- 3 months ago
In today’s true crime documentary, we report on the Christopher Palmer case, an investigation that uncovered shocking crimes hidden in plain sight.
As a news and educational agency, our mission is to provide factual, unbiased reporting on criminal investigations, law enforcement procedures, and public safety.
This video was produced for journalistic and educational purposes, with the goal of informing viewers about real events of public concern and how they impact communities.
As a news and educational agency, our mission is to provide factual, unbiased reporting on criminal investigations, law enforcement procedures, and public safety.
This video was produced for journalistic and educational purposes, with the goal of informing viewers about real events of public concern and how they impact communities.
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TVTranscript
00:00Oh my God, isn't that horrible?
00:03He just showed me pictures of the face, dude, holy...
00:06I flipped him over again, I had his bag...
00:09I do understand.
00:09I tried to wake him up, it was the best I could, I freaked the f*** out, man.
00:12I made him up, get up there, please, please, get up there.
00:15I understand.
00:16I didn't do nothing!
00:20What's the day in there?
00:21I just hurt my son.
00:23I'm not saying you did.
00:24All right, I'm not saying you did.
00:26Hey, hey.
00:27Oh my God!
00:28Police and paramedics are called to a frantic scene at a Georgia gas station,
00:33where the parents of an eight-month-old infant claim he suffered a terrible accident.
00:37But the baby's injuries raise chilling questions,
00:40and the investigators will have to work their way past an extremely volatile father to find the answers.
00:46If he doesn't die, it's going to hurt twice.
00:50I lose my son, I lose my freedom.
00:53The following report is based on official police records,
00:56and the footage has never been seen before until now.
01:00Please note that all persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
01:05On the night of January 30, 2022, police and medics in Peach County, Georgia,
01:11respond to an emergency call coming from a Bucky's gas station.
01:15They arrive to find an unresponsive infant and his distraught mother.
01:18Oh, my God!
01:20Oh, my God!
01:20Oh, nice to meet you, God!
01:23Are you mama?
01:24I can't do it again.
01:26Are you mama?
01:27Okay.
01:27I can't do this.
01:29What's your name, ma'am?
01:30Shelly Rooks.
01:31You're going to be on the phone.
01:31Shelly Rooks?
01:32Rooks?
01:33Rooks?
01:35I'm fine.
01:35Is that his way to go?
01:38Well, we don't know where he's going to go quite yet.
01:40I don't know where he's going to go.
01:41But y'all got any government that we can state one up to?
01:43They're doing everything they can do right now.
01:46Okay, how old is her?
01:49Eight months.
01:49The first AP is about 10.
01:532021.
01:54That's what you're doing, 23.
01:56What's the matter with the right leg?
01:58It's right.
01:59The fact that the baby already has a pre-existing injury is still on the EMT's mind as they walk
02:05around to meet the child's father, Christopher Palmer.
02:09What's my life?
02:11What are you, Chris?
02:11I'll talk to you next week.
02:13I don't got it.
02:14I'll talk to you next week.
02:14What does your name?
02:15Shelly Rooks.
02:17Hey.
02:17Shelly.
02:17How long y'all been here?
02:19Last April Rooks.
02:20Not long.
02:24What's not long?
02:25You're the mom, right?
02:272, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2.
02:28How about that?
02:30About an hour and a half or something, let's say.
02:34Between an hour and a half or something, let's say.
02:34Between an hour and a half or something.
02:36So how long have we been here?
02:39What was his leg?
02:40What was his leg how long ago?
02:41It was about two to three weeks his leg, right?
02:43He jumped in to the playpen.
02:45He had two weeks ago.
02:46Okay, two weeks ago and he fell.
02:48No.
02:49He had jumped in.
02:49Or a year and a half.
02:50His other brother jumped into the playpen.
02:52To the playpen on him.
02:53Wrestling.
02:54No, no.
02:54He just jumps in to take his bottle.
02:56He wants his bottle all the time.
02:58Okay, and he just landed on his leg.
02:59Did they break it, bruise it?
03:01Spraying it.
03:01He sprayed it.
03:02Okay.
03:03So talk to us.
03:05So what was happened?
03:06I mean, what was the call?
03:07Was he just stopped breathing?
03:08Yes.
03:09No, he stopped breathing.
03:09Okay, so he fell?
03:12What did he fall?
03:13How did he fall?
03:14Where did he fall?
03:15On his face.
03:16He fell on his face?
03:17I don't know if he's on my camera.
03:18What did he fall on?
03:19I feel bad to say he didn't fall.
03:22But what did he fall on?
03:23Did he hit his face on the ground?
03:25On the ground?
03:26The ground or the floor?
03:27The floor, the house.
03:28Was he on your thing, or was he standing up when he did it?
03:34I was holding me in the seat, and he slipped.
03:36I made it.
03:39So he slipped out of your hands?
03:41I'm foolish.
03:43Hey, just calm down, all right?
03:46I'm sorry.
03:47Hey, Christopher, calm down.
03:48I need you to calm down.
03:49I am calm.
03:50Trust me, I'm calm as f***ing.
03:52While the child's father tries to keep his composure,
03:55Warner Robins' police officers begin to sense
03:57there's more going on here than meets the eye.
04:00Dude, his hands?
04:02Dude.
04:03I feel like Mark's hands, Mark's.
04:05I mean, you saw the hair.
04:06They said anything?
04:08Said that they were giving him a bath and drop him.
04:11Bro, that's not a drop.
04:13And that his little brother, who's like one,
04:15drops in his crib and stuff,
04:17and lands on top of him all the time.
04:19That's how he's got her bruises.
04:21His bruises don't pop up that quickly.
04:23Yeah, I'm kidding.
04:24No.
04:25Maybe shouldn't have bruises right now.
04:27No.
04:28Absolutely not.
04:29I don't care if you ain't got no place to live up in an RV.
04:31With suspicions building,
04:33an officer gets on the phone with his sergeant
04:35to explain the situation at Bucky's.
04:38We got an eight-month-old, has a pulse, but it's faint.
04:41They're working on him.
04:43Looks like visible signs of neglect
04:46and maybe, I don't know, abuse.
04:49There's bruises all over the child.
04:51Child's got rash all over him.
04:53They're living in this RV.
04:54They've been up here for, they said, two weeks.
04:57My opinion, they both may be under the influence
04:59of some type of methamphetamine.
05:02All right, lock everything down.
05:04No one leaves posted.
05:06I'm going to call the lieutenant.
05:07All right.
05:07They're about to transport the baby to Macon.
05:09They're going to Macon.
05:10You go with us, Prime 6.
05:12We're locking it down.
05:13It's our RV now.
05:14But the baby's parents don't take this news well.
05:18Can we follow behind the ambulance?
05:19No, ma'am.
05:20I need y'all in the RV and everybody to stay here.
05:22They're about to transport.
05:23You're not getting what I'm saying.
05:25Can we follow the ambulance?
05:26He don't want to see the baby.
05:28I'm going to the hospital.
05:29Listen to what I'm saying.
05:30Everyone here, you, your husband in the RV
05:33is staying here until we tell you you can leave.
05:36Yes, ma'am.
05:45Does that mean he's gone, though, pretty much?
05:48No, I'm not saying that at all, ma'am.
05:50No, but you, he honest with me, what does it mean?
05:53It just means that my supervisor has to come out here
05:56and talk to y'all before anybody can leave, okay?
