Sword and Scale - Episode 128

Episode Date: December 9, 2018

9-year old Omaree Varela’s lifeless, bruised, and tattered body was recovered at the base of toy bouncy horse just two days after Christmas in 2013.  His mother and stepfather claimed his death was the result of a freak accident while playing with his younger sibling.  However, the marks on Omaree’s body and a horrifying 22 minute 911 call just six months earlier paint a much more sinister picture of what really happened.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sort and scale contains adult themes and violence and is not intended for all audiences listener discretion is advised But the doctor did find was a large quantity of blood in the boys abdominal cavity, which was scooped out with a ladle 500 milliliters of blood were removed. This is season 5, last episode of the season. So there will not be any more plus episodes this year. Instead, we're going to take a break, get a little recharging, and come back with two plus episodes in January.

But remember we still have one more episode, episode 129 coming out next week on the Patreon feed and then a week later on the regular feed. Plus, we have the new project we've been talking about and teasing and telling all the fans at the meetups about it's the new project with myself, Jack Luna and Tyler Bell that is bound to blow your socks off. I keep saying this, it's the most interesting, creative, amazing project I've ever worked on. And I think you're going to really like it. Watch out for that at the beginning of the year, and we will be making an announcement

right around Christmas Eve about this project and letting you know what it's called. In the meantime, we have our Retro Monsters Design shirts restocked in the store ready to go if you want to give them out as a Christmas present. And remember, you can get store discounts by joining our Patreon. At patreon.com slash monsters. It costs just five bucks a month and you get extra shows. There are 40 plus episodes available for download right now Plus you get early commercial free access to all regular shows and like I said discounts in the store the higher your

Tear the higher the discount. All right, that's it. Thank you for supporting us. Here we go. Strap in. You need a license to drive a car, to get married, to operate a business. You need licenses to serve food and alcohol. You know what you don't need a license for? To have and raise a child, a fellow human being that is too young to take care of itself. The very mothers and fathers barely capable of taking care of themselves inevitably bring their own children into a world fraught with cruelty and depravity. But their actions are sometimes the more easily understood, and often come as a

result of aimless lives intertwined with drug and alcohol abuse, unemployment, and crime. So how do we even begin to examine a case with so many witnesses, so many lost opportunities to intervene, where so many systems and people literally fail a child to death. At what point do the public servants, the very men and women sworn to protect our innocent children inadvertently empower and become a party to the monsters themselves? We'll let you decide, as we explore a case today, where the many who bore witness to terrible acts of abuse allow themselves to become powerless bystanders in a system too large with far too many people to

possibly keep track of all the warning signs. Now I don't know what you're doing today. I hope you're doing today. I hope you're having a nice day. In fact, maybe doing some chores or driving to or from work. Maybe you're just relaxing in a comfy spot. It's a nice day probably to relax. It's nice to relax.

It's nice to feel a little zen and listen to a podcast, you know? Maybe do a little yoga, a little meditation, take a nap, chill, find a nice hammock to stretch out in because you're gonna need it because what you're about to hear isn't just gonna make you angry. To be abundantly clear, in a few minutes you may want to punch something. December 27, 2013. Just two days after Christmas and the Varela Cassouse household in northeast Albuquerque New Mexico is teeming with life and the sounds of young children at play.

Empty boxes and wrapping paper still litter the living room floor. A miniature Christmas tree decorated with bright gold and red glass bulbs and shimmering white lights sits adjacent to the family big screen television. Next to that, a large wooden and brass crucifix sits prominently positioned on the table in the corner of the room, overlooking the space, and the children at play. A revered time of the year for any family, this scene is about to erupt in chaos. At 103pm, mother Cynthia Varela Kouse, phones 911. Have a Christian police operator for 830.

How many are you? Yeah, I just called my son's pediatrician. My son was playing on a metal horse, like a rocking horse. I had just given him his medication. He's on new medication. I'm disabled. He was playing with my two-year-old. Already, something seems off.

