Authors: Corey Mitchell
Dead And Buried (10 page)
TWENTY-THREE
According to child-care worker Scott Mosher, the Northern Idaho Children’s Home (NICH) was founded in 1917 as an orphanage and remained one until the mid-1960s. NICH drew up contracts with the state of Idaho to convert it from an orphanageto a private nonprofit residential treatment facility. The home accepts children in the custody of the state under the Children Protection Act, as well as the Juvenile Justice Act. NICH treats children with behavioral and/or emotional problems. The state compensates them for their efforts.
The main goal for NICH’s employees is to have a positive impact on the wayward youths who enter through their doors. Many of the kids are serious troublemakers. The workers help students via “treatment modalities,” such as individual therapy,group therapy, and a behavioral incentive program. The two former methods are self-explanatory. The third method is a system created by the counselors at NICH wherein the kids are responsible for their own personal list of chores and act responsibly with other students and staff members. There are five levels that the students must attain each with a greater amount of responsibilities attached to them. The students must meet their responsibilities before they move up to the next level. As the students make progress, they receive more privileges. The goal is for the students to reach the fifth level so they can return to their family.
Rex Allan Krebs, age fifteen, entered the Northern Idaho Children’s Home in June 1981. Rex moved into South House. It is one of three buildings with different groups of troubled children. The other two houses are Jewett House, which houses all girls, and Cedar House, which is less strict. South House handled approximately twelve to fifteen adolescent boys at a time. The building has several offices, a large commonliving area, a living room, and two long hallways with bedrooms on either side of the hallway, a kitchen, and a basementrecreation area with games and a pool table. The kids received their schooling at an educational center at nearby Lewis and Clark State College.
South House remained under a constant twenty-four-hour watch by counselors.
This was Rex Krebs’s new home.
Scott Mosher was Rex’s child-care worker at North Idaho Children’s Home. His job was to make sure that Rex’s (as well as a number of other students in South House) needs were met. That meant food, clothing, and shelter. It also meant working with Rex and other staff members to develop a suitable treatment plan to help Rex reintegrate into normal society. Mosher worked with Rex every day for almost a year.
Mosher noticed right away that Rex Krebs was different from the other kids. In recalling Rex’s initial time at South House, Mosher noted that Rex seemed to be a “real needy kid, in need of a lot of attention, a lot of nurturance.” Mosher also sensed that Rex was afraid of something. It turned out that Rex was afraid of his father. He let Mosher know just how much he did not want to go home.
Mosher noted on an acceptance form for Rex—Presenting Problems at Admission—that this was a troubled kid. He had “poor impulse control, not being truthful, substance abuse, problems with school, at school with teachers.” Indeed, these personality traits flared up when Rex arrived at South House. He had difficulty, at first, warming up to the other kids. He also lied and stole from some of the other kids early on. Rex also got angry whenever he got into trouble. He would usuallythrow a tantrum or yell out in anger at someone.
Rex tended to gravitate toward the counselors and other staffers at NICH. He felt more comfortable speaking with people in positions of authority rather than kids his own age with similar problems and concerns.
Mosher also realized that Rex had serious issues with anger. “He had a pretty short fuse,” Mosher reflected. “He would be prone to temper outbursts.” The counselor developed a specificprogram for Rex to try to help him solve his anger management problems. Over time the program seemed to work for Rex. He made noticeable progress in controlling his frustrations and anger. Mosher noticed that instead of lashing out at the other kids or staff members, Rex eventually learned how to talk things over. He eventually stopped having temper tantrums and he quit making threats at the other students.
Art teacher Frederick Deibel also noted a marked improvementin Rex during his first year at NICH. Deibel watched as Rex worked his way into the structure of the treatment programand how he interacted with others. He felt that Rex often stayed away from the other kids and the staffers at first. It was as if the boy was assessing the situation to see where he fit and how others would treat him. At first he would get into fights with some of the other boys. Moreover, he would usually be the one to start them. He would also argue with the counselors about trivial matters. Over time, however, as he became more comfortable in the environment, he came out of his shell. He joined the other boys in activities and worked positively with his counselors. He also took a shine to athletics. Rex, despite only being 5’1” and 123 pounds soaking wet at the time, had a certain athletic prowess. He seemed especially adept at basketball.Deibel noted that almost nine months after his initial processing into NICH, Rex Krebs was becoming a respected participant in the program.
