The Raven Knocks
True Crime/Missing Persons
The Raven Knocks
The Dark Secrets of the Gray Household: Unveiling Systemic Failures and the Courage to Act Against Child Abuse
What if a single phone call could alter the lives of a family forever? Join us as we unveil the harrowing tale of the Gray family, where the innocent wanderings of a 10-year-old boy led to a shocking discovery of unimaginable abuse and neglect. Through gripping narratives and firsthand accounts, we expose the horrifying conditions endured by the Gray children under the cruel watch of their adoptive parents, Michael and Shirley Gray. This episode explores how the system failed these children and the sinister exploitation of state benefits by the Grays, even after the tragic deaths of Jonathan and Sophie.
With a spotlight on the courageous actions of a vigilant neighbor, we emphasize the crucial role each of us plays in safeguarding vulnerable lives. We delve into the heart-wrenching stories of survival and resilience, questioning the mother's potential involvement and examining the collective responsibility to protect children. This episode is a somber reminder of the power of community awareness and the impact of staying alert to signs of abuse, offering a platform for listeners to share their own experiences and reflections. Listener discretion is advised due to the graphic content and emotional weight of the story.
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Today, on your bonus episode of the Raven Knox, a 10-year-old boy was found walking down the street and no one could have ever imagined the horror it would expose. Today, join me as we unbury the two innocent bodies that were buried in the backyards of those that promised to protect them. Hey guys, welcome to protect them. Please note that the content of this recording may contain graphic material, including torture, and explicit language may be used. The opinions are of my own and may be offensive to some listeners. They are my opinions, everyone has them and if you do not agree, then ignore them like an adult and move on. Listener, discretion is strongly advised. It all began when a neighbor called 911, stating a child between the ages of 8 and 10 was on the road alone pushing a bicycle. She had never seen him before and had no idea where he lived. An officer came out and met the boy and it was very obvious that the child didn't interact with people very much. He had a major speech impediment and seemed to tire out in conversation. He was filthy. He had on two different shoes of two different sizes and they were on the wrong feet. He stated that he didn't have shoes and these were the only clothes he had. His teeth were black and the boy stated that his mouth hurt a lot, especially when he ate especially when he ate. When asked the last time he ate, he stated he had a slice of bread that morning and a piece of cheese because he had been good. When the officer asked what his address was, he had no idea what he was talking about. The officer then put him in his car and they began to drive, and soon the boy pointed to a house that he had came from. The officer pulled into the driveway off of Dry Fork Road in Rome County. He knocked on the door and was greeted by an older man. The officer told him he had his son and he looked puzzled. He stated he had no idea how he got out of the house. Just put that in your right hole. When the officer reunited the two, the officer left while placing a call to DCS. It wasn't long that DCS arrived and they called the police to come back to the home.
Speaker 1:The father, michael Grace Sr, admitted to having another child locked in the basement and after taking a peek inside they were horrified. They immediately took Gray into custody. While being interviewed, he admitted that him and his wife Shirley had adopted four children and when asked where the others were, he stated that Sophie was buried in the backyard, out near the barn. He thought she had died in 2017. The other, jonathan, was at his former residence in Knoxville, at the home of where his biological son, michael Gray Gray Jr, resided. He buried him in the backyard under a peach tree he had planted after the child had died. Needless to say, they were stunned. Could he really be telling the truth or was he delusional?
Speaker 1:As soon as Shirley arrived from her shopping trip, they took her into custody as well. She said they rarely left the kids in the basement and only did so if both her and Michael left together. She said the 10-year-old and we will refer to the living children by their initials to protect their privacy. The 10-year-oldold RG didn't want to go to the grocery store. He wanted to stay home and play video games. Now, going by gut feeling, the officer that picked him up decided to test that. He asked RG if he wanted to play a video game. Rg said I don't know how. He asked RG to turn on the Nintendo and it was obvious. He had no clue where the power button was. He handed him a controller and he held it upside down. The officer then began playing Super Mario Brothers and it was apparent that this child had never played a video game.
