GA v Dale - Victim: Christopher Barrios
Case Background
Donald Dale, a family friend of the Edenfield’s, is accused of being involved in the March 8, 2007 sexual assault and murder of 6-year-old Christopher Barrios, Jr. of Brunswick, Georgia. His involvement is limited to aiding the Edenfield’s in hiding Christopher’s body. He is not charged with the murder and sexual assault.
It is alleged that George Edenfield lured Christopher to the mobile home he shared with his parents, David and Peggy Edenfield. While in the process of both George and David Edenfield taking turns sodomizing the boy, it is alleged that someone choked him to death. Peggy Edenfield is being charged for her part in the sexual molestation of Christopher as well as his murder.
The Disappearance:
Christopher Barrios was reported missing by his father at approximately 8:15 p.m. on the night of March 8, 2007 from the Canal Mobile Home Park. Christopher had been last observed playing on a swing set by himself at approximately 6:15 p.m. in a neighbor’s yard. When he failed to come home by 8 p.m., and after his father searched the mobile home park, police were called.
The Search:
The search for Christopher began at 8:30 p.m. March 8, 2007.
An extensive search of the areas surrounding the mobile home park was conducted utilizing search dogs, searchers on ATVs , heat-sensing aircraft, and National Guard personnel.
The search was scaled back on Saturday night, March 10, 2007 because there were no new leads.
The Investigation:
During the course of the investigation into Christopher’s disappearance investigators interviewed registered sex offenders in the area including Christopher’s father and George Edenfield.
Christopher’s father also appeared on the Georgia State Sex Offender Registry. He has a conviction for Statutory Rape. However, it was determined early on that Christopher’s father was not a suspect in his son’s disappearance.
This would not be the case pertaining to the interview conducted with George Edenfield, the registered sex offender living across the street from the mobile home of Christopher’s grandmother, Sue Rodriguez. One day after Christopher’s disappearance, George Edenfield was taken into custody based on statements he made to investigators indicating that he had recent unsupervised contact with Christopher on March 8, 2007.
George Edenfield made comments to investigators indicating that he had murdered the child. However, he was reluctant to tell investigators where the body was located because he feared going to prison.1
George Edenfield’s History
George Edenfield had two prior convictions for child molestation dating from 1997.
George David Edenfield was required to register as a sex offender after he pleaded guilty in 1997 to molesting two boys, ages 7 and 9. Prosecutors said he rubbed his clothed body in a sexual manner against the boys, who also were fully dressed. He was sentenced then to 10 years on probation.2
He had recently moved into the mobile home park after having been ordered to move by the sheriff in September 2006 from a house on Union Street because it was determined that residence was in close proximity to a park where children congregated.
Because George Edenfield failed to move he was charged with a probation violation. He appeared in court on that charge on March 5, 2007, 3 days prior to Christopher’s disappearance.
Sheriffs’ deputies told George David Edenfield in September that he had to leave his home near downtown Brunswick because it was too close to a playground. Georgia law prohibits registered sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of schools and other places that draw crowds of children.
His family went to live in the trailer park in October after George David Edenfield was arrested for failing to move as ordered. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to probation March 5, three days before Christopher went missing.3
David Edenfield’s History
David Edenfield, George’s father also has a history of being a sex offender. David Edenfield plead guilty to incest in 1994 for having a sexual relationship with an adult member of his family.
Superior Court records show that David Edenfield was arrested for committing incest against his daughter in 1993, and that he pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 10 years’ probation in 1994.4
Peggy Edenfield’s History
There really is not any information about Peggy Edenfield as it pertains to past brushes with the law. She has been married to David for many years and they have two children, George and an unnamed daughter. Both children have grown into adulthood.
New Leads:
Investigators then went back to the mobile home of Peggy Edenfield and brought along with them a representative from the Gas Company. They asked if they could conduct a test to detect methane gas. Methane gas is a by-product of body decomposition. The test proved the presence of methane gas inside the mobile home.Later that day when another interview was conducted with Peggy Edenfield, she also made comments to investigators indicating not only her son’s involvement but also her involvement, her husband’s and a family friend’s involvement as well in the crime against Christopher.
