Hidden boy starts counseling to reunite with monster father

September 9, 11:50 PMFamily Rights ExaminerTeri Stoddard

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As expected, when Shannon Wilfong appeared before Franklin County Circuit Judge Kyle Vantrease Tuesday she defended her decision to imprison son Richard, 6, in her mother's house for the last two years.  See Boy captive two years in secret room by mother avoiding custody change.  Wilfong cried throughout the hearing saying, "You're making me sound bad. It was not like that at all."

Wilfong, 30, is charged with felony abduction after disappearing with the boy after his father, Wilfong's ex-boyfriend Mike Chekevdia, 48, won temporary custody in November, 2007.  Mother and son stayed in Wilfong's mother's house, hiding in a secret 5 x 12 x 4 room when necessary to avoid detection.  Police searched the house once shortly after Richard disappeared. 

Wilfong remains jailed on a $42,500 bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Sept. 23.  She told the judge that she plans on hiring an attorney.  Grandmother Diane Dobbs, 51, was charged with aiding and abetting and remains free on bond.  

Stacy Kinter, an Illinois State Police special agent said that as they stormed the house with a search warrant they found Dobbs trying to quickly close the door to the secret room with mother and son inside.  Dobbs appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" saying, "We were on our own and we had to do what we had to do and that was make sure our grandson was safe." 

Wilfong and Dobbs claim Chekevdia abused the boy.  Chekevdia, a former police officer and currently a lieutenant colonel in the Illinois National Guard, denies the charge.  Jan McGraw, a state child-protection supervisor testified, "I absolutely have no concerns about the father." 

Investigator for the state child-welfare agency, Angela Anderson testified that a counselor who had examined the pale boy said he had a speech impediment, was behind in reading skills and was "socially lacking, socially behind."  She described what can only be labeled parental alienation when she said,"He referred to (his dad) as a monster," adding, "I can only speculate he'd heard that from the people he'd been around the past two years."

Vantrease ordered that Richard start counseling to help child welfare workers reunite him with his father.  When they return to court they will assess the boy's progress. Until the Nov. 23 hearing the boy remains with a relative of his father.

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