SCHALA VERA - 3 yo (2009) - Chandler (SE of Phoenix) AZ

Police say that 3-year-old Schala Vera was beaten to death by a belt buckle.
Disturbing Details in Murder of 3yo Girl
Woman stands by beau accused of killing daughter
Updated: Wednesday, 02 Sep 2009, 10:18 PM MDT
Published : Wednesday, 02 Sep 2009, 4:25 PM MDT

by JULIE ROSE

CHANDLER - Police say her boyfriend admitted to fatally beating her 3-year-old daughter with a belt buckle, but this Chandler woman still says she "adores" him. Documents also allege, she didn't try to intervene.

3-year-old Schala Vera's death was homicide from brunt force trauma, a medical examiner determined. There were bruises all over her body, showing belt and belt buckle patterns.

The child's mother, 26-year-old Susan Witbracht, and her boyfriend 23-year-old Dauntorian Sanders, were arrested on first degree murder and child abuse charges on Tuesday.

On Monday afternoon, police responded to a home in the 2300 block of E. Wild Horse Place in Chandler in reference to a 3-year-old not breathing. The girl did not survive.

In questioning, Sanders admitted to hitting the little girl with a belt, and told detectives he first started hitting her in June. But he said that Monday, he "got out of control" and hit her with more-than-usual force.

Sanders' mother Debra Ellens told FOX 10 she didn't think that Sanders meant to kill her. "I think maybe at the time he was disciplining her for whatever reason and it went too far."

Witbracht admitted she had witnessed these beatings frequently but didn't try to stop the abuse, court documents allege. Witbracht denied any involvement in the fatal beating, but did say she had beaten her daughter in the past.

When police told Witbracht the results of the autopsy, she said she "adored" her boyfriend nonetheless.

Ellens says Sanders and Witbracht served together in the military and when Sanders returned from overseas, he was different.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/crime/3yo_girls_murder_09_02_2009

Report: Man had been beating girl for months
Posted: Tuesday, September 1, 2009 11:00 pm | Updated: 2:31 pm, Fri Apr 1, 2011.

Report: Man had been beating girl for months Tribune East Valley Tribune | 0 comments

A Chandler man arrested in the death of a 3-year-old girl told police he has been beating her since June, but Monday’s beating was worse than usual, according to court documents.

Chandler couple arrested in toddler's death

Dauntorian Sanders, 23, said he and his girlfriend, Susan Witbracht, 26, have both beaten the girl with a nylon belt.

Witbracht, the mother of the 3-year-old victim, told police she demanded Sanders stop the beatings, but she did nothing to stop him.

Chandler police arrested the couple Tuesday after an autopsy that found the girl died from blunt force trauma.

“Witbracht further stated she adored the boyfriend even after knowing the results of the autopsy,” court documents state.

Witbracht and Sanders were each booked on suspicion of first-degree murder and child abuse.

Police were called to the home Monday about 2:50 p.m. when the child was unresponsive.

She was pronounced dead at 4:30 p.m. at Gilbert Mercy Hospital.

She had bruises on her legs, arms, torso and head that were consistent with a belt and belt buckle, police said.

“Witbracht admitted to witnessing the boyfriend hit the child several times with the belt and watched him drop her to the floor,” the document states.

Witbracht said she wasn’t involved in the fatal beating, however.

Sanders said he lost control and beat the child more forceful than usual.

“Suspect admitted he knew child was hurt and that is why he checked on child, which resulted in finding child not breathing, which lead to 911 call,” the document states.

In the 911 call, Sanders uses a curse word as an adjective to refer to the girl, and he calmly tells the dispatcher she is not breathing.

Toward the end of the 40-second call, Witbracht can be heard in the background pleading with the girl to breathe.

Sgt. Joe Favazzo, Chandler police spokesman, said investigators haven’t found any history of police or CPS involvement with the couple.

There were no other children in the home, Favazzo said.


http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/article_300233ed-3925-5769-8999-b1787dee408a.html?mode=print

Longtime Chandler homicide detective dies
Service information

A memorial service for Fuller is planned for 10 a.m. on Dec. 4 at the Chandler Christian Church, 1825 S. Alma School, Chandler.