Rex did so well that he became Mosher’s “model resident.” He received the prestigious Gentleman of the Month award on March 9, 1982, while in South House. Mosher noted that they did not give out the award lightly. It was a certificate of achievement for exemplary behavior by one of the home’s students. Each month the NICH staff and students voted on the award. It truly was a special recognition by both peers and authorities. One month later, Rex received another accolade. This time on the basketball court. On April 7, 1982, he receiveda certificate for Best Ball Handler.
After nine months of steady progress, Rex attained Level Four. Mosher believed that Rex had become a leader in South House and earned a ticket to Cedar House. Mosher also noted that not one person from Rex’s family came to visit him duringhis stay at South House. He believed they would have been proud of the efforts Rex made while at NICH.
Cedar House had far fewer restrictions than South House. The concept for Cedar House was born out of “emancipation living.” Students who wanted to transfer to Cedar House had to show true personal growth while at South House. They were required to act like responsible young adults who could function in normal society. As such, they had more freedom. They were able to leave the facilities and travel downtown to the grocery store or movie theater without supervision. They attended Lewiston High School instead of Lewis and Clark State College. Cedar House students were also allowed to obtainjobs in town as part of their privileges. Rex participated actively in all three of these endeavors.
Rex enrolled at Lewiston High School and seemed to mingle well with the other high school students there. The kids at Lewiston did not pick on him. He did not necessarily make any lifelong friends, but he went about his day with little or no problems with the students and teachers. Rex even improved on some of his more difficult courses, such as math and science.
Rex also got a job working for the city’s transportation division.It was a grease monkey position that allowed him to muck it up. Each weekday, at the end of a long day of school followed by work, Rex would come home to Cedar House covered in dirt and grease. It appeared as if the grime were a badge of honor for Rex.
In addition to making a concerted effort at school and holding down a solid job, Rex also tried to enjoy himself while at Cedar House. One of his favorite things to do was to walk to the downtown corner store. One day Rex was walkingto the store when he spotted a girl standing in her yard. He stopped and looked at her, then quietly approached. He asked her her name and she told him it was “Donnie.” It was a nickname for Adonia. Adonia Krug. She had been watchinghim for several days as he walked past her mother’s house on the way to the store. She thought Rex was cute. They chattedabout the usual teenage fascinations of the time, but mainly they just liked being in each other’s company.
Rex made it a point to stop and talk with Donnie every time he went to the store. He seemed to want to go to the store more and more often. Each time he met up with Donnie, their conversations would last a little bit longer and get a little bit deeper. After a while she gave Rex her phone number and soon they were staying up until all hours of the night talking. Their topics became more serious as Donnie began to see in Rex someone she could confide her innermost thoughts and fears. She spoke of how her parents’ divorce shattered her life. Rex listened intently and asked her just the right questions.He let her know he was interested in what she had to say.
Rex never told Donnie about his parents.
Donnie began to make trips outside of her home to see Rex. She would meet him at the park near Cedar House, where Rex played basketball. It was almost three miles away from her home. They would usually spend hours talking about her problems.
Eventually their relationship blossomed into something more than a friendship. Rex began to call Donnie his girlfriend.Nothing had really changed for a while as they simply continued to have long talks. Rex would give Donnie advice on how to handle rough situations and help her not to worry about things she could not control.
After a month of this, however, Rex discovered informationthat changed things.
On Donnie’s birthday Rex called her to extend his warmest wishes. Donnie’s mother, Diana Krug, answered the phone. Krug liked Rex, but she was getting a little concerned about the close relationship he had with her daughter. After all, there was a problem.
“Rex, do you know how old Donnie is?” Krug asked.
“Yes ma’am, she turns sixteen today,” he innocently replied.
Krug hesitated before she responded, “No, Rex, she just turned twelve.”
Rex was speechless. Donnie Krug had lied to him. He had been trying to make time with a twelve-year-old, while he was seventeen. He was not happy. He apologized to Diana Krug and hung up the phone.
A few days later, Rex called Donnie. The topic of conversationwas her age. Rex was upset and said it could not be true. He could not be with a girl who was so young. He told her that he was breaking up with her but that they could remainfriends.
