Haysville Girl Working Hard to Recover from Burns

Haysville Kansas

kwch.com

By Alana Rocha (WICHITA, Kan.)

August, 2009

Her stepfather pleaded guilty for setting her on fire. Now a Haysville girl, badly burned in a mobile home fire earlier this year, knows she'll never have to live with Chris Newberry again...

Caitlyn Johnson's paternal grandmother got sole custody.

Back in March, the mobile home Caitlyn lived in with her stepfather, mother and three siblings went up in flames...The fire started in Caitlyn's room...

And now Linda Johnson will be there to help Caitlyn for good. Linda has sole custody.
Linda says, "She was having trouble walking. She's not now. She's running."

read entire article here

Lemaricus Davidson Trial, October 23, 2007

First witness Jennifer Millsap, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. She testifies on DNA evidence found on both bodies, the victims clothing, and the bindings of each. Davidson and Cobbins are both identified on Channon’s body. She testifies that pink panties with Christian’s DNA and that of an unidentified person were found inside Christian’s purse.

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Jurors spent much of today listening to testimony from Knox County Medical Examiner Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan and viewing the horrific photographs of the injuries suffered by Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom. As the photo’s are shown Mileusnic explained various details, including the damage done to Chris before he was shot to death, and step by step photographs as Channon was removed from the trash can and unwrapped. After being orally, anally and vaginally raped, she was kicked repeatedly in the pubic area. “This is not just a rape”, she said, as assistant to the district attorney's office, attorney Karen Manning fainted.

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Davidson’s attorneys are contending that Channon had consensual sex with Davidson, and his semen everywhere else was caused by “transference”. Unfortunately, in his January 11 interview with Knoxville Police, he denied having ever seen her before in his life.

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The trial will continue in Knox County tomorrow, Saturday, October 24, and Judge Baumgartner expects the case to go to the jury by Monday evening.

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I hope it is going better than it sounds to me, although TK Fitzgerald is doing a very vigilant job of laying out the evidence and rebutting every defense suggestion.

DA Assistant faints in courtroom

UPDATE: Davidson defense witness scared

Jamie Satterfield (jamiescoop) on twitter

Haysville man Chris Newberry, Pleads Guilty to Raping, Burning Step-Daughter

kwch.com
By Rebecca Gannon and John Boyd
(WICHITA, Kan.)

A Haysville, Kansas man has pleaded guilty to setting his step-daughter on fire. Chris Newberry also pleaded guilty to one count of rape and five counts of arson. Prosecutors added the new count of rape today.

Newberry was charged with one count of Attempted Murder in the fire in March of 2009. His 10-year-old step-daughter was badly burned in that fire. She is now recovering. Her grandmother said the girl now wants to be an Olympic runner...

...court documents say he sprayed her and her bed with lighter fluid as she slept, then lit her on fire in an attempt to kill her.

In court Wednesday, Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc Bennett said Newberry's four year old daughter watched the man douse her 10 year old half-sister with lighter fluid. "She described having been removed by the defendant," said Bennett, "and stepping back into the room, and watching him light her sister on fire."

...Newberry is set for sentencing late next month. He will be sentenced under Jessica's Law. It requires him to serve 25 years in prison before he's eligible for parole. He's agreed to spend the rest of his life on probation if he's ever released.

The girl's grandmother gives Newberry credit for admitting his guilt, and sparing the girl, and her half-sister, the pain of testifying in court. As she left the courthouse, she summarized what she was going to tell the 10 year old.

"I'm going to say he pled guilty to everything, you do not have to go through a trial," she said. "There will be sentencing in October. So that's it, he can never hurt you again."

Read article here

Wichita, Kansas: Bridget Dietrich, mother of Caitlyn Johnson, arrested

kansas.com

WICHITA, Kansas – Bridget Dietrich, the mother of Caitlyn Johnson, the little girt set on fire by her stepfather is now behind bars herself.

The fire broke out in March and last week Chris Newberry admitted that he had doused the girl in lighter fluid and set her on fire. He also told the court that he had raped the girl.

Wichita police arrested the mother on charges of child endangerment Tuesday.

kake.com
Sept. 30, 2009

Bridget Dietrich is behind bars on charges of child endangerment in connection to a fire that burned her 10 year-old daughter. The fire happened in March in Southeast Wichita.

Investigators won't give specifics on the arrest of Dietrich. They say it is in connection with the fire. The arrest documents show Dietrich failed to protect the girl from abuse at the hands of the suspect.

Last week Dietrich's husband, Chris Newberry pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder and rape of the little girl. He admitted to pouring lighter fluid on the girl and then setting her on fire.

She did survive the fire, but has severe burns. Dietrich's five children are now with family. The little girl who was burned lives with her grandmother.

Chris Newberry, accused of setting child Caitlyn Johnson on fire, pleads not guilty

Posted on Tue, Sep. 15, 2009
BY RON SYLVESTER
The Wichita Eagle
kansas.com

WICHITA — Chris Newberry waived his right to a preliminary hearing this morning and pleaded not guilty to charges that include setting his stepdaughter on fire.

Sedgwick County District Judge Ben Burgess tentatively scheduled Newberry for trial in November. The case is likely to go to trial months later.