05:59You guys might just put me down, too, man.
06:01No, sir, we're not doing anything like that.
06:03Trust me, I don't want to be here, man.
06:04No, sir, everything's going to be okay.
06:06No, I heard this all the time, man.
06:09No, you're not, sir.
06:12I should have stayed awake, sir.
06:13I was a man with him.
06:15I was.
06:17I'm not f***ing incapable of it, man.
06:19God damn.
06:20What, um...
06:21Am I not incapable of it?
06:23As Christopher's agitation grows,
06:25the officers discuss their next steps.
06:27But he's not doing good at your restaurant.
06:29He's getting unhappy, which...
06:31What does he want us to do with him?
06:32I think we need to get them away from you.
06:33You're like, I'm stupid as fucker.
06:34Hey, what are you looking at?
06:35Do what?
06:36He's getting pissed.
06:37Who for?
06:38So...
06:39Mel's getting very agitated.
06:40He's about to start something to try to go to jail.
06:45They won't let me see my son.
06:47You won't talk to me.
06:48I didn't do nothing.
06:49Sir.
06:50I didn't do nothing, sir.
06:52I'm pissed off, man.
06:56It's like I'm sitting...
06:57Lying up for no goddamn reason, man.
06:59Hey.
06:59What, man?
07:00My name is Sergeant Wilcox.
07:01I'm one of the supervisors on duty tonight, okay?
07:04I understand that you're upset.
07:05I underthink...
07:06You're so pissed off, man.
07:07Listen.
07:07Listen.
07:09This is a traumatic experience, and we understand that.
07:11Yeah, man, you don't...
07:12Yes, we do.
07:12And I did this.
07:13It feels like I dropped it.
07:15I dropped my son.
07:16I did.
07:17Accidents...
07:18Listen, listen, listen.
07:19Accidents sometimes happen, okay?
07:22That doesn't mean they're any less painful, okay?
07:24Right now, we have certain procedures that we have to go through.
07:28Do you got to do something like an hospital, man?
07:30We're doing.
07:30We're going to get you there as soon as we can.
07:32Man, I know that...
07:33Man, it takes hours, man, if I lose my son before I...
07:36Yeah, I better not lose it.
07:37I'm telling you this.
07:38You'll have to take me to goddamn prison for the rest of my life.
07:40Listen.
07:41Listen.
07:42Listen, bear with me.
07:43I'm trying to get you an update right now, okay?
07:45All right?
07:46As I understand it, when he left here, he had a pulse.
07:49I'm expecting...
07:50I'm going to take care of the whole time.
07:51I'm expecting good things, okay?
07:53You did what a dad's supposed to do.
07:55You did what a dad's supposed to do.
07:57What do you need to do?
07:58I need to make a couple of phone calls.
07:59I'll be right back.
08:00What do you mean by...
08:00Just hold tight.
08:01But as the sergeant makes his calls, it quickly becomes clear that holding tight is not Christopher's strong suit.
08:07The police officer asked me if I use drugs.
08:10Well, actually, that's what it is.
08:12They all make consumers goddamn drugs.
08:13What's that, man?
08:15They goddamn drugs!
08:16My son fell!
08:18Yes, me did I.
08:19Because if I'm drunk, I'd feel happy, man.
08:21I ain't goddamn mad.
08:22The pictures are bad.
08:24The baby had extensive bruising to the left side of his head.
08:28A lot of redness around his mouth.
08:31He had spot bruises, almost like fingertip bruises, all over the other side of his forehead, down both arms, hands, and both legs.
08:39I always liked y'all, man.
08:41I liked that, man.
08:43We make her way, me way.
08:45I think I could see this shit next to this shit.
08:48What's wrong with y'all, man?
08:49The inside of the RV is pretty dadgum nasty.
08:53They've got two other children, a two-year-old and a three-year-old inside.
08:56What do you guys think I did this to my baby?
08:57I'm not saying that, sir.
08:58No, no, say what you think.
08:59No, sir, all I'm doing is a job.
09:02You know what I'm saying?
09:04I gotta do...
09:04Who the fuck would you want to catch that?
09:06If it's just that, if that's what you're pointing towards.
09:08No one's pointing towards that.
09:10Bring it to my face and we'll figure it out from now.
09:11No one's pointing...
09:13Somebody is because I'm still sitting here!
09:15We're fixing to have to fight, Dad.
09:17I'll make up some...
09:18Let it go.
09:19To the hospital, man.
09:21I'll...
09:21Say whatever we need you to...
09:23Goddamn say, man.
09:24Just so we can beat her with my son, man.
09:25We're gonna get y'all out of here as fast as we can.
09:27I want her now to go, man.
09:32You wanna go, Shelly?
09:34You wanna go?
09:35Shelly.
09:35I wanna be with her.
09:36Yes, I do.
09:37I wanna be there.
09:38What do I need to tell you so she can go?
09:40Tell me, man, so I know what to say, man.
09:41It's not how it works, man.
09:42It's exactly how it works.
09:43No, sir.
09:44If you need what you got, she can go.
09:46We're gonna get all of y'all out of here as soon as we possibly can.
09:50The officers do their best to keep the frantic father calm, but Christopher's impatience
09:54only grows as the minutes tick by.
09:57I gotta stand, man.
09:59I can't sit like this.
09:59Can he get off?
10:00Sorry, can he walk around?
10:01Yeah, you wanna walk right here?
10:02Get off, man.
10:03Sir, you can stand outside the RV here.
10:05Man, I'm getting pissed as f***, man.
10:07Man, you guys are gonna have to f***ing do what you gotta do, right?
10:09I can't take that, man.
10:14I'm a hostage, right?
10:16I'm not a hostage, sir.
10:17Man, the f*** I ain't, man.
10:19Just take a breath.
10:22Keep it together for your family.
10:23Man, keep what together, man?
10:25You gotta f*** with me now.
10:26In the meantime, Sergeant Wilcox tries to find out what's going on at the hospital.
10:31Yes, sir.
10:31Hey, what's up, Dave?
10:33Right now, they put him straight into the operating room.
10:36They're looking him over now.
10:40I'm waiting for an update from the doctor as we speak.
10:43All right, here's what's going on right now.
10:44Here's what's going on right now.
10:46Baby is up at the hospital.
10:47They're examining him now.
10:49He does have a heartbeat.
10:51He is alive, okay?
10:54They're checking on scans and all of that, okay?
10:58So we're doing good right now.
11:00I didn't hurt him when I was checking.
11:03We're doing good right now, okay?
11:05Hold it together for a few more minutes.
11:06I'm going to try and get a little bit more information.
11:09Just a little bit more information.
11:10I heard him.
11:11I know I did do CPR.
11:12I know I heard him.
11:14Sometimes when you do CPR...
11:15No, you understand?
11:16I flipped him over again.
11:16I do understand.
11:17I had his back.
11:18I do understand.
11:19I tried to wake him up.
11:20It's the best thing I could.
11:21I freaked the f*** out, man.
11:22I beat him up.
11:23Get up there, please.
11:24Please get up, man.
11:24I understand.
11:26Right now, the child is receiving the absolute best care possible.
11:29Make it as a 11-1 trauma center.
11:31I'm a little confused.
11:32Hold on.
11:32Give us a minute.
11:33We're going to be dealing with y'all in just a second.
11:35You guys think he did it?