Speaker 1:When they asked her who lived in the house, she stated it was RG and TG. She stated that Sophie and Jonathan had moved out of the house two years ago and in with another family. She stated that she received $2,900 a month for the state for five children, including the deceased children. Nothing is really ever mentioned of the fifth child. She said she hadn't fed the children since 2014. That was her husband's job. The children had no beds, no clothing, no shoes, no toys, not anything. Rg couldn't read or write and had never been to school.
Speaker 1:Mr Gray signed a consent form to search the house and properties and they searched the residence. Mr Gray showed officers where the living children stayed and where Sophie died and where he buried her. He also showed them a cardboard box that he had held her in until he dug her tomb. He showed them several small concrete rooms in the basement, one of which was under the stairs. They were around 2.9 by 3.8 feet. They had no lights, no water and buckets to use the restroom. The officers noted that the buckets were overflowing. They had pages of magazines to wipe their bottoms with.
Speaker 1:The only one that had somewhat of a way of escape was the room connected to the basement door that led out to the outside. The others were secured by a wooden door and on the outside of that door old lawnmower blades rotated 90 degrees to lock whomever was inside. These were referred to as the punishment rooms. Can you imagine being a small child alone, because they were always put in these rooms separately, sitting on a cold concrete floor without food or water, in total darkness and having to feel around for a bucket to use? How terrifying that must have been. There were no bathrooms or running water anywhere in the basement.
Speaker 1:On the backside of a basement wall was a brown stain in the shape of a small handprint. It was tested and determined to be feces. This wasn't surprising, as feces covered the walls and urine stained the floor, both human and animal. The entire house reeked of urine and feces. Part of the basement was flooded and also reeked of mold. They found a hamster cage covered in feces with a long guinea pig inside. The door leading into the house was locked so whomever was in the basement couldn't enter the main house. Electrical wires were exposed, trash piled up in places. They found dog crates used for punishment that were modified so you had to have tools to open them.
Speaker 1:They began to excavate the site where Sophie was buried, which was in the barn where the pigs and chickens were. It wasn't long before they discovered a human mandible. They stopped and called UT forensics and they came out and finished the process. The remains were determined to be that of Sophie. She was approximately 11 years old. Determined to be that of Sophie, she was approximately 11 years old. Both of the Grays were interviewed over the next two and a half days and the children were also interviewed.
Speaker 1:They had moved into that residence in Rome County on June 26, 2013 and within one month, tg, who was under 13 at the time, was confined to the basement. He would never see the outside until the day RG ventured out. Apparently, he was confined because he was caught stealing food. During the first weeks of 2017, sophie was also confined to the basement due to also stealing food. Food was withheld from the kids as a form of punishment, and Mr Gray stated that it was Mrs Gray's idea. When they were allowed food, it was a slice of bread and water If they were good. They also got a piece of cheese. If they were good, they also got a piece of cheese.
Speaker 1:Sophie died while being confined to that basement as she was malnourished even before they had moved to Rome County. She had only been there a few months when she finally passed. Both parents knew they were using the bathroom in buckets. Both parents knew that Sophie had died and was buried in the backyard, and both parents knew that Jonathan had died and was buried in the backyard of their previous house. None of the children had received any medical care for at least six years. They admitted the last time they had seen the doctor they were diagnosed with failure to thrive. Doctor, they were diagnosed with failure to thrive. Now I believe if you get this diagnosis and if it's without medical calls, this should prompt a DCS visit unannounced and another one after the child has a chance to improve, without anyone knowing, of course.
