Woman bound over for trial: Bott-Graham
charged in child's death
By
Casey Santee - Journal
Writer
March 18, 206
 POCATELLO - Testimony in Michelle Bott-Graham's
preliminary hearing Friday for first-degree murder alleged Cameron
Hamilton's fatal brain injuries were likely caused by both
strangulation and blunt force trauma.
Maureen Frikke, the Utah medical
examiner who performed Cameron's autopsy, ruled the boy's death a
homicide. As she spoke, Cameron's parents gasped and embraced each
other several times in the front row of the courtroom.
Before adjourning, Magistrate Judge
David Evans said the state met its burden of proof to bind Bott-Graham,
39, over to district court for trial. Because Prosecutor Mark
Hiedeman is not seeking the death penalty, Bott-Graham faces up to
life in prison if convicted.
Police reports indicate Cameron was
injured after Bott-Graham picked him up from Achieving a Better Life
day care and mental health clinic in Chubbuck Nov. 29 to treat him
for autism at her Pocatello home. Bott-Graham allegedly returned an
unresponsive Cameron to ABL several hours later. He died at Primary
Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City Dec. 5.
Frikke testified Friday that Cameron
was a “totally healthy” child prior to his injuries. She said his
condition could not have been caused by an accidental fall, as Bott-Graham
and ABL owner Randie Wilhelm allegedly told police.
“In my opinion, Cameron Hamilton died
as a result of traumatic brain injury,” Frikke said.
Jamie Baker, a friend and former
patient of Bott-Graham's, testified March 7 that Wilhelm told her
she lied to police about what happened to Cameron by saying he fell
off a couch at ABL and hit his head on a toy box. Bott-Graham, who
has changed the details of her story several times, told police
Cameron fell from her vehicle while getting out of a car seat and
struck his head on the ice.
Last week, Chubbuck Prosecutor Tom
Holmes filed three misdemeanor charges against Wilhelm and ABL's
other co-owner, Vickey Stauffer, including injury to a child,
resisting or obstructing an investigation and failure to report
child abuse.
Wilhelm and Stauffer couldn't be
reached for comment Friday.
Bott-Graham's preliminary hearing began
March 7, but because Hiedeman subpoenaed Frikke and another witness
for the wrong day, Judge Evans continued the remainder of it until
Friday. Bott-Graham will be arraigned into district court in the
coming weeks. Her trial is not yet scheduled.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Evans
said Bott-Graham had secured enough cash and property to be released
from custody on $200,000 bond. She was freed Friday afternoon, but
must remain in Idaho and in contact with her defense attorney, Keith
Roark of Hailey.
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