Seven charged with child abuse in Edgar case

The Kansas City Star/January 16, 2003
By Robert A. Cronkleton

Wyandotte County District Attorney Nick A. Tomasic today announced child-abuse charges against seven people relating to the investigation of 9-year-old Brian Edgar's slaying.

Tomasic said he filed the charges late Wednesday against Brian's mother, Christy Edgar; a family baby sitter, Chasity Boyd; and five other women who are associates of Christy Edgar and Neil Edgar Sr., Brian's father.

Besides Boyd, 19, and Edgar, 46, those charged are Julia Edgar-Montgomery, 54; Renita D. Allen-Jackson, 40; Idella A. Horton, 22; Patricia A. Walker, 44; and Barbara Clark, 45.

All are Kansas City, Kan., residents except Christy Edgar, who was living in Overland Park before being arrested Dec. 30.

Tomasic said all seven defendants are members of God's Creation Church, a Kansas City, Kan., storefront church run by the Edgars.

Boyd and the Edgars already stand charged in Johnson County with murdering Brian late last year by stuffing a sock in his mouth, taping his lips shut and binding him tightly around the chest. Boyd and the Edgars also are charged in Johnson County with abusing two other Edgar children, a 12-year-old girl and 9-year-old boy.

At a morning news conference, Tomasic said that the child abuse involved two of the Edgars three other children -- a 12-year-old boy and 9-year-old girl -- and a 12-year-old boy who was a friend of one of the Edgar children.

The Edgars had adopted four children -- Brian; the 12-year-old boy; the 9-year-old girl; and a 16-year-old boy. None of the abuse charges relates to the 16-year-old boy.

The abuse of the three victims allegedly took place between Oct. 11 and Jan. 3 at five different residences owned by the Edgars or the church.

The members of the church lived at those residences. Those members who worked, Tomasic said, surrendered their paychecks to the church as rent.

Tomasic said that when the children misbehaved at the Edgars' home in south Overland Park, they would take their children to one of the various residences to be punished. Tomasic said that the children were disciplined for disrespecting adults and not paying attention at church, among other things.

The punishment, Tomasic said, took several different forms. For example, the children's hands were tied behind their backs and then tied to their feet with black, plastic flex ties. Scarves were put over their eyes, and they were left that way all night, Tomasic said.

Tomasic said that the Edgars' 9-year-old daughter once was hog-tied and placed in a dry bath tub for the night and that Brian once was tied crucifixion style to a bunk bed and left overnight.

He said the children were tied up with such things as extension cords and belts. Duct tape and clear, packing tape also were used to bind the children, and the defendants also placed tape over the children's mouths to keep them quiet, he said.

Tomasic said church members were not cooperating with the investigation.