Jury Chooses Death In The Murder-Assault Of 6 Year Old

by LCoastMom | October 8, 2009 at 02:56 am

607 views | 39 Recommendations | 35 comments

January 2, 2001 a beautiful baby boy, named Christopher Michael Barrios, Jr was born, in Brunswick, GA. Christopher had big brown eyes, that twinkled when he smiled; something that he seemed to do all the time. He had soft brown curls and a smile that was infectious. You couldn't help but smile back, when Christopher smiled at you. His parents have said "Everyone who met him, fell in love with him..." and Christopher returned that love to everyone too.

Chris's mom and dad split up when he was just a toddler. His dad, Christopher Michael "Mike" Barrios, Sr. had legal custody of little Chris. He lived in a trailer just down the street from his mother, in the Canal Mobile Home Park, in Brunswick, GA. A trailer park, in a rural area surrounded by woods and tidal canals. It's a beautiful area and a they thought, a great place to raise kids.

In 2007, Christopher celebrated his 6th Birthday. His family described him as an energetic and articulate little boy who loved Spiderman, Batman, Ben-10, and a stray cat in his neighborhood he had adopted and named Jimmy. They said his smile would light up any room, when he walked into it. And to Chris, the whole world was his playground, just waiting to be explored. Before going to bed each night, Christopher would tell each and everyone of his family members "Goodnight, God Bless, I Love You." And every one of them loved Chris back.

Christopher was a Kindergarten student at C.B. Greer Elementary School. The school bus picked him up and dropped him off just yards from his Grandma's house, where he stayed when his dad and stepmom Paula, were at work. Life wasn't always easy for the young family, but in those days it seemed pretty good.

There was another family whose lives weren't working out so well, in the Canal Mobile Home Park. David Edenfeil 59, a man who worked long hours at a fast food restaurant, he was a registered sex offender. In 1994 Edenfield had been arrested for having an incestuous relationship with his mentally retarded adult daughter. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to ten years parole. When asked about it, Edenfield replied; "It was a family member who was mad at me and made up the accusation." His wife, Peggy Edenfeil 57, and their son, George Edenfield, a 32-year-old man, with the mental capacity of a 5-year-old. In May 1997, George Edenfield was convicted of two counts of child molestation and given probation. In September 2006, he was indicted for violating his probation by living less than 1,000 feet from a park in downtown Brunswick, and was ordered to move. On March 5, 2007, Edenfield was sentenced to 10 years probation from the 2006 conviction.

On March 8, 2007 the Barrio's family got up and spent their day the way they usually did, Chris and older brother Devon went to school, while mom Paula and dad Mike went to work. That afternoon Christopher's grandmother Sue Rodriguez, said Chris came home from school, dropped his backpack on the chair, like he did everyday. He grabbed a drink from the fridge and went outside to play.

When Paula got home at 8PM the first thing she did was ask for Chris. Mike replied that he was with his grandma and went next door to bring him home. Seconds later he returned, saying grandma had thought he was here, as he went back out to find Chris. One of the neighbors remembered seeing Chris playing on the swings, across the street from the two houses that Chris went back and forth between, equally at home in either place. 10 minutes later he was back, with no Chris in sight, they called 911. By 8:30 law enforcement had arrived and were starting to search. His grandmother told the police that she last saw Chris sitting on the steps of his father's mobile home as she was leaving the park to run errands. This was around 3:30 in the afternoon when he got home from school. As she drove by she waved goodbye, then she watched out the back window as he waved back.

A neighbor reported last seeing Christopher Thursday night, playing on the swings across the street from his dad's house, another said she saw him walking the up the road, saying he couldn't have been more then 100 feet away from his father's or his grandmother's . How could he have just vanished?

When the local search turned up no answers, some of the officers who began the investigation refused to leave for the night. Even though there were no searches until day break, something may have come up. A 6 year old, was lost and alone somewhere in the dark and they were going to find him. The next day, the word was out around town, one of their own was in trouble. Hundreds of people came to help; bringing food, helping in the search, or just running errands for the family. They came from nearby and they came from far away. All wanted just one thing. To see Chris at home with his family.

Dozens of volunteers spent days helping search for Chris along the road, near the canals and in the woods surrounding the mobile home park. They searched on horseback, they searched on 4x4, the searched on foot. Police found one of Christopher's toys, a Star Wars light saber, near where he was last spotted. It was turned over to the FBI when local Police couldn't identify all the prints found on the toy.

Volunteers felt the family's pain and frustration, saying the search was now personal. "On the walk this morning you think you found something and you find nothing. But I guess we'll continue until we find him," says Bernice Singleton. I have nine grandsons of my own and if something happened to those kids I don't know what I'd do."

