Court docs: Former Department of Corrections officer, wife accused of punching kids, holding them at knife, gunpoint

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- Disturbing details have been released regarding a Pinal County couple, one of whom is a former Arizona Department of Corrections officer, accused of abusing their 10 children.

Court documents obtained by Arizona’s Family reveal a trend of alleged abuse from Melissa and former Officer Kelly Conklin after two of their boys ran away by jumping out of their bedroom window last week. Police later found the boys, but investigators investigated the parents after speaking with the other children. Arizona Department of Corrections confirmed that Officer Conklin resigned from the Department after his arrest by the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. The department confirmed that the situation is still under investigation.

In one instance detailed in court paperwork, Melissa said she wrapped her arms around a child and that one of their children tried to fight with her to escape. At one point, the documents stated that Melissa felt the child punch her on the left side of the face. Another sibling reported hearing them fight and told their father. The child told investigators that their father went outside and grabbed the child atop the mother with both his hands around their neck. Next, he reportedly held the child by his shirt and slammed him to the ground, then placed him in handcuffs.

At the hospital, the boy told staff both of his parents were assaulting him after they found him in the backyard. That boy told investigators he tried to get away because he was scared of his dad. Court papers say that during the interview, the boy told officers that his dad had slammed his face into the gravel, punched him, banged his head, then choked him to the point that he blacked out.

When he woke up, court papers say the boy remembered his dad saying, “this isn’t over b**ch.” The boy also said that he had been beaten before by his father using handcuffs. Investigators were also told that the room locks from the outside, and that they must use a doorbell to ask to leave the room. The boy explained that they sleep on the floor, because there is no bed for them.

In another instance, one of the girls told detectives that her dad pulled out a knife and held her to the wall. Court papers say that after one child had a black eye, former Officer Conklin allegedly pulled a gun and threatened the other kids by telling them they needed to lie to DCS about what was happening at the house.

Both Kelly and Melissa are now facing child abuse, neglect, and endangerment charges.

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