Jorden Grace Saager

Murdered by Serial Child Abuser, Kim Stevens

In the Early fall of 1999, Lloyd Saager had completed his tour of duty with the United States Army and was dismissed out of Fort Hood, Texas. He and his wife Yolanda Bluehorse-Saager moved to Gainesville, Texas with their three small children to live with Yolanda's grandfather.

When the family arrived in Texas, Lloyd got a new job. Yolanda stayed home caring for their three young children, Branden 5, Alyssa 3, and 2 year-old Jorden Grace. During the next few months, Yolanda befriended her neighbor Kim Stevens, whom had three children of her own. Their children often played with one another. That Halloween, the two mothers took their children Trick-or-Treating together. In November, Yolanda decided to return to the workforce. For a weekly fee, Stevens baby-sat Yolanda's children.

The morning of November 16, 1999, Yolanda Saager left for her new job, leaving their children in Kim Stevens' care. After work, Stevens reported to Yolanda that Jorden Grace, her blonde haired, brown-eyed, two-year-old had incurred an injury that day. Stevens reported that Jorden had fallen out of a play car resulting in a bruised and swollen elbow. For the next month and a half no further injuries to the children where noted. As Christmas approached, the Saager's made plans to travel to Indiana for the holiday. When they returned the Saager children were baby-sat by Stevens, on December 31, 1999.

On January 3, 2000, Stevens took the children to a trip to the Frank Buck Zoo. When Yolanda returned from work that day to retrieve her children, Stevens reported that "either an African Crown crane or ostrich" pecked Jorden on the hand while at the zoo. Again, Jorden had been injured while under Steven's care. This time she wasn't the only one, her sister Alyssa had a black eye. Stevens explained that Alyssa had 'a run-in with a teeter-totter'. Later that evening, after a trip to see the townhouse the family was planning to move into over the coming weekend, the family enjoyed dinner together. As bedtime approached little Jorden Grace told her mother; "Mommy my tummy hurts."

The following morning, Jorden was still complaining that her stomach hurt. In spite of the fact that Yolanda was concerned for her daughter, she left Jorden and Alyssa at the home of Stevens who assured her that she would call if Jorden's tummy ache should progress into something more serious.

Later that afternoon, Jorden was not any better as a matter of fact she appeared worse. Stevens attempted to call the office where Yolanda worked. Stevens was unable to reach Yolanda by phone so she drove Jorden to the doctor. Stevens arrived at the office of Dr. Mark Gibbs around 1:30 p.m. Six minutes after their arrival, a Cooke County ambulance was dispatched to the location. The ambulance arrived 3 minutes later and transported Jorden Grace to Gainesville Memorial Hospital. Twenty minutes after arriving at the hospital, little Jorden Grace Saager was pronounced dead.

That was January 4, 2000, six weeks into Yolanda's new job. She arrived home as usual, and went into her own home to use the bathroom before heading next door to pick up her babies. "Coming out of the bathroom, the phone rang and I answered it. It was the town's hospital, telling me to get there now. I remember feeling panicky and asked why, but the nurse said something to the effect, 'I wouldn't tell you to get here now if it wasn't important,'" Yolanda would later write remembering that terrible day. (For the Love of My Children, Yolanda Bluehorse Saager. Pg. 2)

Upon arriving at the hospital Yolanda was told her precious two-year old was dead. Yolanda fell to her knees and let out a heart-wrenching scream. The kind of scream only a parent who has lost a child understands. Yolanda wanted to know what had happened to her baby. She asked questions, but received no clear answers.

Jorden Grace Saager died after sustaining major internal injuries in which her small intestine was separated from her stomach. She also had a 4 to 5 inch skull fracture and major bruising throughout her body, as reported by Jennifer Sickening a writer for the local Gainesville newspaper, The Register.

With no clear answers to be had, local law enforcement and Child Protective Services (CPS) were called to investigate. CPS took protective custody of the Saager's remaining children. Removing the children from their parents was to protect the children. After all, no one knew who or what was responsible for little Jorden's fatal injuries. Mr. & Mrs. Saager were promised the children would only be gone over night. The promised overnight 'protective stay' turned into approximately 270 nights.

The following day Jorden's parents learned that their daughter's death was determined a homicide by the Medical Examiner's office. During the eight hours of interrogation, what Yolanda recalls as "being re-victimized," pictures of Jorden's lifeless, bruised, and battered body were thrust in her face. She recalls being yelled at and accused of knowing what had happened to Jorden. Yolanda did know what happened: her neighbor, her baby-sitter, Kim Stevens had murdered her daughter and she was going to pay. "The fight for Justice had begun" Yolanda later recounted.