Speaker 1:When asked what happened to Sophie, mr Gray stated that Sophie had a stomach ache and he offered her some Pepto and she refused. He also offered her Pedialyte and she drank some of it before going to bed. The next morning she was dead. He didn't call the police because he knew he would go to jail and they would take away his other kids. No, sir, you didn't call because, yeah, you didn't want to go to jail and you didn't want to lose that money that was coming in. They told everyone that she had left to go live with another family and no one ever questioned that. It happens all the time, right, well, yeah, in foster care. But if she is adopted, then that really doesn't happen unless you surrender your rights to that child is adopted, then that really doesn't happen unless you surrender your rights to that child. By the way, I really think that she was either drugging them or poisoning them, and I really wish that they would have tested for that. You'll understand why. As I continue, mr Gray stated that several years before Sophie fell ill, jonathan became ill, stating that he just didn't feel good. He gave him some soup and the following day he too was dead. He didn't notify police for the same reason and told everyone the same story that he went to live with another family.
Speaker 1:Now Shirley tried to lie her way out of everything. Now, shirley tried to lie her way out of everything. She didn't even acknowledge that Jonathan ever lived in the home at first, stating that Sophie and Jonathan used to live with him. She stated she had no idea what happened to Sophie or Jonathan. She said TG had to stay in the basement of the home due to behavioral issues but didn't know if he was still in that basement or not. Like how could you not know if a child's at a basement? She did admit to locking the kids in the basement but said they only did so if her and Mr Gray was leaving. She said Mr Gray was the one who told her that Sophie was dead and that he would take care of it, but she didn't know what he did with her body. She also didn't know the circumstances around Jonathan's death. She said she did know where he was buried and stated he was in her biological son's backyard. To say that you didn't know what happened is complete bullshit.
Speaker 1:Knox County went to the home on Cedar Breeze where their biological son, michael Gray Jr, lived and where at one time the entire family, including the adopted children, lived. Mr Gray Sr showed the officers where Jonathan was buried and the peach tree that he had planted after he buried him. Both of the Grays admitted to locking the kids up in closets, animal cages and rooms in the Knox County home, as well as the basement in the Rome County home. Mr Gray Sr admitted that RG and TG had been imprisoned in the basement for several years and that all the children were deprived of food. He stated his wife didn't want to let anyone see the children, as she said it was obvious by looking at them that they were being abused. You think, yeah, they're being abused. No medical attention was sought before they died, when they claimed that they wasn't feeling well or after they had passed. Later Mrs Gray admitted that she knew that RG and TG were locked in the basement and they had been there for years. She never went down to the basement and would only speak to them through the door. She consented to a search on her phone and the officers were horrified to see a picture of Sophie Before she died sitting on the bed. She was nothing but a sack of bones. She said locking them up in the closets were her husband's idea and she went along with it because she was afraid for her life. Really, what a load of shit.
Speaker 1:During the children's interviews, tg tells of the horrific abuse that took place that he and his siblings suffered at the hands of Mr and Mrs Gray. Tg was 15 years old and appeared like he was 9 or 10. He walked with a very apparent stooped back apparent stooped back. He confirms being locked in cages and they never had a bed once DCS quit coming around and they used the restroom in buckets. They never took showers, changed their clothes or brushed their teeth. They only ate bread and drank water and if they were good they got a piece of cheese. He said they never had three meals in a day and he hadn't seen a doctor since he was six years old.
Speaker 1:Ten-year-old RG stated that he thought he was ten but he looked much smaller. He said he wasn't used to talking and he needed several breaks to rest, that talking made him tired. He said he loved his adoptive parents but was very afraid of them. He said that they were locked in cages for years and years. He was locked in a closet for days and had to use a bottle to pee in and a bucket to poop in and it smelled. They slept on the floor and they didn't have any blankets. Once TG hit RG and he was confined to the basement and never got out. There were lots of days they didn't get any food at all because they were in trouble. They would get spanked, hit in the face by a special paddle. Mrs Gray made. None of them had ever been to school before.
