Remembering Charlie Wright

 

Born Into Neglect

Seven-year-old Charles “Charlie” Wright and his nine-year-old brother David knew the meaning of the word neglect at an early age. Their mother Loretta Wright, who had a career as a truck stop prostitute, had no desire to be a responsible parent. Family members and those that knew the boys reported bruising on their backs and legs, fecal matter in their hair, and reported Charlie and David being out alone late at night. Charlie and David were often dirty and slept on urine-soaked mattresses. Ms. Wright would leave the boys with family and strangers, whoever would take them. Three times Summit County Ohio Children’s Services removed the boys from their home due to neglect.

The Wright boys were toddlers when they were first placed in the home of foster parents Shirley and Thomas Strittmatter. The Strittmatters loved Charlie and David like they were their own children and gave them the loving home the boys so desperately needed in their lives. Despite the fact that Charlie and David were thriving with the Strittmatters, Child Protective Services continued to return them to the care of their mother. Charlie and David were placed in the Strittmatters home for the third time in December of 1985. By June 1986 they were once again returned to their mother by Children’s Services. According to the agency who was supposed to protect the children, “the mother had improved.” Less than a year later Charlie would be dead.

A Day Of Pain And Suffering

On Thursday, April 23, 1987, Charlie, a first grader at Mason Elementary, went to school along with David. Charlie was walking very slow to the point that David had to walk ahead of him so he wouldn’t be late for class. Almost immediately after arriving at school Charlie began crying and told his teacher his stomach hurt. His teacher brought Charlie to the office around 10 A.M., put him on a bed, covered him with a blanket, took his glasses off, and told him they were calling his mom and everything would be okay. They checked his stomach and saw no bruises. Charlie’s mother arrived 15 minutes later and asked for schoolwork to take home for Charlie. Charlie’s teacher returned with the schoolwork and told Ms. Wright that Charlie should be taken to a doctor or hospital. She then asked Ms. Wright to call her with an update.

When Charlie’s mother did not call, the teacher phoned her around 3:30 in the afternoon. Loretta Wright told the teacher she never took Charlie to see a doctor. She claimed she called a doctor which was a lie. Ms. Wright likely knew a doctor would see Charlie and learn the truth. According to Charlie’s mother he had taken a nap and was up and playing like normal. She said he was fine. More lies.

George Helmstedter, the owner of a local carry out, said Charlie came to his store alone 30 minutes before the teacher called Ms. Wright. Charlie was far from fine. Mr. Helmstedter, who knew Charlie from his frequent visits to the store with his brother David, said Charlie asked for an Almond Joy candy bar and left some change and the candy on the counter. He then asked to use the restroom. When Charlie didn’t come out of the restroom for 15 minutes Mr. Helmstedter went to check on him. Charlie was sitting in the bathroom and said he did not feel well. Mr. Helmstedter left Charlie to wait on customers who had come into the store. 30 minutes later Mr. Helmstedter noticed the change and candy bar still on the counter and returned to check on Charlie. He found Charlie lying on the floor falling asleep. Mr. Helmstedter asked Charlie what was wrong and Charlie responded he didn’t feel good. Mr. Helmstedter helped Charlie up and happened to see Charlie’s mother walking past the store. He told Ms. Wright that Charlie was ill and appeared to have a high fever. Mrs. Wright took Charlie home. Mr. Helmstedter said that David came in to the store at 9 P.M. that evening to buy carpet deodorizer because Charlie had been throwing up.

Although Charlie had vomited multiple times and was in severe pain his mother did nothing. She said at some point she saw Charlie with his finger down his throat and claimed Charlie was faking his illness. Charlie woke up around 4 A.M. the next morning and went to his mother’s room. He threw up on the sheets and waterbed. A neighbor reported at that same time hearing Loretta Wright yelling at Charlie and slapping him. The same neighbor reported that Ms. Wright had previously accused her of calling Children’s Services and Ms. Wright told the neighbor that if she found out anyone called Children’s Service’s and reported her, she would kill them.