A hellish month later, Mrs. Saager's phone rang. She answered; on the other end was Holly Burkett. She was the mother of Amanda, another testament to Kim Steven's abusive, homicidal ways. In 1996, Stevens had cared for Holly's then 20-month-old daughter. Amanda began suffering at Steven's hands. She was coming home with bruises and eventually suffered a head injury. Amanda's little head sustained such damage that she need brain surgery to remove a dangerous clot. Holly told Yolanda how Stevens had been charged but was later acquitted after a Dallas County judge ruled the criminal case was not proven.

Yolanda Saager and Holly Burkett, two mothers wanting Justice for their Daughters, met and bonded right away. "We, two mothers, as a team, dug our heels in. We did our own investigation." Yolanda later said of how their relationship started. (For the Love of My Children, Yolanda Bluehorse Saager. Pg. 4)

Through their own investigation, the two mothers learned that Kim Stevens had a history of child abuse. She had previously lost custody of her two older children due to abuse and neglect. They also discovered that Stevens lied to investigators on many occasions, often down playing Jorden's injuries. Stevens gave inconsistent statements regarding injuries and attempted to shift the blame on to the Saagers by telling investigators that Child Protective Services had previously investigated the Saagers, when they had not.

Initially, the Gainesville police accepted Stevens' deception. An investigation was opened into the death of Jorden Grace and her parents were the prime suspects. "Now my next fight was on, and that was to get this lying, child killing monster behind bars. It was all I had left to do for my baby," Yolanda pledged (For the Love of My Children, Yolanda Bluehorse Saager. Pg 4)

Yolanda and Holly's investigation was working and the evidence was beginning to mount against Stevens. Finally, the police indicted Kim Stevens on charges of Capital Murder and injury to a child in the death of little Jorden Grace Saager. Stevens was taken into custody on December 31, 2003, in Comal County, approximately 4 years after she was entrusted with Jorden's care. Kim Stevens, at the time of her arrest, was working as an EMS technician. Stevens was transported to Cooke County, six days after her arrest. Fourteen days later, she was arraigned and a one million-dollar bond was set for the charges involving the Capital Murder of Jorden Grace Saager.

Jury selection began in late May 2005. It was a slow agonizing start, but the trial was underway and the jurors heard testimony before the month was out.

"It was the longest two weeks of our lives. Because my husband and I were considered witnesses we were not allowed in the courtroom," Yolanda said, recalling how she and her husband sat in the hall and watched as witness after witness walked past them on their way to testify.

Finally, it was Jorden's mother's turn to testify, as she walked to the witness stand 'overwhelming emotions ran through her body'. "I tried to stay strong, but when they brought out my baby's shoes from the day she died… I LOST IT" (For the Love of My Children, Yolanda Bluehorse Saager. Pg 6)

During the trial, jurors heard testimony from Stevens own children. Taylor, Stevens' 11 year old daughter, via-closed-circuit television, testified that she saw her mother step on Jorden's stomach. The jury also heard testimony from Mason, Stevens older child, in regards to what was now referred to as the 'bird incident' in which Jorden had been pecked by an African Crown Crane at the Frank Buck Zoo. He told the jury that Stevens had either told Jorden to put her hand inside the bird's cage or had placed the little girl's hand there herself.

"It tells you she's different," prosecutor Lisa Tanner with the state's Attorney Generals office said addressing the jury. "This is a situation that involves meanness. Anyone who would do this abuse to a child would also try to kill."

Tanner asserted to the jury that there should have been "red flags" as to what this woman was capable. The fact that she attempted to down-play the seriousness of the injuries, her early efforts to shift the blame and police attention to the Saagers by falsely reporting that Child Protective Services had previously investigated them should have been noted.

Roger White, Stevens' defense attorney, disputed that, "With the quality of investigation in this case, are you sure the Saagers don't have a history somewhere," he asked the jurors. White continued to discuss the naiveté of the Gainesville Police Department's handling of the investigation. "They lost the file to a capital murder case. They didn't take clothes that Kim (Stevens) laundered that day. White further stated to the jury that the remaining children, both Saager and Stevens, where checked for injuries and none were found. He surmised that with the likely time of injury and Jorden's limited exposure to Stevens, he felt it left room for reasonable doubt.

During Tanner's final comments to the jury, she told the jurors she agreed with White about one thing. "The police did a really crappy job because they bought into her (Stevens) lie that it was them, them, them (the Saagers)… until the evidence started to mount." With that, the case was turned over to the jury for deliberation.

It took 4 ½ hours for the jury to reach a verdict and the note was passed to the Judge from the jury.

