RCFL: Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory

July 23, 2010 — Intermountain West RCFL Aids Homicide Investigation of Four-Year Old Ethan Stacy

The remains of Ethan Stacy, 4, were found by investigators just one day after his mother and stepfather reported him missing—his death was classified as “severe abuse.” His mother and stepfather, Nathaniel and Stephanie Sloop, were charged in his murder. The Intermountain West RCFL (IWRCFL) is providing digital forensics expertise to investigators.

Ethan was reported missing on May 11, 2010. His mother said he wandered off, but after police conducted interviews with the Sloops and discovered contradictions and discrepancies in their stories, their attention focused on them, according to press reports. The Sloops were married on May 1, 2010 with Mr. Sloop admitting in a probable cause affidavit that he locked Ethan in his bedroom while they attended to their nuptials. On May 9, 2010, the Sloops found Ethan in his bed, and fearing they would be held responsible for his death, concocted a plan to bury his body in Ogden Canyon, where authorities later discovered the child in a shallow grave.

According to the probable cause affidavit issued by the Layton County Police Department, on May 11, 2010, video images were found on Mrs. Sloop’s cellular telephone. The affidavit stated, “These photos show a large and very noticeable area of swelling to the jaw and face.” The Sloops said a peanut allergy caused the swelling, however, the affidavit stated that Mr. Sloop “engaged in a systematic and progressively more violent pattern of abuse toward Ethan.” The IWRCFL is examining Mrs. Sloop’s cellular phone and other pieces of electronic media associated with the investigation.

The Sloops are eligible for the death penalty under “Shelby’s Law,” which was passed by the Utah State Legislature after 10-year old Shelby Andrews was abused so badly, she passed away. Shelby’s Law makes child abuse that leads to death a potential death penalty crime in Utah. Prosecutors have not yet announced their decision on whether or not they will seek the death penalty against the couple.

The IWRCFL began operations in 2005, and was the first facility in the FBI’s Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory Program to earn international accreditation from the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors in 2008. The Sloops are currently being held in the Davis County Jail, which is managed by the Davis County Sheriff’s Office, a participating agency in the IWRCFL.

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