Deep inside, he could not believe that another person he cared for had lied to him.
Rex and Donnie did remain friends, just as he promised. She continued to cry on his shoulder and he continued to give her advice. However, he never pursued her in a romantic fashionafter the revelation.
During March 1983 Rex received approval to terminate his stay at North Idaho Children’s Home. There was reluctance on behalf of Scott Mosher and Jean Bistline about releasing Rex back into his father’s custody. In the end both social workers decided Rex could return to his father. They believed Rex was ready to make a difference in the world. If anything, he was ready to make a difference in his own life.
Everyone at North Idaho Children’s Home was optimistic for Rex Krebs.
They had high hopes.
TWENTY-FOUR
Any hopes of Rex holding on to what he learned while at North Idaho Children’s Home faded almost as soon as he returnedto Sandpoint. Allan Krebs had not changed for the better over the two years while Rex was away. If anything, he had become even more vile and temperamental.
Allan met an attractive woman by the name of Janice Grabenstein during the summer of 1982. Janice was a single mother who lived with her seven-year-old daughter, Debbie. Allan and Janice hit it off fabulously and, within months, Janiceand Debbie moved in with Allan and Rex. On the surface they had a seemingly idyllic relationship. Upon closer inspection,however, everything was far from normal.
Janice noted that the Krebs family farm was far from a thing of beauty. Its structure was in disrepair and the home was filthy. There were holes in the ceiling where rain poured through. Several walls needed repairs, as did most of the floors. There was no running water in the house. Someone would have to drive a quarter mile to Alfred Krebs’s house to fetch drinking water in two large milk jugs.
Janice Grabenstein’s first chore when she hooked up with Allan Krebs was to clean this pit. She did it, all by herself. In the process of the cleaning, she learned a bit more about her boyfriend.
He liked guns.
He liked guns so much that he actually kept a gun in every single room in the house. He kept several in the living room. Each gun was loaded and ready to use. It was a veritable militiacompound inside the Krebs home.
Despite this initial turnoff, Janice was determined to make the relationship work. She also noticed that Rex and Allan actuallyseemed to get along well. They would go swimming together down at the nearby creek or ride horses out on the land behind the house. Janice also spoke very highly of Rex. She saw him as a polite young man who treated her daughter with nothing but respect. He helped Janice with a plethora of chores around the house: cleaning, hauling water from Grandpa Krebs’s house, baby-sitting Debbie when Janice had to step outside the home. Rex even taught her how to ride a horse. In her mind he was a great kid.
Even though Janice saw Allan and Rex getting along, to her it seemed as if Allan was always trying to control Rex. He constantly denigrated his son by telling him how worthless he was. He called Rex “bastard” and “asshole.” Soon the controllingbehavior went from verbal abuse to physical abuse.
Janice recalled a specific instance of physical abuse betweenAllan and Rex Krebs. One night Rex attempted to cook a pasta dinner for the family, but he got caught up in reading a book. Before he knew it, the pasta had burned and there was nothing for dinner. Allan did not take too kindly to his son’s absentmindedness. Upon smelling the burning dish, Allan marched into the kitchen with a full head of steam and unleasheda torrent of punches on seventeen-year-old Rex. He slapped him in the face and punched him in the stomach.
“He backhanded him,” Janice said years later, “and then just took his fist and would slug him and kind of knock him back and keep going at him.”
Over burned spaghetti.
Janice recalled more incidents of abuse between Allan and Rex. One night Rex went out drinking. When he returned, Allan was waiting. He could tell his son was drunk, but he also smelled something funny on Rex’s breath. He accused Rex of smoking marijuana and then punched him several times in the face until he bled. Janice was in their bedroom when she heard Allan scream at the top of his lungs that Rex was a “worthless, fucking, piece of shit.” She also heard his fist land on Rex.
Allan went inside the bedroom and asked Janice to look at Rex. When she entered Rex’s room, she saw that he looked horrible. Blood covered his face and his lips swelled up right before her eyes. Allan angrily asked Janice if she could smell marijuana smoke on Rex. Janice, fearful for Rex’s well-being, claimed that she did not smell anything. Years later, she admittedshe smelled marijuana on Rex, but she wanted to save him from another beating.