Cynthia phones 911 only after calling her nine-year-old son Amari's pediatrician for advice. She claims he was playing on a bouncy horse with his younger two-year-old sibling, and without skipping a beat, discloses to the 911 emergency operator for possible explanations as to why her son is laying on the floor unconscious, suffering from a seizure. He was pushed off the metal horse. Well, he was playing on it and my little boy gets really aggressive and doesn't like to share him. So I thought Amari's leg had got stuck and he would have had enough time to catch himself

but he didn't catch himself and I heard him hit him, so I was trying to push him, pushing on his stomach, trying to get him and the little boy got really excited and say, Mary, play, and I tried to put a cold water on him. Cynthia claims to have taken Mary's lifeless body with her into the shower to splash cold water on him. But when police arrived, both he and Cynthia's clothes were dry. Almost immediately, she begins planting the seeds of doubt during the call. Explaining in rather calm detail, all of the various factors that may have contributed

to him falling and hitting his head, whether it was his medication-causing balance issues, behavioral problems, an overly aggressive younger sibling, or just a terrible freak accident. A Mari was obviously in trouble, but before police respond to the house and fully register what has occurred, we need to take a look back at how we got here and ask one simple question. Why was Amari still living in this house?

June 22nd, 2013. A 911 call is placed and the operator listens in. At first confused, why no one is talking, but then, he begins to listen. The advocate can 911 off the deck, 2590, where is your emergency? I'm gonna do that, go. I'm gonna check that. I'm gonna give you a pass and go to you. Hello.

I'm one. 911. Hello. 911. 911. 911. 911. 911. 911. 911. 911. 911. 911.

911. 911. 911. 911. 911. 911. 911. 911.

911. Instead of hanging up, she hears the first signs of trouble, as nine-year-old Amari Varela begins to cry, and it becomes clearer. Someone is reaching out for help. It is quickly evident that like many parents, Amari's stepfather Steven and mother Cynthia are growing in their frustration with one of the children, repeatedly standing up in the backseat of the family car, and at one point upset that one of the young children has spilled food on the floor. Sadly, what starts as simple frustration quickly turns into an aggressive aggressive abusive rage. No, you're worried. Thank you. Thank you, though. You're a good kid, am I? Who the hell is this dude?

He did get it. That's all you have to do. You're trying to ask him off the house, and we can't do this. I'm fucking it. Do you want another kid? Do you really want another kid? That's all I said, idea. Not everything is for you.

I'm totally in shock. Now I told you about the new cool guy. He's a lot of other guys. This is not a big deal. He comes everywhere. There's five always. Steven's running rant makes you question just how many times it is mathematically possible for someone to use the word fuck in a sentence. What starts off sounding like a caring, hard-nosed father teaching his son a hard lesson on speaking up for himself and using his voice quickly devolves into Steven Cassouse's full-blown meltdown. And for some reason, he begins targeting his nine-year-old step that was Amari's stepfather, Steven, telling him how much he despises the nine-year-old boy, calling him a fuckhead and a bitch ass, and implying that Amari's him sick. Wanna punch something yet? I don't want to see you. It's all me. It's not all looking out.

It wasn't supposed to. Now it's supposed to. It's just so fucking no hot of talking to you. You're seeing right here. Why don't you say, because I know, man. I'm tired. I want to talk to you. I don't want to see you. You're getting fucked up.

You're getting my signal. It's so fucking tight. What is about you? Huh? Are you picking up? I'm not getting it. You know that's a good joke. It's like hot as a ball. How are you taking off your hat? It's not hot. It's not hot. It's not hot. You're not getting it.

You're not getting it. You're not getting it. They're hungry. They're hungry. They're going to play around on the end. They're not being able to play. This completely changes the whole concept of a hack I thought I would have looked like that because I was talking to every now and then you see that was just right in the back of my face. This completely changes the whole concept of a happy male. After realizing what she is hearing, the 911 operator begins an act of trace on the phone call and dispatches deputies to their general location.

Though it is apparent that they are in a moving vehicle. After a few additional minutes, they stop and the torment continues. Though it seemed Amari's mother Cynthia briefly tried to defend him, she starts right back in on the 9-year-old boy. for that now. You're the White House. You're the White House. You're the only one in the world who told us that you're the only one I need it. I said that you're not getting a baby, Larry. You're fucking getting it. You're the only one I need it. You're the only one I need it.