11:37No, sir.
11:37He's not saying that.
11:38Not saying that.
11:39But Christopher's suspicions about the holdup are growing, and it won't be long before he
11:43says something that escalates the situation.
11:46You guys are holding me here against my will.
11:50Against my will.
11:52That is illegal.
11:53So hold me against my will.
11:55Are we under arrest?
11:57Sir.
11:57Are we under arrest?
11:58You're not under arrest.
11:59So we can leave then, right?
12:00Not right now.
12:01Then I'm under arrest.
12:02No, sir, you're not under arrest.
12:03How can I not leave if I'm not under arrest?
12:05My partner just explained it to you like my supervisor explained.
12:07There's an investigation that goes through this.
12:11Does this take hours?
12:12No, ma'am.
12:12It's not going to take hours.
12:16He's been here for 40 minutes or so.
12:18How is he going to do this now?
12:19So he's going to be done in 20 minutes?
12:20Is that what you're telling me?
12:21He's literally, they're finishing up with phone calls as we speak.
12:24Phone calls?
12:25They still have to get here.
12:26I know.
12:26No, they're on the way.
12:27I can tell you they are on the way.
12:29They're on the way?
12:30Yes, they are on the way.
12:31Just shoot me, guys.
12:34Christopher may have meant that as an offhand remark, but the police aren't taking any chances.
12:39He just told Opus we're going to have to shoot him.
12:42He has confirmed with me there are firearms in the vehicle.
12:46Have him step out and talk to me.
12:47Okay.
12:49I'm going to say, hey, I'm going to give you a ride up there in my vehicle because it's faster.
12:53When he steps out of the vehicle, put him in handcuffs.
12:55Okay.
12:55Boss man.
12:57Listen, my man.
12:59Hey, you ready to go?
13:01I'm going to take you because I can't take everybody in the family.
13:05I'm going to take you the quickest in my vehicle.
13:06I'll stay with my family.
13:07Okay.
13:07My vehicle is fast.
13:09We're going to get there now.
13:10I don't care.
13:11Look, look.
13:11They need you.
13:11I'll stay with my family.
13:12No, no.
13:13Listen, they need you.
13:16I get that.
13:17Your daughter.
13:17No, you don't.
13:18No, no.
13:18Your father.
13:19You're your baby.
13:20They need a parent up there to give parental consent.
13:22I need you there.
13:22Let us go.
13:23Then, come on.
13:23Let's go.
13:24All of us.
13:24I can only take one at a time.
13:26If you tell your people to get here, it's important.
13:28Let us go.
13:29I was on the phone with them when y'all had to come over here and talk to you.
13:31You didn't have to come over here.
13:33I did have to.
13:34No, it's my fault, huh?
13:35No, no.
13:35Listen.
13:36Listen to what I'm saying.
13:37Okay?
13:38When you tell my guys about something about we're going to have to shoot you and all that.
13:41No, I said, please shoot me.
13:43I'm in a misery, Mitch.
13:43We're sitting here doing nothing.
13:44No, no, no.
13:45That's not the case.
13:46We're not doing nothing.
13:48We're doing everything right now.
13:49We're sitting here doing nothing.
13:50We're doing everything right now.
13:51You can't pee in your own house because you guys stink, whatever.
13:54When you're all wrong, you're all f*** off, man.
13:59The ruse is unsuccessful.
14:01But after a detective arrives on scene to a less than friendly greeting...
14:06Hey!
14:07Turn.
14:08Just stay.
14:09Stay still.
14:09He briefly interviews the couple, reviews the evidence, and the decision is made to dispense
14:14with the games.
14:15Grab him and snatch him out.
14:18Grab him and snatch him out.
14:23Three.
14:24Three.
14:27Three, two, one, go.
14:29Go.
14:31Come on out.
14:34Come on out.
14:36Hold still.
14:37Put your hands behind your back.
14:38Tell me why.
14:39You're under arrest.
14:40For what?
14:40Put your hands behind your back.
14:41I didn't do nothing.
14:42Put your hands behind your back.
14:43Relax.
14:44Please don't, man.
14:45Don't make this harder.
14:46I don't want to.
14:46Just tell me why I'm under arrest.
14:48Put your hands behind your back.
14:48Why I'm under arrest.
14:49Please tell me why.
14:50You're being detained for investigative purposes.
14:52Put your hands behind your back.
14:52That's fine for why.
14:53Put your hands behind your back.
14:54I didn't do nothing.
14:55Watch the day in there.
14:59Richard, watch our back.
15:00I'm good.
15:01I'm good.
15:01I'm good.
15:02Just calm down, sir.
15:03I'm good.
15:03I'm good now.
15:04I'm good.
15:04Put your hands behind your back.
15:05You're on my handle, sir.
15:08Stand by.
15:08We'll get your other hand.
15:09You're on my handle, sir.
15:10Yeah, I'm good.
15:11All right.
15:11Pull this hand out.
15:12Pull it out, sir.
15:12Can you pull it out, sir?
15:13Can you pull it out?
15:13Pull it out.
15:14There you go.
15:15All right.
15:15We're going to get you up.
15:18Hold still.
15:24All right.
15:24Listen to me.
15:25We're good.
15:25We're good.
15:26All right.
15:27I'm going to roll you to your side.
15:30You're on your shirt.
15:31No, I'm not fighting.
15:32All right.
15:32Listen to me.
15:33Okay?
15:33I'm not fighting.
15:34I understand.
15:34Listen to me.
15:35Right now, baby's still stable, just like I told you.
15:38No, listen, man.
15:38Listen to me.
15:39Why am I under arrest?
15:40I drive my son.
15:42Look, there's other things seem to be in play right here.
15:44Okay?
15:45You stand by.
15:46You keep doing what you're doing right now.
15:48All right?
15:49This other resistance.
15:50Hey, listen.
15:51Listen.
15:52This other resistance.
15:53I get it.
15:53I'm going to tell you.
15:54I'm going to tell you.
15:54I just want to know why you're arresting me.
15:56You didn't tell me.
15:56Right now, there's evidence consistent on that child with abuse or neglect.
16:00Okay?
16:01We're still investigating all that, but we have enough to detain you right now.
16:05That's why we're being detained.
16:06So I'm going to jail if my family don't have me?
16:08You're going to be interviewed.
16:10Your wife is going to be interviewed.
16:12All right?
16:13But you're going to be interviewed at police headquarters.
16:15Christopher temporarily calms down, but when Shelly expresses her doubts about his innocence,
16:20he quickly ramps back up again.
16:22You want me to bring the boys to give me a hug before I go?
16:25They said you did it.
16:26How the f*** did they do it?
16:30Y'all here?
16:31Who said I did it?
16:32Who said I did it?
16:33Sir.
16:35Did what?
16:36Yeah, man, I beat the s*** in the f***ing wake of my man.
16:39Here, here.
16:40I beat the f***ing monster.
16:42Sir, do you want this?
16:43I did it, Shelly.
16:44You want to believe I'm going f***ing bad, but I did not do it, man.
16:47Why would I kill my son?
16:48Your son is still stable, sir.
16:50Why would I even do anything, man?
16:53You want this?
16:56No, I just my other charges.
16:58That's why they think that.
16:59It's not like it.
17:00The official police report includes information about Christopher's previous run-ins with
17:04the law, which include crimes against women, family violence charges involving Shelly and
17:10the kids, and a disturbing offense against two young children that landed him on New York's
17:15sex offender registry.