Posted: Wednesday, November 17, 2010 4:36 pm | Updated: 11:05 am, Thu Dec 2, 2010.

Longtime Chandler homicide detective dies Mike Sakal, Tribune East Valley Tribune | 2 comments

Longtime Chandler homicide Detective Gary Fuller has died.

Fuller, 55, died Tuesday after a battle against pancreatic cancer, according to Chandler police spokesman David Ramer.

Fuller, who has served with the Chandler Police Department since 1987, was known for being meticulous in investigations and working numerous high-profile cases in the city while discovering clues others could not.

One of those cases that haunted him included the December 2008 unsolved death of Zachary Rowe, a 25-year-old Arizona State University student whose body was found shot in his home after someone set fire to it to cover up the killing.

More recently, Fuller was the case agent on the 2009 fatal child abuse case of Schala Vera, a 3-year-old girl who police say was beaten to death with a belt by her mother’s boyfriend, Dauntorian Saunders, on Aug. 31, 2009. Police discovered Schala’s badly beaten body between the bathroom sink and the toilet where she had crawled to hide.

Fuller stopped working about a month ago, Ramer said. He is survived by his wife, Val Fuller; and sons Jarrod, 33, and Jason, 31. Fuller came to Chandler 23 years ago after serving as police chief for a small-town police department in South Dakota, Ramer said.

Information about Fuller’s service arrangements were not available.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/chandler/article_0a3796ba-f2a3-11df-9a29-001cc4c03286.html


How sad this passionate and caring detective has died -- his heart and compassion helped so many to deal with the trauma Schala's death created.
Sympathy & condolences to his family.

East Valley police investigate second child abuse death
Posted: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 4:17 pm | Updated: 2:31 pm, Fri Apr 1, 2011.

East Valley police investigate second child abuse death Mike Sakal, Tribune East Valley Tribune | 1 comment

For the second time in less than a month, police say that another child has died from a brutal beating at the hands of an adult caretaker.

Sergio Thomas, 21, of Chandler was arrested early Tuesday on suspicion of first-degree murder and two counts of child abuse in connection to the beating death of his 7-month-old daughter who was pronounced dead at 7:01 a.m. at Phoenix Children's Hospital. The girl died from a skull fracture and bleeding on her brain. Thomas initially was arrested on suspicion of child abuse on Monday.

~SNIP~

In 2009, half of Chandler's six homicides were from severe abuse of children ranging from 3 weeks to 3 years old. All of the suspects accused in those beatings have been charged with first-degree murder and their hearings are proceeding through the Maricopa County Superior Court. One of the worst cases of abuse Chandler law enforcement officers and hospital workers saw was the one involving the death of 3-year-old Schala Vera, who died in August, 2009. Schala's body was discovered lying between the bathroom sink and toilet where she had crawled to hide after police say her mother's boyfriend, Dauntorian Sanders beat her with a belt and had dangled her over the upstairs bannister. Schala's mother, Susan Wichbracht, also has been charged with first-degree murder.

The disturbing outbreak of severe child abuses cases caused the Chandler police and Valley agencies to form the Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Coalition, which now consists of about 50 agencies, according to Sgt. Joe Favazzo, a Chandler police spokesman. Favazzo helped organize the coalition with Detective Gary Fuller, who investigated the Vera case, but died in November of pancreatic cancer.

Arizona experienced 51 child deaths from severe abuse in 2008; the 2009 stats aren't in yet.

"Enough is enough," Favazzo said. "We saw the need to form the coalition to educate people such as neighbors or family members on signs of child abuse and to help people who are under stress, frustrated and who think they may harm a child. If you're in a situation where you think you're going to harm a child, call 1-800-4ACHILD."

Dr. Erin Nelson, a forensic psychologist for Steven Pitt and Associates in Scottsdale, told the Tribune that such child abuse and domestic violence incidents can escalate during the holidays for a number of reasons such as struggling with the loss of a job,

"Unfortunately, it's common," Nelson said. "When people have difficulty controlling their impulses and anger, (they) can lash out. Sometimes, during the holidays, people are under financial stress and there can be family discord that can lead to domestic violence."

