Mom Charged with Murder of Her 12-Year-Old Son in Oregon
An Oregon woman has been charged with murder after her 12-year-old son's body was discovered in their apartment.
Responding to an emergency call on January 14, the police arrived at the Riverwood Apartments at 175 Garland Way North in Keizer, Oregon and found Caden Berry dead inside the apartment.
His mother, Amy M. Robertson, 38, was present at the scene and she cooperated with the investigating authorities. She has been arrested and charged with aggravated murder in the death of her son, said a statement released by the Keizer Police Department.
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An autopsy conducted on Monday found strangulation to be the cause of Caden's death.
Caden was the youngest of three siblings. Colton, 14, is currently staying with Robertson's mother outside Eugene while his his father, Matt Casto, searches for stable housing. The eldest brother, Colby (also Casto's son), had committed suicide in 2011 at the age of 12.
Caden's father, David M. Berry, 38, is serving time in Oregon State Penitentiary for burglary and drug distribution cases. He won't be released any sooner than November, according to state Department of Correction records. The boys' parents all have criminal records with Robertson being convicted of forgery in 1997 and Costo of criminal mischief in 2005.
After Colby's death, Caden and Colton stayed with Robertson until last year when Casto filed for and secured custody of Colton in May, reports Oregon Live. Matt Casto believed that Robertson suffered from bipolar disorder and she posed a significant threat to his son's safety. "Amy is an unfit mother and is placing Colton in serious danger," he said in the court filing.
Casto also said that he was concerned for Caden's well-being as Robertson, who exhibited extreme mood swings and distanced herself from her family, had shown signs of violence against his brothers in the past. However, the Keizer Police Department has no record of receiving any reports of abuse in Robertson's household, said Deputy Chief Jeffrey Kuhns.
Brenda King, a neighbor of the family who found Caden's body, said that she was concerned when Robertson began yelling in the courtyard and Berry was no where to be seen. Robertson was reportedly saying something about demons when King noticed Berry's absence and asked his mother about him.
"I said, 'Where's your son?' She said, 'In the house under the blanket.' So I went into his room. He wasn't in there," Brenda King told reporters. She searched around the house and eventually found him in the living room. "There was a recliner tipped over and he was halfway on it under a blanket," she said. "I tried to wake him up, and he wouldn't wake up. So I ran out and yelled to call an ambulance."
Caden, described as a happy person with a good sense of humor by his friends, was a seventh grade student at Claggett Creek Middle School.
"He put a smile on your face, and I can't believe this is happening. It's just terrible," his friend Kaitlin Yusko, told the network. "I hope he's flying high with the angels and I hope he's really happy." The community held a candle light vigil on Sunday night in remembrance.
Amy Robertson is currently being held without bail at the Marion Cross Correctional Facility and is due in court on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