17:16While it's unclear how these cases were adjudicated, it's certainly clear that Christopher's agitation
17:22at the scene is turning into rage.
17:24I feel like I'm going to get really angry, man.
17:26What's going on?
17:27Motherf***er losing my cool door.
17:28I mean, I don't care about God's quits and what I do.
17:32I f*** up, man.
17:33No, sir, no.
17:34Oh, Lord Jesus Christ.
17:35You didn't f*** up.
17:37I'm going to go.
17:38Just stay calm for just a little bit.
17:40You're a big a*****ditch.
17:43Oh, my God.
17:44Isn't that horrible?
17:46You're a big a*****ditch.
17:48Yeah.
17:50He may not even talk to me after that.
17:53Who's the punk that f***ing thinks they're going to f***ing just point the finger at me?
17:58Man the f*** up, though.
18:00We can go ahead and take him to the PD.
18:03I didn't charge my son!
18:04With Christopher on the verge of losing it, the cops let him say goodbye to his family.
18:0908-444-9708.
18:15I'm sorry.
18:16You believe that?
18:17You're taking my money, too?
18:19Man, I'm going to jail.
18:20They're going to put me in jail.
18:21They believe I did because of my charge.
18:23I'm not lying.
18:23I know this.
18:24You're f***ing down for an interview right now.
18:25Yeah, right now.
18:26But I know what it leads to.
18:27I'm not alone.
18:28They cannot take.
18:30Mom and baby needs the money, right?
18:31Yeah.
18:32Mommy and mommy needs the money for the babies?
18:34You want another wallet?
18:35Give me 40 bucks.
18:36I'll be a hurry.
18:37Is there an ID for you in there?
18:39In your wallet?
18:40Shelly, we're going to jail.
18:42You hear me?
18:43Say it again?
18:43Look at me.
18:44You know that, don't you?
18:45You believe I did too?
18:46He does.
18:47No.
18:47Just look at me in my face so I understand.
18:49Don't lie to me.
18:50What?
18:50I did not hurt my son.
18:52Look at me.
18:52I might have picked that, but I did not hurt my f***ing son like that.
18:57I swear to God, I did.
18:59The police lead Christopher away and discover that getting him into the transport wagon will not be easy.
19:05I got to breathe for a minute, man.
19:06Breathe.
19:07I got to breathe for a minute.
19:09Oh, man, you guys are going to have to hurt me, man.
19:11No, no, no.
19:11We don't want to.
19:11You're going to have to talk.
19:13Come on.
19:13Let's go.
19:13We're going to walk.
19:14We're going to walk.
19:16Come on.
19:19Calm down.
19:20Calm down.
19:21You have to keep seeing it.
19:24All right.
19:24Will I have a seat?
19:26Right here.
19:26Yeah!
19:27Yeah!
19:28Damn!
19:30Come on.
19:31I can't believe my c***.
19:33Come on, my dude.
19:35Beat my c*** or something, man.
19:36I need it, please, man.
19:38No one's beating you.
19:39Please, I need it.
19:40Come on.
19:40Have a seat.
19:41I need it, man.
19:42Come on.
19:43Have a seat right now.
19:45Hey.
19:46Hey.
19:46I need you to f***.
19:47Deep breaths.
19:48Deep breaths.
19:49Break right in your face.
19:50I don't want to.
19:51Deep breaths.
19:52I did not hurt my son.
19:54I'm not saying you did.
19:55All right?
19:56I'm not saying you did.
19:57Hey.
19:58Hey.
19:58Oh, my God.
19:59Deep breaths.
20:00Take me out, man.
20:01I don't want to be hurt.
20:02No one's taking anybody out.
20:04I don't want to be here.
20:05Please hurt me, man.
20:06Please hurt me.
20:07Do what I got to do.
20:08Nobody's going to hurt.
20:09No one's going to hurt.
20:10Take a run.
20:11Don't hurt me, man.
20:13Please.
20:13I'm going to hurt my c***.
20:15Step back.
20:16Step back.
20:16Step back.
20:16I can't breathe.
20:19The police eventually get him in the wagon and transport Shelly, Christopher, and the children
20:24to the police station.
20:25But while the scene at Bucky's is brought to a close, this investigation is only getting
20:30started.
20:31Come in.
20:32Yes?
20:33Do you remember me?
20:35Come over at the camper?
20:36Yeah.
20:37What?
20:38Do you want to talk to me about what happened?
20:41What would you like to talk about?
20:42Well, I got to take you into an interview room and read you Miranda.
20:46What happens to me if I don't talk to you?
20:49Well, you're being charged anyway at the moment.
20:51That's how it's looking.
20:53So, I mean, do you want to talk?
20:55Well, at the moment, cruelty to children in the first degree, possibly aggravated assault.
21:01Elsewhere at the station, Shelly is given some bad news.
21:05What's the reason that they have not allowed me or my family, my children?
21:11Well, for one, we can't get a hold of your dad.
21:13And probably more than likely, that's where they'll end up going.
21:18Because that's what they ultimately want.
21:21They want a trusted family member to watch after these kids, at least for the time being.
21:26So they don't, they haven't been able to live in there for my children.
21:28Right now, I think it's best if there's an environment change, if nothing else, because
21:34they cannot continue to live in an RV.
21:36They ask Shelly to walk with them down the hallway, where she realizes that things are
21:42about to get even worse.
21:44Ms. Rooks, just stop for a minute, okay?
21:46Turn around.
21:46Huh?
21:47Turn around for us.
21:48Just put your hands right here, okay?
21:50Why am I doing that?
21:51Can y'all tell me why I'm going to jail?
21:53Yes, ma'am.
21:54Yes, ma'am.
21:55Please?
21:56To put it bluntly, okay?
21:59That child has a lot of injuries, and he's had a lot of medical conditions, and a lot
22:07of injuries that have not been treated, and they have not been cared for.
22:12That child needed to be in a hospital before tonight, and you guys did not take him to
22:17a hospital.
22:17But you don't think during that time I wanted it?
22:19I did.
22:20It doesn't matter if you wanted it or not.
22:22It's the fact that you didn't do it.
22:23How do I do it, though?
22:25So when I have no other way, he has a gun and he'll hold it to your head and it hurts
22:28you.
22:28How do you get away from that?
22:31It's putting your children before yourself.
22:33Your fear of physical harm has got to be overridden by your children's safety.
22:40It's almost just as bad to sit back and watch and do nothing, though, when you know you could
22:44have done something.
22:45But even though Shelley and Christopher have been arrested, many questions remain about
22:49what happened tonight and in the weeks leading up to it.
22:52And it won't be until investigators sit down with the two for separate interrogations that
22:57the full horrors that occurred within their RV will finally come to light.
23:01I'm afraid to talk to you guys, but I'll go there again.
23:05I don't want to hurt myself anymore.
23:07I feel like I'm in a big shit combined and I don't know how I got here.
23:10I mean, I know why I'm sitting here with people saying that.
23:13The other day you told me that it was something else and I was just saying that I hurt my baby.
23:18I never judge my child.
23:20Who's saying that, though?
23:21They said that's what my charges are.
23:23It's all my baby.
23:25You're not charged with that, ma'am.
23:27And I'll go ahead and tell you right now, you're not charged with inflecting harm on
23:31your child.