Both Busso and Thomas are being held in a Maricopa County jail without bond.

In a statement, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said, "Adults who harm children must be held accountable for their actions, especially when those actions result in the death of an innocent child. The degree to which any society can be judged civilized is, in part, to the degree that we protect and defend the most innocent and defenseless among us. We will vigorously prosecute (the Busso case) to the fullest possible extent to ensure that justice is done."


http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/article_ed47620c-07d7-11e0-b1b0-001cc4c002e0.html

As a researcher on child abuse cases, I am curious if anyone else has noticed the large number of cases in Arizona?

I was researching the case of Matthew Vandergriff and I was struck by the number of cases and (of course) by the very secretive nature of their child protection services department.

Is it a state that is hit by unusually high economic stress? Or are penalties non-existent?

Or is it something in the water? (sarcasm)

Seriously, I just wonder. Especially cases like the Hopf and Vandergriff cases.

Dauntorian Lydel Sanders And Susan Joan Witbracht
They say once a marine, always a marine. And the bond that marines feel for one another can be awe inspiring, like the serial killer marine, Gerald Parker, aka the Bedroom Basher, who confessed to the crime Kevin Green was unjustly convicted of and served 15.5 years in prison for – since Parker was going to jail anyway, he wanted to clear Green’s name. Why? Parker and Green were marines.

Like many units of the armed forces, your unit or platoon becomes a second family. But even the best of families can have a black sheep, one member that always seems to be a disappointment, a problem. So the fact that these two are marines should be taken with a grain of salt. Marines are proud dedicated and honorable men and women. The two marines in this story? Not honorable at all. In fact, they cast a nasty negative shadow upon a very special unit of American fighting power. A VERY negative shadow.

Meet 27-year-old Susan Witbracht and her lover, 24-year-old Dauntorian Sanders. Both are marines, both served in the Middle East, and both are charged in the brutal first degree murder of Witbracht’s 3-year-old- daughter, Schala Vera.

Truth be told, there is only one fellow marine making excuses for Dauntorian and you can check out Dauntorian’s MySpace page to see his ramblings. Most of Dauntorian’s fellow marines are furious, and so they should be.

Dauntorian Sanders admitted that he had been beating Schala regularly since June, 2009. Why he began beating her at that particular point in time had been a puzzle to investigators, but when they looked a little closer, it made sense given a couple of creepy details. You see, by June of 2009, Witbracht was in her first trimester with Dauntorian’s child and she was really happy at having his baby. Dauntorian? He was just as pleased, but hmmm, you know, there was something that just didn’t seem right about raising the child of another man, ya know?

Susan’s first marriage didn’t quite work out, and the unhappy couple divorced, with Susan insisting on custody of Schala. Indeed, Susan fought sending Schala to visit her father and relatives in New York as Susan complained loudly that she was just sure someone would physically abuse poor little Schala – someone other than herself, that is.

Eventually Susan relented and sent Schala to see her father. Upon Schala’s return, Susan took Schala to the Chandler Regional Medical Center as Susan was convinced Schala had been sexually molested while out of state with the relatives. The results of that investigation are sealed, but what IS known is that the social worker on the scene at the Medical Center noticed that Schala was upset and nervous around Dauntorian Sanders. Schala’s reaction was so pronounced that the social worker reported her concerns to child protection services.

Schala Vera had been living with Witbracht and Sanders since June, 2009, on Wildhorse Place in Chandler, Arizona. Some of Sanders’s choice punishments for Schala? Throwing shoes at her, forcing her to stand stock-still holding full water bottles above her head for long periods of time, and smacking Schala on the back of the head if she didn’t move fast enough. At Dauntorian’s mother’s place, Dauntorian Sanders used to hang Schala upside down by her ankles over the second-floor balcony.

And, of course, there was the belt of discipline.

This was not abuse in isolation – people saw, people knew – but no one said a word.



The beating of August 31st, 2009, was because, according to her mother, Schala was being “a bad little girl.” According to Sanders, it was because Schala wasn’t listening to him to his satisfaction. Earlier in the day, Susan Witbracht had bathed Schala as the little girl was not feeling well. When she failed to “listen properly” to whatever drivel Sanders was blathering, it was time for the belt.