On Monday, 4 days after he went missing, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation issued a Levi's Call, the state's equivalent of an Amber Alert. GBI spokesman John Bankhead said Levi's Calls are mostly used for confirmed abductions but "given the scenario, we felt it was best to go ahead and issue one. "Police Chief Matt Doering said; "The only thing that makes any sense is he was abducted."

Christopher's family gave several interviews throughout the days following Christopher's disappearance. Saying they were sure he would be home soon. They were all praying for him. Even Chris's big brother, 10 year old Devon released a statement; "Please come home, and I love you," Christopher's brother said Friday during the search. "I hope he comes home. I miss him." The family thanked everyone for giving their time for the search, and all the help everyone was offering them. Chris's grandma told reporters, "Please, I want my baby back." Mike Barrio's said: "I miss my son. I'm ready for him to come home. I don't know where he is and I wish I knew where to start looking for him, you know, but I don't and it's heartbreaking.

"Police Chief Matt Doering told reporters the family had been ruled out as having anything to do with with their son vanishing. The have allowed officers to search their homes and have all been interviewed. While they were never thought to be suspect, ruling them out was a necessary first step in the investigation.

Everyone in Christopher's Kindergarten class wrote letters to the family, hoping to see Chris back in school with his friends soon. The elementary school principal, Tony Ethridge said the children bring Chris's name up through out the day. A little girl pointed to a desk saying; "This is Christopher's desk". To which her teacher replied "Yes it is; we hope to see him back here, soon."

A reward of $31, 500 had been offered for Christopher's safe return. Hundreds of local, state and federal law enforcement officers, National Guard soldiers and volunteers have been looking for the boy around the Canal mobile home park, from where he was last seen. It seemed the little boy had just vanished.

The first arrest in the case was the family's next door neighbor. LE had arrested George Edenfield' the day after Chris went missing. Just three days before Chris disappeared the judge had sentenced George to ten years parole, for violating his parole. He was once again charged with parole violation for failing to register his new address. That charge was later updated to include obstruction after he and his family gave LE conflicting stories about what they knew about Christopher's disappearance. In one interview, police said George Edenfield told them he knew where the boy was, but in another he said he didn’t know anything about his disappearance.

Chief Doering expressed frustration after spending the day acting on information provided by Edenfield. "He's made four, five or six different statements, all conflicting," Doering said. "If we didn't think there was some credence to it all, we wouldn't be here. How much? I don't know."

Following the arrest, Christopher's Grandma was asked whether the family still has hope Christopher is alive, she said: "Yes sir, we're holding on to that hope that he's alive and he's going to come home."

Police searched Edenfield's mobile home again Monday night, after his mother Peggy, told investigators the boy may still be alive, Doering said. Police found a piece of evidence related to Christopher's disappearance at the trailer, but investigators would not say what. Search teams plan to narrow their focus on a field and canal near the mobile home park.

Glynn County investigators questioned Edenfield's mother again early Tuesday morning. Then Peggy was arrested on charges of obstruction, after giving LE more conflicting stories, about what she knew about Christopher's disappearance. Everything from: he is alive, in the house, which brought LE to search the house again; to: she had taken him by the hand and walked him home, when she found him in her house, knowing it was against her son's parole to be alone with a minor, to: she had been forced to go with her husband and a friend to dispose of the body in the woods.

Glynn County Police Capt. Jim Nazzrie said; "She told law enforcement she thought she knew where Christopher may be, only to find she was intentionally leading them astray. "We have spent all day going back over five square miles," Nazzrie said. "The only information we've got from anyone out there has not panned out to be true. That's why we have the subject in custody, for hindering an investigation. They're not charged with a crime or a criminal act against Christopher, but it's one of these things, 'well I can show you where the body's at,' well, it's not here.'

Late Tuesday night, police in Glynn County received new information from two men claiming to know the location of Chris' body. Authorities brought in a helicopter with infrared technology and cadaver dogs to search an area about a mile down the road from where Chris was last seen, but nothing came of the search. Police then arrested David Edenfield and Donald Dale a family friend, for obstruction, after leading officers to a spot where they said the boy was buried near the mobile home park. They took them out to show them where the body was buried, but they could not locate the body," said Capt. Jim Nazzrie. "We still don't know whether they're just telling crazy lies or if they know something."

Thursday afternoon Chris's Grandmother, Sue Rodriguez, told reporters "My hopes jumped back up that he's alive and that we're gonna find our baby alive and he's gonna come back home. They haven't found no baby's body and as along as that's not so, I'm gonna continue to hope and pray that he's alive and that he's coming home."