23:32We are not saying that you are the one that did that.
23:34I never hurt my babies.
23:36We're not accusing you of physically doing the harm, but the fact that in the situation
23:43he's in and nobody intervened soon enough to prevent that.
23:48So that's kind of where we stand with your charges.
23:51The detectives realize that if they're going to get the true story out of Christopher and
23:55Shelly, they'll need to know more about their transient lifestyle.
23:59Where do you guys get the money to put the gas in?
24:02We had to fly every day.
24:04That was like, hold a sign and kill us.
24:09Not having to be able to have that normal life to do that.
24:13Every time we would ride down, I'd say, I wish we could stop doing this.
24:18I could have a life like these people at this house when I've seen it.
24:21We see somebody play and it would affect me.
24:24And I always had to do that.
24:26Never have a stable life like it.
24:28What did he say when you would ask for a more stable life?
24:32Can't do it.
24:32It's better to go.
24:33It's better to be on it.
24:34We got to go.
24:35We got to go.
24:36Was he paranoid?
24:38And when I say that, was he nervous about other people?
24:41Well, because he had previous charges and the people would always try to hurt him because
24:47of that or and he was on it at one time.
24:51Witnesses who ran across the couple say they would often carry signs saying they lost their
24:55house in a fire, which may not be entirely false.
24:59Shelly's father tells police that Christopher torched the previous camper.
25:02The detectives dig deeper into the couple's dynamic, only to find a vault of troubling
25:08secrets buried beneath the surface.
25:10So I got a question about the inside of the bathroom door has a little damage.
25:15It has a lot of damage.
25:15Right.
25:16Man, one day he ripped his part.
25:17What happened?
25:19I was just angry that day.
25:22Whatever he had at that point, put it locked in the bathroom.
25:27He felt like I was going to leave that night and be where I couldn't leave.
25:32He'd lock in the bathroom.
25:33How would he do that?
25:34Like with the lock thing on the door, that's what you put up.
25:40And you did that damage, not anyone else?
25:42No.
25:42That was when she was going to leave one time over some stupid or family friendship.
25:48I don't know.
25:50It's a big wreck.
25:52She wasn't inside that bathroom, locked in that bathroom, though?
25:54Well, I don't know.
25:56Why would she be the best, black, and the best?
25:57Can't lock any doors anyway.
26:00I don't have locks on them.
26:00Would she ever feel like that she couldn't leave?
26:03Well, I don't know.
26:04Any time she wants to leave.
26:06But that's not the picture Shelly paints of their relationship.
26:09Keep me in the top of my eyes.
26:11Punch me in the air.
26:13Jump on top of my head.
26:13If you got me, I'll say jump on top of me on top of the bed and hold him up to me.
26:17Even when I was pregnant.
26:19Give me a time.
26:20What would he say when he did stuff like that?
26:22What kind of comments would he say to you?
26:24And you said, well, you got to look at everybody in the world.
26:27And I always kept my head down and turned.
26:30I never even looked up to even looking at somebody.
26:33I was looking at somebody.
26:35Even at Bucky's, police were suspicious that Shelly and Christopher were not exactly equal
26:40partners.
26:41I have no doubt that the guy, she's battered.
26:43I mean, really.
26:44I mean, if I would have had to bet my pace, I would say she's battered.
26:49Well, he's, he is, he was born in 81, so he's 40, 41.
26:58She's born in 96.
27:00She's half his age.
27:02It's, uh, it's one, I mean, yeah, I have no doubt.
27:05Can I ask you, and don't, don't be offended by this, do you have an intellectual disability?
27:10I will say, I was having.
27:12Do you have any type of disability?
27:14Yeah.
27:14You do?
27:15What do you have?
27:16I don't know, it's on my paperwork.
27:18I know, it's, I just know it's hard for me to do life, like, normally.
27:22I always want to be somebody else, because I don't understand, and.
27:26So, do you get, um, disability checks?
27:30Yeah.
27:30You do?
27:31Yeah.
27:31How have you been spending those?
27:33He spends them.
27:35I have no control of the money.
27:37So, you don't even know where they're going?
27:39Shelly's mother would tell police in a later interview that Shelly's father had been in
27:42control of her disability payments until he became overwhelmed with the constant harassment
27:47from Christopher about the money.
27:49Soon thereafter, she said she believed that Christopher gained complete control over Shelly's finances.
27:55Does anybody get any disability, or?
27:57Sure, I know she does.
27:58She does?
27:59She gets a side.
28:00Oh, she does?
28:01Yeah.
28:01How much does she get per month?
28:04I don't remember.
28:05Changes.
28:06It changes?
28:07Why does it change?
28:08Oh, it depends on your, at least, I don't know.
28:11She does all that.
28:12She does all that?
28:14Regardless, the detectives continue to theorize that Christopher is dominant over Shelly,
28:18which may help explain something the cops discovered in the RV on the night of the incident.
28:23Hey, Sierra.
28:24What's up, bud?
28:25Guess what we have?
28:26Hold on.
28:27What y'all got?
28:29Look at.
28:32Handcuffs.
28:32Man.
28:34Those look just like mine.
28:35Handcuffs.
28:36What are the handcuffs for?
28:37Someone gave me an answer.
28:38That's cool.
28:39I know because when I came down there and it was a passion for me.
28:43The cheese were in my wallet.
28:44I kept them separate.
28:44I had them locked up the things, but I scratched with lots of blame on the handcuffs, everything.
28:48I saw, did he use handcuffs for anything?
28:52Huh?
28:52Handcuffs?
28:53Yeah.
28:54What did he use them for?
28:55Put on me, me there.
28:58So he was holding you there against your will.
29:01So he handcuffs you.
29:03Would he handcuff you to anything or would he just put you in handcuffs?
29:07I just put them on.
29:08Okay.
29:09And you said he would tie you up.
29:11Would he tie your legs up too?
29:14Sometimes it depends on if he wanted to lie.
29:17It was different.
29:18You're right here.
29:19Shelly says that there were additional factors at play, and the detectives listened to one
29:23of the most bizarre stories of the night.
29:25And then he'll be on that med, and he'll be like, hush.
29:30And I said, it's not even funny.
29:31The child, he can talk.
29:32He'll help him.
29:33He said he'll be on what?
29:35Okay, like he'll be on the drug, the med.
29:38So Christopher uses meth?
29:40Yeah.
29:40Okay.
29:41Was that often?
29:43Well, it went every day.
29:45Now, it used to be every so often, every six to eight months, and now it's basically
29:51me.
29:51Every day?
29:52Did you use any meth?
29:54Not willingly when he put it in me, and it was twice, and it's been recently, and he
29:59wanted me to start talking about that it was no good, it would be better for us, and
30:05then he put it in twice, and pushed it.
30:08Okay.
30:09Was it powder or a rock?
30:12I don't know.
30:13Do you remember what it looked like?
30:16I know.
30:17He did a card when he did it, but I think he didn't do that when he did it, but I think
30:23it was hard.
30:24It was hard when he put it in?
30:25Did it hurt?
30:26It hurt.
30:26It burned.
30:27Okay.
30:30Did he ever do that with the children at all?
30:32No.
30:32I don't know.
30:33It was me.
30:35He said it would enhance the sex.
30:37Michelle, he told us that both you and her had used meth, amphetamine, and that can make
30:43you act outside of your normal.
