Mitchelle Blair: Killed and Buried Kids in Deep Freezer

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In Detroit, a shocking story unfolded that left everyone speechless. Mitchelle Blair, a mother who seemed ordinary on the outside, had a horrifying secret hidden in her home. Her two young children suffered unimaginable pain and ultimately lost their lives in a tragic way. When the truth came out, authorities discovered their bodies tucked away in a deep freezer. How could a mother do something so terrible? This article will explore the chilling details of the Mitchelle Blair case and what led to such a heartbreaking tragedy.

Mitchelle Blair Detroit Mom: A Victim of Generational Abuse or Psychopath?

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Mitchelle Blair had a dysfunctional childhood. She lacked the warmth of nurturing parents, growing up in constant insecurity and fear. Her mother’s love seemed to have had a price tag of enduring physical and emotional abuse. Mitchelle’s voice trembled as she recounted her mother’s betrayal during a police interview:

I told my mother what happened to me and the only thing she said was, “It’s over wit’…so what the xxxk do you want me to do about it?… So, all I could do was go back to my room and sit and look stupid. I’m a kid, and I’m just telling you what happened to me, and you didn’t do shit about it and plus I still had to see the person coming in and out of my house. You still friends with that person.

Home wasn’t a refuge but a place where even the most innocent mistake could morph into a beating. Life for Mitchelle was a constant battle, evident in her violent interactions with others. Frustration often manifested in intense outbursts, which pushed people away from her. Life’s disappointments chipped away at Mitchelle, leaving her with an ice-cold, bitter heart.

Yearning for a sense of belonging, she opted to escape her mother’s wrath, dropping out of high school in the tenth grade. By 2012, she’d had four children: Gabi Blair, 17, Stoni Ann Blair, 13, Stephen Gage Berry, 9, and the youngest unnamed son, 8, whose identity is protected because of his age. Hardened into a perfect reflection of her mother, Mitchelle physically and psychologically tormented her children. Gabi recalled her mother’s unpredictable behavior:

My mom was a ticking time bomb. She always had her fuse lit. So, anything, the slightest tap, would set her off.

Mitchelle’s abusive conduct shattered the bonds of her closest relationships. Her family distanced themselves from her toxic personality, and the children’s fathers abandoned her, leaving them to be parented by a woman battling unseen demons. Her unaddressed mental health issues slowly eroded her ability to reason, escalating the children’s punishments to relentless cruelty as they got older—the severity dictated entirely by her unpredictable moods.

Just as Mitchelle had, the children learned young to navigate their world with a watchful eye. Every misstep, every spilled glass, felt like a tightrope around their neck. Any attempts to receive their mother’s love were met with dismissive silence or abusive outbursts. The siblings flinched whenever Mitchelle’s voice rose a notch, a childhood reflex, not a choice. The bruises they bore were a physical reminder of a world where safety felt like a distant dream. Gabi recounted the phases of Mitchelle’s weapons of choice used to assault them:

For a while there was an extension cord phase. Then there was a belt buckle phase.

With their lives held hostage by their mother’s fury, the children urgently needed a lifeline, but with no savior in sight, an inescapable tide loomed ahead.

A Mother’s Tainted Lens

The weight of the day pressed down on Mitchelle as she walked through the front door. Gabi was waiting with a worried gaze, deepening the dread that had settled in Mitchelle’s gut. “Ma, you gotta see what he’s doing with his toys!” she exclaimed, guiding her mother to confront the 8-year-old child. “Show me what you were doing with your toys?!” barked Mitchelle, sending a jolt of surprise through the kid. Blinded by the potential consequences of his response, he made the dolls grind against each other.

The blood drained from her face as she asked him, “Did someone do this to you?” Although the child immediately denounced the claim after being threatened with a beating if not responding to her satisfaction, he eventually relented to accuse 9-year-old Stephen of having regularly “humped on his bottom.” In Gabi Blair’s interview, he explained that she thought the child only affirmed her mother’s accusations because “he didn’t know any better.” Adrenaline surged through Mitchelle as she snatched the child’s hand, gliding him up the stairs silently and swiftly to where Stephen lay oblivious to her rage. Gabi witnessed the entire act and recalled:

My mom became obsessed with this crazy notion that my siblings had sexually assaulted our youngest brother, and she started basically interrogating the youngest… There’s no concrete evidence to prove that Stephen sexually assaulted the youngest.