I said that you're not getting a baby, Larry. You're the only one I need it. You're the only one I need it. I said that you're not getting a baby, Larry. You're the only one I need it. You're the only one I need it. I said that you're not getting a baby, Larry. You're the only one I need it.

I said that you're not getting a baby, Larry. You're the only one I need it. I said that you're not getting a baby, Larry. You're the only one I need it. I said that you're not getting a baby, Larry. You're the only one I need it. I said that you're not getting a baby, Larry. You're the only one I need it. Did you hear it? Right there. As Amari is exiting the vehicle and struggling to close the door, his mother Cynthia makes an observation. That's a fucking burn. That's gonna stay like that. And then, the physical abuse begins. A Mare begins to cry.

After Stephen Cassow explains that he wishes he could squeeze the life out of him. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty.

You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty.

You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get so pretty. You're gonna get, fuck, fuck, you are, man. You guys are gonna get lost for life, because you don't wanna fucking pay, you do. You, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you This poor young child can do nothing right. His mother and stepfather are trading insults, and by the sounds of it, physically assaulting the boy all along the way into the house. Cynthia blames Amari for the abuse, while Stephen unleashes a torrent of racial slurs and slaying.

It seems he is confronting an enemy on the streets, and that I too love to have no why. You know what? I don't love you. You can't see me. You know what? You don't like a cable. I can't see you. I'm gonna have to sit down on it. You don't let nobody fuck you,

try to house you with nothing for you. Why? Because you can't see me. You're not. You can't see me. You're not. I'm gonna just stop all of this. Why you suddenly turn over and start all of this?

I'm gonna keep you there. I'm gonna keep you there. I'm gonna keep you there. I'm gonna keep you there. I'm gonna keep you there. I'm gonna keep you there. I'm gonna keep you there. You're fucking Faggot-ass brother. The 911 operator has been listening in horror the entire time, as the onslaught of abuse is unleashed upon the nine-year-old boy. The phone is eventually pinged to an address on Comanche Road, North East, and two officers are dispatched to the scene. But not before Stephen reiterates to the nine-year-old boy how he really feels about him. You don't get all the things you're teaching at nothing, you're nothing and you're nothing to you. Nothing even means nothing to you.

The damage is dropping out, my lady. You're talking about the damage, you're just fighting me. I'm always. What do you have on your eyes for? There's just, yeah, I'm hitting off. What's the white thing you're talking about? What's the damage, you're talking about? I'm hitting off.

I don't need a death, I'm a death. What's the white thing you're talking about? I'm hitting off. What's the white thing you're talking about? What's the white thing you're talking about? What's the white thing you're talking about? What's the white thing you're talking about? What's the white thing you're talking about?

What's the white thing you're talking about? What's the white thing you're talking about? What's the white thing you're talking about? What's the white thing you're talking about? What's the white thing you're talking about? Fuckin' white things, motherfucker, don't you see? You're like a Friday. I don't need a dad, and a dad. But why so fucking icy hot off? You got some ass, man. You got some fucking shit in my job. Wait, you're never gonna fucking ever learn nothing. You're never gonna be involved. Not to the money, not to the gun. Fuck all your life.

You're going to be a dumb fuck all your life. Nobody can ever be able to help you with a motherfucker being nothing. I'm all I life. If you were at all on the fence about how terrible these two poor excuses for parents are, listen in as they get ready to put Amari to work in the yard because he is eating too fast and simply wants to get away from them. You're gonna go to fucking y'all what's this? You're fucking ass you're a, you're working for now? I killed a fucking son of a bitch. Straight! With no break! You're gonna learn more of fucking one way or another.

I thought it breaks your ass. And I was real quick. See why everybody has plenty of things to do out there. Fuck you. I'm gonna go to the other side. I'm gonna go her one way or another. I thought it'd break your ass. And that was real quick. See why everybody has plenty of things to do out there for today, and there's one using a computer. This game's like that.

