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Autism Vox

Christopher DeGroot’s Parents Plead Guilty

by Kristina Chew, PhD on November 22nd, 2007

Yesterday I wrote about what happened to 4-year-old Scarlett and a commenter posted about Shellay Ward—–and here is another sad, and terrible, story. Nicolaas Dirk DeGroot and Agnes Elizabeth DeGroot of Albany (Oregon) have pleaded guilty in the death of their son, Christopher Aire DeGroot. The DeGroots had been indicted on charges of murder, according to the November 21st Democrat Herald:

However, they pleaded guilty “by way of Alford” Friday to the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. (Pleading guilty by way of Alford allows people to assert their innocence but agree that a judge or jury might find them guilty if the case went to trial.)

The couple was accused of starting a fire May 14, 2006, at their Albany apartment, where they lived with their son, Christopher Aire DeGroot, 19. Investigators said at the time that the parents left their son, who had severe autism, inside the apartment with the door and windows locked. Neighbors called firefighters and Christopher was taken to a Portland hospital, where he died five days later.  

The DeGroots are free on bail.

This Way of Life has a webpage that records the names and stories of autistic persons who have been murdered.

At the risk of belaboring the “thankful theme,” but I have to say it: I am beyond thankful to have our family, and most of all my two lovely, loving guys. Very, always thankful.

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POSTED IN: Crime, Legal Issues

12 opinions for Christopher DeGroot’s Parents Plead Guilty

  • Leanne
    Nov 23, 2007 at 9:59 am

    They’re free on bail for locking their son in an appartment and burning him alive??? I think I might vomit.

  • Patrick
    Nov 23, 2007 at 1:15 pm

    This young man endured at least six days of terror brought on by those parents actions. Outrageous that they were out on bail, disgusting, and like Leanne says above, sickening.

  • Kassiane
    Nov 23, 2007 at 3:08 pm

    When’s the sentencing?

    And who is the prosecution? I’m only a state away. I think that they need some EDUCATION about autism, not to mention basic human decency.

  • anoymous
    Jan 2, 2008 at 1:23 am

    Maybe they were simply afraid that the jury would be full of people like you — too quick to judge without looking at all of the facts.

    I have personally read hundreds and hundreds of pages of discovery on this case I can tell you these were dedicated parents who did *everything* in their power to help their son, despite their hardships.

    Then this tragedy happens and almost *no one* cares to look at the facts as they go on a witch hunt.

    There but for the grace of God go you. Maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to judge. You all make me sick.

  • Anne
    Feb 10, 2008 at 9:01 pm

    It’s astonishing that in this day and age,people who read a blurb in the newspaper think they know the whole story. Shame on you who pass judgment and condemn the parents in this case without knowing the whole story. It was proved they did not start the fire and the autism advocate/expert in this case testified that their decision to lock the doors was an “incremental and reasoned response” to their circumstances, and that they engaged in excellent parenting practices. This was a tragic accident and the real crime occured when the grieving parents were charged with a crime and locked up.

  • Kristina Chew, PhD
    Feb 11, 2008 at 12:39 am

    Thanks for posting here and would much appreciate any news sources that you have.

  • Regan
    Feb 11, 2008 at 1:40 am

    Albany couple sentenced to six months in jail for death of autistic son
    http://www.democratherald.com/articles/2008/02/09/news/local/2loc01_jail.txt

    This is a question not specific to this case, but related–Oregon has a law barring leaving minors home alone or unattended in a potentially hazardous situation under the chronological age of 11 and I believe other states have similar; does anyone know if there is relevant similar statute regarding developmental age for those with cognitive disability?

  • Kassiane
    Feb 11, 2008 at 4:50 am

    Gosh I love how this got buried.

    Wonder who set the wunderfire if it wasnt dear mommy and daddy. The timing is too coincidental for me to believe it wasn’t them without, like, evidence. And 6 months is BS. If there is proof they didnt do it, as the drive by nameless person is so convinced, then why not fight it?

    As Laura Tisonic (sp?) said, NO ONE acheives sainthood by having an autistic child. I’m not impressed by “dedicated” parents who are so “dedicated” that they kill their children or leave them in situations where they could easily be killed.

  • Kristina Chew, PhD
    Feb 17, 2008 at 7:12 pm

    Another report from the Associated Press (February 17)—an excerpt:

    Christopher DeGroot died at a Portland hospital in May 2006 after suffering burns over 80 percent of his body during a fire at the family’s apartment. His parents had been locking him in the apartment when they went out together to prevent him from wandering off.