Speaker 1:Jonathan got in bad trouble for pooping and peeing in his pants. He did that a lot and when you got in trouble you done without. One time Jonathan pooped and peed in his pants again and they took him to live at another house. Rg said he thought he was about five when this happened. He said Mr and Mrs Gray got rid of Sophie because she was being bad too much. He said she had a cold and his mom and dad took her to live with another family. He thought he was about seven when this happened. His mom went to the store and he was in the punishment room. That led out to the backyard from the basement and he figured out a way to get out and that's when he escaped. He said he just wanted to go outside and find a bicycle and play with it.
Speaker 1:An autopsy of the six-year-old Jonathan revealed an almost completely skeletonized set of remains. He was found wrapped up in trash bags and buried about waist deep remains. He was found wrapped up in trash bags and buried about waist deep. To shame. They didn't even bother to wrap him in a blanket and poor Sophie wasn't wrapped at all. Small amounts of tissue was found on the bones and a substantial amount of decomp brain tissue remained in the cranial cavity. No head trauma was noted. Bones were consistent with the malnourished child, even though he was six years old. He was found only wearing a pair of pajama bottoms that were size 18 months and underwear size 2T. Did you hear that? A six-year-old wearing a size 18 months and underwear size 2T? I mean that's hard to visualize. The bones appear to be significantly younger than the reported age. The cause of death was undernourishment due to failure to thrive and maltreatment, and the manner of death is homicide.
Speaker 1:The trauma treatment specialist testified that the fact that the boys are able to trust another adult and are able to thrive was totally remarkable and a testament to God on his hand of life. I'm going to read you some of the things that she said and you'll have to bear with me because sometimes it's a little hard to follow. She told the defendants that they tried to play God with those children's lives. But the God that she and those children served so much is so much more powerful than they were Satan through you, that you allowed in your home to sink and destroy those children's lives that you were entrusted to, but God has been gracious and merciful and has offered healing for these two amazing children of God. They were given voices today to tell their stories and you sought to take that away from them. But TG is speaking here today regarding the treatment he received in your home. He writes you have stolen 15 years of my life and I'm not giving you another minute.
Speaker 1:I remember telling the DCS worker on her last visit that you were not taking good care of me while you stood there lying putting on a show. Good care of me while you stood there lying putting on a show. These promises were mostly met while DCS was involved, but once they got out of the house for good and you were no longer monitored by the state, you broke every single one of them. It was the bad house and the worst part would be being punished. All the time I felt bad for losing Sophie and I believed a lot of it was my fault, because eventually she died, she passed out and when I touched her she was super cold. For a long time I thought she was just upstairs. I wished all of this happened sooner so we could have escaped and we could have had a happy childhood. It's sad the way you did things. You didn't celebrate our birthdays and we never had any Christmas presents, he said. Regarding being locked in the closet in the basement, we figured out stuff to do to keep ourselves busy. The sister and I think he's referring to the fifth child here was treated like she was a precious child.
Speaker 1:I'm on guard all the time. I don't like to be touched and I don't like anyone to raise their voice at me. Therapy is hard because you don't know what they're going to talk about and how that's going to make you feel. I don't like being pointed out what I did. I was always being corrected, even when I didn't need to be. I know I have faulty thinking, but I'm not crazy. I don't know what I did, but obviously something wrong, because I was having to walk in place one time in front of the door and Miss Gray was on the phone and I knew she was distracted. I saw an opening and I made a run for it. She chased me and I tripped and fell and she caught me. That's when she put me in the closet.
Speaker 1:I remember sleeping for a long time. After a few days I woke up and I got sick. I thought I was just messing up. But now I realized you just didn't have any patience. If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't be scared of you. I would have made myself clear. You said that when we turned 18 you would kick us out, but you never taught us anything and you kept us locked up.
Speaker 1:When I'm having a good time, I still think of the bad family and all the bad times. It's so hard to forget. I'm not free to do anything because I wasn't taught anything. Regarding the treatment of him, he said long and it's hard not to think about all that happened in that place for 15 years. About his birth sister, sophie, he said I'm sad that she is not here to live and I am mad that she does not get to live anymore, but I am happy and joyful because she doesn't have to feel pain Around Christmas one year Miss Gray told me to tell my brother I was going to go live with my cousin because he hadn't seen me in so long. You cannot change the past, but you can improve the future. We have issues, thinking we're not going to get enough to eat. I am triggered by the words I love you. People say that all the time and it's just weird. I said I loved you to Miss Gray and she told me to stop saying it.