Asked whether she believed the Edenfields and Dale knew where Christopher was, Rodriguez earlier said she thinks the four are "playing like they're crazy" in leading frustrated police around to different spots only to come up empty in their search. "I've begun thinking they are a little bit off but I think there's a lot playin' and this ain't no game," she said. She also said Chris had been warned to stay away from the Edenfield's house. She had told him they were bad people who would hurt him. In typical Chris style he replied "No they won't . They're nice to me."

Exactly one week after he was reported missing, Christopher was found. He had been dumped in a field near the Brunswick, GA airport, and was found there by a Department of Natural Resources officer involved in the search, police said. Just a couple miles away from his home. Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering said he was the one who told Christopher's father the tragic news."That's the hardest time I've had to hold my composure," he said.

Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering said it was obvious the child had been slain, but would not say how. He escorted the boy's father, Mike Barrios, to view the scene where the boy's body was found, though the father did not view the body.

Carlos Barrios said in a statement for the family; "It's a big relief, really, to know the boy is found, even though he's dead. This way he can have a proper burial. Chris had been found covered with some sort of bag, like trash. He wasn't trash, he was a good kid. The family is pretty torn up right now." He also thanked all the volunteers and authorities who helped in the search.

24 hours after the body of Christopher was found, the family spoke about their feelings and reaction to the news their neighbors were responsible for his kidnapping and murder. They spoke of their love for their precious boy and his love of everyone. Listening to him say goodnight was something they all loved about him, the grieving family members said. They were angry they would never hear Christopher say those words again and they said that they want justice for the four people who police say were involved. "This family that's responsible for bringing this harm to my son. I just hope that they get prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and they're shown no mercy, I want that the whole rest of their lives are miserable," Michael Barrios said. He said, he would be in court every step of the way through the prosecution, but for now they said they are just grieving and taking things one day at a time.

Now the boy who loved Spiderman will no longer play with his collection of action figure toys. That morning Mike had to pick out a casket for his son. "That was something I wasn't prepared to do, wasn't prepared to do that. My son's only six years old and he's going to be laying up there." Christopher Barrios Sr. is mourning and blaming himself, because he was at work when Christopher went missing. "I feel like if I were here, he'd still be here with me." Now the neighborhood cat Christopher adopted is without his little boy and a father is without his son.

While Christopher's family planned his funeral, the state of Georgia went forward with charges against the 4 people being held for Christopher's murder. The day of Chris's funeral was a beautiful day. The kind Christopher would have love to spend at the beach with his family. But the beauty was lost on the grief stricken family, as they put their baby boy down to rest one last time, forever.

The three Edenfields have remain jailed without bail on malice murder, kidnapping and child molestation charges. Mike Barrios has kept the promise that he made to his son. He has been to every hearing, every conference, every minute of the trial of David Edenfield. When they DA repeats the heartless words Edenfield spoke into the recorder during the Police interviews; Mike sits up and listens attentively. When the crime scene photos are presented into evidence; he doesn't look away. This was his baby boy's last hours of life. The life that was stolen by the monster on trial. As any parents would, Michael is sharing his baby's last moments. Even now, 2 years later Mike is taking the torture that was done to his son, trying to relieve the suffering his baby went through. Doing what he can to be there for his baby boy.

All three Edenfields are charged with

murder
kidnapping with bodily injury
enticing a child for indecent purposes
false imprisonment
cruelty to children
George and David Edenfield is also charged with aggravated child molestation
Peggy Edenfield is charged with child molestation

All three and Dale are also charged with concealing the death of a person and tampering with evidence.

The state is seeking death for George and David Edenfield. In exchange for testifying against her husband and son, Peggy will be tried last and will not be sentenced to death or life w/o parole.

Dale pleaded guilty to his charges. Glynn County police had alleged that Dale helped hide the kindergartner's body after a family of three – David Edenfield, his wife, Peggy Edenfield, and their adult son, George Edenfield – allegedly kidnapped, molested and strangled Christopher Barrios, March 8, 2007.

The state has three months to place Dale in a facility selected by the Georgia Department of Human Resources. In the meantime, he will remain incarcerated at the Glynn County Detention Center.

The words that came out of the mouths of these people, hurt to listen to, there should be a law against thinking such things, let alone doing them to a 6 year old little boy. Stephen Kelley, Glynn County district attorney, said listening to the two hour tape of David Edenfield talking about the crimes was the worst two hours of his life. When the crime scene and autopsy pictures were handed to the jury most of them physically recoiled from the horror that the monsters bestowed upon his little body.

Through out the testimony given by Peggy Edenfield against her husband, she contradicted herself repeatedly. She said she couldn't remember things and she flat out lied about things.. To the credit of the jury seated and sequestered, they saw through all of it. They found David Edenfield guilty on all counts in just under two hours. Then they came back the next day, listened to hours of statements made to insure they understand the task in front of them. Of sending a man to his death.