    Judging by the pattern of burns Christopher sustained, police said the teenager was asleep on a couch at the time the fire broke out.

    Christopher was found in the corner of the living room, slumped over a rocking chair near the front window. The first pane of a double-pane window had been broken, and there was skin, blood and hair nearby.

    A neighbor reported hearing Christopher pounding on the wall from inside the apartment. The cause of the fire was never determined.

    Firefighters were surprised to find him still moaning, still alive, according to Albany police Detective Dawn Hietala.

    She said his parents were still at their horses’ boarding facility in Tangent when Albany police reached them by phone. The DeGroots said they had already heard the news.

    Hietala testified that when the DeGroots arrived at their apartment she was “shocked” by their inquiries about their cats when they still had not seen their critically injured son.

    “There was more emotion from people who didn’t even know Christopher than I saw from the parents,” Hietala said.

    Dr. Daniel W. Close, a defense witness who is an expert in developmental disabilities and autism, suggested the parents reacted in a way consistent with his more than 30 years experience with the parents of autistic children.

    He said both parents had learned to manage Christopher without escalating emotions as a coping mechanism.

    “It was this emotional detachment … that the Albany police encountered during their investigation into the events surrounding the fire and Christopher’s subsequent death,” Close wrote in his evaluation of the couple and repeated at the sentencing.

    Dr. Clara Bozievich, a psychiatrist, noted in her evaluation of Agnes DeGroot that she is partially deaf, affecting the way she answers questions, possibly accounting for the way she responded to police.

    Family friend Jill Mejia testified that Agnes DeGroot was a strong advocate for Christopher, and Nico enjoyed teaching Christopher new skills.

    Nico DeGroot was on disability for a back injury and collected a small payment from the state for Christopher’s care.

    Mejia said Christopher had “no sense of danger” and recalled a terrifying incident when the family was living in Washington state. Christopher ran away and made it all the way to Interstate 5 before his father and police could reach him. Police eventually had to stop traffic to get Christopher to safety.

    “Unfortunately, the efforts to manage Christopher’s running away and behavioral challenges never reached the point where the DeGroots could feel comfortable that he was safe,” Close wrote.

    Christopher’s sister, Vicki Douglas, testified that her mother and stepfather agonized over whether or not to start using locks for Christopher’s safety. After much consideration, she said they concluded the risk of fire was very remote and the potential for death or injury was much higher if Christopher were able to run into the street.

    They would lock the doors then watch him from the window to make sure he was safe. Later, they began leaving him for longer periods of time.

  • tricia
    Feb 22, 2008 at 1:36 am

    does this state provide respite care?i now have 6 autistic kids my 2 yr old just got dianoised with it a month ago i have 3 that are at risk for running away and never in my life could i imagine leaving them locked inside my house even for a second by themselves.i cant believe they got only 6 months in jail.just think of that poor boys pain and suffering he went thru.and all they worried about their cats.And no matter what or how long you have been a parent of a autistic child you naturally have a response when they get hurt i know i do evey little fall im right there right away no matter what so their behavior is very odd having no emotions to what just happened to their son i would have been freaking out.and to those of you siding with the parents dont forget the pain that boy felt as he was inside that burning apt and having no idea what was happening and appartently he did know what danger was cause he was hitting the windows to get out of there.i am sure there were some sort of programs out there that could have helped them but did they even bother checking into them.it may have been a accident but one of them should have stayed behind to watch him.cause with autistic people you just never know from one day to the next what will happen.

  • Regan
    Feb 22, 2008 at 1:56 am

    “Over 2000 children are currently identified on waitlists for Family Support services.”
    http://www.oregonddcoalition.org/?q=node/46

    Before the Staley Trust lawsuit, the wait list was 15+ years for intensive or adult services…now it is 7-10.

    I’m not saying that the DeGroots should have left their son alone in a locked house, on the contrary. This is just a note that respite or support services can take a long time to obtain even after application.

  • Regan
    Mar 9, 2008 at 5:23 am

    “…A Southeast Portland woman who left her 11-year-old severely autistic son alone at home so she could go to a local bar was convicted of criminal mistreatment Thursday because a fire broke out in her absence.

    Melinda R. MacCullen was sentenced to probation, which is the presumptive sentence for such a crime…”
    http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2008/03/_a_southeast_portland_woman.html

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