Peggy Edenfield indicated the following during her interviews with investigators:
Peggy Edenfield told police March 12 that George Edenfield, her son, confessed to her that he had killed Christopher.
Peggy Edenfield witnessed her son and David Edenfield, George’s father and Peggy Edenfield’s husband, choke Christopher until he was dead.5
In a follow-up interview (on March 12, 2007), with Glynn County police Sgt. Keith Stalvey, Peggy Edenfield admitted that George attempted to clean fingerprints off Christopher’s neck using a pot of water and soap and wrapping him in plastic trash bags.
That statement is consistent in three of the four search warrant applications. In the fourth this one to search the Edenfield home it is stated that Peggy Edenfield said she washed Christopher’s neck.
That same warrant includes Peggy Edenfield telling police that David Edenfield and George Edenfield used clothing to wipe semen off their bodies. No further information on this detail is included in any of the warrant applications.6
The Search Resumes:
After investigators spoke with Peggy Edenfield investigators made an emergency entry of the Edenfield mobile home because Peggy Edenfield indicated to investigators that Christopher could be found alive inside of a closet at the mobile home. They were not able to find Christopher but they did find items of interest inside the mobile that did indicate Christopher had been there at some point. There was renewed interest and investigators asked once again that the heat-sensing aircraft be sent to the area of the mobile home park. A search warrant was obtained and the mobile home was officially searched.
George Edenfield was brought to the mobile home so he could show investigators where Christopher’s body had been placed but Mr. Edenfield was unable or unwilling to tell them where to find Christopher.
More Arrests:
Peggy Edenfield was placed under arrest on March 14, 2007 and charged with giving false statements, obstruction of an officer and concealing the death of another person.
David Edenfield, George Edenfield’s father and husband of Peggy Edenfield was arrested on March 15, 2007 on charges of giving false statements, obstruction of an officer and concealing the death of another person. That same day, family friend Donald Dale, was arrested and charged as well.
The suspects were escorted to various sites they claimed where Christopher’s body could be located over the ensuing days but none of those searches proved fruitful.
Discovery of Christopher’s Body:
On March 15, 2007, a searcher noticed tire tracks on a road located approximately 3 miles from the Canal Mobile Home Park. Those tire tracks led to a black trash bag covered with bugs, containing Christopher’s body.
The Indictments:7
David, Peggy and George Edenfield:
- Malice murder - punishable by death, life without parole or life with eligibility for parole
- Kidnapping with bodily injury - punishable by death, or 25 years to life in prison
- Enticing a child for indecent purposes - punishable by 10 to 30 years in prison
- False imprisonment - punishable by 1 to 10 years in prison
- First-degree cruelty to children - punishable by 5 to 20 years in prison
- Child molestation - punishable by 5 to 20 years in prison
- Concealing the death of another person - punishable by 1 to 10 years in prison
- Tampering with evidence - punishable by 1 to 10 years in prison
George and David Edenfield Additional Indictments:
- Aggravated child molestation, two counts - punishable by 25 years to life on each count
Donald Dale Indictments:
- Concealing the death of another person - punishable by 1 to 10 years in prison.
- Tampering with evidence - punishable by 1 to 10 years in prison.
Pretrial Activity:
In December 2007 Donald Dale’s attorney attempted to arrange for a plea deal with his client which would have allowed him to plead to a lesser offense and then serve his sentence in a mental health facility. The idea was that Donald Dale is mildly mentally retarded.
However, late last week it was announced that Donald Dale wanted to stand trial on the charges against him.
Dale’s defense attorney, John Wetzler, said investigators made an inappropriate statement about Dale during the interrogation process and said that is the reason he’s backing off the plea deal for his client.
He said the comment was made after an interrogation and was caught on tape when one investigator said Dale should be locked up so he would not “breed.”