They listened to Mike Barrios as he spoke from the broken heart of a father who will not see his child grow into manhood. He spoke of the times at the beach that they will never have again. Simple things like a trip to Walmart to pick out a toy, that made him so happy because it made his son happy. All that is lost.

They listened as Stephen Kelly spoke from his heart in closing arguments. His eyes welled up with tears as he struggled to get through his final words. Justice demands that the punishment fit the crime, and the only punishment fit for Christopher’s savage sexual assault and horrific, torturous murder is the death penalty, Kelley said.“But for one man’s cold heart, but for one man’s depraved mind, Christopher Barrios would be alive today,” he said Kelley reminded jurors of the evidence — including Edenfield’s own words in a recorded confession —

Through the trial, through the conviction through the penalty phase Edenfield sat with no emotion, just like the lack of emotion he showed Christopher on March 8, 2007.

The jury was out less then 2 hours again. When they came back with a death sentence.

Michael Barrios said they were grateful to all the volunteers who had helped search for his son, and lauded Glynn County police as well as Kelley and Johnson for their hard work bringing Edenfield to justice.

The parents of 6-year-old Christopher Barrios Jr. said Tuesday that their son is looking down from heaven and smiling after a jury recommended the death sentence for his killer in David Edenfield. We got him. He's got his deadline," said Michael Barrios, Christopher's father referring to Edenfield's death sentence recommendation.

Edenfield was the first of three people to be tried in Christopher's death. Edenfield's wife. Peggy, and his adult son George are also charged in the kidnapping and murder of the 6-year-old boy. Mike Barrios will be there for those trials too.

It was announced yesterday that the family of Christopher Barrios plans to file a civil suit against the SOAPnet Entertainment channel owned by Disney. Last year they displayed a portrait of Christopher as a prop with a story line of a child abandoned by his father on General Hospital; Night Shift.

Soapnet ran an apology following what they called an accident claiming they had no idea how it happened.

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albertacowpoke

at 08:06 on October 8th, 2009

Excellent and very moving report.

PregnancyCorner

at 08:17 on October 8th, 2009

What a bunch of sicko's

marianmo

at 08:21 on October 8th, 2009

master_jim2008

at 08:21 on October 8th, 2009

There should be no appeals for this guy. After leaving the court house with a death sentence, he should have been executed with a 50 cent bullet in the back of the head, between the courthouse and the transport van. The van should have then taken him to the morgue rather than back to prison.

badboobee

at 08:23 on October 8th, 2009

Thank you. I'm crying reading this. You did a wonderful job on this. My only wish is that there wasn't a story, that it never happened.

Vic De Zen

at 08:25 on October 8th, 2009

Great report. Everytime I hear something like this it just makes me wonder about the people in this world and how certain types of people exist.

René

at 08:39 on October 8th, 2009

Justice system is just as guilty, two in a family paroled? for sex offenses? and no one in the area warned?

They should have been the first ones investigated, they might have saved that little boy.

I expect to see some civil lawsuits in this case. State failed to protect the public, and allowed these criminals to live where little children lived.

badboobee

at 08:55 on October 8th, 2009

I agree! Our justice system needs to be changed. This is not right, it never should have happened, and it shouldn't continue.

LCoastMom

at 18:24 on October 8th, 2009

Christopher's biological mother has a wrongful death suit against the owner of the park for renting to people with a history of sex crimes and a suit against a CPS case worker who gave custody of Christopher to his father.

Claiming if these things didn't happen, Chris would be alive. They seem like a shot in the dark to me, she is suing for funeral costs that I believe were paid by donations and for the actual worth of Chris's life with no dollar amount specified.

She had not seen her son in 10 months. I think there is so much guilt felt by all of these family members. She just needs someone to be held responsible, to alleviate her own guilt for not being there.

I have read that some people feel the grandmother is to blame for leaving Chris there while she went to run errands. His father feels guilty for being at work.

Chris's grandmother knew there were sex offenders living across the street (or next door, I've read both in multiply places). She knew someone in that house had spoken to Chris on more than one occasion.

There is a bottom line here. If those men were locked up for their priors this wouldn't have happen. If we did more with sex offenders to prevent them having a second chance, this wouldn't have happened. If neighbors who had seen George watching the children at the bus stop, had called the authorities this wouldn't have happened. I don't know where to start pointing if we are going to say someone other than the 3 people jailed are responsible. There are so many things that could have been done that would have prevented Chris from being taken by these monsters.

Why are there monsters like this running around? Why isn't the world a safe place for our children? Why don't our laws prevent anyone with a crime against a child the opportunity to do it again? I wish I had the answers...

