Lessons Learned from the Torture & Murder of Audryna Bartsh
This case study traces a child torture investigation that began with a late-night 911 call and ended in justice for Audryna. Led by the case investigator, the session examines investigative strategy, complex medical evidence, and the lasting personal impact of secondary trauma on the professionals involved.
Suggested Audience: Primarily law enforcement, with value for other MDT members
Full Description: This case study begins with a middle-of-the-night 911 call reporting a child's seizure. That call opened a door into a world of torture and abuse that shocked a local community and drove every professional who worked on the case to fight for justice for little Audryna.
The session will explore the world that Audryna lived in and all of the people in her life that failed to help her. The case investigator will walk participants through this multi-suspect, complex medical case, tracing the investigation from the initial 911 call through sentencing.
Participants will hear firsthand accounts of how the case and its resolution deeply impacted those professionals personally, and how everyone involved struggled to move forward and heal from the secondary trauma they suffered. Though Audryna lived a very short life, the impact of her life was tremendous and will never be forgotten.
Learning Objectives:
Analyze the investigative framework for a complex, medical, fatal child torture case from the perspective of a "regular” investigator.
Apply specialized techniques to targeted child abuse or "Cinderella effect" investigations.
Develop strategies for survival, building resilience, and continuing a career after facing cases involving communal and systemic abandonment of children.
Speaker(s): Crystal Nordby