“There is no plea. There’s no compromise whatsoever. Donald Dale must go to trial,” Wetzler said. “Bring it on.”8
During a court hearing held on Monday, June 9, Wetzler announced the withdrawal of the plea deal and desire to move on to trial. Judge Scarlett was not pleased with how in his view both the prosecution and defense have delayed justice for Christopher and Donald Dale’s day in court.
“It is absolutely ridiculous that this case has not gone to trial,” Scarlett scolded the attorneys.
The victims and Dale all deserve their days in court, Scarlett said.
“Whether by design or lack of understanding, you gentlemen have obstructed this case,” he said.9
Donald Dale’s trial is set to begin on July 7, 2008.
Donald Dale is to appear in court on June 26 for a pretrial hearing to discuss pending motions. The hearing is scheduled for 9:30a.m. in Brunswick.10
June 26, 2008: Donald Dale and his attorney are expected in court today for a motion hearing. The trial is still scheduled to begin on July 7, 2008 with Judge Scarlett presiding.11
Plea Bargain & Sentence
During what was supposed to be a motion hearing on June 26, 2008, prosecutors dropped the charges of concealing a death, tampering with evidence and felony obstruction in the March 2007 slaying of Christopher Michael Barrios. In exchange, Donald Dale enter a guilty plea of lying to police but mentally retarded. Dale scored a 60 on the IQ exam - 10 points below the norm.
According to the prosecutor, Dale told investigators that the Edenfield’s burned Christopher’s body. It is not clear to his attorney why Dale came up with that story. However, he knew his client had not been truthful with authorities.
The plea is the same one Wetzler rejected just last month. Now he says he feels good about the outcome for his client because it was not right to charge him with the more serious charges. Prosecutors said they lacked enough evidence to charge Dale with the more serious charges.
Dale was sentenced to serve an additional 3 months in jail in addition to the 15 months already served while awaiting trial. The remaining 3 1/2 years will be spent on probation in a state home for the mentally disabled and it was agreed the home will not be in Glynn County - partly for his own safety. Dale told the judge he does not plan to come back to Glynn County, that way he can stay out of trouble.
Christopher’s father, Mike Barrios, said he is OK with the decision.12
“I think he played a bigger role, maybe in coming around and helping cover up, but it’s just a gut feeling,” Barrios said. “For what they could prove, I guess it was a good deal on our part.”13
I am not sure how I feel about the plea bargain. Generally, I do not like them. However, in this case I think it was the proper thing to do. Most likely Dale lied to police because he was told to do so by the Edenfield’s. They are truly evil people in my eyes.
References
- Mary Starr and Emily Stranger, ‘Indictment Planned in Slaying of Child,’ The Brunswick News, March 20, 2007. [↩]
- ’Sun Sentinel.com’ [↩]
- Ibid. [↩]
- Jeff Brumley, ‘Suspects Kept to Themselves, Except Son’, The Times-Union, March 18, 2007. [↩]
- Josh Rayburn and Emily Stranger, ‘Missing Child choked to death, court documents reveal,’ The Brunswick News, March 21, 2007. [↩]
- Ibid. [↩]
- Teresa Stepzinski, ‘Indictment Details Final Hours for Boy’, The Times-Union, March 22, 2007. [↩]
- ’Suspect in Boy’s Slaying Withdraws Plea,’ News4Jax.com, June 5, 2008. [↩]
- Teresa Stepzinksi, ‘Donald Dale to be Tried in July,’ The Times-Union, June 9, 2008. [↩]
- Teresa Stepzinski, ‘Judge Sets Pretrial Hearing for Dale in Child’s Slaying’, The Times-Union, June 17, 2008. [↩]
- ’Man Charged with Hiding Boy’s Body to be in Court,’ Ledger-Enquirer.com, June 26, 2008. [↩]
- Russ Bynum, “Man Admits Lying to Police in GA Boy’s Death,” The Associated Press, June 26, 2008. [↩]
- Ibid. [↩]
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