Both the mother and her boyfriend regularly beat Schala with a nylon belt as a form of “discipline”. On the final day of Schala’s life, however, it was just Dauntorian and he admitted that he went a little overboard. It was also revealed that he had a wrap around the belt to protect his hands while using it on Schala.

Six days after her third birthday, Schala Alexandria Vera was beaten to death.

Infuriating Dauntorian, Schala tried to run away. He cornered her in the bathroom and picked her up and body slammed her into the floor, again and again. Sanders then began to beat the child as she cowered on the floor. As Schala tried to tuck her head to the floor while she was on her knees, he continued to whip her back, arms, shoulders – any exposed area at all. Her hands showed bruises as she tried to deflect the blows he continued to rain down upon her. Dauntorian just hit her harder and harder. He picked her up and slammed her again to the floor. Sprawled on the floor, the child was the ultimate target. Dauntorian slammed the bathroom door repeatedly against her head, over and over.

Beating the crap out of a three-year-old little girl takes a toll on a man, eh? After Schala passed out, Dauntorian Sanders decided he needed a smoke break and left to go to Walgreens to buy some cigarettes.

At some point, Schala must have regained consciousness.

Schala closed the bathroom door and tried desperately to hide from Dauntorian and her mother.

When Dauntorian returned, he went back to where he had left Schala to finish “disciplining” her. The closed door pissed him off so he violently kicked it open and strode in. Dauntorian cast his eyes around the cramped area. As his returning rage increased, Dauntorian Sanders spotted Schala and her hiding place.

Between the toilet and the vanity, little Schala, naked, bruised and bleeding, had crawled into this tiny space in a futile effort to escape her fate. Dauntorian saw her there, her eyes wide and mouth open.

Dauntorian yanked her from where she was and flung her to the bathroom floor.

But Schala didn’t react as usual this time.

Schala didn’t scream.

Schala didn’t tremble and quiver.

Schala didn’t cry.

Schala was dead.

Schala Alexandria Vera, battered, bruised and bleeding, sought refuge in the area between the toilet and the vanity. In pain, filled with terror, she died there – alone.

Dauntorian was now thoroughly pissed off. He called 9-11 but then hung up.

The operator called back and he said, “Yes, my fucking child isn’t breathing,” while in the background Susan could be heard yelling at Schala to breathe.

Too bad someone couldn’t have told the “mother” to save her breath.

Schala was far away and forever safe now, safe from her mother’s commands and threats, safe from Dauntorian’s “discipline.”

Never again would Schala feel pain and fear and terror.

Alone and in pain, Schala had tried to hide from her tormentor. When he kicked the door open, it isn’t too hard to imagine that Schala’s heart just gave out – her fear so overwhelmed her.

Three-year-old Schala Alexadria Vera was beaten to death by two marines trained by Uncle Sam to kill enemy combatants – Schala never stood a chance.

The paramedics and the police responded to the home at 2:50 p.m. and transported Schala to Gilbert Mercy Hospital where, despite CPR efforts by paramedics and firefighters, Schala was finally declared dead at 4:30 p.m. on August 31st, 2009.

The men and women who responded to the call and treated the body of the little girl had to have counseling afterwards. What Schala Vera endured marked each and every person who entered her story, but especially the nurse who cared for her in emergency. In her entire career, Kepra Jack had never had a death affect her so much as Schala’s. Schala’s tiny body, naked, wet hair clinging to her bruised and bleeding purple flesh – the image haunted her nightmares for weeks afterwards.

Schala was covered from the top of her head to the soles of her feet with cuts and bruises, many in the shape of a belt and belt buckle, the pattern of which matched the belt police found on the vanity in the bathroom.

The abuse that Schala Vera endured, particularly in the last three months of her life, defied belief.

Oh yes, neighbors noticed that in 100-degree summer weather, little Schala was in long-pants and sweaters. They thought it odd, but no one reported the situation. Hmmm, guess Schala wasn’t worth any one’s time or consideration, eh?

