Teen chained for years before death

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) - Jurors on Friday heard a school counselor tell of an odd encounter with Marsha Springer, mother of 16-year-old Calista Springer who died chained to her bed in 2008 when the family home burned in Centreville.

Diana Kamphues said when Calista was in sixth grade, the girl indicated a desire to kill herself. And when Kamphues called Marsha Springer and told her about the suicide wish "she [Marsha] started talking about Calista's grades and how they could be improved."

Marsha and Anthony Springer are charged with felony murder, child abuse and torture.

Classmates and school employees told jurors Friday that Calista wore the same clothing all week long, appeared with dirty hair and would brush her teeth in the school restroom while her two sisters appeared clean and well dressed.

School para-pro Marilyn Lafler said, "Her [Calista's] hair wasn't brushed. She had, like, holes in her shoes. Her clothes weren't clean."

But Lafler said Calista's sister's "hair (had been) brushed, they were clean. You put them side by side I thought they were from different families."

Lafler and a string of Calista's classmates testified Calista told them she was being chained to her bed. She said Calista "told me that she was chained to the bed...every night and it's wrapped around her legs, and I asked what kind of a chain it was and she said it was like a dog chain. She said it was wrapped around and tight to where she couldn't move."

Prosecutors are trying to argue the Springers took their daughter out of school after that to keep her away from other people.

Lafler said she told a school counselor about Calista's revelation and was told state child protection workers were already aware of it.

Other testimony and the police investigation discovered St. Joseph County child protection workers did nothing about it. One worker said she thought someone else had approved of the chaining and her supervisor testified she missed the information when she reviewed the worker's report.

The trial in Kalamazoo continues Feb. 2. It was moved from St. Joseph County when the court was unable to seat an impartial jury. The fire scene where Calista died is across the street from the county courthouse.