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- Elizabeth Rose Conlin, 42, faces multiple charges for allegedly abusing her children.
- Conlin's arrest in July prompted the children to report the abuse, police say.
SANDY — A Murray mother who police say inflicted years of abuse on her two young children is facing multiple criminal charges.
Elizabeth Rose Conlin, 42, was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with child torture and aggravated child abuse, first-degree felonies; obstruction of justice and aggravated child abuse, second-degree felonies; two counts of witness tampering, a third-degree felony; plus tampering with evidence and child abuse, class A misdemeanors.
An 11-year-old boy told Sandy police that Elizabeth Conlin and "her ex" hurt him and his 8-year-old sister "a lot," according to charging documents. Prosecutors say the "ex" is Kalon Ray Colvin, 42, of Sandy, who was charged in September with aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony.
But it wasn't until Conlin was arrested in July for an unrelated crime that the children "felt safe to come forward with the history of abuse that they've endured for many years," the charging documents state.
The boy "recalled a time when Conlin 'spanked him approximately 40 times' and spanked (his sister) about '10 times' with a red belt," the charges state. "(He) said Conlin told him to make up a story about him falling to explain his injuries to his back and butt."
The boy described other "painful" spankings, including a time Conlin used a wooden spoon because he didn't do his chores, according to the charges, in addition to a time Conlin "continuously hit him with a belt" on the neck, legs and face.
The young boy said Conlin, at times, instructed him to blame Colvin for the abuse, according to prosecutors.
Other incidents of abuse, according to the charges, include:
- "Conlin would make him stand in the corner for 'eight hours' or 'the whole day.'"
- When the boy said he didn't like soccer, "Colvin would still make him run 300 laps." He recalled one time when Conlin "would not let him come inside the house until he finished running 300 laps," and she would "sit in the house and watch him run to ensure that he could not take a break."
- He was not allowed to get a jacket while running at night.
The girl also told police that Conlin would use multiple belts to hit both her and her brother, the charges say.
Prosecutors note in the charges that Conlin "has an extensive violent criminal history, including stalking, aggravated assault, protective order violations, domestic violence in the presence of children, assault and property damage" and is currently being held in the Salt Lake County Jail without bail on charges from another case.
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
Help with children
Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:
- The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
- Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
- The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development, and much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
- The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child's mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.
