CENTREVILLE-- Anthony and Marsha Springer have been sentenced to long prison terms for chaining their troubled 16-year-old daughter to her bed. He got 10 years for child abuse and 25 to 50 years for the most serious charge, torture. She got a little less time, 8 to 15 years on the abuse count and 19 years minimum on the torture count.
The jury found them not guilty of felony murder. If they had it would have been mandatory life without parole.
Judge Paul Stutesman gave Anthony Springer more time because he felt that he had come up with the idea of chaining her to the bed and implemented it. The judge felt Marsha just went along with it.
The Judge noted it might never have come to this if social service agencies had done their job. It might have all flown under the radar, after all it appeared as though child protective services and welfare agencies had signed off on the case. But Calista Springer was chained to the bed when her house caught fire and it killed her. An appeal is expected.
