(Image) Disappeared without trace: The body of Christian Choate, 13, from Gary, Indiana, was unearthed from a shallow grave by police.The sister of a 13-year-old boy who died and was secretly buried after allegedly spending up to two years locked in a dog cage has told of the horrifying moment she found his body.
Christina Choate, now 17, said she found her brother dead, lying curled up in a cage inside their mobile home in the Black Oak district of Gary, Indiana in 2009.
She claimed how her father then made her help him secretly bury the child under concrete near their home before moving the family to Kentucky.
She has kept the secret for two years but finally told a relative. Now her father Riley and stepmother Kimberly Kubina have been charged with murder.
Christian Choate's body was discovered last week buried under concrete near the home he shared with his father, stepmother and older sister.
His father, Riley, was initially charged with removing a body from a death scene.
But yesterday he and now ex-wife, Kimberly Kubina, were charged with murder after an autopsy revealed the young boy suffered blunt force trauma, internal bleeding and a skull fracture.
Christian's body lay undiscovered for nearly two years until his sister, Christine, finally revealed the alleged details of his death and secret burial, leading police to launch an investigation. He was never declared missing.
Yesterday Christina claimed how her brother was locked in a dog cage inside the family's home, allowed out only to use the bathroom and to eat.
Christina said her father kept Christian locked up to stop him running away.
She also recounted how her younger brother endured regular and brutal beatings from their father.
She then described the day in April of 2009 that she found her brother dead. Read More