Mitchelle incessantly hounded Stephen to confess to molesting his youngest sibling, which he vehemently denied doing, clinging to the hope that she’d believe him. Fueled by a delusion, she fixated on the notion that the crime had unfolded right under her nose. In her warped reality, an elaborate conspiracy took shape, demanding retribution in the most brutal forms. Mitchelle’s sudden departure slammed the door shut on their conversation, leaving Stephen petrified of what was to come.

Fear gnawed at his insides as his mother paced the house, each creak of the floorboards a potential harbinger of her wrath. With a feral roar, suddenly Mitchelle lunged at Stephen, using her fists as pistons plunging against his tiny body. The sickening thuds rained like a hailstorm, each fueled by a primal rage that drowned out reason. She kicked, cursed, and choked Stephen as his sobs echoed through the room.

Fractured Reality: Mitchelle’s Delusion, a Son Sacrificed

Driven by a twisted sense of justice, she beat the innocent child to a bloody pulp before throwing him into his room for the night. Descending into suffocating darkness, she clutched the bottle of vodka; each burning swallow twisted the knife of vengeance more profoundly. An inhuman glint flickered in her eyes as she meticulously crafted a plan—a week-long descent into a nightmare Stephen would never forget.

Over the next few days, Mitchelle continued beating and torturing him, suffocating him with a plastic bag and choking him with an extension cord until he lost consciousness. He’d recover only to be greeted with an endless cycle of torment. The day before his final blow, Mitchelle dragged his weak body to the bathroom, where a bath of scalding hot water awaited him. The punishing heat of the water rose around his ankles as he was forced to stand in agony, raw flesh exposed on his feet.

To further humiliate and punish him, Mitchelle threw hot water on his genitals—each agonizing shriek fueled a dark fire within her. When she was done with the day’s torture, drained and broken, Stephen stumbled back to his room—his throbbing body a reminder of the night’s ordeal. On August 30, 2012, when Mitchelle returned to continue her torture regimen for the day, in a weak voice, Stephen mumbled about being unable to use the bathroom despite the urge. Nausea choked him, but nothing came up. His breaths grew shallow and ragged.

“Oh, my fucking God!” she exclaimed, worry consuming her. Despite several desperate attempts at CPR, his chest remained still. In that horrifying moment, life ebbed away before her eyes, and Stephen Gage Berry died. A form of grief consumed Mitchelle as she cradled his lifeless form, a stark contrast to the hate-filled rage she’d demonstrated toward him only moments earlier. Convinced her youngest son needed protection from Stephen—a need her mother never fulfilled—Mitchelle acted without thought of the deadly outcome.

Portraying a loving mother in mourning, she wrapped Stephen in his favorite monkey blanket before forcing Gabi to help haul him to his casket in the deep freezer. Afterwards, Mitchelle gathered all three children and warned them never to speak about the murder or freezer. Their loyalty wasn’t love but a terrified obedience—her danger had become a fatal truth. Gabi would later recount:

Trying to live knowing that my brother is in the freezer was terrifying… I made sure to watch what I said around [her]. I already knew that one misstep and this is where I’d end up.

As time passed, Mitchelle became more and more paranoid, drilling into her children’s heads what they should say when asked about Stephen’s sudden absence. She then threatened to kill them and herself if they stepped out of line or told anyone what had happened. Satisfied she’d gotten her point across, Mitchelle moved on as if Stephen Gage Berry never existed.

A Daughter’s Lies: Price Paid in Blood

Months after Stephen’s murder, Mitchelle and her youngest son were perched on the sofa when thirteen-year-old Stoni Ann Blair, oblivious, bounced down and nestled beside him. Before his mother could react, a violent tantrum erupted from the child, fueled by something far more primal than his dislike for sharing space. “Boy, be nice to your sister! She loves you!” Mitchelle blurted. “Aw, I don’t want her to sit next to me. She’s mean to me anyways!” stammered the child. Her brow furrowed, gazing at her son with concern.

“Tell me the truth!” she demanded, her voice tight in disbelief. Mumbling and scared, Mitchelle’s interrogation techniques resulted in a false confession from the child, who claimed that Stoni and Stephen had both been molesting him since he was an infant. He alleged regular beatings and humiliation from them—even accusing them of stealing his food, which is why Mitchelle believed the child had lost weight. At that moment, she saw nothing but blood as she stormed up to Stoni, grabbed her by the neck, and pinned her against the wall.

“Tell me what really happened!” Mitchelle spat, expecting the child to repeat his previous allegations. Stoni was scared for her life—her heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs. The young child recited his charges against her, and she nervously denied them. One brutal yank and Stoni was on the floor, gasping for air. A flurry of kicks and stomps followed in a terrifying, relentless assault. Struggling for her life, Stoni quickly shot to her feet, begging Mitchelle for mercy as the apologies tumbled from her mouth.