30:45That was before all that.
30:48Well, you could do things that you forget about doing, stuff that you normally wouldn't
30:53do.
30:53What did you do before this happened?
30:56Like the day before?
30:57Weeks before.
30:58Like a week before, three, four.
31:00I mean, we need to do it for three or four days before that happened.
31:04In addition to the use of illicit substances, the investigators are also concerned about
31:09the firearms in the RV, which shouldn't be there considering Christopher's background,
31:13which came up at the scene.
31:15You got camo on you, do you hunt, Nettler?
31:19You don't?
31:19For the most part, legally.
31:22I'm a fella, I can't f*** with a gun.
31:24You guys have a firearm.
31:26She has a firearm inside of the camper as well.
31:27She has several.
31:29But you're not allowed to have access to any firearms.
31:31I don't know.
31:32That's her.
31:34Yeah, but you still can't be in there with them.
31:36No.
31:36It means that you can't have, the way that, where the firearm was located at, you have
31:42easy access to, you know, because, I mean, it's in a camper.
31:46To their home.
31:48Correct.
31:48But if you were residing there, you cannot have access to that firearm.
31:52It's an open, easy access where it was found.
31:55According to Shelly, Christopher not only had access to the firearms, he would use them.
32:00He was holding a gun to her, and so I saved him.
32:03So he was holding you hostage?
32:06You've been holding me hostage.
32:07And then he said, if you don't come back to me, if you go to your dad and then I get
32:12out, I'm coming for all of you.
32:14And I know you love your dad the most, and I'll kill him first.
32:17And there's always been a threat.
32:20At Bucky, Shelly told police that this wouldn't be the last time Christopher wielded a firearm.
32:24He shot the gun in the camper the other day.
32:27Really?
32:28I don't know what he hit.
32:29Okay.
32:30I wanted to get away, but he takes the keys, he watches the keys, and the holes in the wall.
32:36He said he hit the ground.
32:38I think the bullet fly was standing there.
32:41These disturbing stories paint the picture of an erratic family life, one that Shelly has
32:46discussed in the past in text messages with Christopher's ex, Megan.
32:50After Shelly talks about the lengths she's gone through to fight some of Christopher's previous
32:54charges, Megan warns her, just be careful, I dealt with a hell of a lot of abuse at his
32:59hands.
33:00He's the reason I conceal Carrie.
33:02Do what's best for you and the kids, but always stay safe.
33:05But Shelly tells her that he has changed.
33:08With what they've seen over the last couple of days, the detectives question that conclusion.
33:13The other boys also have bruising.
33:16Oh, they f*** off house, play their stretch through, their dog jumps on, the dog's torn down.
33:20Yeah, they, they're boys.
33:23They're boys?
33:24I don't have boys, I have girls.
33:25I didn't know if they could, I don't know, once the last year, a long time ago, he's really
33:33good.
33:35Rough house, it jumps, gets up on everything, and the thing in the middle swings and tries
33:39to jump into the middle of the island of the camper, falls on him, and he's a monkey,
33:44yeah, so he's bruised up, I guarantee you.
33:46Gets up on the counter, then he's probably, he hits everything, toys, the wooden thing has
33:52a nail in it where it's broke, he hits that with his legs, I'm going to be down the dash
33:57comfortably.
33:58How old is he?
33:59He's almost two.
34:01With that, the detectives turn their attention to something that police have questioned since
34:05the moment they arrived at Bucky's, the homemade cast around the eight-month-old baby's leg.
34:11Shelly insists once again that the injury was a result of her older child jumping on the
34:15baby in the playpen.
34:16It was already wrapped, how'd that happen?
34:19He jumped in on his book, cursed that.
34:23Well, we know that's not, we know that's not true.
34:26Yeah.
34:27So we know the type of...
34:28But I wasn't around for the rib or anything.
34:30I would have known.
34:32Dude, I wrapped his leg and I said, we need to take him to the doctor, his leg's hurt.
34:37It's hurt.
34:38It shouldn't have been getting over here.
34:39I said, he's hurting.
34:40I didn't know about the ribs, but I knew about the leg, he's going to swell.
34:44I wanted to take him.
34:45You just know what the f*** you're always talking about, don't you, don't you?
34:49We're not taking him nowhere.
34:50I'll tell you his leg and he'll just hush, just hush.
34:53Then he started getting mad at me.
34:55He never went to the hospital for that ride?
34:58For a leg?
34:59Yes, ma'am.
35:00She tried to take him and Chris wouldn't let her.
35:03I probably should not go to the hospital now.
35:05According to news reports, medical experts identified the break in the baby's leg as a
35:10bucket handle fracture, an injury known to pediatric physicians as a possible
35:15sign of intentional harm.
35:17And the way it's described to us on how you obtain this type of fracture is either a child
35:23being shook and the foot dangling at a rapid rate, or the child being upside down and then
35:31grabbing the ankle and shaking him.
35:33Do you ever play with the boys and like maybe flip them upside down?
35:36Yeah, of course I do.
35:37Toss them in the air.
35:38Has any of them or either of the younger ones ever cried when you've done that?
35:44Maybe a couple of times and then I stopped.
35:46I also can come to them, yeah.
35:47This.
35:48And this is what he tried to...
35:50The leg?
35:52Yeah.
35:52And that's what he tried to cast his swollen leg with?
35:55Yeah.
35:56And he did that himself with stuff that he bought?
35:58Where did he get that stuff from?
36:00Oh, I didn't know.
36:01You guys tried to treat his leg yourself, right?
36:04Yeah, it's for our failure.
36:05And then we f***ing killed our sons.
36:07I don't know why you keep saying that.
36:11Because he is not dead.
36:13He's like, yes, because I don't have nothing about what's going on.
36:15But I've told you multiple times that he's not dead and that he's...
36:19That they're just giving him medical assistance.
36:20It's because I heard...
36:21What I thought I heard someone say yesterday to me was that they want to unplug his life support.
36:27So to me...
36:28Who said that to you?
36:32But while the baby's broken leg is of the utmost concern
36:36to the investigators, it's far from the only injury they observed.
36:41Garrett just called and goes, I don't know if he got pictures or not,
36:43but you know, he's got bruising all over his head.
36:45I said, yeah.
36:46He goes, the way they described it is it looked like somebody grabbed him by the top of the head
36:49like a claw machine.
36:50Look at the top of that head.
36:51See the top of that head?
36:55Somebody's hitting that head.
36:58Those are not...
36:59You know?
37:00I know he flicks him and...
37:02He flicks him.
37:03Christopher.
37:04He flicks him?
37:05Yeah.
37:05Like...
37:06Stop.
37:07Stop crying.
37:08Now, how hard does he flick him?
37:11Like...
37:12Can I do it to you?
37:13Yeah, absolutely.
37:14Like...
37:14Or maybe not.
37:16I'm not as worried about the man.
37:17So it's kind of cool to do that to a baby?
37:20Yeah.
37:20Something like this?
37:22Like that?
37:22That are your bruised son?
37:23Oh, yeah.
37:24Yeah.
37:24Yeah, especially a good child that young.
37:26Seriously?
37:27Yeah.
37:28I heard my son did not.
37:30Those potentially could be from that.
37:34They could potentially be from that.
37:36I've been in trouble for something like that now, probably.
37:39The answers thus far have raised many red flags, but the most important questions,
37:43the ones about how the baby wound up in critical condition, are still to come.
