ETHAN STACY - 4 yo - (2010) Layton (N of Salt Lake City) UT

Greg Croft knew his half-sister, Stephanie
Sloop, was high-strung and excitable, but nothing prepared him for the
sickening news that she may have watched her 4-year-old son, Ethan
Stacy, slowly die after being beaten and burned.

“I never got the impression she would be
capable of something like this,” says Croft, 35, who first met Sloop,
27, three years ago when she found him on the social networking site
MySpace. “I just keep asking ‘Why? Why did it have to come to this?’ ”

Croft and Sloop have the same father, who
Croft described Wednesday as “a rolling stone” who had little
involvement in either of their lives.

Both are natives of Michigan, though Sloop
moved as a young child with her mother to Florida. Except for a short
stint in Florida as a boy, Croft, a computer systems support engineer
and part-time photographer, has always lived near Detroit.

Sloop and her husband, Nathan Sloop, 31, are
in the Davis County Jail on suspicion of child abuse and murder in the
May 9 death of Ethan Stacy. The youngster had been with the couple for
just over a week, the start of a summer in his mother’s custody, which
was the result of a divorce agreement.

Ethan was buried Wednesday in Richlands, Va., near the hometown of his father, Joe Stacy.

Croft said he is still trying to absorb the
news of his nephew’s death and the authorities’ belief that his sister
was complicit in the boy’s death and its cover-up.

“I know I could not sit back and allow
anyone, including my own spouse, to abuse my children,” said Croft, who
has been married 12 years and has two children. “A part of me wants to
say she had nothing to do with this, but the reality is a whole
different thing.”
When Croft thinks back to that day in 2007
when Sloop first left a message for him on the networking site, he
remembers it as “a pretty joyful experience.”

He always knew he had a younger sister and that she lived in Florida, but he had seen her only once when she was an infant.

Just the year before, he had lost his beloved mother. “For a long time, I felt alone because I’m an only child.”

After a few messages back and forth, Sloop gave him her phone number. They talked through the night, hanging up around 7 a.m.

Soon they were visiting each others’ homes,
including Thanksgiving week in 2008 when the Stacy family of five,
including Joe Stacy’s two teenagers, stayed with the Croft family in
Michigan.

Croft and Sloop even tracked down their
father and for the first time met their half-brother, a teen who lives
with their father in Michigan.

Sloop apparently met her former husband,
Stacy, while the two were in the U.S. Army, Croft said. She was no
longer enlisted in 2007.

By all appearances, she loved her son, he
said. She often captured photos and occasionally videos of Ethan acting
silly and texted them to her brother, he said.
“Ethan and the other two kids seemed to have a pretty strong bond with her,” he said.

In mid-2009, Sloop said she and her husband were having trouble. She moved to Las Vegas to find work.

It apparently was there that she hooked up
with Nathan Sloop, who Croft believes is the older brother of one of her
high school classmates. By mid-October, Sloop told her brother she was
in Utah with her new beau.

Not long after that, Sloop made enthusiastic
postings on Facebook almost every day, counting down the days until her
marriage, which was to have been July 4 in Colorado.

Her postings struck her brother as “too
much.” She mentioned Nathan Sloop’s fight to see his daughter and her
own inexplicable loss of twins, a pregnancy, she said, that could have
taken her life.

“It was overkill,” said Croft.

Croft said he wasn’t clear on how the couple
supported themselves, though at one point Sloop told him she had lost
her job when a Blockbuster store closed.

The last time Sloop contacted her brother was
on May 5. She texted him that she and Nathan Sloop were going to a
courthouse the next day to get married so that they could apply for food
stamps, Medicaid and other public assistance, he said. Their “real”
wedding in Colorado was still on, she told him.



In probable cause statements filed with the
court, Layton police said the couple did indeed get married at the Davis
County Courthouse on May 6, after locking Ethan into his bedroom for
fear his bruises would alert authorities to abuse.

Croft says he hasn’t decided whether he will ever speak again to his sister.

“I don’t know how I could justify that with
my own children,” he said. “This is a big mess she’s a part of and she
needs to atone for it one way or the other.”

This case really breaks my heart. Ethan was such a sweet little boy. He and his family used to live here in Orlando. I worked with the bio-mom "Stephanie Stacy" at the Orlando Wing House. I always had a funny feeling about her because she was so high-strung, so inappropriate, and the type of person to become too attached to someone too quickly. She thought because her and I both had children and were older than most of the girls we worked with that that automatically made us BFFs. I knew Joe because he'd come in with Ethan from time to time. Ethan was a sweetie. I remember how enthralled he was with his comicbooks.

It makes my blood boil to know I knew this "wench" and now know what she's done and what she's allowed to be done to that sweet little boy. I pray that Joe has the strength to carry on after such a horrible tragedy. I don't think I could do it.