Speaker 1:The torture you put us through in your prison was disgusting, but what you did to PG was unexplainable. It was so bad and felt so much worse than what RG and me went through. It was so bad and felt so much worse than what RG and me went through At least with us. You were always mean, but you were nice with her. At the same time you were abusing her. I'm thinking that's the fifth child. Death shouldn't be it for you. You shouldn't suffer. I don't care what happens to you, but you shouldn't be killed. That would be too merciful, as you always told us, as you were punishing us even when we didn't do anything wrong, that we should think about what we did. Now I want you to sit in your own prison and think about what you did.
Speaker 1:I've had a job the last two years and I work with special needs children. I play a sport and I'm graduating high school. Despite the fact you gave me no formal education, I'm proud of the fact that I can breathe now. When doing therapy, we have to identify wolves and shepherds in life. You are the wolves and so are DCS.
Speaker 1:As I tried to warn them, they didn't believe me. Dcs failed us and all of my siblings. No workers seemed to be in tune with our emotional and physical needs. They ignored our complaints and allowed the adoption that continued the trauma, abuse and neglect for many more years. Not only did DCS fail us, but all of those who were sworn to protect us and look out for us. Dcs should have private conversations with all the kids, away from the parents, and really listen to them. To me, if the kids are saying something different, you need to investigate and not say they're lying, because I believe that most kids tell the truth. This is so that no other child in the state of Tennessee ever has to go through something like we did To the head of DCS. You need to step up and take responsibility to what happened to us, because this couldn't have happened if more people listened and paid more attention to us than the grownups. If you're a worker and have a lazy attitude, you need to find another job To our old parents. I just want to know why. What was your point in all the abuse? In the end, you didn't win and everyone knows what you did to me and my siblings that you chose to adopt.
Speaker 1:The Gray's biological son, michael Gray Jr, was charged. He pled guilty to two felonies on Friday, may 17, 2024. He took a plea deal, of course. His most serious offense was criminally negligent homicide in the death of his adopted brother, jonathan. The other felony is abuse of a child under the age of eight for what happened to his adopted sister, sophie. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor a child abuse of the other two adopted siblings, and he was sentenced to one year in prison and seven years supervised probation. Yeah, on May 14, 2024, both Mr and Mrs Gray received consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty and they will die in prison.
Speaker 1:The 15-year-old said something that ripped my heart out, and I quote Don't do unto others as they have done to you. Even though you have done evil, I forgive you. End quote. This story absolutely broke my heart as being a former foster parent to three very small children, when I went through the training and watching videos. It is truly horrific some of the things that these children go through. I don't understand how an adult could take in children and promise to care for them and lock them in a basement and deprive them of the most basic necessities in order to get a check every month. That sickens me, it just blows my mind. And to put them in a room that's completely dark I mean, most kids are afraid of the dark I just I don't, I don't understand, you know.
Speaker 1:And then the mother saying that she doesn't know a lot of this is I don't believe her at all. It's complete bullshit. She's probably the mastermind of the whole thing and she probably ordered him around to do a lot of this. I'm not taking it for him either, because he's just as wicked as she is. But please, if you see a child and something just doesn't feel right or you suspect abuse of any kind, pick up the phone and call. I mean, this neighbor picked up the phone and called and look what happened. She basically saved those kids' lives, because who knows how much longer they could have survived in that house. Well, this is the bonus story of Jonathan and Sophie Gray. If you like what you heard, please don't forget to like and subscribe to this channel. Donations are always welcome and if you would like to be a guest on our show or have a story you would like for me to do, please email me at theravenknox at gmailcom. And until next time, be safe.