I don't think anybody around. Ooh, that was fun. Yay! Hey, well, you still got work to do. That's the only way to keep your learn, am I? No! You're not gonna do it. You're not going to do this. You're not going to want to put our learn in your video.

It's not about that. That's a fuck up. You're not going to put our learn in your video. It's not about that. That's what you do. You learn to lie better. That's only when you learn, huh? It's the lie better, huh?

You learn to lie better. It's made for, huh? Don't say no. Then what else do you learn? Get off and make for whatever you learn, honey. What if you learn? Then what do you say no? Why do you say no, then?

You know what? You know what? You know what? You know what? You know what? You know what? They know they're well-to-look. Get off with people's whatever you learn, nobody. What have you done? They're well-to-look. Why you say no? Why you say no, then? Hot! That's great, man.

It's good, man. Look at me, oh, man. I'm trying to see you like this, man. I want to bear for you, my lady. You know you're saying that. Oh, that's all I want is bearity, so, man. I want you fucking be like this for my money, man. Be boy. Police will arrive at the house in just moments, but the 911 operator has sent along an additional message to the responding deputies, indicating that

the 911 call is bad and implies an environment extremely abusive to children. She offers to send them the recordings so they can have a listen, but they decline and are already en route. While it is not standard practice for responding police officers to listen to 911 calls. Perhaps in this case, it could have saved Amari's life. That one right there, dude. The 911 lady sent me a call. You see, if I want to hear the call, how bad it was. This was the house, do you remember? Albuquerque police officers, Gil Vihl and Scott McMurrow pull up

and approach the Varela Cassouse home. Though it was requested, they preview the 911 call, officer Vihl and McMurrow approach the door and make contact with Cynthia and Stephen without any clue just how aggressively the two were abusing nine-year-old Amari just minutes before. Listen to the stark difference between the parents' tone now and what you heard in the previous

call. Yeah, we get a call here. We heard the gifts are selling Ellen going on and yeah, we just barely drove up Like I don't know who's calling They were just fighting outside in the backyard of me. I mean I'm rising the front yard right here. There's like a Indian guy on a bike Okay, but I don't know if they were arguing they were just Yeah, you have kids You guys have to get your kids. Can we see the group? Yeah!

Can we talk to them? Come on, we have guys! Go on! You guys are having any issues? Are you guys or...? Oh no, we have little to be able to put our in jelly. We go to A.B.P.D.D.S. Care. Hi girls, how are you?

And we go to person restoration at Hodgeounalist entry. How's it going? It's close to Kownstein Streetway. You guys alright? Yeah. Is there any yelling or anything going on? Yeah, at all. Just like Togin X store, they always have yelling and fighting.

They're in Togin X. They're always claps next door. Okay. It can't be yet. So the call actually came to this house, but we don't know why that would be happening. Cynthia opens the door and stands, blocking the entryway with her body, holding onto a tablet when Stephen approaches her from behind and blocks the other half of the doorway looking into the home.

As she will just six months later in December, Cynthia immediately begins explaining away the apparent accidental 911 call and presenting the officers all sorts of different excuses as to why the call may have been made. Where's my phone, Stevie? Where's my phone? See? You know what? Okay. 8042981, is that it? 109, I'm sorry. The officers radio in to confirm the number from which the call was originally made.

And Cynthia's story continues to conveniently evolve as they present her new information. It was just fun, my phone's heard. I think it's on the, and they've called to where I had it when I was sitting on it. I was on the charger. Is that the phone number it was? I don't know, that's just the, the, yeah, they can show you the room or whatever you should look at their rooms.

That cares their room. I don't, it might not, it rooms or whatever you look at their rooms. Back here, they're rooms. Yeah. I don't, it might not be you guys though. I mean, that's the thing. This is the bathroom. This is the little girl's room. This is the morgue room. And this, this is my daughter's seat.

And they're in there. Oh, that's fine. We just, like said, we got, we got to call. Okay, so. And this is the laundry room and then we have a bedroom. Take that picture from Mama Marty. Both Cynthia and Stephen go into the house to retrieve their personal cell phones

and both show officers, neither of them has contacted 911. After inquiring further, Cynthia goes back inside and retrieves another smaller cell phone and both officers confirm that the 911 call was placed from that phone. Notice how differently they act. The tone in their voices, humorous and friendly, the politeness with which they ask their children to calm down.