Allan did not save his abusive behavior for just Rex. He also directed some of his more cruel treatment for Rex’s youngest sister, the mentally challenged Marcia. By the time Janice had moved into Allan Krebs’s home, his biological daughters, Marcia and Tracy, spent the weekends with him. He constantly berated the girls whenever they stayed. Janice recalled that he often used cruel language in front of Marcia. He referred to his emotionally disabled thirteen-year-old daughter as a “bitch,” a “whore,” or a “cunt,” and called her “stupid” or “retarded.” He would also make fun of her buckteeth.Marcia had difficulty using a fork due the combination of oversize teeth and her disability. He would mock her as she spilled food all over the table and all over herself.
Allan also physically abused Marcia. Janice recounted the time when the family all went out for a horseback ride. Marciahad been riding in a rocky creek when her horse panicked and tossed her facefirst into the water. She scraped her face on some rocks and suffered a great deal of pain. She arose in a wail of tears. Allan would not tolerate such behavior. He screamed at his daughter to “get back on the fucking horse,” which only made her cry more. She would not budge. Allan dismounted and walked up to his youngest daughter. He screamed at her again to get her butt up on that horse. She respondedwith more tears. Allan reached over and grabbed Marcia by the back of the hair, turned her around so that her backside was facing him, and literally kicked her bottom. The force of the blow was so strong that she actually went airborneand landed on top of the horse.
Janice Grabenstein believed that alcohol and drugs usually set off Allan Krebs’s behavior. He drank often, and when he did, his temper flared. His propensity to snort methamphetaminecompounded his behavior. Janice claimed that Allan began taking speed quite frequently within a year of her and Debbie moving in.
Despite Allan’s reprehensible behavior during that first year together while Rex lived there, he never once directed it toward Janice. He would save his physical abuse for her later, after Rex no longer lived there. He did humiliate Janice in front of Rex. He often called her a “whore” and grabbed her in inappropriate ways. Allan also spoke derisively about women in front of his son.
He also expressed contempt for Debbie. He often called her a “cunt,” a “bitch,” or a “rectum.” Debbie seemed to recallAllan enjoyed the humiliation. His abuse was not limited to words. He would also spank his stepdaughter for the slightestinfraction.
“The majority of the time he spanked us,” Debbie recalled several years later, “he sent us out to the woodpile for a stick to get us prepared for our spanking.” Like digging their own graves, the kids had to fetch a stick that was “big enough that you knew you were in trouble.” Allan was not always satisfiedwith their selection of switches, according to Debbie. “If you brought one back that was too small, he’d send you back.” One time Debbie grabbed a piece of wood that was too big—it was a two-by-four.
“I figured the bigger the stick, the happier he’d be.”
It only served to make Allan Krebs angrier.
His punishment was not limited to sticks. Debbie claimed that he also used his hands on her. Allan slapped her across the mouth for seemingly innocuous things. For instance, the young girl had a nervous habit of twisting her hair. It drove Allan crazy, so he smacked her for it.
Years later, after Rex had moved out, Debbie had a vicious encounter with her stepfather that indicated what he could do to her.
It happened the day after her fifteenth birthday.
Debbie had finished vacuuming the living room. The vacuumshe used required water to hold the dirt and she went outside to empty it. As she walked out the front door, she almostbumped into Allan. Instead of moving aside and letting her pass, Alan Krebs shoved the skinny teenager out of his way. He grumbled as he walked inside his house.
Debbie kept her head down and did not look up at him. She was furious, but continued to walk to the sidewalk to unload the dirt from the vacuum. As she dumped the mess, she glanced over her shoulder back at the house and muttered, “Fuck you” under her breath. Allan was standing in the kitchen, staring at her through the kitchen window. He saw her mouth move. He could read her lips. He was enraged.
Allan dashed outside and asked Debbie what she said. When she begged off, he called her a “lying whore.” She turned and walked away when out marched Janice, who stepped in between them. Allan told Janice everything was fine and that he was not angry. Janice believed him and moved out of the way. As soon as she did, Allan lunged at Debbie with his fist, punching her square in the face. He hit her so hard that her lips imbedded into her braces. When she later removed her lips from the metal, she could see large chunks of tissue torn out from inside her mouth.
The attack on her daughter was the last straw for Janice. She packed up her bags and made a late-night getaway, just as Connie had done several years earlier.
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