Thanks Stephanie for adding your personal insight and observations into this case. It is maddening that this stuff happens to innocent children.

Ethan Stacy case: A push for “Ethan’s Law” nationwide

http://www.thehinkymeter.com/2010/08/30/ethan-stacy-case-a-push-for-ethans-law-nationwide/

Prosecutors plan to try separately the mother and her boyfriend charged with murder in the slaying of 4-year-old Ethan Stacy, whose body was mutilated and buried in the mountains. "We feel like it is to our strategic advantage to focus on the individual conduct," said Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said Friday. "We believe it's the fairest way to do it." Stephanie and Nathan Sloop are charged with capital murder in connection with the death of Ethan, whose disfigured body was found buried in a remote area near Powder Mountain on May 9.
Police say Ethan died as a result of "a systematic and progressively more violent pattern of abuse." Rawlings said prosecutors are still planning on pursuing the death penalty for the pair but will re-evaluate after upcoming preliminary hearings. "At both (preliminary hearings) we'll look at the status of the case, how strong does this case seem, but I really don't see why we wouldn't be filing intent (to see the death penalty) for both defendants." At Friday's hearing, both Sloops received dates for preliminary hearings where evidence will be presented in their respective cases. Nathan Sloop's preliminary will take place Feb. 1-3. Stephanie Sloop's is slated for Feb. 9-11. After the hearings, a judge will determine whether each Sloop will stand trial on the current charges. An arraignment date will be set and prosecutors will have 60 days from that point to determine whether they should seek the death penalty. In addition to the capital murder charges, the Sloops face charges of child abuse and obstructing justice, both second-degree felonies, and abuse or desecration of a body, a third-degree felony. Rawlings told reporters he doesn't plan to call Stephanie Sloop to testify against her husband at the Feb. 1 preliminary hearing. She could assert her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination and refuse, he said. One of the Sloops could be forced to testify after conviction and sentencing at the other's trial, Rawlings said. But the order of trials hasn't been fixed and Rawlings said he wasn't certain he needed one spouse's testimony against the other. A post-conviction appeal by one defendant could complicate any such effort, he added.

Ethan Stacy’s mom and stepdad can’t claim spousal privilege, says attorney


Ethan Stacy’s mom and stepdad can’t claim spousal privilege, says attorneyAccording to the county attorney’s office, spousal privilege won’t be an issue in the upcoming preliminary hearings for the accused murderers of 4-year-old Ethan Stacy. The little boy’s mother, Stephanie Sloop, 27, and his stepfather, Nathan Sloop, 31, have been charged in his death.In May, while visiting his mother‘s Utah home, Nathan allegedly tortured and abused Ethan over the course of several days -- ultimately resulting in his death. His mother is accused of doing nothing to prevent the horrific treatment Ethan endured. After Ethan died, Nathan allegedly disfigured the body to discourage identification, and the couple buried the boy near Powder Mountain.To see photos regarding Ethan's case, click here.According to the Standard-Examiner, Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said Utah law does not allow a spouse to evoke the spousal privilege when the case involves “the possible abuse of a natural child of either party.”Both Stephanie and Nathan are charged with second-degree felony child abuse, second-degree felony obstruction of justice, third-degree felony abuse or desecration of a body, and aggravated murder in connection with Ethan’s death.The couple was in court Friday, learning they would be tried separately regarding the case. In addition, the judge announced Nathan’s preliminary hearing will begin February 1, while Stephanie’s will start weeks later.Rawlings also noted his office will likely seek the death penalty for both defendants
http://www.examiner.com/crime-in-national/ethan-stacy-s-mom-and-stepdad-can-t-claim-spousal-privilege-says-attorney

The attorneys for Stephanie and Nathan Sloop
have agreed to drop a marriage annulment after Judge David M. Connors
ruled that the case would not be sealed.

Stephanie Sloop’s attorney, Mary Corporon,
requested filings in the case be sealed from public view on Sept. 13,
arguing public disclosure would cause substantial harm to both parties
because there would be “personal and intimate details” about the
couple’s marriage.

The Sloops are both facing aggravated murder
charges for the early May death of Stephanie Sloop’s 4-year-old son,
Ethan Stacy. They could each face the death penalty if found guilty.
Stephanie Sloop had sought to annul the marriage because her
participation in the May 6 marriage “was not voluntary and was the
result or product of physical duress by” Nathan Sloop, according to the
initial filing.

The Salt Lake Tribune filed a motion against
sealing the annulment, arguing that the Sloops had given no real reason
for sealing the case and that the public has a right to open court
proceedings. The Tribune also argued that any confidential information
could be redacted rather than the entire case sealed.