Nothing like what the 911 operator just heard. The details of which drove her to message the responding officers, alerting them to how bad the call actually was. So you said, so you said, I don't have a phone number. So you said that, that, that one, that right here, you're good. No, no, no, no, no, no. He's good, he's good. Yeah.

That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it.

Yeah. No, I'm trying to figure out what's going on baby. I have this phone right here but I don't. It's a track phone through for the speaking. The speaking. And I don't know that phone number. It says, with help, accept. This is the phone.

Hello? I'm pretty sure it's the phone. Yeah, that was him. He was the same as the phone. Did he dial 911? Amari stands between his mother and stepfather. Eyes wide open, locked in on the officer speaking to Cynthia.

He rarely blinks as if quietly signaling for help. Oh, you did get the emergency. There he is right there. Do you think no more phone? Okay, okay, this was a situation though. Okay, when whoever got on the phone, it said that somebody was abusing a kid or yelling at the kid. That's what happened when you guys went out. What happened when you guys are in your car?

Was there anything? We went to, um, um, uh, the dollar recorder on 91. Yeah, we went to, um, Wendy's and the only thing that when we, I yelled is when she stood up out of her booster seat to hand me a coat and she dropped the coat all over me and I told her, Nivia, sit down in your car seat and put your seatbelt back on I said, you know you're not supposed to get out of your seatbelt and then he said, babe, that's the reason I tell you not to give them Colk and give them food. Not to give them Colk, so not to give them food in the truck because the truck's gonna get ruined and she's not supposed to get out of her seatbelt

because the coke actually went over me at the same time. Was there something mentioned about you saying I wish you were never the kid, my kids, or stuff like that? No, he said sometimes he gets stressed out. He said sometimes I wish we never had kids. I just don't know. These are all my stiff kids. It's just because they don't listen and I was just stressed out.

I was just having a bad day and I just told her. I said, he said that's because I was in the hospital. Why did you have to leave him? He could have been off and off the years. And when he went to prison, I was still married to him and I got pregnant by somebody else. When he went to prison, I got pregnant by somebody else. But I will be responsible for them. He said, and I will put my name on the verses, the case or whatever. He said, but I do get stressed out. He said, and I would put my name on the diversity for kids or whatever. He said, but I do get stressed out.

He said, I'm not really a kid person. He said, but I do get stressed out. And at times I do, he does say, God, baby, I wish you would use protection. I wish you wouldn't have so many kids. And it's true, though, because we were legally married. And I got pregnant two different times. What's the mentioning?

What's the mentioning the call came out, too? And it says, what's the mentioning about your bruise will heal? Cynthia pulls up her sleeve revealing a port on her upper bicep from a recent blood transfusion Again another convenient explanation as to the content of the 911 call The call sounded pretty violent. Oh, no, well, that's the only thing that was I mean we're yelling pretty good Yeah, he was yelling that maybe because he kids we have nice cars and I tend to let them do whatever they want in a car. That's what I get. I get them most out because we try to keep our stuff clean. As we notice our house, you can't really tell we have kids because he constantly makes them clean up after themselves.

And cars clean up. When they're with me, I'm a little bit more lenient because he's certified to the state to take care of me because I have a brain aneurysm So he takes care of me and today when they come me I told them they had a paste or some Pills from the pharmaceutical thing and I told them these are supposed to help with my infection I said but I'm still bruising he said baby of bruises will heal. Your room will heal. It's not going to do anything. It's just going to continue to bleed. Like she said, for 72 hours, but it's so sore because it's from high pain. That it's going all the way up through here and it feels like it's reached all the way up to my chest. Well, we understand that. I don't know what they heard from over there, but we have it.