Judge Jerry Woodlock read the verdict. The Jury ruled that Stevens was Guilty of First Degree Murder and was sentenced to life in prison.

"I remember looking up at the ceiling, trying to see the sky, to thank god…My fight was over." State Yolanda remembering the moment the sentence was pronounced.

The Saagers were granted the right to speak to Stevens who had no reaction to the verdict.

"I just hope for the rest of your life you rot in jail and every morning you wake up and see my daughter in your mind. I miss her so much and you destroyed my family," Lloyd said to Stevens who ignored him as she continued reading a Bible she kept with her in the courtroom. Mr. Saager further stated that he was happy her children were free of her. Child Protective Services removed Stevens' children from her custody after they confirmed what Yolanda and Holy had told them all along, Stevens had lost custody of two older children due to neglect and abuse. "Read your Bible and look down all you want; it's what I expected of you. I hope you rot," he said before sitting down.

When Yolanda Saager spoke to the now proven child killer, she demanded Stevens look at her. "What's wrong? You can't look at me? Look at me," she demanded. "You're something that was created out of pure evil. You're demented. You're worse than the scum of the earth. You have no conscience. You have no soul. I'm just glad you're going to get what's coming to you. You make me sick."

As Stevens was handcuffed for removal and transport by a Cooke County Deputy, Holly Burkett, Amanda's mother, told Stevens, "I did get justice for my daughter."

Stevens smiled and replied, "It's a shame I can sit here and be happier than you are."

At this, Judge Woodlock asked that everyone in the courtroom refrain from talking to 'the other side'. Following the trial, Holy Burkett stated, "Justice has finally been served; it's been almost nine years for me and almost six for the Saagers. The system failed us. Today, they redeemed themselves."

Once Kim Stevens was escorted back to the Cooke County Jail, defense attorney White stated that Stevens would appeal the verdict. He thanked the jurors for their careful consideration. "I think the state just overwhelmed us with resources," he said.

Lisa Tanner, who has dealt with several murder cases in Texas, stated, "It was definitely not a run of the mill case. A careful review of witness statements and medical statements made it clear who did it." She went on to state that the serious nature and number of the injuries showed it to be a purposeful killing. "This is a capital murder," she stated.

Gainsville's Police Chief Carl Dunlap defended the actions of his department against the allegations of the poor handling of this case "There's only one thing that I knew we made a mistake on during the investigation. Actually, it was after the investigation. We misplaced some audio tapes." Even though the audiotapes of interrogations were lost, the department had the transcripts from those tapes in the case file. "Nothing else the police department did was less than good work."

Chief Dunlap regarded that investigators had difficulty from the onset of this case when suspects wanted attorneys and victims were uncooperative. Eventually, as the investigation progressed, Dunlap said the pieces came together and one suspect rose to the top of the list, but they needed outside help to get there. Chief Dunlap further stated, "We got less than good cooperation during certain parts of the investigation with state agencies, but I saw nothing whatsoever that the investigators did that was less than acceptable work. They did an exceptional job with what they had to work with." He likewise commends Tanner's working in prosecuting whom he called the right person. "I think the prosecutor in this case did a phenomenal job. She should be commended along with her staff. This case would not have been brought before a jury if we hadn't done our job."

Dunlap reported the department had implemented a change in procedures as part of the Commission on Accreditation for Law enforcement Agencies (CALEA) sanctioning. "It was not because of this case, but for many reasons." He said, "Those tapes will not be lost again."

District Attorney Cindy Stormer was a witness to the case due to her previous involvement. Her 'previous involvement' made it unrealizable for her to try the case. She applauded Lisa Tanner's work on this case. Stormer continued by saying, "The worst travesty of justice I have ever seen in my 28-year career in the law has finally been made right. I'm very grateful to the members of the jury for their service and they should be very proud of the job they have done here to promote justice and protect the children in our community. When I investigated the case initially years ago, I was in private practice and representing the children of the defendant. I was told by representatives of the five different Child Protective Services agencies in five different counties that this defendant was the worst serial child abuser they had ever heard of in their careers."

The Saagers agreed this was a horrible case of injustice.

Yolanda later affirmed, "I look back over this and what my family had to endure. I had not only lost a child to murder but also had to regain custody of my two other children due to preemptive judgments. My family was re-victimized over and over." At times, Yolanda felt that she had to keep going even when no one else did.

A Mom's Promise to her baby

She had to; she had a mother's promise to fulfill.

"I promised her as her mother, I would not turn away from the gruesome facts.

I love all of my children, here and in Heaven. I had no choice, she was my baby."

A. Reaves, Editor