When Connors said Monday he would not seal the case, Corporon and Nathan Sloop’s attorneys agreed to drop the annulment.

Neither side would comment on the decision Monday.

“It’s an interesting reaction, but I have no
insight into why they would drop the marriage dissolution case,” said
Mike O’Brien, who was arguing on behalf of The Salt Lake Tribune to keep
the case open.

The documents in the annulment case will not be available to the public until official documents opening the case are signed.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50818057-76/case-annulment-marriage-sloop.html.csp

Sloop Hearings Delayed



DAVIS COUNTY, Utah (ABC 4 News) - Stephanie and Nathan Sloop will have to wait longer to tell their stories in front of a judge, the Davis County couple's Preliminary hearings are delayed.

The hearings were initially scheduled for the first two weeks of February but now a court official tells ABC4 the Sloops won't be back in a courtroom until this summer. In the past few weeks, several sealed motions have been filed by Defense attorneys, but no one is saying what's in those documents.

The hearings are important because the public will get to hear for the first time how 4-year-old Ethan Stacy died, and see some the of State's evidence.

Stephanie and Nathan Sloop are accused of torturing and killing Stephanie's son last May while he visited the couple in their Layton home.

For now, the couple is scheduled for a roll call hearing June 27th.


http://www.abc4.com/content/news/slc/story/Sloop-Hearings-Delayed/UF9VwxyxqUasgsDBYftLhg.cspx

Ethan Stacy update: Evidence hearing in murdered boy case will be open to public


Bountiful, Utah - On Monday, it was announced that an evidence admissibility hearing to take place next month in the Ethan Stacy case, will be open to the public.
On April 21, a court hearing for the slain boy’s mother, Stephanie Sloop, and her new husband, Nathan Sloop regarding two items of evidence, will be heard in a public forum.
Ethan was killed during a May 2010 visit to his mother‘s Layton, Utah home. Nathan, 32, allegedly tortured and abused Ethan over the course of several days -- ultimately resulting in his death. Stephanie, 28, allegedly did nothing to prevent the horrific treatment Ethan endured.
After Ethan died, Nathan allegedly disfigured his body with a hammer to discourage identification. The couple then reportedly burned and buried the boy near Powder Mountain Ski Resort in Weber County.

http://www.examiner.com/crime-in-national/ethan-stacy-update-evidence-hearing-murdered-boy-case-will-be-open-to-public

Dispute continues over evidence in Ethan Stacy case


FARMINGTON — It’s not a child abuse case, but a murder case, prosecutors said after a hearing for the couple accused of killing 4-year-old Ethan Stacy.
“I would say we’re not looking at child abuse. We’re looking at murder. We’re looking at a dead child here, so we’re looking at any evidence that will get us there,” said Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings after the hearings for Nathanael and Stephanie Sloop on Thursday.
The Layton couple are each charged with aggravated murder, second-degree felony child abuse, second-degree felony obstruction of justice and third-degree felony abuse or desecration of a body in the death of Ethan Stacy, Stephanie Sloop’s son. He died on May 9, 2010. Investigators found his body near Powder Mountain the following day.
Supporters for Ethan came to court wearing T-shirts saying “Ethan’s Army” and “Justice for Ethan.”
A bailiff told them they had to either take off the T-shirts or cover up the T-shirts before entering the courtroom. Court decorum does not allow signs, buttons or other displays for or against defendants in any case.
The Sloops appeared separately before Judge Glen C. Dawson in 2nd District Court in Farmington. Before the hearings, prosecutors and defense attorneys met with Dawson in his chambers for more than an hour to discuss possible evidence that Dr. Rob Pramann, a therapist, may have concerning the case.
It will be up to Dawson to decide what is privileged and protected concerning medical records between the Sloops and Pramann.
Mary Corporon, attorney for Stephanie Sloop, said that communication between her client and Pramann is protected and confidential and does not fall under Utah’s child abuse laws.
Both defense attorneys said prosecutors and defense attorneys have agreed that a patient/physician relationship existed between their clients and Pramann, but they disagree on what is protected and what is not.
Nathanael Sloop’s attorney, Richard Mauro, said there “is a difference between what is privileged and what is protected, what is a medical record.”
A hearing where both sides will present oral arguments is set for June 3.
“The communications we want, they are not privileged,” Rawlings said. “The communications were not made for the diagnosis or treatment of the patient.”
Mauro said he and prosecutors will argue in a separate hearing, July 27-28, about documents law enforcement seized out of Nathanael Sloop’s cell.
“Those are protected under the attorney/client privilege,” Mauro said. “We don’t want the government to have access to documents our client has in his cell.”
Rawlings said he knows the public wants this case to be resolved sooner than later, but his office wants to do everything correctly so the defense attorneys have no ground for appeals.
“Ultimately, we want the (Sloops) to have a fair, public preliminary hearing,” Rawlings said. “We want to present all of this evidence at a fair, public preliminary hearing and at a trial.”
The case is still on course for a death penalty and at this point no deals are being offered to either of the Sloops.
Prosecutors have 60 days after the Sloops have entered a plea to decide if they will seek the death penalty. A felony arraignment hearing is scheduled after a preliminary hearing has been completed or waived.

