Chris's Crime Forum

"Baby Grace" Trial: Will Get LifeRoyce Zeigler II for Stepdaughter's Murder?

Did Royce Clyde Zeigler II murder his 2-year-old stepdaughter, place her remains in a plastic box, and then toss her into Galveston Bay?

Prosecutors are wrapping up their capital murder case against Zeigler, who faces the prospect of life in prison if convicted of killing the toddler, who became nationally known as "Baby Grace" after a fisherman found her remains in a box on an island in Galveston Bay.

That was in October 2007, before the child's relatives in Mentor, Ohio identified her as Riley Ann Sawyers.

A Texas jury in February convicted the girl's mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, 21, of capital murder in Riley's death. Trenor is serving a life sentence.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Trenor told investigators Zeigler called in sick to work July 25, 2007, the day of the alleged murder, so he could stay home to properly discipline 2-year-old Riley.

Prosecutors on Monday displayed the plastic bin in which the corpse was found. Zeigler has admitted to investigators that he and Trenor packed Riley's body into garbage bags in a plastic box, according to the Chronicle.

On the witness stand, the defendant's brother, Hiram Zeigler, said Royce Clyde Zielger II lied repeatedly when he was tricked into viewing an internet image of "Baby Grace" after her body was found, the paper reported.

“His eyes were big, his jaw dropped, he looked shocked,” Zeigler's younger brother testified about Ziegler II's reaction to seeing an artist's sketch of the blonde, blue-eyed "Baby Grace" on a computer belonging to the couple.

Hiram Zeigler also testified his older brother changed his story, initially claiming he had recently spoken with his stepdaughter and saying she was staying with relatives in Texas, but then saying Riley had been abducted by an Ohio child welfare worker.

Now Zeigler's lawyers get ready to make their case. The Galveston County Daily News reports the prosecution was expected to rest Tuesday.

Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty against Zeigler, who is accused of killing 2-year-old Riley during a July 2007 disciplinary session.

It was several months later that Riley's paternal grandmother, Sheryl Sawyers of Mentor, Ohio, recognized her grandchild from an artist's drawing and called the Galveston County Sheriff's Office.


http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/07/27 ... ontentBody

Blows shut down Baby Grace's brain, doctor testifies

After her skull was fractured, the girl known as Baby Grace slowly lost control of her body as parts of her brain shut down one after another, a medical examiner testified Tuesday during the capital murder trial of her stepfather, Royce Clyde Zeigler II.

“You start gradually slipping away,” Dr. Stephen Pustilnik, Galveston County chief medical examiner, testified during the fifth day of trial before District Judge David Garner.

Baby Grace, as 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers was known when her unidentified body was found, died from her head being slammed against a solid object at least three times, Pustilnik testified.

His Oct. 30, 2007, autopsy found three fractures in her skull, each of which showed an impact forceful enough to cause bleeding in the brain.

The bleeding would have slowly increased pressure on the brain, causing symptoms such as headache, nausea, loss of body temperature control and ultimately death, Pustilnik said under questioning by Galveston County District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk.

“These were inflicted, intentional injuries,” he said.

Foreshadowing defense
Questioned by defense attorney Dee McWilliams, Pustilnik said each fracture could have been caused if Riley was pushed off a couch, but only if she were pushed off at least three times.

McWilliams' question foreshadowed how the defense may try to show that Riley's death was caused solely by Zeigler's wife and the girl's mother, Kimberly Ann Trenor, 21.

Trenor, who is serving a life sentence after her capital murder conviction in February, said in a videotaped statement played during her trial that Zeigler, 26, hurled Riley several times onto the tile floor of their house in Spring on July 25, 2007.

The prosecution, which rested Tuesday, did not play Trenor's videotaped statement and did not call her to testify.

Zeigler, in a videotaped statement he made to investigators, said he was not a party to Riley's death. He was in bed in another room listening to Riley's screams, went outside for a while and was finally summoned by Trenor, he said.

Stopped breathing
Riley was not breathing and her face was purple when he entered the room, Zeigler said.

Trenor said that she and Zeigler beat Riley with belts, held her head under bath water, and placed a pillow over her face before Zeigler threw her onto the floor.

A fisherman found Riley's body in a blue plastic box Oct. 29, 2007, after it washed onto an island in West Galveston Bay.

Investigators believe the box containing Riley's body remained in Zeigler and Trenor's storage room at their Spring home for up to two months.

Zeigler told investigators that he tossed the box off the Galveston Island railroad bridge.

An FBI expert in DNA testified that Zeigler's DNA was found on a belt along with DNA from two other people.