LCoastMom

at 18:44 on October 8th, 2009

It was announced earlier today that the family of Christopher Barrios plans to file a civil suit against the SOAPnet Entertainment channel owned by Disney. Last year they displayed a portrait of Christopher as a prop with a story line of a child abandoned by his father on General Hospital; Night Shift.

Soapnet ran an apology following what they called an accident claiming they had no idea how it happened.

badboobee

at 08:40 on October 8th, 2009

I hope every day on death row this fool wakes up to the realization that he has been sentenced to death. I think, even with all the appeals, it is a long drawn out process. I hope everyday he wakes up he thinks, I killed an innocent child and I am going to die for it. That's 365 days, at least, a year that he is going to have that cold fear run thru his body and mind. I hope every day his mind replays Christopher's crys and I hope he chokes on the acidic vile that will rise from his stomach as he worries whether or not the injection is going to hurt, and I sure as hell hope he hates needles.

LCoastMom

at 18:22 on October 8th, 2009

I will not repeat the things they did or even said because I want Christopher to be remembered for who he was, not what was done to him or what these animals think or do.

The police never gave a time line for when he was taken, but from all I have put together I believe he was already out of the house before the 911 call was made.

It sounded like the police did a door to door and an officer is quoted after the fact, saying they saw the monsters moving around in their house that night (their blinds were pulled and lights were turned on.) It seems like the police didn't suspect anything, which is perplexing given the history of the inhabitants of the house.

Although the occupants had not been charged for committing crimes in a violent manner. There was a former neighbor who said George had threatened to cut his toes off; then the mother replied "He wouldn't do that, he knows I don't eat toe sandwiches." Was the family just very odd or are they all criminally insane? IDK

René

at 09:27 on October 8th, 2009

sexual molestation isn't violent?

badboobee

at 10:00 on October 8th, 2009

Of course it's violent but in the eyes of the law they never killed anyone before, that we know of. This is an example of why laws need to be changed.

Source who knows (not verified)

at 11:58 on October 8th, 2009

Excuse me but someone has their facts all wrong, most of it is right, however the facts about how lil chris first arrived from school is all wrong and that his dad and stepmom Paula were at work...no dear, his father was at work, and paula...his dads girlfriend...not chris's step mom, was at home who was suppose to be watching christopher...grandma sue was never at home to begin with, she was out with her husband...papa louis looking for property! Paula was never at work that specific day, she was inside the house while chris had been outside for numerous hours...all by himself! Grandma Sue was not the one who was watching sweet Christopher, I sure wish someone would get their facts straight before they decide to wright a story about the life of a child they really knew nothing about, nor the things he had to go through in life before he was raped and murdered by there evil freaks! That poor baby never had a chance in life, so before posting a bedtime story for the world to see, make sure you go back and check all of your facts! Sincerely...The source!

badboobee

at 13:46 on October 8th, 2009

Ok, the source who knows. This story is consistent with all the reports I have read. I'll call you on it. What makes you the source who knows?

LCoastMom

at 19:23 on October 8th, 2009

OK Sincerely the Source, the next time I wright a story I check with you, but I need to tell you, I've been working on wrighting this story for 2 weeks. I easily put 100 hours into it. And while you are wright I never had the honor of meeting Christopher in person I tried very hard to to check all my facts because you weren't around while I did the background research. I will admit I took the liberty to call Paula his "stepmom" while I knew she and Mike weren't married. I would have preferred to call her mom but I didn't want to be disrespectful to Latrina Keith.

I also know Mike never married Latrina Keith; does that change the relationship she had with Christopher at one time? To be honest I don't like the word stepmom or stepdad I would have called her his mom because that appears to be the place Christopher had for her. But I didn't want to do that to Latrina Kieth, whether she saw him or not she still gave birth to him. Again being that you weren't here to give me your version of the truth I had to go by what I had.

There were a lot of facts I left out of this, because the public loss of Christopher is more than enough pain for anyone to go through. If you believe I turned this into a bed time story because I chose not to give detail to what Chris went through in the last 2 hours of his life, feel free to wright you own version. I read all of it. I promise, what I left out, aside from the details of what those monsters did to Chris, had nothing to do with this story, and would only serve to embarrass people who have been through enough, they don't need me to add to their pain. But it is all out there, it is all free to the reader to find.

It doesn't take someone who knows everything to know that David Edenfield is a bold faced liar. If he said the sun was shining at 12:00 noon, I would check. There is no way they did, what they did and removed all the evidence while LEO's were standing right outside their door. More likely they were driving out to the field at the time they gave for the kidnapping.

Just so you know I have no trouble accepting responsibility when I am wrong, I never tried to pretend I know everything. If Christopher's Gma chose not to correct what has been reported in multiple news articles over the last 2 1/2 years, I can only assume she had her reasons. It is not up to me to question her. But since even you admit this was the story that was told, there would be no way for anyone else to know different.

