An attorney representing the family of 11-year-old Chaksa Davis Smith says the Arizona Department of Child Safety failed to act despite multiple warnings before the boy’s 2022 death.
Chaksa was found unresponsive at an extended-stay motel in Scottsdale, Arizona on Jan. 30, 2022. In a lawsuit filed in Maricopa County, Arizona, attorney Matthew Boatman alleges that seven separate reports of suspected abuse were made to DCS beginning in 2017 by school staff, hotel employees and police.
Allegations of Years of Abuse
Authorities said Chaksa and his younger half-brother showed signs of prolonged abuse allegedly inflicted by their grandmother, Stephanie Davis, and her husband, Thomas Desharnais.
According to prior court filings and police statements, Chaksa had dozens of fresh injuries at the time of his death. Desharnais allegedly admitted striking the boy with a metal ratchet the day before he died. Investigators reported finding tools inside the motel room with blood on them.
The lawsuit claims that despite conducting three interviews over the years, DCS deemed each report “unsubstantiated” and declined to follow up on four additional calls.
Criminal Case and Broader Scrutiny
Davis and Desharnais have been charged with first-degree murder, child abuse and tampering with evidence. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, and the pair are scheduled to appear in court in March ahead of an April trial date.
The case has intensified scrutiny of DCS, which is also facing criticism over other child deaths following reports of abuse. Boatman has argued that repeated warning signs were missed and that there were multiple opportunities to intervene and protect the children.
