Christopher Stevens

Background

Christopher Stevens was on probation, and his probation was transferred to Cloverdale, where he returned to live with his father. None of his new neighbors were aware of his criminal past.

Zachary Snider, age 10, lived in the same subdivision and was often seen in the company of the 20-year-old Stevens. Stevens attended and videotaped one of Zachary’s little league baseball games. Zachary’s father eventually warned Stevens to stay away from his son when he learned that Stevens had taken the boy fishing.

Zachary’s father later warned Stevens to stay away after learning about Stevens taking Zachary fishing.

The offence

A month after Zachary’s father warned Stevens, Zachary turned up missing one afternoon.

Stevens was arrested and gave a complete confession.

He claimed that he had been having sex with Zachary for 2 or 3 months. When Zachary came over to his house, they performed oral sex in Stevens’ room. Zachary threatened to tell his parents about having sex and Stevens decided he did not want to go through what he went through in Marion County.

Stevens smothered Zachary with a pillow, then strangled Zachary with an electrical cord around his neck. When Zachary continued to gasp, Stevens got a plastic garbage bag and wrapped it over Zachary’s head. Stevens then put Zachary and his bicycle in the car, drove to a bridge in a remote area, and threw them both over.

Stevens returned the next morning, fearing that police would connect him to the trash bag. He removed it from Zachary’s head and threw it out along the highway on the way home. A similar bag was recovered by police in the area described by Stevens.

Stevens later admitted to psychologists that he had molested 25–30 children, and had ejaculated on Zachary when he killed him. The psychologists concluded that he was a benign pedophile and was a serious danger to society.

Investigation

After Zachary went missing, a massive local search began for Zachary.

In the midst of that search, Stevens’ brother reported to police that Stevens had confessed to him that he murdered Zachary. The brother also reported that Stevens directed police to a remote location near a bridge, where Zachary’s body and bicycle were recovered.

Arrest

Trial

Sentencing

Stevens was sentenced on March 14, 1995 to death.

Aggravating Circumstances:

• Child Molesting
• Victim less than 12
• On Probation

Mitigating Circumstances:

• Confession to Police
• 20 years old at murder
• Parents divorced when he was a child
• Father jailed for molesting his stepsister
• Mother jailed for drug dealing
• Mental Health treatment for depression in 1992
• Average intelligence with good insight
• Manipulative, shallow
• Poor impulse control

Appeals

Direct Appeal:

• Stevens v. State, 691 N.E.2d 412 (Ind. December 31, 1997)

  • Conviction Affirmed 5-0
  • DP Affirmed 5-0
  • Shepard Opinion; Dickson, Sullivan, Selby, Boehm concur.

• Stevens v. Indiana, 119 S.Ct. 550 (1998) (Cert. denied).

PCR:

• PCR Petition filed 12-01-98.

• PCR denied 09-14-99 by Tippecanoe County Superior Court Judge George J. Heid.

• Stevens v. State, 770 N.E.2d 739 (Ind. June 26, 2002)

  • Appeal of PCR denial
  • Conviction and Sentence Affirmed 5-0
  • Dickson Opinion; Shepard, Sullivan, Boehm, Rucker concur.

• Stevens v. Indiana, 124 S.Ct. 69 (2003) (Cert. denied).

Habeas:

• 01-17-03 Notice of Intent to File Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus
• Motion for Stay 11-03-88
• Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus filed in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
• Christopher M. Stevens v. Daniel McBride, Superintendent (4:03-CV-00005-AS)
• Judge Allen Sharp
• For Defendant: Alan Rossman, Cleveland, OH; Kathy Lea Stinton-Glen, Zionsville, IN
• For State: Stephen R. Creason, Deputy Attorney General (S. Carter)
• 01-13-05 Writ of Habeas Corpus denied.

Outcome

Stevens’ conviction and death sentence were affirmed on direct appeal and after PCR proceedings.

Aftermath

This case later resulted in Zachary’s Law, IC 5-2-12, establishing Sex Offender Registry.

Other details

• The victim was Zachary Snider, age 10.
• Stevens was 20 years old at the time of the murder.
• Stevens was described as having average intelligence with good insight, and as being manipulative, shallow, and having poor impulse control.