May God Bless the family of Christopher Michael Barrios Jr.

This was reported on Fox Nitely News from statements in an interview and on Fox News online.

Christopher's grandmother last saw him March 8, when the kindergartner came home from school. He dropped his jacket and book bag, grabbed a lemonade and headed outside to play in the mobile home park along a narrow, U-shaped road.

The following was reported on Gretta

The grandmother told the police that she last saw him sitting on the steps of his father's mobile home as she was leaving the park to run errands. This was around 3:30 in the afternoon when he got home from school. He wasn't reported missing until the father's girlfriend came home from work around 8 pm and asked where Christopher was. This prompted a "I thought he was with you. Well, I thought he was with you" type of exchange between the father and grandmother. Subsequent to that, he was reported missing.

PregnancyCorner

at 13:52 on October 8th, 2009

LOL.... Don't you love how "the smart ones" always remain anonymous? It's a great article Bad

Source who knows (not verified)

at 17:12 on October 8th, 2009

Rest assure I know what i'm talking about, and yes, it is funny how the smart ones always remain anonymous, that makes you even smarter, being that you also have posted as...anonymous, or is your real name pregnancycorner? LoL! Perhaps you would all have to know the family in order to know who was really responsible for watching Christopher huh?! But then again, all you really had to do was go to the trial and find out for yourself right?! Infact in the beginning it was in the article that Christopher came to grandma's, got a juice and then left, however the truth always come out in the end, just like with every sick detail that baby endured came out! The source who knows, knows that Paula was the one tending to Christopher and finally decided to peep out the door or window to see if Chris was around (hours after he was gone) i'll say around seven or seven thirtyish, set out to look for him for a little while only to not find him, then called Mike around eightish to tell him she could not find Chris nowhere, he then got off work, came home, searched for chris, then called the police! Chris was also last seen around 6pm playing on a neighbors swingset, that's the last time he was seen by anyone sane! The father Edenfield claimed they didn't get Chris until around 7 or 7:15pm, which was more than likely a lie, long story short, Sue remained quiet about not being the one who had Chris that day, I guess she just didn't want to get into the blame game and felt it was better to remained focused on finding that baby, and she was right, however, the real person knows who was responsible for watching out for Christopher that day, and she will have to be the one who lives with it for the rest of her life, I know for a fact I wouldn't want that on my brain! And yes I will continue to post as anonymous, and you all continue as well, that makes us all the smart ones now don't it?! Atleast there's one anonymous person who has all their facts straight, and that would be me! Enjoy a good evening!

badboobee

at 09:16 on October 9th, 2009

Alright source - anonymous meaning you are not a registered user on Now Public - see the (not verified) next to your name?

This story wasn't about who is to blame for not watching Christopher - this story is about what happened to him and how it came about. Are you saying that all media outlets got their information wrong? Have you written to Fox?

Regardless of who was watching him convicted sex offenders murdered him and NO ONE stepped up to prevent it. I feel that the blame is 100% on the Edenfields, they are sick demented ignorant, inbred, backwards, SOB's (literally).

Yes, someone should have been watching Christopher more closely. I don't know what the community is like in GA, maybe it is common for 6 year olds to be outside playing by themselves. I did it as a child in a concrete jungle of California but there is no way I would let my kids do that today. I am biased though because my environment doesn't allow kids to be safe while playing but maybe it's different in GA. This is the bottom line - where did the innocence of childhood go? Why can't kids play outside until the street lights come on? We have sex offender registration but where is the priority in monitoring these people. Who is around to make sure they aren't watching children playing thru the peepholes of their homes? How do we change these laws? Sex offenders should be required to wear monitoring devices and neighborhoods should stand up and watch out for our children. If a sex offender moves into the neighborhood it should be posted. If a store in Los Angeles wants to sell alcohol they have to have a public hearing and post the intent. I say if a sex offender wants to move into an area it should be a public hearing. I don't care about the rights of sex offenders - they certainly didn't care about the rights of their victims. They made a decision to violate the law, they should face the consequences.

And, source who knows - it doesn't sound to me that this was the first time Christopher was left to his own devices. Out of curiosity what did you do about that? Did you know there were sex offenders living in that close proximity to the Barrio's homes? Did you know that Christopher was playing outside by himself before? Hindsight is 20/20 and I am sure there is a lot of self-inflicted guilt on the part of everyone in the Barrio's family. They chose not to air the information because they didn't want to focus on who was to blame - the intent was to find Christopher, and when he was found to fight for justice. A tragic mistake was made, regardless of who is actually to blame, they seem to me to be sharing the guilt. They have enough on their shoulders without adding to it. The people 100% responsible for Christopher's tragic death are in jail - one on death row, one to follow, and one for life.

