DENVER—County agencies made numerous missteps before the death of a 7-year-old who weighed just 34 pounds, but those problems were not responsible for the boy’s death, the state Department of Human Services said Tuesday.
Chandler Grafner died May 6 of dehydration and starvation after suffering cardiac arrest, a coroner’s report said. Court documents said he was kept in a closet for days at a time without food, water or access to a toilet.
His caregivers, who were not his parents, have been charged with murder and child abuse.
“In hindsight, there probably are a number of things that could have been done to prevent his death,” said Karen Beye, executive director of the Colorado Department of Human Services.
“Would we have been assured that his death would have been prevented? No, I don’t believe we can point to the thing that would say, ‘Had we only done “X,” Chandler would be alive today,'” Beye said.
Beye released a report on Chandler’s death that said the Jefferson County DHS didn’t check reports from schools that the boy had bruises on his ear and neck.
The state also said the county failed to search for his parents, didn’t force his guardian to provide for his mental and developmental needs and failed to update a state computer showing it had closed the case.
The state said the Denver DHS failed to get reports from Jefferson County after it was told of alleged abuses in January.
The state said the Arapahoe County DHS needs new policies because it didn’t do a criminal background check on Grafner’s mother, Christina, and failed to explore reports that she had been charged criminally for reckless endangerment.
State officials said those new policies were not a requirement.
Jon Phillips, 26, the boy’s legal guardian, and Phillips’ girlfriend, Sarah Berry, 22, have been ordered to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder and child abuse.
They will appear in court Sept. 24 for arraignment.
Chandler was the son of Phillips’ former girlfriend. Authorities said Phillips had agreed to take custody of Chandler after a court removed the boy from his mother’s care.
Attorneys for the couple said Chandler had a number of pre-existing medical conditions that could have caused his death.
The couple could face life in prison if found guilty on first-degree murder, and up to 24 years if found guilty on the child abuse charge.
The three county agencies expressed regret for the boy’s death but denied responsibility.
Roxane White, manager of Denver Human Services, said the agency would change some policies but doubted even those revisions would have triggered an investigation before Chandler died.
Lynn Johnson, executive director of Jefferson County Human Services, said “many things were done right in this case” and said the county uncovered no indication that Chandler was in danger.
“We feel great sorrow over this horrible tragedy. One doesn’t get into the human services field without an intense desire to protect children. We worked with this family, and this little boy, and all of us are devastated,” Johnson said.