Chandler Detective Greg Fuller had been deeply impacted by Schala Vera’s brief life and horrific death. He and the others who were touched by her gathered together to do something – and they have raised awareness and promoted more education about reporting child abuse. As Fuller said, by the time a case gets to him, it is too late. If anyone had reported just the fact that Schala was inappropriately attired for the summer in Arizona, then perhaps she could have been saved. There is no question that the toddler was a mess of bruises and cuts, both new and old, so the chance to save her did exist.

Interviewed by the police, both Susan and Dauntorian gave “misleading and minimizing” statements. Once the results of the autopsy were known, Dauntorian Sanders and Susan Witbracht were arrested. Investigators pressed for the truth and were given the gruesome details.

Despite the results of the autopsy being explained to Susan, the fact that Schala died from multiple blunt force traumas, Susan stated that she still “adored” Dauntorian, that he hadn’t done anything wrong, that the final beating had just got a little out of hand.

The limit of credulity was reached with Dauntorian’s mother’s attempt to minimize Dauntorian’s evil and brutal actions with the statement: “”I think maybe at the time he was disciplining her for whatever reason and it went too far.”

This was NOT a case where an accident occurred. It was NOT acceptable to beat Schala ever, let alone to go “overboard” just once, OK?

And yet, there are those who would like you to believe that this one time was an anomaly – just a little more force than usual.

Apologist number one, Dauntorian Sanders’s mother Debra Ellens, said that Susan and Dauntorian served together in the marines and in the Middle East, but that when Dauntorian came back, he was “different”.

So we already know that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) will be playing a key role in Dauntorian Sanders’s excuse defense, but it is all bullshit.

Big fucking hairy deal if you had to handle combat situations – you’re a freaking marine! Boo, hoo!

Stress? Try being a three year old girl whose parents have split up and aren’t together anymore. To see your daddy, your mother fusses and fights but eventually sends you alone to a new place where you know no one and your daddy has a new wife who isn’t that keen on you. No comfort or sanctuary there.

Coming back from the visit, your mommy makes you get a medical exam – the invasive exam was kind of like punishment for seeing your daddy, wasn’t it? And you have no one to take you away from it all.

Your mommy beats you and her new boyfriend beats you. They yell and scream at you all the time. In the heat of the summer, you have to wear sweaters and long pants to cover the bruises they leave behind. You are in pain all the time and you never know when or why the next beating will come from.

Try Schala’s stress on for size. Personally, handling bullets and bad guys isn’t so hard for adults, especially when you get weapons to use. What did Schala have? Nothing, nada, zip.

Big, brave, bad-ass marines, aren’t they? The two ass-hats had to beat up Schala to discipline her. Neither of these adults appear capable of complex thought, so intelligent parenting is totally out of the question. Glad to see Uncle Sam’s military combat training being used to root out unruly toddlers and smashing any dissidents in the pre-school set.

The police waited for the results of the autopsy and then arrested both Witbracht and Dauntorian Sanders. The prosecutor’s office has decided that there are sufficient mitigating factors and are seeking the death penalty for both Susan Witbracht and Dauntorian Sanders.

Oh, and we can’t forget Arizona’s excellent child protection services – because they haven’t got one. Remember the medical exam of Schala on May 26th, 2009, and the social worker’s concerns about Schala’s fear and unease of Dauntorian? She passed along her observations to child protection services and thought it would be followed up.

It wasn’t.

Schala was cremated and her remains sent to her father in New York. Her father has kept an extremely low profile throughout this whole debacle, but he is said to be devastated. He just had Susan allow a visit with Schala and he was looking forward to building a relationship with his little girl. His wife, in an effort to appease Susan, was a bit standoffish with Schala. She didn’t want Susan to feel threatened as a mother and thus give Susan a reason to refuse to send the little girl at all.

Too bad no one put Schala first, but again, adults worry about other adults, not the children in situations like this.

If it sounds a bit harsh and judgmental, it is supposed to.

The fear and helplessness Schala must have felt in her dying minutes cannot compare to any so-called hardship any of the adults endured or will encounter.

Schala was alone in a world of grown-ups, adults too concerned with themselves to put her first.

What does it say about a society that cannot protect innocents like Schala?