http://www.standard.net/topics/ethan-stacy/2011/04/21/dispute-continues-over-evidence-ethan-stacy-case

Judge sets June hearing on evidence in Ethan Stacy murder case

Prosecutors and defense attorneys on Thursday agreed some records of communications between murder defendants Nathan and Stephanie Sloop and their therapist are protected by patient-physician privilege.

But a dispute remains about whether prosecutors are barred from using all of the records in court against the Sloops.

Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings argued that some conversations between the Sloops and their therapist, Ogden psychologist Rob Pramann, were not carried out for the sake of treatment. Therefore, some of the conversations that took place should not be sealed for privacy and instead should be allowed for use by prosecutors as evidence, he said.

Defense attorneys maintain that the records are confidential and should not be admitted as evidence.

Second District Judge Glen Dawson asked attorneys to submit briefs on the issue by the end of May with oral arguments scheduled for June 3.The judge also scheduled a July 29 hearing to discuss whether materials seized from Nathan Sloop’s cell at the Davis County Jail might be admissible as evidence.

Nathan Sloop, 32, and Stephanie Sloop, 28, are both charged with aggravated murder in the slaying of 4-year-old Ethan Stacy in May 2010. Stephanie Sloop was Ethan’s mother and Nathan Sloop was his new stepfather.

Nathan Sloop spoke to Pramann about the boy’s behavior and physical state, according to court documents, and prosecutors are seeking records of those conversations.

If the judge decides Nathan Sloop’s communications regarding Ethan are privileged, prosecutors want the judge to then consider if the sessions should have triggered a child-abuse report by the therapist, and whether that constitutes an exception to the privilege.

read more>
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51666858-78/sloop-ethan-nathan-judge.html.csp

Preliminary hearings set for Stephanie and Nathan Sloop



5/17 4:46 pm



FARMINGTON, Utah (ABC 4 News) - Preliminary hearings have now been set for Stephanie and Nathan Sloop.

The couple is accused of killing Stephanie’s four year old son Ethan Stacy last year.

Today, the judge set Nathan’s preliminary hearing for November 1st through 3rd. Stephanie's will be held November 15th through the 17th.

http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top_stories/story/Preliminary-hearings-set-for-Stephanie-and-Nathan/9FYSgPq6sUmGvgON1e_9jQ.cspx

Defense now seeks therapist's records in Ethan Stacy murder case

July 7, 2011
FARMINGTON, Utah—


Lawyers for a woman accused of killing her 4-year-old son are urging a judge to force a therapist to hand over medical records.
Fox 13 obtained a court filing from Stephanie Sloop's defense attorney, demanding the therapist's records as part of the ongoing murder case. The July 1 filing by attorney Mary Corporon complains that Dr. Rob Pramann is not complying with a subpoena for records.
"Defendant's counsell received a letter from Dr. Pramann, shortly after being served with the subpoena, informing defendant that the records she requested would not be provided because the identified records are classified as private and protected," Corporon wrote in the filing.
Sloop provided a written release to the therapist in April, Corporon claims, but they apparently have not been released. The filing requests a judge force Pramann to turn over the records to Sloop's defense attorneys.
Davis County prosecutors have also fought for the therapist's records. They subpoenaed him in April seeking not only his records but testimony. Pramann has counseled both Nathan and Stephanie Sloop. Prosecutors sought to glean what may or may not have been said about Ethan Stacy to the psychologist as it related to the murder case.]A deal was struck that certain communications between the therapist and the Sloops were privileged between a doctor and patient. No response had yet been filed by Pramann's attorney to this latest request by defense attorneys.

The Sloops are accused of abusing and killing 4-year-old Ethan Stacy and then burying his body near Powder Mountain back in 2009. If convicted of aggravated murder, the couple could potentially face the death penalty.



http://www.fox13now.com/news/local/kstu-defense-now-seeks-therapists-records-in-ethan-stacy-murder-case-20110707,0,468043.story

thank you all for keeping little Ethan's story updated. I do google searches but you all have it all here. Thx for all that you do. I am just a grandmother who fell for this sweet little boys face. When I think of these monsters defacing his features and teeth to avoid detection, it makes me want to take a hammer to them. I hope they can give both of them the death penalty and it sticks.