Charlie Bothuell V told authorities his stepmother placed him in the basement and told him “not to come out, no matter what he hears,” according to a court record. The 12-year-old had been missing for 11 days when he was found Wednesday in the basement of his home. A petition was filed Friday in Wayne County’s juvenile court regarding Charlie’s two younger siblings, who were removed by Children’s Protective Services from their parents’ custody.
The petition, provided to the Free Press by the state Attorney General’s Office, details allegations of physical abuse Charlie reportedly suffered — he was observed with scars on his chest and buttocks — and efforts to conceal him in the home. Though his stepmother, Monique Dillard-Bothuell, knew he was in the basement, where he had been barricaded behind “boxes and totes,” she did not bring him food, Charlie told authorities, according to the petition. “Charlie reports sneaking upstairs to get food when everyone left the home,” the petition says.
Charlie’s siblings, ages 4 years and 10 months, were removed from the custody of Dillard-Bothuell and Charlie Bothuell IV, who is Charlie’s father. In the petition, which has to be authorized, the Department of Human Services requests that the court “find the children are without proper care and custody,” take jurisdiction over them, make them temporary court wards and place them with DHS.
A probable cause hearing is scheduled for July 10 on the petition. Charlie, now in the care of his mother, was found barricaded in the basement of his home in the 1300 block of Nicolet Place while police executed a search warrant on Wednesday.
The petition says that when Charlie was taken to Children’s Hospital of Michigan for treatment, a doctor observed a half-circular scar on the child’s chest. Charlie said the scar was “a result of his father driving a PVC pipe into his chest,” according to the petition, which also says the child also had old scars on his buttocks from being hit with the pipe. During a search of the home, authorities recovered a PVC pipe with blood on it, the petition says. It’s unclear whose blood it is. According to the petition, on June 23 “Mr. Bothuell disclosed physically disciplining Charlie V with a PVC pipe.”
Bothuell has denied abusing his son. Mark Magidson, Bothuell’s attorney, denied that a pipe was used to beat Charlie. As well, he said that blood found on the child’s clothing was from eczema. “He scratched it like crazy,” Magidson said. Police have said they haven’t ruled out the possibility of child abuse. A warrant request in connection with Charlie’s case has not yet been turned over to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, a spokeswoman for the office said Friday. Magidson said they expect charges. “We’re ready,” he said. According to the petition filed in juvenile court, Charlie’s grandmother told an FBI investigator that the last time she saw Charlie, “he was very skinny, and almost looked like a cancer patient. He had marks all over his arms and chest.” The petition says, because of the allegations of abuse involving Charlie, the other two children should not be in the care of their parents. Referee Leslie Graves ordered that the parents could have supervised visits with the two children at a CPS location.
Charlie Bothuell IV appeared in juvenile court with his attorney, while Dillard-Bothuell, who was arraigned earlier todayon a probation violation, listened in by phone during the hearing. Dillard-Bothuell will retain her own attorney in the custody case, while Magidson will represent Bothuell. “My client is presumed innocent of all charges, the children would not be placed in harm’s way,” Magidson said. “Up until yesterday, these two parents were taking excellent care of these two children.” The petition filed in juvenile court claims that the “home or environment, by reason of neglect, cruelty, drunkenness, criminality, or depravity on the part of the parent, guardian, nonparent adult, or other custodian, is an unfit place for the child(ren) to live.” It also claims that the parents “neglected or refused to provide proper or necessary support, education, medical, surgical, or other care necessary for the child(ren)’s health or morals, or he/she has subjected the child(ren) to substantial risk of harm to his or her mental well-being, or he/she has abandoned the child(ren) without proper custody or guardianship.”
Earlier Friday, Dillard-Bothuell pleaded not guilty during her arraignment on a probation violation stemming from a 2013 weapons charge. She was given a $5,000 personal bond and ordered to wear a GPS tether. A hearing on the probation violation is scheduled for July 11 before Wayne County Circuit Judge Gregory Bill. After his wife’s hearing, Bothuell declined to comment, saying Magidson advised him not to speak. A registered nurse, Bothuell was wearing scrubs as he dodged questions from reporters.
Bothuell previously told the Free Press that Charlie had been home schooled for the last couple of years after some early struggles. However, recent discussions, apparently upsetting to Charlie, had focused on moving to the suburbs and enrolling Charlie in school there. Magidson said Charlie had been told that if he failed to do well, he could be enrolled in military school. Bothuell said Charlie left his home about 9 p.m. June 14 after the boy’s stepmother had a discussion with him over unfinished chores. The boy was in the middle of a workout when he left. During an interview, while the search was under way for Charlie, Bothuell described his son as being trim with a muscular build. He said Charlie was one of the most physically fit 12-year-olds he had seen, and that the boy was extremely proud of his physique.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig said police found Charlie on Wednesday in the basement of the home, where he was concealed by a makeshift barricade. He said Charlie was crouched behind a large container. Craig said that, before the search Wednesday, authorities had searched the home several times. Magidson said today that Bothuell’s problem “was he loved his child too much. He cared for him.”
Thanks for the laughs, arguments and overall enjoyment for the last umpteen years. It's time for me to retire from Prince.org and engage in the real world...lol. Above all, I appreciated the talent Prince. You were one of a kind.
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