It's recorded. I haven't heard the recording of it. I can actually hear the recording of it, but they're stating that it sounded pretty violent. And I don't know how violent it got, obviously the kids seem like they're fine. Oh, my goodness, I just, they just yelled at me. He was, that's all he said, it's something. I wish you would've used protection,

or why did you have to have all these kids? Okay, and then I yelled. I yelled at her because she got out of her seatbelt. And they already, she dumped it. There was nothing, there was nothing, there was no physical. We've never had any calls over here. I mean, there's nothing for me here. Almost three years.

Yeah, and I have no problems like that. And I have a question. I can't talk to you before somewhere. One officer recognizes Stephen Cassouse and confirms that he has had regular run-ins with him and his cousin in the past. At this point, it is common practice for any officer responding to a call of alleged child abuse to separate the child from their parent and to talk to them and examine the child for any signs of injury or abuse that was not the approach the officers took.

You guys, you seem like good family, decent family. Just be careful on what you guys say when you say stuff like that. You know, I'm going to, I'm going to overlook it right now. I'm good. Well, I was going to say, although you say it's not what violence, you're violent, you're a boy from... Very dumb, but it's what is very dumb, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, absolutely, absolutely,

because I mean, I'm male. That's what I told my wife, because I go, he doesn't notice that he's really loud, and I tell him, baby, you're being too loud, and he's like, I'm not being loud, but his voice is very, yeah, male, a lot of males, they carry, and they're dominating, especially that. So, yeah,, he's like, I'm not being loud, but he's very, his voice is very strong. Yeah, a lot of males, they carry and they're dominating especially like that.

And we understand that. And I mean, because we have to be like that too, you know? Especially, I mean, now we're talking to you, just personally, first and but, when we have to be aggressive, it's the same way. But you gotta understand when a phone is being kicked around, thrown around, you can hear yelling in the background, they don't know what's going on. And we appreciate you being on it, that means. I want to know. I want't know what's going on and we appreciate you being honest

I mean you told us everything that happened and we appreciate you being honest, but Be careful with that because if somebody gets the bad if somebody gets You know the bad reception on it or if somebody sees it, you know, you're yelling They could report it and we had a witness They're going, you know and not saying that you guys are you know doing bad and you know I mean if you have to discipline your kid be careful how you discipline the kids you know because I mean like you said they they might take you a little bit wrong too you know so all right of course so you guys all right you

just have any questions sorry but it's all right all right we just want to make sure that the kids are all right though you know all right you guys take care Unfortunately, neither of the officers knew the extent to which Cynthia and Stephen played at cool, convincing them the extremely violent 911 call was nothing more than an intermarital squabble over spilled food and Cynthia's infidelity while Stephen was serving out a jail sentence. They agreed after speaking with the couple and asking if the children were okay to look past the call. But wait, there's more. Remember how the couple had planned to punish Amari by putting him to work until the sun

went down for eating food too fast? Get a load of this. As the officers were walking back to their squad car, Cynthia comes running up behind them asking one last question about their parenting techniques and how to teach Amari to be a man. I just wanted to ask you a question. Yes, ma'am. Because my son, nine, is going to be 10. Is it not right for us to have him do yard work or teach him to do yard work? Yeah, he could teach him. Our neighbor, the neighbor down the street,

we had him out here. We were trying to teach him to break and show and to like bag it. And she was like, he's too young. You guys are going to get it. You guys can get in trouble for doing that. And I said, well, my husband's helping him, we're just teaching him how to do yard work. Absolutely not.

Go for the side of the table. I would teach him as early as I can because it teaches him how to be a man. Absolutely. Absolutely. Responsible and all that good stuff. Good for you to work. You'll get real strong too. Come on, honey.

All right. All right. All right. Take care. We'll see you guys. Not once did the officers walk Amari aside and ask him directly what really happened. Instead, with each question they directed at the boy standing there next to his abusive parents, they allowed him to answer for him, and on his behalf, Amari stood in between his mother and stepfather, eyes wide, in silent desperation, as the officers nodded in agreement, and eventually left him there to suffer, encouraging him that a little yard work would help him get really strong and become a man. The disturbing reality of this 911 call and the subsequent home visits by officers, Vihil and McMurrow, was not that they didn't listen to the 911 call or that they left a marion house with two cruel abusive parents. Now, the worst part of this entire situation is that neither officer filed a report with the Albuquerque Children, Youth, and Families Department.