Rhonda Craig, a forensic supervisor at the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Va., said there was a 1 in 350 billion possibility that DNA on one of three belts tested was that of someone other than Zeigler.

She said there was less chance that DNA found on the belt was from Riley and Trenor, but she could not exclude them.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 01630.html

These two make me feel physically ill,what the hell is wrong with people.If you don't want children don't have them,or give them to social services or whatever.This poor baby did not deserve one bit of suffering at the hands of these psychos.

Oh my! character witness! my %$#@@@

(My opinion)


Character witnesses called in "Baby Grace" trial

Friends of the man accused of killing his 2-year-old stepdaughter testified that he was a sweet, caring person.

Neighbor Melanie Allard was called by the defense Wednesday in the Galveston County capital murder trial of Royce Clyde Zeigler II. He's accused of killing Riley Ann Sawyers, whose unidentified body was dubbed "Baby Grace" when found in a plastic container in Galveston Bay.

Zeigler's high school friend, Reed Emerson, told jurors that his friend "had a very good heart and was easy going."

Zeigler's wife and Riley's mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, already is serving a life sentence for capital murder in her daughter's death.

Prosecutors say Riley died after a violent discipline session in July 2007. A fisherman found her remains three months later.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6703512.html

This was such a beautiful child! This picture will melt your heart. Take a look.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21977817/

Stepfather convicted in death of 'Baby Grace'

GALVESTON, Texas — Two years after the remains of a toddler who came to be known as "Baby Grace" were dumped in Galveston Bay, the child's stepfather was convicted of capital murder in her beating death.

The remains of Riley Ann Sawyer — weighing 12 pounds and stuffed into a plastic container — remained unidentified for nearly a month after they were discovered October 2007. Investigators dubbed the child "Baby Grace."

Then Sheryl Sawyers of Mentor, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb, saw an artist's sketch and told Texas police she thought the child might be her missing granddaughter.

"I wish I hadn't been right," Sheryl Sawyers said Friday.

Riley's stepfather, Royce Clyde Zeigler II, was convicted of capital murder Friday and will receive an automatic life sentence without parole because prosecutors did not seek the death penalty. Jurors, who deliberated for 4 1/2 hours after an eight day trial, could have convicted Zeigler of a lesser charge of manslaughter.

Riley's mother, Kimberly Trenor, was convicted of capital murder in February and is serving a life sentence.

"The two people responsible for her murder have been convicted," Galveston County District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk said. "It's a good day for Riley."

Prosecutors said Zeigler and Trenor killed the toddler at their home in Spring, a suburb north of Houston, during a July 2007 discipline session intended to teach her proper manners. Zeigler was upset the 2-year-old didn't consistently use "please" and "thank you," authorities said.

Trenor and Zeigler beat Riley with belts, dunked her head in a cold bath water and threw her onto a tile floor, fracturing her skull, prosecutors said. An autopsy determined the child died of several skull fractures.

After Riley's death, the couple stuffed her body in a plastic box and hid it for months in a storage shed at their home. Then they drove about 75 miles southeast to Galveston Bay, where they dumped the container and body in October 2007, according to authorities.

Riley's remains were discovered by a fisherman on a small island in the bay.

"I wish it never had happened but I'm glad it's over and I'm glad we got the verdict we did," said Sheryl Sawyers, who had tears in her eyes. "I can try to move on."

Sistrunk said Riley's death "was a terrible crime that hit us all."

The impact of her death was still apparent Friday. One of the investigators in the case, Lt. Tommy Hansen of the Galveston County Sheriff's Department, took off his glasses and wiped away tears after the verdict was read. Another, Sgt. Mike Barry, pumped his left fist into the air in celebration.

Zeigler didn't react after the verdict was read. But his mother, Nellie Zeigler, slumped into one of the courtroom's padded benches in tears and repeated, "I just want to see him for a minute," after her son was taken away.

Dee McWilliams, one of Zeigler's attorneys, later said his client was "pretty devastated" by the verdict.

"From day one, we knew what we were up against ... how he had been demonized in the media. We did everything we could to change that," McWilliams said. "We are very disappointed in how things turned out."

Ziegler's attorneys told jurors their client was in another room when Riley died and there was no evidence he killed her.

But prosecutors said Zeigler lied repeatedly to investigators, giving them conflicting statements on the girl's death. Prosecutors showed the Galveston County jury video of Zeigler admitting dumping the child's body in the bay.

Trenor and Zeigler met playing an online video game and married in June 2007 after Trenor moved with her daughter from Ohio to live with Zeigler in his home in Spring.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... wD9BQD4S80

I am curious why they didn't seek the death penalty,I hope bubba is good to him in prison.