Horrific Injuries Revealed

The next morning, on Friday, April 24, 1987, Loretta Wright got David up for a bath before school. Charlie remained in bed. David returned to his bedroom while Ms. Wright cleaned the bathroom up. David said Charlie was “talking and acting funny.” David was worried about his brother and held Charlie’s head in his hands. Charlie asked for a glass of water. David went to the bathroom and told his mother Charlie wasn’t acting right. When Loretta Wright went to check on Charlie, he was unresponsive. Ms. Wright finally did the right thing and called an ambulance. By that time it was too late.

When paramedics arrived around 8:30 A.M. they found Charlie lying face down on the floor wearing green pajamas. They rolled him over on his back and Charlie did not respond. An investigator noted that Charlie had multiple injuries including bruises on the back of his arms, back, legs and buttocks. Charlie was lying on a throw rug which had brownish colored material on it. Next to Charlie was a white plastic bucket with vomit in it. Charlie was cold to the touch and he was a bluish color due to not enough oxygen in his blood. At 9:05 A.M. Coroner William A. Cox arrived and pronounced Charlie Wright deceased.

Dr. Cox determined Charlie had multiple injuries and his death was the result of a severe beating inflicted by another person. He stated the fatal injury was three ruptures of the small intestine likely caused by a blow delivered with great force. The injury caused a fatal infection with the first signs of illness likely appearing nine to 12 hours after the injury. The rupture would eventually cause a rapidly spreading infection that would cause the collapse of Charlie’s respiratory and circulatory systems. Dr. Cox said Charlie likely could have survived had he been taken to a doctor. The autopsy also showed Charlie suffered two previously broken ribs.

In an attempt to gain sympathy Loretta Wright made a puncture wound to her wrist. According to Ms. Wright she tried to cut her wrists however she wasn’t really trying to commit suicide. She was treated by paramedics and sent to a psychiatric facility. Realizing the severity of the situation Charlie’s mother finally decided to tell the truth.

Child Abuse Leads to Murder

Loretta Wright met Wayne Doyle, a long-distance truck driver, in 1985 while working as a prostitute. Doyle was one of her tricks. She moved Doyle in with her and quit selling her body for sex. She also said she was attending college. That was enough for Children’s Services to place Charlie and David back into the home after being removed three times previously. Children’s Services had no problem with Doyle however those who knew him felt differently. According to one of Ms. Wright’s friends, “I warned her Wayne was going to hurt her kids.”

Loretta Wright described Doyle as a disciplinarian. He was actually a violent child abuser. Ms. Wright claimed she told Doyle to leave in the summer of 1986 because he was regularly beating Charlie and David. He kept coming back and she continued to take him in. On April 22, 1987, Doyle arrived home earlier than expected from his job. Ms. Wright said at one point that evening she saw him kicking David. By that night Charlie had enough of the abuse. He told his mother he wanted Doyle to leave. Doyle heard him and grabbed Charlie by the neck. He violently shook him and threw him across the living room. Doyle wasn’t done. Charlie told his mother that Doyle woke him at 3 A.M., took him downstairs, and beat him severely. It is believed it was during that violent beating when Doyle delivered the fatal blow to Charlie’s stomach. It also explained all the bruises on Charlie’s body. According to Ms. Wright when she confronted Doyle about the beating, he admitted to it and said everything would be okay when she calmed down.

David’s statements to authorities about the abuse he and Charlie suffered horrified detectives. Beatings were routine. David said Doyle once beat him with a screwdriver. One time he had to eat a bar of soap and when he threw up Doyle forced him to eat his vomit. Punishment consisted of forcing the boys to stand with their hands out, palms down. Doyle would then stack phone books on their hands. If the phone books fell that is when Doyle “really went crazy.” A routine medical exam of David revealed broken ribs that had occurred at the hands of Doyle.

Wayne Doyle was arrested the day of Charlie’s death while on his truck route. He was charged with involuntary manslaughter, felonious assault, child endangering, felonious sexual penetration, and rape. The felonious sexual penetration and rape charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence however another felonious assault charge was added due to David’s broken ribs. Loretta Wright was charged with involuntary manslaughter and child endangering for failing to prevent he son’s abuse and also for not getting Charlie help which directly led to his death.

Child Killer Gets 14-40 Years

At Wayne Doyle’s trial powerful testimony was delivered by Charlie’s teacher, Summit County Coroner Dr. William Cox, and Loretta Wright. Ms. Wright openly admitted in court that she witnessed Doyle beating the boys in the past, that Charlie told her Doyle beat him the day before his death, and that she failed to get help for Charlie because she did not want Children’s Services to take Charlie and David again.

