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Trial: Parents of teen killed in fire
Trial may last three weeks
Updated: Tuesday, 27 Oct 2009, 1:06 PM EDT
Published : Sunday, 25 Oct 2009, 5:31 PM EDT
CENTREVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) - Jury selection is under way in the case of a couple accused in the death of their teenage daughter who died in a house fire after being chained to her bed.
Calista Springer, 16, died in the Feb. 27, 2008 fire in the family's Centreville home. According to the Associated Press, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports a faulty vacuum sweeper was cited as the cause of the fire.
The teen's parents, Anthony and Marsha Springer, are charged in St. Joseph County Circuit Court with first-degree child abuse, torture and felony murder. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
When firefighters first arrived at the home, Marsha Springer was in the front yard yelling that her daughter was still inside. Heavy smoke and flames made it impossible for firefighters to go in and rescue her.
The girl's body was later found chained to a bed in an upstairs bedroom.
Her father claimed Calista had special needs and the restraints were necessary to keep her from leaving the house at night.
Target 8 uncovered that Child Protective Services workers received four complaints within a few days in 2004 about alleged abuse of Calista who was 12 at the time. One of those complaints included allegations of being chained to the bed.
Some of those CPS workers allegedly thought that action had been OK'd by another agency and was probably in the best interest of Calista who was known to roam at night and get into trouble.
The trial may last up to three weeks.
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