The Barrio's are entitled to their guilt - if I was in the position they were in I would absolutely blame myself and I wouldn't want anyone to tell me differently because that in itself is part of the healing. If any one of that family is responsible for not watching out for Christopher, you are right she will live with it for the rest of her life. That is beside the point that they have lost so much and we as a society need to learn from this tragedy, and so many others like it, that we need to step up and protect all children so this doesn't happen again. Writing a story like this makes people associate their own children with Christopher - I do. I look at my children, after hearing this story, and think what can I do to protect them more? Christopher isn't here to bless the world - but his blessing can be that another child is saved from this type of crime.

tori a

at 00:00 on October 11th, 2009

WOW LC, is all I can say, this is so tragic you did a wonderful Job on this story..KUDOS

Don't even listen to the anon poster....she is so pissed at the girlfriend of the father that she can not even take time out to thank you for wrighting this touching story.

We never come on here and say we are professional writers, we are first and foremost a family of ladies that have compassion for the families and children of murder!

I had heard of this story awhile back and it made me cry, I also feel that the public should cry out to the law makers and ask that the sentences be longer, no parole or probation and that child molesters should not even live on the same block as children do.

I know alot of you are going to say, where should they live because there are kids on almost every block in every town in the world.....shit, I would love it if the courts made a Dr. Shut down the reproductive systems of these POS permantly and put these creeps on a piece of land far, far away and called it MOLESTER TOWN USA. they could wollow in their shame and everyone would know to stay away from that place.

I think the Judge that kept letting them go with parole is to blame, the Trailer Park that rented to THESE MONSTERS and the LE for not looking at the perverts from the moment Chris was reported missing!

A child should have every given right to play in his front or back yard without the fear of being abducted by some sick ass that has a thing for children, WE as adults also have a responsibility to keep an eye on what our child is doing and check them fairly often, AS A NEIGHBOR IF YOU SEE A CHILD ALONE FOR MANY HOURS CALL THE PARENT, CARETAKER OR LE it only takes one second of your time.

LC. you did a wonderful job, Chris sounded like a special kid that deserved your BEDTIME STORY, just the way you told it, It would have taken away from the point if you had said all the bad things that were done to him...all of us adults already KNOW what happens to abuducted children and imagen the worse things that could happen, so we do not need to see it here.

We send out all our prayers to Chris's Family and Friends that have been deprived of his beautiful smile and loving soul..... R~I~P God's little soldier.

Someone who knows: stop being so pissed off, put your energy into something positive that can help stop the horrors involving children that is going on in your community! OK, I'm pretty sure you are a INSIDER if you attended court everyday and sat through all the ugly things that happened being told and you are so willing to take your anger out on the GF, you must be the Mother or Aunt of Christopher and have a lot of hate for the GF and that is understandable, I would feel the same way. it's not fair she neglected him for hours and look at what happened! but your hatred is not going to make a difference now, your malice for her will not bring him back or put her in jail, it will only eat away at your soul until you are dead inside and that is not a good thing...... I am sure if she was not watching him she will have KARMA to pay and sorrow for the rest of her days!

Don't take your anger out on the people that came here to pay RESPECT to Christopher and his Family, you should be thankful that they thought Christopher was special enough to WRITE about.

LC and BBB talk to you later....if anything is misspelled "oh well I am not really checking, sorry, tired as heck, lol" Tori

LCoastMom

at 12:51 on October 15th, 2009

"If a store in Los Angeles wants to sell alcohol they have to have a public hearing and post the intent. I say if a sex offender wants to move into an area it should be a public hearing. I don't care about the rights of sex offenders - they certainly didn't care about the rights of their victims. They made a decision to violate the law, they should face the consequences."

I second this, you should send this idea along with the rest of your post to the city, county and state officials. No parent / family should ever have to go thru the agony the Barrios and Rodriquez's families have been living every day since March 8, 2007.

IMO no parent should have to worry about this happening to their child.

From the moment a woman thinks she is carrying a child, a whole new mind set grows alongside the baby in her womb. It's name is WORRY, we worry about the glass of wine we drank with dinner, before we knew, we worry about the allergy medicine the doc says is safe and necessary (easy for the doc to say, he's not pregnant!), we worry about things we never knew existed; anything and everything. When the perfect little angel is placed in her arms; the most beautiful angel heaven ever made. We learn new worries!

Accidents just waiting to happen, lurk around every corner; so we baby proof our homes and suggest our parents do the same! We no longer need the fastest car, with the newest designer color, we need one that passes impact safety tests. We start reading automobile safety reports and crash test results. Graph results, buy the safest.