Unmoved by her pleas, the vengeful mother swung a wooden bar broken from a bedframe and hit the teen in the head. Mitchelle couldn’t hold back a celebratory whoop at the sight of the blood squirting from the wound. After finally realizing the seriousness of the injury, she put a washcloth and ice pack on Stoni’s head and then threw away the bloody clothes.

Two agonizing days crawled by as the shattered teen huddled in her room, fearing the unknown. Consumed by self-blame for her suffering, Gabi and the youngest brother watched helplessly as their mother’s resolve hardened. This time, Mitchelle’s intent was chillingly clear: to kill Stoni. The poor girl spent the next fourteen days being physically and psychologically abused, ultimately reduced to a quivering mess.

One day, a notice was issued to all tenants in preparation for a routine property inspection. A wave of unease washed over Mitchelle as she gazed around the apartment, blood stains decorating the walls and ceiling. She ordered Gabi to meticulously clean the house as she determined what to do with Stephen’s body. Stoni’s mattress was heavy and saturated with blood, which Mitchelle opted to conceal beneath a blanket hastily. Stoni was instructed to remain quiet and hide underneath the bed until the all-clear was given. The inspection concluded without incident, suspicions were never raised, and Stoni was never rescued.

On May 25, 2013, Stoni flinched awake as a cold hand gripped her shoulder. “Ready to tell the truth and apologize?” Mitchelle hissed. Barely awake, Stoni defiantly blurted, “I am sorry for doing that to somebody, period, but I still hate him.” Without a second thought, Mitchelle punched her daughter in the face, shattering her teeth. Gabi and her brother cradled each other in terror as they watched their mother strangle the life of the innocent girl with a black pajamas shirt.

After satisfying her warped sense of justice, Mitchelle ordered Gabi to stuff her sister’s body in the deep freezer. Jamming Stoni in her cold grave on top of Stephen’s frozen body, Gabi saw a sudden flicker of movement; Stoni released a faint gasp—she wasn’t gone. Devoid of emotion, Mitchelle placed a plastic bag over Stoni’s head, attempting to suffocate her, but eventually gave up–commanding Gabi to simply shut the freezer door, adding:

Don’t cry over that bitch. That bitch hurt your little brother.

Faced with a terrifying ultimatum, Gabi could only comply. The family was then forced to go on with life as if nothing had happened. Gabi admitted her fear of the freezer in an interview:

I was afraid to even walk by the freezer. Every time I came downstairs to eat breakfast or to play a video game, I had to walk right past the freezer…But there was nowhere else that my mom could hide the bodies. They were cooped up in a freezer like meat.

Pretending: A Past That Won’t Stay Dead

As years passed, Mitchelle’s mental illness worsened, and her paranoia became increasingly unnerving. Gabi and her brother walked on eggshells, constantly reminded of the consequences for disobedience. Their mother threatened to kill them and herself if they stepped out of line and they knew she meant it. One day, Mitchelle received an eviction notice due to unpaid rent. A suffocating weight, a crushing dread slammed into her as she braced for the inevitable end. Gabi recalled:

There was nowhere else that my mom could hide the bodies. This was it; this was the end.

On March 24, 2015, Detroit Police Officers were called to her apartment after Stoni and Stephen’s bodies were discovered during the court-ordered eviction. The children’s remains were taken to the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause and manner of death. Gabi and her eight-year-old brother were taken into protective custody. Mitchelle was hauled to the Detroit Police Department, where she confessed to the murders.

The Motive Unmasked: Arrest and Confession of The ‘Freezer Mom’

During her interrogation, Mitchelle elaborated in gruesome detail about the alleged sexual abuse scandal that took place in her home, hoping the investigator would appreciate the position she was in. The horrors of her own past had fueled a chilling resolve. Eradicating the “demonic” forces, however misguided, was the only way to shield her youngest son from the internal torment that had haunted her.

Throughout her confession, embers of hatred seemed to flicker back to life, fueled by an unnatural sense of justice. Surprisingly, however, she claimed that she’d called the police after killing Stephen, but only to ask:

If one brother rapes the other, will y’all remove both children from the home?

Police confirmed that all children would be removed and instructed her to contact Child Protective Services for more assistance, which she never did. Haunted by past betrayals, Mitchelle’s distorted maternal instinct led her to “destroy” the “demons” she feared would become the monsters she once knew. After finishing her demented rant, she was charged with two counts of felony murder, two counts of premeditated murder, two counts of torture, four counts of child abuse first-degree, and one count of committing child abuse first-degree in the presence of another child.

