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DENVER—The brother of a 7-year-old boy who died of starvation has said in a tape-recorded interview that the child had to spend days and nights in a closet with no food.
The taped conversation with a detective was played for jurors on Monday in the trial of 27-year-old Jon Phillips, charged with first-degree murder and fatal child abuse in the death of Chandler Grafner, his ward.
Chandler weighed 34 pounds when he died in May 2007. A coroner has said the cause of death was starvation and malnutrition.
Defense attorneys say Chandler died of acute diabetes that went undetected.
Phillips’ girlfriend, 23-year-old Sarah Berry, also faces murder and child abuse charges and will be tried separately.