Vaccinations: yes, no or delayed... Breast or bottle if we breast feed we worry; are we depriving daddy of important bonding time? is the baby getting enough? If we bottle feed are we depriving our child and setting up a lifetime of trouble with food allergies and feelings of emotional abandonment?

Cloth diapers? disposable diapers? no diapers? Potty training 12 mos? 2 years? Child lead? Will s/he be kept out of pre-school because s/he isn't trained by 3 years?

The WORRY list is endless.

What we should never have to worry about is another person laying their hands on our child out of depravity or anger; it is wrong, always. Even hardened criminals, those put know it doesn't get any worse, any lower, than a child abuser. This, one of our greatest fears should never have to cross our mind...

Any study on child sexual predators will show one of the lowest success rates of any criminal behavior. Drugs work sometimes, castration works sometimes, nothing works well enough, regularly enough and our children still pay the ultimate price. If this "family" of monsters is the family of tomorrow, I say no thanks. If the state can't keep these monsters off the streets and as the frequency and depravity of these attacks continues to rise, maybe we need to develop communities of tomorrow. Communities of homes owned and rented by people who pass muster. People who willingly provide a current police file or proof of lack of one.

This is not an attempt to keep a 30 year old with a juvenile petty thief arrest out of a community, this is solely an attempt to keep child predators away from children. It is also not an attempt to let big brother in. This would need to be done up front and without judgment; yet privately, between the the applicant and association. A community of people who want to know their neighbors.

If New Yorkers can keep people out of their apartment buildings because the applicant works in the wrong zip code or graduated from the wrong college. Why can't citizens of a community, choose not to live with sexual predators next door? What good does it do to live in a gated community, if a child sexual predator lives across the street?

These thoughts are only musings, it is a ridiculous plan, probably illegal too. But why; after almost 200 years of community living, following the Industrial Revolution, a time when we abolished child labor in this country over a period of just a few years and passed laws to put children into school and now keep them there until they graduate from high school or turn 18. Why, can't we design and pass laws to keep these children safe from predators?

How is it possible a little 7 year old boy was not safe playing on the swings, across the street from his house?

badboobee

at 14:30 on October 15th, 2009

"What we should never have to worry about is another person laying their hands on our child out of depravity or anger; it is wrong, always. Even hardened criminals, those put know it doesn't get any worse, any lower, than a child abuser. This, one of our greatest fears should never have to cross our mind..."

EXACTLY!

LCoastMom

at 18:15 on October 8th, 2009

tori a

at 00:06 on October 11th, 2009

ok LC, what were you going to say??? did you use invisable Ink?

LCoastMom

at 13:05 on October 11th, 2009

Oh I forgot It's a secret!

tori a

at 19:50 on October 11th, 2009

LOL...........

LCoastMom

at 13:04 on October 11th, 2009

Thank you your post is beautiful. That my friends come here and enjoy what I have written or are moves by it means more than anything else.

Syn-OG1

at 15:08 on October 11th, 2009

LCM,

You did an excellent job of posting this horrible crime!! I like how you chose the "high road"- and chose not to single out and bash or blame anyone in Christopher's family.

Badboobee: quote>["This story wasn't about who is to blame for not watching Christopher - this story is about what happened to him and how it came about. Are you saying that all media outlets got their information wrong? Have you written to Fox?"]

Exactly! And that is what LCM intended to do- and she did a fantastic job of relating the FACTS that were made available to the public.

LCM is also showing a tribute to little Christopher, giving the readers an insight to his character and personality. How cheerful he was- and how everyone fell in love with him. I love how she added all the details so the readers would know what a special little boy Christopher was.

*Source who knows* missed the whole point of LCM's story focus! It was about Christopher, and how his life was snuffed out by those demented sexual predators. One rarely gets any insight about the victim and what kind of person they are- along with background info on the sick and twisted perps who are responsible for the crimes.

I also agree with what BBB asked *Source who knows*..."It seems as if that wasn't the first time Christopher was left alone, to his own devises... and were you aware of sex offenders living that close? Out of curiosity- what did you do about it?"

I also think the same as Toria does- that *Source...* is either the mom or Aunt of Christopher.

After all the many many hours that LCM put into this story- to have some unknown *Source* come here and criticize her for such petty "omissions" as calling the girlfriend "stepmother", and writing that it was the Grandmother who last saw Christopher alive- when you claim it was "Paula"- is mean spirited of you.

Why should LCM believe what you claim when no proof has been provided, or backed up. Hmmmm. your word against all the other sources and media.That's still not the point of what she chose to write, or not write.

*Source* should put her bitterness and energy to better use- by advocating better laws and protection from sexual predators- instead of criticizing "the facts" that LCM wrote.

Keep up the good work LCM!! (((hugs)) We appreciate your "stories" and all of the dedication you put forth for Christopher Barrios.