Caregiver of murdered Raleigh toddler saw warning signs right before his death
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- The caregiver of a Raleigh boy whose parents are behind bars charged in his murder tells ABC11 she saw the warning signs right before his death.
Cheryl Cray runs a child care center out of her home. She cared for Tristan Blue for the last 18 months of his life.
"Oh God, just a wonderful little boy," said Cray, describing Tristan's infectious smile and laugh.
She said Tristan was always happy to go home with his dad, 31-year-old Steven Blue. Blue is now charged with Tristan's murder. Raleigh police say the boy's mother, 25-year-old Briana Dangerfield, knew about the crime and helped cover it up.
On Dec. 9, Cray remembers clearly Tristan was crying when Blue dropped him off. She soon noticed bruises on the boy's head and called an ambulance. At the hospital, doctors told her the bruising was nothing out of the ordinary.
"I had a gut feeling something else wasn't quite right but the professionals dismissed it then what else was there for me to do," asked Cray.
A few weeks later, Cray said Blue called her. It was Christmas Eve and he had just reported Tristan missing.
"He asked me if I had seen Tristan in this area," she said. "It was like a piece of my soul just vanished. And I knew. I don't know how I knew but I knew."
Cray has the text message she says Blue sent her later that night from the police station. It reads: "I wish I knew where he was. I wish he were at home."
"There was just something in the pit of my stomach that said I'd never see him again," said Cray. "I feel like I failed to protect him. I feel like I should've done something more."
Tristan's remains were found at Falls Lake the day after Christmas.
Both Blue and Dangerfield are due back in court this month.