37:47So you said that he fell.
37:49Yes, ma'am.
37:49Where did he fall from?
37:51Counter.
37:52To the floor.
37:53Christopher says that after Shelly went to lie down with the other boys,
37:56he prepared to give the baby a bath in the kitchen sink.
37:59When I get up, I go in front, smoke by the window, go back to my scratches,
38:02and go, what if I get cold and turn the paint on again?
38:06Go up there, and I set it on the counter, and I'll have a sink and stuff in it.
38:09You know, and I said, we went stuff from one side, and I had my hand short,
38:13because it was puffed, but matching my one hand out of his body's belt.
38:17He just said, I had his little legs, and I'm holding him.
38:19I got my best.
38:20And I'm putting out the sink, putting stuff over, you know.
38:23And I kicked the water, so I had a couple things on there, rinse it off, throw it in.
38:29And he jerked.
38:31And I don't know why he jerked at the time.
38:35He jerked, and it slipped around.
38:37I went to grab him, and when I did it, I went to swoop him.
38:39I mean, I couldn't catch him.
38:40He fell on my grip.
38:41I went to swoop down to get him.
38:44And then his head hit really hard on the side.
38:47That's all I know.
38:48His head hit, his neck bent.
38:49Which side do you think the head, which side of his head do you think it is?
38:52His left side, I'm pretty sure.
38:54Left side?
38:55I'm pretty sure, yes, ma'am.
38:57I mean, at that time, I don't remember it too well.
38:59I mean, it happens like that.
39:02If that, it always seems like my fault.
39:05There's an absolute nothing right.
39:07Well, so...
39:08I go, Sheldon, get up, because she was sleeping now.
39:11Get up, get up, get up.
39:12Please help me.
39:13Get up, where are we?
39:14I think from that point, so I do think that there's a lot of truth.
39:18Don't worry, please help me.
39:20Then she started yelling at herself.
39:22She said, don't do that.
39:23She goes, I never went to sleep.
39:25I should never go to sleep.
39:27Why, Sheldon, something happened.
39:29It's just an accident.
39:30Please.
39:32Don't get help.
39:33That's all I have to do.
39:34Don't get help.
39:34Please, just don't get help.
39:36But Shelly says a couple of things aroused her suspicions when she woke up and saw what
39:40was happening.
39:41I wasn't there to tie a walk, but when I woke up and he said that to me, I dropped him.
39:46And I was going to get in the bath.
39:48Why didn't you have the sink cleared?
39:50I wasn't there to tell.
39:51What was in the sink after you gave the other two children a bath?
39:56Well, I gave them a bath in the tub.
39:57Okay.
39:58I don't know what was all in the sink, but I'm going to tell you right now, I think I
40:01always had something in it.
40:02You would have had to clear it out.
40:04After the fall, Chris says he did everything he could to revive the baby.
40:08This is the part that scares me the most.
40:10When I was doing CPR and I went to push, this is the guy that drew, I plugged his nose,
40:15I went to push, and the air would not feel bad.
40:18His lungs would not come up.
40:20I swear to God.
40:21His lungs would not feel like I hit a wall.
40:25That's really common.
40:26No, I thought he, that's why he jerked.
40:28He's choking.
40:29I flipped him around.
40:31I did a high-moleic maneuver.
40:34Nothing came up.
40:36Nothing came up.
40:37So I went to disappear, and when they pushed a couple more, I said, I didn't get this
40:40from me.
40:40I just pushed it a little harder.
40:41I'm not doing it.
40:42Nothing is.
40:43I kept pushing it.
40:44Blood came out.
40:45Yellow stuff came out.
40:46I said, I really saw no.
40:48Christopher continues to describe how he went to extraordinary lengths to provide aid
40:52to the baby.
40:53I know when I went to the room, we found he was slippery because he had all the stuff
40:57coming out.
40:58I swear when I moved him over to the carpet area, we have a pair of stairs that come up.
41:04He fell on the stairs.
41:05I picked him up.
41:06I didn't put him upside down, tap down.
41:08I want to hear him cry.
41:10Please cry.
41:10Please, I kept saying, cry, cry.
41:12Make the noise.
41:12Cry, cry, cry.
41:13You know what?
41:14I knew that sounds so stupid, but in the movies, I slam them on their bile or their feet.
41:21Make the baby cry.
41:23Yeah.
41:23I tried, and it didn't work.
41:24He didn't cry.
41:25Christopher gave several demonstrations of his aggressive rescue efforts at Bucky's as well,
41:30drawing a certain amount of skepticism from the police on scene.
41:34He may know something about CPR, and he's using the choking thing where you strike the
41:39baby on the back as an excuse for the abuse.
41:43In her interview, Shelly backs up Christopher's version of events.
41:46He has some pretty bad injuries, okay?
41:48Some injuries that would indicate to us that he was either slammed on the ground or shook.
41:55When I walked in there, we called an ambulance that night, a guy that jumped up out of the
42:04bed.
42:05He was moving and shaking all over the place.
42:07I can't tell you what side to side or what way, but...
42:11He was?
42:12Yeah, with the baby.
42:13Breathe, breathe, breathe.
42:14Just going crazy.
42:15Well, where was he at?
42:17All over the living room, right there.
42:18There was a living room in the kitchen.
42:20Uh-huh.
42:20Please breathe.
42:21Don't stop on me.
42:22And I ran out the door and called for help.
42:24In a forensic interview, Shelly's older child said his baby brother was in the hospital
42:29because, quote, my daddy whooped him.
42:31When asked how the baby was whooped, he said that his father smacked him on the floor.
42:36Back in the interrogation room, the couple is asked again about the baby's other injuries,
42:41none of which could have been caused by even the most violent CPR attempts.
42:45So I understand that you're saying that he fell, and I'm not questioning that.
42:49There are marks on the bottom of his feet, on the heels of his feet, and it's not a common injury.
43:00And I'm trying to figure out where those came from.
43:03We don't know.
43:05Did you guys see them, though?
43:07Yes.
43:07So you did know about them?
43:10Yes.
43:10He got in a walker and sculpted his feet and toes, I know, about three weeks ago,
43:16because he had a walker and he was trying to push.
43:19And her toes started bleeding on that.
43:21The toes, but we're being told that he's got some markings back here on the feet.
43:28On the heel.
43:29It would be like if he tried to do that, he would immediately stop because it would hurt too much.
43:37The way you're explaining that.
43:38I know that's toes.
43:40So we're being told that it's either one of two things.
43:43An aspiration where somebody hit him with something, or a burn where somebody has burned him.
43:49Shelley can't explain the foot injuries, but Christopher is about to add another suspect to the list, his two-year-old son.
43:55I know a lot of it, but I'm jealous of him.
43:59He will jump in this crib.
44:02He will hit him.
44:03I don't know if he has a scar right here with a knife.
44:07Because he got him out of the crib.
44:11He will hit the baby with lots of toys all the time.
44:13All the time.
44:14Every time we turn our back, he's in that place, then he's trying to take that bottle.
44:17And he bops him.
44:18All the lawns.
44:18So these bruises on hands, do you see them here?
44:22Yeah.
44:23So you, where would something like that come from?
44:29These are the bruises.
44:30You see him, it looks like, it looks to me like somebody squeezed his hand.
44:37Maybe when he was squeezing him and jerking him around that night.
