Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Kristyanna Rose Cowan

Kristyanna Rose Cowan 
November 3, 1999 - January 22, 2003
 
Kristyanna Rose Cowan was born on November 3, 1999. She had an older half-sister named Brittney who was seven years old by the time she was born. Former neighbors report that while Kristyanna's parents were often not home, Brittney acted as Kristyanna's mother. If Kristyanna fell down and scraped her knee, it was Brittney who brushed it away, kissed it away. Their neighbor reports that they never yelled for their mother to help them. Kristyanna's mother, Tamara Bergeron, and her boyfriend, Bobby Schmidt moved to many different locations very often, and began selling drugs and gambling. They often stayed out at nights, leaving now ten year old Brittney to care for her three year old little sister, Kristyanna, who she nick-named "Kissy". Brittney even missed three weeks of school to stay home and care for her sister. On the night of January 21, 2003, their parents went to casinos and left Brittney and Kristyanna home alone yet again. The girls peacefully fell asleep on the couch while watching television that night, but soon after midnight, a knock came at the door. 
Kristyanna and Brittney

Brittney answered the door to find a teenager waiting for her. He wanted Brittney to come with him, but Brittney remembered that her mother told her not to go anywhere with strangers, so she told him no. The boy left, and Brittney joined Kristyanna on the couch again and tried to go back to sleep. A few minutes ater, however, another knock was heard. It was the same boy, but this time, he had a girl with him. He told Brittney that her mother had been hurt, and that she needed her help. Brittney opened the door to let the boy and the girl inside. She went to find her shoes, and asked the visitors if they would wake up Kristyanna. When Brittney bent down, the boy grabbed her and covered her mouth, telling her that they could do this the 'easy way', or the 'hard way'. Brittney fought back, but they punched her and kicked her. After a bit of fighting, they stabbed her in her chest, back, arms, and legs. Brittney desperately tried to reach Kristyanna, but she couldn't, and they began stabbing Kristyanna as well.

About eight minutes later, the visitors left, leaving Kristyanna and Brittney in pools of blood. Brittney screamed for her mother, but no one heard her. Around 1:55 a.m., Tamara and Bobby returned home. They called for help, and while they waited for it to arrive, they attempted to stop Brittney's bleeding. Kristyanna was already unconscious. When the officers arrived, Brittney told them "I don't want to die." Both girls were rushed into surgery, and Brittney kept asking about Kristyanna. The knife used to attack the girls was long, and was only a centimeter away from Brittney's heart. One of the twenty wounds she suffered pierced her spinal cord, Brittney would never walk again. The long knife had pierced Kristyanna's skull and brain, her jugular vein was slashed and a knife wound to her face slashed her cheek and her tongue. Kristyanna could not be saved. 


The killers, now miles away were eighteen year old Beau Maestas, his sixteen year old sister, Monique, and his eighteen year old girlfriend, Sabrina Bantam. The night of the attack, Beau was already high on meth, and he wanted more. He payed $125 for drugs from Kristyanna's parents, only to find out later that the drugs were fake, and actually salt. He told Kristyanna's parents "Give me my money back, or else.". He headed to their house with intentions of, in his own words, "not killing, but cutting or scaring", Bobby. Beau's girlfriend said she had no idea what Beau and Monique were planning on doing. 
Prosecutors have charged Bergeron and Schmidt, who are now married, with child abuse and neglect. Both have pleaded not guilty.


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