The most powerful testimony came from young David Wright. The Strittmatters stood with David for support as he told the jurors how Doyle regularly beat him and Charlie, punched them in the stomach, and would hold them up by their throats and then let them fall to the floor. He also testified to witnessing the beating that led to Charlie’s death.

Based on the evidence it took a jury a mere two hours and 45 minutes to convict Doyle of all charges. Since the Summit County Ohio Prosecutor’s Office failed to include a possible murder charge in the indictment a life sentence was not an option. In regards to Charlie’s death Judge Glen B. Morgan sentenced Doyle from 10 to 25 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter, eight to 15 years for felonious assault, and three to 10 years for child endangering. He ordered the sentences to run concurrently (at the same time) meaning Doyle netted only 10-25 years for killing Charlie. Judge Morgan ordered Doyle serve a consecutive sentence of five to 15 years for the felonious assault charge for David’s abuse. The end result was a sentence of 15-40 years in prison.

Aftermath

Loretta Wright pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter and endangering children. She received a sentence of six to 25 years in prison. She was granted shock probation 18 months later. Almost immediately after being paroled she changed her last name and disappeared. Authorities found her over 11 years later after she was arrested on a forgery charge in Tucson, Arizona. She was brought back to Ohio. 13 years later she still minimized her role in Charlie’s death and portrayed herself as the victim. She was returned to prison. Her sentence has now expired and her whereabouts are unknown.

Children’s Service’s was cleared of any wrongdoing in Charlie’s death. Charlie’s case did inspire an overhaul on how child abuse cases were handled in Summit County.

Charlie’s school was cleared of any wrongdoing for not reporting the abuse.

We made multiple attempts to contact the Summit County Ohio Prosecutor’s Office to determine why a murder charge was not brought in regards to Charlie’s death. We received no response.

The Strittmatters adopted David and gave him the great life he deserved. He grew up to be an upstanding adult and served in the US Navy.

Mrs. Strittmatter fought tirelessly to get justice for Charlie until her untimely death in 2018.

One Last Injustice

Wayne Doyle got a huge break when he received a sentence of only 15-40 years in prison for killing little Charlie Wright and abusing David Wright. Unbelievably, The Ohio Parole Board has now voted 6-0 to grant Doyle tentative parole.

The Parole Board records raise serious questions about Doyle’s rehabilitation.

In 2012 the records state, “Inmate has very little insight as to why he was so violent against these children.” The documents go on to state “There is substantial reason to believe that due to the serious nature of the crime, the release of the inmate into society would create undue risk to public safety, or that due to the serious nature of the crime, the release of the inmate would not further the interest of justice or be consistent with the welfare and security of society”

The 2016 Parole Board documents state, “Despite his programming efforts, the inmate remains fairly insightful into the offense and minimizes his behavior, demonstrating little positive offender change.” They also reiterate their 2012 statement and add “There is substantial reason to believe that the inmate will engage in further criminal conduct, or that the inmate will not conform to such conditions of release.”

The Ohio Parole Board now wants us to believe this horrific child killer has made a miraculous turnaround in the last four years. Considering Doyle has minimized his role in Charlie’s brutal murder and David’s abuse for over 25 years we find it very hard to believe has has made some miraculous turnaround in the last four years.

We have been working tirelessly to get the Ohio Parole Board to reverse their decision to release child killer Wayne Doyle. As a result the Ohio Parole Board will now have a reconsideration hearing on February 17, 2021.

No Parole

Wayne Doyle is a horrific child abuser and a child murderer. He caught a huge break when he wasn’t charged with murder and as result received a minimal 15-40 year sentence for killing Charlie Wright and abusing David Wright. In addition, The Ohio Parole Board records clearly show that after three decades Doyle still minimizes his actions and shows little insight into why he hurt Charlie and David.

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UPDATE: Parole has been denied for child murderer Wayne Doyle. Doyle will be required to serve his full sentence and will be released on April 24, 2027. Thank you to everyone who submitted a petition to oppose his parole. Rest In Peace Charlie Wright. You will never be forgotten.