he’d still be alive if he had been left with his parents.
I am not saying that all CPS actions are unwarranted, but many are, and many more cases could be solved by assisting families and keeping kids in their bio-families.
Tell me this - why wasn’t this child being visited by caseworkers? They left him with no follow ups? Why isn’t CPS being held accountable for their role in the death?
Objective
May 24, 2007 at 1:00 pm
I know Sarah personally, this is a TERRIBLE tragedy. Nonetheless, she is a VERY nice girl. None of us know exactly what happened to poor Chandler. I can vouch that if she was directly involved, this is highly unusual for her.
FloGrl
Jul 9, 2007 at 7:02 pm
Hmm..out of character is “Sarah saw the cops put on their lights and sirens and drove away.” But, the rest of us in the civilized world should be able to have a bad day and do something out of character without being compared to this horrible young woman.
Starving a child to death or having any part in starving and torturing a child is murder. That’s not “out of character,” it’s sick. She should never be allowed to walk the streets as a free woman. That little boy is dead. And, he deserves much better in death than he got in life.
Anonymous
Jul 9, 2007 at 11:14 pm
Sarah isn’t a nice person, she is the definition of evil and the worst example of a human being this planet has to offer.
Oye
Jul 12, 2007 at 2:54 pm
I know Sarah too! And it is totally not the Sarah I knew 6 months ago. I have a feeling Jon put a gun to her head becuase that is not her!! The Sarah I knew would never had done this! Unfortunately, I agree, she does deserve what is coming to her!
Oye
Jul 12, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Oh yeah, to tell you just how different she is now from 6 months ago…….She was blonde, semi-pretty, and didn’t have the look she does now. In fact, Jon was very controlling of her. Wouldn’t let her talk on the phone, nor go anywhere without him, told her what to eat, when to eat, how to eat! She tried once to break up with him and called me crying, I told her she could stay with us, but 2 days later they got back together. I think back now and think that she was crying for help but didn’t know how. I am not making excuses for her believe me!! She could have found a way!! But, I don’t know what I am trying to say, I guess I wanted to let you all know what she went through as well. The whole thing is very tragic, they both deserve what is coming to them!
lancekildare
Jul 14, 2007 at 2:44 am
I found this site from a link on the Wikipedia article about this case. Just wanted to comment that the coroner reported death as a homocide by starvation and dehydration. Phillips and Berry have been charged with first degree murder, but apparently the death penalty is not being pursued (Colorado is a death-penalty state, so maybe this is not an option for the prosecutors given the evidence. Many death-penalty advocates would certainly support its use in this case).
Update on Chandler Grafner Starvation Story - Court Documents Unsealed
Jul 14, 2007 at 6:02 am
[…] Update: Chandler was the seven-year-old Denver boy who died of starvation and weighed only 3o pounds at the time of his death. PBB reported on the Chandler Grafner story back on May 20 and May 12. […]
Dettie
Jul 15, 2007 at 5:57 am
i am a 47 yr old woman who has yearned to be a mother with no luck and it breaks my heart to hear of people who abuse children like this. i really believe child abusers should have their parenting rights permanently “revoked” - aside from going to prison, they should never be allowed to have children ever again.
me
Aug 17, 2007 at 8:53 pm
I know these two also. I would’ve never thought that something like this could happen. I hope the death penalty is pursued. I hope that Sarah doesn’t try the “spousal abuse” crap to try to lessen her punishment. She could’ve done something…anything to prevent Chandler’s death. As for Jon…I for once wish that cruel and unusual punishment weren’t against our laws.
skankyskeezer
Sep 2, 2007 at 1:21 pm
They don’t look particulary upset about this. Those are their mugshots? Reminds me of the sick fucks I work with. They literally spy on people and make comments about it as though the person whose privacy they are invading are in the wrong and have the nerve to act all indignant if you say anything back to them. Totally fucked in the head. They totally have similar expressions on their self-important faces. And this sounds insane, but it does happen. Look up work place bullying.
I know it has nothing to do with this, I was just like I know that look!
Anyway, they probably became foster parents for the check. They are paid a fee by the state to care for each kid. They were probably trying to keep the checks to buy Ecstacy pills or gallon sized bottles of Boone’s Farm. They look like the type.
rockdoll_71
Oct 16, 2007 at 9:24 pm
I’d like to slap that dumbass smirk right off of her ugly face. I hope that some of those women in prison teach this bitch a lesson, a permanant one.
omalleyj
May 12, 2008 at 5:32 pm
How can I get ahold of these people? Seriously. If I found out what prison they’re in could they recieve my letter? Better yet a visit. I hope those pieces of shit die slow and painful deaths.
Ihavekidstoo
May 13, 2008 at 6:29 am
OmalleyJ, since they’re awaiting trial, they’re likely being held in the Denver County jail. You could contact the jail and ask them to confirm if they are being held there. Generally, inmates can receive letters.
But you’d probably be wasting your time saying anything to these two. Anyone this evil isn’t capable of reason.
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