Reports detail gruesome discovery of Scottsdale boy abused to death

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — Newly released police reports outline the gruesome details about a Scottsdale grandmother and her husband arrested and accused of abusing and killing her grandson.

On Jan. 30, 2022, police found 11-year-old Chaskah Davis Smith dead in a bathroom at an Extended Stay motel in Scottsdale.

GRAPHIC WARNING: Details in this story may be disturbing.

“The child looked pale, lifeless, and had a fixed gaze with eye lids slightly open,” said one Scottsdale police officer in a newly-released police report.

Chaskah Davis had no pulse.

The officer noted the child had what appeared to be fresh wounds all over his body, most notably on the head where hair was missing, exposing a deep injury.

Police arrested Stephanie Marie Davis and her husband, Thomas James Desharnais, and they are charged with child abuse and first-degree murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Davis was the one who called 911. Police released the transcript this week.

In it, she calls for an ambulance, saying her grandson was not breathing and was in the bathtub.

She also keeps bringing up claims that the 11-year-old was harming himself, a story she continued when police arrive.

She later said she attempted CPR before first responders got to the scene.

Both Davis and Desharnais told police the child was hitting himself.

However, one officer stated in his report he had a hard time believing Desharnais’ accounts.

A paramedic on scene said he didn’t believe Chaskah’s injuries could be self-inflicted because of the force.

Later in the report, Desharnais cracks and walked back his previous statements and told police Davis was abusing her grandchildren.

He went on to say she hit both with a ratchet, that they were not fed much food and that she slashed and stabbed the grandchildren with a knife.

Police sifted through evidence and found a shock collar in the hotel room but police added there were no signs of any dogs living with them.

One officer noted Davis was surprisingly calm when she was arrested.

The trial of Davis and Desharnais isn’t expected until next year.

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