44:40No, these are different stages of healing.
44:43You see, this one is black and blue.
44:46This one is red.
44:47This one is really dark.
44:49This one is more green.
44:50I've seen it on his head, but I've never seen it on his head.
44:53Okay, well, let's look at his arm.
44:55Look at that bruise.
45:00He was always in a onesie, too.
45:02The other train had him.
45:03Long sleeve onesie?
45:04Yeah.
45:05Covered the feet and hands for a while.
45:08He wouldn't let him wear nothing else.
45:10But the excuses are doing little to further the case for innocence, particularly since
45:15this isn't the first time something like this has happened.
45:18We lost our other son.
45:19We was at my dad's house.
45:21Mm-hmm.
45:22And woke up.
45:23You lost your other son?
45:24Yeah.
45:24How long ago was that?
45:25Um, he was.
45:29It's 2019, I think.
45:32According to a 2019 report from the sheriff's office in Brantley County, Georgia, EMTs arrived
45:37at the house of Daryl Brooks, Shelly's father, in response to a call about an infant not breathing.
45:43Shelly told police that she'd breastfed her newborn baby before falling asleep with the
45:47baby and Christopher in the bed next to her.
45:50Police note that the nearby crib was occupied by a machete and a baseball bat.
45:54Christopher woke up later to find the baby unresponsive and called 911.
45:59At the hospital, the doctor determined that the child had been injured while feeding,
46:03appearing to have suffocated on his mother's breast.
46:06Ultimately, what happened when the child passed away?
46:10What do you mean?
46:11Did they, what did they do for you guys?
46:15Did they say, hey, you know, this is where we're at?
46:20What happened?
46:21Did you have to make a choice to say how you did?
46:26They told me it would be 30 minutes and he would be breathing for it and let him go because
46:30there was no oxygen or whatever, but everything was combed or something like that.
46:38So what?
46:38Basically, they told me it was not, it would be better to let him go.
46:43And then it took me a while to make this choice.
46:45When I did, he left it for two hours and 45 minutes.
46:48Though Shelly's parents suspect that Christopher killed the baby in 2019, neither he nor Shelly
46:54faced any charges and it was ruled a case of sudden infant death syndrome, according to
46:58Shelly.
46:59While the detectives can't dismiss that piece of dark history, everyone's primary concern
47:04is with the baby currently in the hospital.
47:06What's going on with my savior?
47:08Well.
47:09Honestly, what is really happening with my baby?
47:12Like we said, he has the fractures, the healing fractures.
47:15He is being assisted with medical assists where they have him helping him breathe, making
47:20sure that he can.
47:21What is the chance that he can't go through?
47:22I don't know.
47:23They didn't tell us that.
47:25He's not in the best condition.
47:26I'll tell you that.
47:27He could be in a better condition.
47:29Could he make it out?
47:31Could he be able to live?
47:32I'm not a doctor, so I can't tell you that.
47:35I don't know that answer.
47:37The detective makes it clear, though, that Shelly will have to separate herself from Christopher.
47:42Coming to an end, separating from him, this is going to be the hardest thing you ever do.
47:47I know it's been really hard.
47:49I wanted to do it so bad before now, even last time.
47:52I'm not born back in the all-round day.
47:56That's it, sir.
47:57You got to just be strong for yourself.
47:59And when you're not strong enough for yourself, be strong for your kids, okay?
48:02And Christopher, meanwhile, prepares for the worst.
48:06If he was to die, it's been hurt twice.
48:10I lose my son.
48:12I lose my freedom.
48:14Sadly, on February 4th, 2022, eight-month-old Cody Palmer is pronounced dead at the hospital
48:20at 4.46 a.m., five days after the incident in the RV.
48:25The coroner rules his death to be caused by a traumatic brain injury.
48:29The tragic outcome is undoubtedly the last result anyone wanted, including the officers who
48:35responded that first night, who were already struggling with the horrors they'd seen.
48:39I know you've got small kids.
48:41Are you okay with this?
48:43I don't know.
48:43I mean, I won't lie.
48:44Like, I teared up the sack.
48:46Like, it hurts, man.
48:47I know.
48:48Me, too.
48:48So?
48:49Me, too.
48:50You know, Turner's got a baby at the house, man.
48:54We're going to talk.
48:56All of us are going to talk.
48:58Yes, sir.
48:58All of us are going to talk.
48:59But, yeah, this is why we do what we do right here.
49:03Evil exists.
49:04And our job is to make sure we get it under control.
49:07And so, you know, we can't do anything to stop what's happening to baby boy, but we can
49:12stop what's happening to everybody else involved.
49:14According to news reports, the couple's older two children were placed in foster care, where
49:19they remained together.
49:20I've been around kids.
49:21Oh, I was never a kid.
49:23I've always loved my children and other children.
49:26I wasn't even a party.
49:28I would watch everybody else as kids.
49:30We think that you, we know that you love your babies and, and I think that the hardest
49:37part is the, the, the fear that you had in this domestic situation prevented you from
49:44doing what, what mothers need to do, and that is protect our babies, right?
49:49It did.
49:50But you don't have to be heard about what it went like.
49:53And then I went to shelter.
49:55I've never did that.
49:56I put me and them kids through a lot of damage at home, even though it wasn't the night of
50:01this, and I gave it all off to go back.
50:04Well, you know what?
50:06Let's look forward from here.
50:08What, what can we do to help you?
50:10What can we do that's best for all of the children?
50:12Even my family said on that phone, I told you not to go back.
50:16I told you.
50:17On the night of Shelly's arrest, Detective Richards echoed the sentiment without mincing words.
50:22Do or die.
50:23Yeah.
50:23You either save your kids or die trying.
50:25Exactly.
50:26So, you know, it is what it is.
50:29Shelly Rooks was booked on first-degree cruelty to children, felony aggravated assault, and
50:33second-degree murder.
50:35According to news reports, however, she was deemed incompetent to stand trial and is unlikely
50:40to face prosecution in Cody's death.
50:42I've never seen nobody as violent as Chris.
50:45You never?
50:46Never.
50:46I've always had good people around me.
50:49I think my daddy got angry and stuff.
50:52Not like this.
50:52It's not like this at all.
50:54It takes a village, but it takes a good village.
50:59You guys were strong enough to go through it once.
51:02I believe that God doesn't give you more than what you can handle, right?
51:07You're twice.
51:09Angry, imprisoned.
51:10Christopher Palmer was booked on first-degree cruelty to children, aggravated assault, possession
51:16of a firearm by a convicted felon, felony murder, and malice murder.
51:21According to news accounts, the jury deliberated for only an hour and a half before convicting
51:25him in November 2024 of those charges, in addition to malice murder.
51:31Reports say he was sentenced to life in prison plus 10 years, with no possibility of parole.
51:36If you'd like to see select new videos early and help us keep uncovering case files that
51:42rarely come to light, you'll find extra footage and unseen details on our Patreon.
51:47Channel memberships here on YouTube also include early access to select new videos.
51:51section 10, dates to same date on screen.
51:53itz.
51:534th ofID.
51:5410, on the screen, they tried to get the same shots as a man.
51:543th ofID.
51:565th ofID.
51:576th ofID.
51:5715th ofID.
51:5716th ofID.
51:5817th ofID.
51:5817th ofID.
51:5817th ofID.
51:5817th ofID.
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