Want to know more about homicide classifications? Read our article on Degrees of Murder.

Courtroom Eruptions: Sentencing The Unrepentant Mother

From the moment she entered the courtroom, Mitchelle was defiant, gazing with disdain at the judge, daring her to hold any power over her. When the prosecutor addressed her, Mitchelle’s lips would twist into a sneer as she muttered accusations of “twisting my words” or “suggesting that I’m lying.” During testimonies from the children fathers’ attorneys, outbursts of “Lies!” and cursing erupted from her, forcing the bailiff to scramble with a warning. At one point, while defending her actions, Mitchelle blurted:

Yes, I got my ass beat as a kid. Yes, I was raped when I was a child. Am I blaming that on them? No!

Unapologetic and seething with barely contained rage, she was a whirlwind of disrespect. Still, of all the obscenities that she blurted, the one thing she made very clear was that she didn’t regret killing Stephen and Stoni. As a matter of fact, according to Mitchelle, if she had turned herself in to the police after killing Stephen, she wouldn’t have been able to protect her son from Stoni.

At the age of 36, Mitchelle Blair, ‘Freezer Mom’, pleaded guilty to murdering her two children and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. An autopsy report revealed that although both siblings died from blunt force trauma, Stoni suffered thermal injuries as well. Moreover, there was never any evidence to corroborate sexual abuse between the children. Finally, free from Mitchelle’s clutches, court records show Gabi, 19, planned to attend college, and her 10-year-old brother had been adopted.

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Unremorseful Mom Defends Killing and Freezing Children

In an interview uploaded on YouTube, Mitchelle delved into her past, making it clear that her childhood experiences hadn’t dictated her choice to murder and freeze her children:

I can’t blame my decision on my mother, because touching is one thing that I’d kill over.

Michelle recounted when she was in her mid-twenties, years after multiple strokes had ravaged her mother’s health, she tried talking to her about the sexual assault she experienced by a female family friend. Mitchelle Blair the ‘Freezer Mom’ reflected on how the world had once viewed her mother as a shield—unyielding. Yet, where was that strength when she needed it most? Her mother didn’t dare to confront the female friend that had raped her. And having shared the pain of her past with all her children, Mitchelle was confident they understood.

She’d laid bare her experiences, explicitly detailing the events and their emotional toll, extracting a solemn promise from each child to confide in her if they ever faced a similar assault. She was confident that Stoni Ann Blair, particularly, knew abuse was the ultimate transgression—a clear line Mitchelle wouldn’t tolerate being crossed—and yet “she continued to rape” her brother. Consequently, as far as Mitchelle’s concerned, “Stephen Gage Berry and Stoni Ann Blair got what they deserved.” She simply didn’t want her youngest son “to grow up angry all the time” because she never stood up for him.

I gave my son closure by killing his demonic abusers. Some of the most heinous crimes have been committed by kids, so Americans shouldn’t throw stones because they have many more that could be thrown at them.

Mitchelle’s Cautionary Legacy

A stark testament to the intergenerational cycle of trauma, Mitchelle Blair’s case exposes the devastating consequences of unaddressed childhood wounds. Her own experiences navigating a broken mother and toxic environment warped her perception of reality, ultimately leading to the unthinkable act of filicide.

Mitchelle Blair Documentary Netflix

Although Netflix hasn’t released an official documentary related to the Mitchelle Blair case, there is a “Mitchelle Blair Documentary Netflix” YouTube video. In terms of documentaries, some titles to look for include:

Mommy Dead and Dearest (HBO): This documentary focuses on the case of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who killed her mother Dee Dee after years of Munchausen syndrome by proxy abuse.

The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez (Netflix): This docuseries chronicles the tragic case of Gabriel Fernandez, an 8-year-old boy who was tortured and murdered by his mother and her boyfriend.

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008): While not solely about a mother killing her child, this documentary covers the case of Shirley Turner, who murdered her ex-partner and father of her child, Zachary.

BOOKS TO READ:

There are several books available that delve into the disturbing topic of mothers who have murdered their children.

Read “Sleep, My Child, Forever: The Riveting True Story of a Mother Who Murdered Her Own Children “

Read “Killer Moms: 16 Bizarre True Crime Stories of Murderous Moms “

Read “Sleep My Darlings: The True Story of a Mother Who Killed Her Children in Cold Blood “

Read “Parents Who Killed Their Children (Horrific True Stories of Filicide): Mental Health, Postpartum Psychosis, and Postpartum Depression”

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