You just know that the rights of Dauntorian Sanders and Susan Witbracht will be guaranteed and accorded to them in spite of the fact that Schala’s rights were never protected.

Dauntorian Sanders and Susan Witbracht have both been charged with one count of first-degree capital murder and three counts of child abuse.

In pressing for the death penalty, the prosecution stated the following aggravating factors:
- previously convicted of a serious felony;
- victim under 15 years of age;
- murder done in an especially cruel, heinous and depraved manner.

No one can dispute that last factor.

Yes, the prosecution has decided to seek the death penalty on both of these wonderful and brave marines and now the dance of dragging heels has begun for both defendants. The state’s case is being handled by Franki Lynn Grimsman and Marischa H. Gilla. On the defense’s side, Maria L. Schaffer will stand up for Dauntorian Sanders, whilst his woman is represented by by Robert L. Storrs and Robyn Greenberg Varcoe.

The prosecution has already rejected Dauntorian Sanders’s plea deal offer – thirty years without possibility of parole. Guess they want Schala’s death to have some sort of justice. Apparently, some adults are willing to do what they can for Schala even at this late juncture.

The legislation for handling capital murder cases has changed in the state of Arizona so that twenty-four months of preparation are allotted to each defendant. When this case finally makes it to trial, one can only hope that each of these pieces of shit will have had a rough time of it in prison.

Things have crept along slowly towards the inevitable trial with motions to get records from all conceivable agencies and there are signs that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder will be somehow to blame for these two oxygen-thieves and their actions, but the fact is that Dauntorian Sanders and Susan Witbracht are just sociopathic pieces of shit who derived a great deal of enjoyment out of beating a little girl.

The date tentatively set for Dauntorian Sanders’ trial was February 22nd, 2011, at 8:30 a.m., with the Honorable Judge Roland J. Steinle scheduled to preside over the festivities, but that date has obviously passed. According to Sanders’ court records, his trial is now slated to begin at the beginning of October in Maricopa County Superior Court.

For the beast in this “beauty & the beast” coupling, the proposed trial date for Susan Witbracht is now the same as Dauntorian Sanders’ – October 3rd, 2011 – and although I cannot confirm this, I suspect the two lovers may end up being tried together, perhaps with separate juries.

Karma’s a bitch and I know that some of the payback has already started, at least for Susan Witbracht. Susan Witbracht gave birth to her child with Dauntorian Sanders, the child Dauntorian and Susan were so happy to be having, the child that was to replace Schala – Susan gave birth in prison, and the baby was immediately taken by Child Protective Services – Susan never even got to hold the baby. Somewhere, somehow, you just KNOW that this fact alone bothered Susan Witbracht, Dauntorian Sanders, and hopefully Grandma Sanders too.

One hopes and prays that Arizona’s Child Services does the right thing by this baby and ensures he is given a new chance in life and is protected from contact from Susan, Dauntorian, and any of their kin folk.

Both Susan Witbracht and Dauntorian Sanders are used to calling the shots and controlling their environment. They must now face the fact that those days are gone. It is undoubtedly galling to find themselves in their present circumstances, dancing in attendance to someone else’s tune.

By the time they show up in hell, here’s hoping they’ve had a long time to think about living life at the direction of someone else’s hellish command – sort of like Schala’s life was for its all too brief time.

http://pysih.com/2011/07/01/dauntorian-lydel-sanders-and-susan-joan-witbracht/

What that poor baby went through is incomprehensible. Even worse is how her own mother could watch and participate in slowly torturing and killing her own baby. And she still adores the killer. How sick. There are numerous photos still available on his disgusting Myspace page. It looks like his duty in Iraq was in the kitchen. Maybe he was disappointed that he didn’t get to do much killing so he decided to do it once he got back. Such a sick jerk. I wish he could suffer daily the same brutality he inflicted on that sweet baby girl. She was so defenseless that that monster. May he burn in hell. To see several photos of this pig, google his name and it should come up. Then click on photos.

5/15/2012 10:00 Trial
5/15/2012 10:00 Trial

http://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/docket/CriminalCourtCases/caseInfo.asp?caseNumber=CR2009-157459