On the Wednesday before I found him, she and Curtis had argued loudly near the kitchen.

Owen heard Dana say she was taking him to my house.

Then came a crash.

Owen had not seen exactly what happened.

He heard something fall, heard Curtis yell, and saw his mother sitting on the floor holding her arm.

She told Owen to stay in his room.

Curtis told him his mother had gone away and would not return if he was disobedient.

“There are limits to what he witnessed,” Ellis said.