The Phoenix Gazette
December 4, 1989

A 4-year-old Phoenix boy was found shot to death Sunday, and the boy's mother was one of three people arrested for first-degree murder, police said.

The body of CHRISTOPHER MILKE was discovered about 5 p.m. Sunday in a desert area just off 99th Avenue between Happy Valley and Jomax Road.

CHRISTOPHER was reported missing by JIM STYERS, a family friend, who told authorities the boy disappeared about 2 p.m. Saturday from a bathroom at the Sears store at Metro Center.

Comment: These facts aren't disputed in any way, yet police should've disclosed the information that according to their records ROGER SCOTT had been seen by TRINI STERN, employee of Osco Drugs, at about 1.15 to 1.20 p.m. in the liquor department. After that at a Circle K store and eventually - between 1.30 and 2.00 p.m. - he had been noted at a bar named 'Arabian Room.'

Police arrested STYERS and ROGER MARK SCOTT, 41, of the 4800 block of West Bethany Home Road, shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday, Hill said.

Comment: Here a wrongful claim was implied, namely that SCOTT and SYTERS had been arrested together or at the same time. That's completely untrue. SCOTT, after being interviewed for more than twelve hours, eventually incriminated STYERS by stating 'JIM killed him'. After that - at least sixty to ninety minutes later and in the car and en route to the murder-scene - SCOTT expanded his unbelievable story and implicated the boy's mother he never liked, Debra Milke. Only at that point case leading agent DET. SALDATE decided to call his superior and ordered the arrest of both, JIM STYERS and Debra. Additionally the information about the location of the arrests is false. SCOTT lived on West Bethany Home Rd., whereas STYERS was arrested at 5.17 p.m. in front of the apartment complex where he lived, N. 12th St.

CHRISTOPHER'S mother, Debbie, age unavailable, was, picked up between 8 and 9 p.m. in Florence, where she had gone Sunday morning to be with her parents. STYERS said Milke went there because she was upset over her son's disappearance.

Comment: Interestingly no indication for a voluntary confession unravels here. Even if DET. SALDATE'S fabricated police report wasn't typed yet, the information that - according to the arraignment performed only four days later - the boy's mother has allegedly confessed should've come out here. Or why else was she upset about her son's disappearance?

Hill said all three have made statements to police. Investigators said they believe they have a motive in the slaying but would not disclose it.

Comment: If that's truly what HILL said then the officer was badly informed. SCOTT tried to cover his butt by implicating the other two individuals; JIM STYERS refused any statements after being arrested and charged with murder and Debra Milke went to Florence to be with her family and was later asked to come down to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office, where DET. SALDATE ensured he was alone with Debra. Three days later SALDATE claimed she had confessed. Conclusion: the three individuals have not made statements. Also the holding back of a purported 'motive' seems odd ... as we will later see in Debra Milke's case all in all five different motives why she allegedly wanted her son killed were claimed. None of these motives applied.

Hill said they believe the boy probably was murdered where his body was found. He said the gun used had not been recovered.

Police did not reveal how many times the boy had been shot or where.

CHRISTOPHER and his mother lived with STYERS at the Palo Verde Gardens apartment complex in the 7700 block of north 12th St.

Authorities combed Metro Center and the surrounding area Saturday and Sunday for CHRISTOPHER. At one point, search dogs were called in.

After being questioned by police, STYERS, 42, had told reporters early Sunday afternoon that he and CHRISTOPHER went to Metro Center, where CHRISTOPHER had hoped to see Santa Claus, and that the boy was lost in the mall men's room.

STYERS said he had notified Sears and Metro Center security personnel, who searched the mall. Phoenix police were notified about 4:20 p.m. Saturday.

STYERS told reporters he was worried about CHRISTOPHER'S well-being and did not want to think the worst. When asked what message he wanted to tell anyone who might have CHRISTOPHER, STYERS replied : "Just take care of him and get him back to us."

SSTYERS said he could not remember all the details surrounding CHRISTOPHER'S disappearance because he suffers from a memory problem caused by a service-connected illness. Styers said he served in Vietnam in the Marine Corps and suffers from post traumatic stress syndrome.

Hill said there were numerous inconsistencies in the trio's stories relating to CHRISTOPHER'S disappearance. He said police were unable to place CHRISTOPHER in Metro Center, although STYERS and SCOTT had been there.

Comment: The inconsistencies between STYERS' and SCOTT's statements came to the attention of DET. C. MASINO. One time SCOTT stated he met STYERS inside Sears, on another occasion he stated that he had met STYERS outside Sears, but inside the mall. Debra Milke was not involved in any inconsistencies at all. The later fabricated confession was not inconsistent ... the trouble is, it was fabricated.

Investigators impounded Debbie Milke's car, a 1986 white Toyota Corolla, which she had allowed STYERS to drive.

The complex is the same one in which a 16-year-old baby-sitter disappeared with a baby Friday. That baby was discovered unharmed the same day. Police believe there is no connection between the two incidents.