The very division tasked with investigating and substantiating claims of child abuse. The 911 operator originally classified the call as priority one, meaning it was an urgent situation calling for an immediate response from officers. She then requested the officers call her and listen to the tape so that when they inevitably called the CYFD, they could, quote, actually tell them how bad it was. But that call never happened. Officer Vihl responded to the 911 dispatcher that Stephen was actually a relative of an

APD officer who was recently let go by the department. Shortly thereafter, both officers left the scene. No quick phone call, no email, no letter, no formal referral. It might leave you wondering why, when a Mari would be laying there on the same living room floor gasping for air after an apparent accidental fall just six months later, when there was 22 minutes of recorded evidence detailing just how terrible these people taking care of him were. No one stepped in to intervene. No one stepped in to take him out of this household.

No one stepped in to save his life. Though it wasn't immediately known at the time of Amari's death, the implications of a bloated child protection system and additional apathetic bystanders who failed to act would surface in the months following. The focus on Amari's death would quickly shift from accidental to homicide by child abuse. Cynthia was being transported the day after her arrest on December 28, 2013, when she was intercepted by a reporter while being escorted in handcuffs. When asked what she did, her response shocked the entire state of New Mexico. In the weeks and months that followed, Amari's stepfather Steven remained a free man until

approximately one year after his death. When Amari's younger sister implicated him in the abuse that would ultimately take the nine-year-olds life. As the trial proceeded in November of 2016, over two years after paramedics pulled Amari's lifeless body from the family home on Comanche Road, Northeast, the extent of Amari's injuries were finally brought to light. And they clearly showed a vicious pattern of abuse, ultimately leading to his death. It was anticipated that the doctor would find some sort of brain injury, sub-girl,

Pimaptoma, for example. Since it was reported by the parents that O'Mari had fallen on his head, while O'Mari did have the laceration on the side of his head, there was no sign of traumatic brain injury. But the doctor did find was a large quantity of blood in the boy's abdominal cavity, which was scooped out with a ladle. 500 milliliters of blood were removed. Later, Dr. Odi Upho, 500 milliliters of blood were removed.

Later, Dr. Odie Uppho, who performed the autopsy, said the most significant thing he found was the amount of blood in the abdominal cavity. This was liquid blood, which meant it was fresh, and was associated with hemorrhagine at different locations in the abdomen. It was determined that these injuries were due to blunt trauma. Dr. Uppco concluded that more than one yet caused the trauma.

He also stated that the blood loss was a quarter of the total blood volume for a child like Omari. It would not cause immediate death. It powers past between the inflection of the injury and the time Omari passed. The lies from Cynthia and Stephen set first responders down a series of rabbit holes, as they attempted to save the child any way they could. She implied that Amari had previously demonstrated suicidal tendencies and that he may have tried to overdose on medications that were available in the home. So first responders began a series of epinephrine shots

to try to get his heart restarted to no avail. Stephen indicated that he was not even home at the time when Amari had allegedly fallen off the horse, but would later recant his story of being at a friend's house when it was revealed that he was actually in the bathroom shooting up heroin. Just feet away when he heard Cynthia begin yelling at Amari and a series of tumbles as he described it. That would later result in the child's lifeless body laying at the base of a dresser in the master bedroom.

Mr. Cassouse was asked that he ever told the other children, Nebia, little Stevie, not to say certain things and he denied doing so. He then admitted to the detectives that he used heroin in the bathroom that day. He told him he used it that morning. Mr. Cassal said when he was in the bathroom, he heard Cynthia screaming at Omari and Omari responding. He said he came out of the bathroom once He said he came out of the bathroom once and O'Mari was lying on the bed with Cynthia yelling over him. He said he told her to calm down and that he would be back to help her when he finished in the bathroom. He returned to the restroom and heard Cynthia yelling at O'Mari again and heard a few more tumbles as he called them. When he came out, he saw