Newberry is charged with attempted murder and five counts of aggravated arson. Prosecutors say he doused his 10-year-old stepdaughter, Caitlyn Johnson, with lighter fluid and set her on fire as she slept in her bed last March. Several other family members were at home when the fire broke out.

Benefit planned for Caitlyn Johnson, child set on fire by low-life, monster step-father

Posted on Mon, Jul. 20, 2009

The Wichita Eagle

kansas.com

BY STAN FINGER
The Wichita Eagle

Right: Caitlyn Johnson, burn victim from an arson fire March 14, family courtesy photo

A benefit to raise money for burn victim Caitlyn Johnson will be held late this month at the Prairie Rose Chuckwagon near Benton to help with the 10-year-old girl's care and living expenses.

Caitlyn was badly burned in March in a fire that destroyed her family's home.

Chris Newberry, her stepfather, has been charged with attempted murder and five counts of arson in the March 14 fire at the mobile home in the 5400 block of South Kansas.

Prosecutors allege that Newberry sprayed Caitlyn and her bed with lighter fluid and set her on fire while she slept. Newberry and Caitlyn's mother and three younger stepsiblings escaped the fire unharmed.

Bridget Newberry was questioned by police, but officials say she is not considered a suspect in the incident. Relatives of Caitlyn say they have not seen or heard from Bridget since she was questioned by police.

J.W. Johnson, co-owner of the Prairie Rose, is helping organize the July 31, 2009 benefit.
Authorities estimate that Caitlyn suffered second- and third-degree burns over 41 percent of her body.

Her uncle, Kenny Johnson, said he doesn't understand how officials come up with those percentages, because "she's burned all over — it's pretty bad."

She is now in protective police custody, as are Chris and Bridget Newberry's four young children.
"People should understand that Caitlyn will have to endure many surgeries over the next few years," Lisa Stephenson, a family friend, said in an e-mail. "As of today, I don't know of any surgery that will give her back her beautiful face."

The benefit will feature a silent auction from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with a live auction at 7:30 p.m. Horse-drawn wagon rides, train rides and old cowboy movies will be available until dinner is served at 6:30 p.m.

An all-you-can-eat smoked brisket dinner will be followed by the live auction and concert by the Prairie Rose Rangers.

The silent and live auction includes autographed memorabilia by sports teams and nationally known bands.

Other items being offered include Western art, horses, horse tack, hay trailer, a mobile power chair, tools, home and garden decor, a pinball machine, fine jewelry by Mike Seltzer, and gift certificates from various businesses.

Additional donations for the auctions are being accepted.

Cash donations can be made at the event or be made to the Caitlyn Benefit Fund at Meritrust Credit Union locations.

Tickets for the benefit are $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 6 to 12.

Advance reservations are required, and can be made by calling 316-778-2121.

read article here

Stepfather accused of spraying lighter fluid on girl, setting fire

July 15, 2009
kansas.com
BY STAN FINGER AND RON SYLVESTER
The Wichita Eagle

Mobile-home fire that burned girl not accidental

Wichita, Kansas--Chris L. Newberry appeared in court Tuesday, accused of trying to kill his 10-year-old stepdaughter by setting her on fire while she slept.

Newberry, 28, stands charged with attempted first-degree murder and five counts of aggravated arson.

The criminal complaint filed by prosecutors Tuesday said Newberry sprayed lighter fluid on 10-year-old Caitlyn Johnson and her bed, then set her on fire as she slept.

Caitlyn sustained second- and third-degree burns over 41 percent of her body — including her face — Wichita police Capt. Brent Allred said. She spent months at a burn hospital before returning home.

Wichita police arrested Newberry on Friday night, after reopening the investigation into a house fire that heavily damaged his family's mobile home in the 5400 block of South Kansas the morning of March 14.

Caitlyn was the only person injured in the fire, Wichita Fire Department Capt. Stuart Bevis said.
Bridget Newberry and three other children, ranging in age from 2 to 6, also were home that morning.

The family had apparently been asleep and fled to a neighbor's house after the fire broke out, Bevis said.

Prosecutors charged Chris Newberry with one count of aggravated arson for each person the fire put in danger.

Questions about the quality of Caitlyn's medical care prompted an investigation by the state Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, Allred said.

Authorities removed Caitlyn from the home and placed her in protective custody in June, Allred said.

Concerns by a social worker led SRS to notify police, and follow-up interviews last week resulted in Newberry's arrest.

The four younger children still in the home, including a month-old baby, went into state custody Friday, Allred said.

Caitlyn's mother has been questioned about the fire, Allred said, but police do not consider her a suspect.

more from kansas.com:

Stepfather accused of spraying lighter fluid on girl, setting fire Wed Jul 15, 2009
Chris L. Newberry appeared in court Tuesday, accused of trying to kill his 10-year-old stepdaughter by setting her on fire while she slept. more...

Mobile-home fire that burned girl not accidental Tue Jul 14, 2009
The fire that badly burned 10-year-old Caitlyn Johnson in March is no longer considered an accident, authorities said Monday. more...

Fire that badly burned girl in March an arson, officials say Mon Jul 13, 2009
The fire that badly burned 10-year-old Caitlyn Johnson last March is no longer considered an accident, authorities said today. more...