Murder suspect's friend: Employer
falsified details
By
Casey Santee - Journal
Writer
March 8, 2006
POCATELLO - Testimony at Michelle Bott-Graham's
preliminary hearing Tuesday alleged her employer tried to cover up
the circumstances that led to the Dec. 7 death of 2-year-old Cameron
Hamilton.
Jamie Baker, a friend of Bott-Graham,
said that after Hamilton was taken to Portneuf Medical Center with
severe head injuries Nov. 29, Achieving a Better Life co-owner
Randie Wilhelm told her during a phone call that if police found out
Bott-Graham was involved, it would mean trouble.
“Randie said, ‘We can't tell them what
happened, I'll lose my business,'” Baker testified, adding that
Wilhelm said she told police Cameron was injured when he fell off a
couch at ABL.
At the time, Bott-Graham, who lost her
counseling license after a 2003 heroin conviction, maintained
Cameron was injured falling out of a car seat.
However police say Bott-Graham, 39,
severely injured Cameron while he was being counseled at her
Pocatello home Nov. 29. Cameron died a week later at Primary
Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City from head trauma.
Bott-Graham was originally charged with
felony injury to a child, which carries a maximum penalty of 15
years in prison, but Bannock County Prosecutor Mark Hiedeman upped
the charge to first-degree murder last month. Because Hiedeman is
not seeking the death penalty, Bott-Graham could face up to life in
prison if convicted of the felony offense.
During Tuesday's testimony, Baker said
Bott-Graham called her at about 2:30 p.m. the day Cameron was
injured and said she needed to talk right away. When Baker arrived
at Bott-Graham's Pocatello home minutes later, Bott-Graham was
hysterical.
“Michelle was crying, she was very
upset,” Baker said. “She kept saying she was sorry and she was going
to prison.”
Baker said Bott-Graham pulled her into
the bathroom, away from the children, and said after she picked
Cameron up from ABL, he slipped on the ice getting out of his car
seat. Bott-Graham allegedly said he was knocked unconscious, but
quickly woke up and was fine.
Bott-Graham told Baker that Cameron
suffered a seizure a few hours later.
“His eyes were rolled back in his head
and she was scared,” Baker said, adding that Bott-Graham told her
she then scooped Cameron up and returned him to ABL.
Former ABL employee Sheila Bateman also
testified for the prosecution.
Through tears, Bateman said when Bott-Graham
picked Hamilton up that morning, he didn't want to go. She said
Hamilton was attached to her.
“I told him it would be OK - to be a
good boy and I love him,” Bateman said. “I was told by the owners
that whenever (Bott-Graham) wanted to take him, it was OK.”
Hours later Bott-Graham called ABL and
said Hamilton had fallen “face first” out of the car and was wet but
not hurt. Bott-Graham said she was going to take him home to change
his clothes. When Bott-Graham finally returned Hamilton to ABL, she
told Bateman that Hamilton was sleeping, then laid him down in a
play pen. She told Bateman she was leaving town for her aunt's
funeral.
After Bott-Graham left ABL, Bateman
noticed Hamilton was having problems breathing. She rolled him over
and noticed two small marks near his right eye. Sometime later,
ABL's other co-owner, Vickey Stauffer, told her to call the
ambulance because Hamilton had thrown up and was having a seizure.
Bateman also said that Hamilton always
had bruises because he often fell.
During cross examination, defense
attorney Keith Roark of Hailey, asked if it is fair to say that
Hamilton fell so often she wouldn't have noticed a particular bruise
on a particular day.
Bateman agreed with Roark's statement.
He asked her if she saw anything when
Bott-Graham returned Hamilton that immediately alarmed her.
“No,” Bateman replied.
The remainder of the hearing was
postponed until March 17 because Prosecutor Mark Hiedeman subpoenaed
two Utah doctors for the wrong day.
Bott-Graham remains in the Bannock
County Jail in lieu of $200,000 bond.
Casey Santee covers
courts, crime and public safety for the Idaho State Journal. He can
be reached at (208) 239-3135, or by e-mail at
csantee@journalnet.com.
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