O'Mari lie on the floor next to the bouncy horse. The detectives asked Mr. Cassace why he himself didn't call 911. He said he first bought O'M Marie was kiddin' around. Then he said he didn't know where any of the phones were at, and he said, Cynthia had the phone in her hand. Mr. Cassal submitted, he should have stepped up and just called 911. He said he was paranoid and confused. There were so many lies being told in this case that it becomes nearly impossible to decipher what actually happened during Amari Varela's final moments alive. His stepfather, the man recorded berating and abusing Amari for nearly 22 minutes just

six months prior, admitted to being present while Amari was kicked to death by his mother Cynthia. Though he insists they called 911 after trying various remedies to bring the boy back to life, the medical examiner would ultimately determine Amari lay in the home quietly suffering for hours before the call for help was finally made. Ultimately, will we ever know who is truly to blame for Amari's murder? Whether or not Amari's parents were telling the truth or spinning a web of lies, what about the child's truth?

What about the scars, the partly healed lacerations, the cigarette burns and the bruising? They tell a much darker truth. They tell a story of the many people who had the opportunity to intervene, but who ultimately, either for the sake of the system or for the sake of themselves, did nothing. At the time of both Cynthia and Stephen's trials, it was revealed that the Abercorki children

youth and families department received nine referrals, alleging child abuse in the span of Amari's short life. Only two of those would eventually be substantiated. Although Cynthia would eventually admit to kicking Amari to death that Friday afternoon in December, we simply can't ignore the others, who may have played a small part in creating a scenario where Amari was left to die at the hands of his own mother

and stepfather, not by their actions, but by virtue of their inaction. Cynthia Varela Kassau's pleaded guilty to six counts, including second-degree murder and was sentenced to 40 years in prison for kicking Amari to death in 2013. Stephen Cassouse was found guilty on child abuse charges in September of 2015 and received 30 years in prison for his role in Amari's death. For a man so ruthlessly abusive to his wife and children, when no one else was around, his performance in court was one of the caring, devastated father. I feel. People that know me, they know how much I build my family and my kids.

I'm a heartbroken every day dealing with this. I'll never heal from this. And this is my son and my family, each and every day my kids, Nivian and Stevie, it's horrible what happened. God knows the truth and I know the truth. And I know that in the end, on that judgment day, when it comes, the final judgment day, I will be reunited with my son again. I wish I could be in back and I would take his place for him or any of my family if I

could. But I can't do that. Yes, I have made some mistakes in my life, but being a child of a beauty is not one. I gave my whole heart and my whole life to my children and to my wife and my family. That's all I wanted was to give them all a good life. And I tried with my everything. My kids were not abused like everybody's making it out to be. I know I was there.

And I raised them the best that I could. I will always love my baby and I will miss him forever. And I know that there's nothing I can be really in bed. But I just want to rest in peace and I want my babies to be, for they can try to heal and get through this, live a better life. I don't want no bad for nobody. I just ask that God, just best of all.

And like I said, He knows the truth, and I know the truth. I love my kids with all my heart and soul, and I would give my life for them if I could. If I could bring them right back, I would, but I can't." Well, there you have it, the two faces of Stephen and Cynthia Varella Cassouse, while both had lengthy histories of drug abuse and a variety of felony convictions between the two of them. We're still left wondering why. Why hadn't officers, Vihl and McMurrow filed a report with the CYFD? Why hadn't they spoken to Amari, pulled him aside, and examined his body for injuries,

which they would have undoubtedly discovered? Why after questioned later themselves, couldn't either officer account for their whereabouts, for some 90 minutes after responding to Amari's covert 911 call for help from the backseat. Cynthia and Stephen, no doubt, are terrible human beings and deserve to be in prison for a long, long time. But what about the officers, the CYFD caseworkers, the family, and friends who never spoke up, or even the ones that did, but just not loud enough to make a difference in time to save Amari's life.

How many of you listening to this right now may know of someone like Amari, someone in desperate need of help. Someone whose life could potentially be saved by speaking up. We don't need a license to have and raise children, to treat them with the love and care, to blossom into productive, well-adjusted human beings. We perhaps should need one, but we don't. We don't need a license to be terrible parents. It's unfortunate, but true.

And we certainly don't need a license to become monsters. you you you