Jail Saga
|
Ongoing
The things described in this article are still happening, or are still being looked into. As a result, it may be subject to frequent change, and the information provided may not be entirely reliable.
|
Following allegations in late July and the eventual confirmation that Chris had committed incest with Barb, hundreds of people contacted the Greene County police, and authorities conducted a welfare check on the Chandler home, issuing an Emergency Protective Order on Chris the following day (essentially a temporary week-long restraining order). Chris was made temporarily homeless, and stayed at the Regency Inn Richmond for the meantime. Chris was arrested on 1 August 2021, outside of the Inn. The arrest was captured live on stream by several onlookers. Surprisingly, given Chris's past history with the law, he made no attempt to resist arrest, and was cooperative with police.
As of writing, Chris is currently being held at the Central Virginia Regional Jail and is currently awaiting trial for the charge of incest, as well as pending charges yet to be identified.[2] He was arraigned on 5 August 2021 and held without bond pending a mental health evaluation until 18 November.[3]
Background
It is a criminal offense in Virginia to engage in incest - sexual activities between a parent and a child are a class 5 felony, punishable on indictment by up to 10 years incarceration.[4]
In the early morning of 28 July 2021, Chris discussed having sex with his mother in a call and text messages with Isabella Loretta Janke. On the night of 29 July, the Suitress leaked the files. The next morning, as reports poured in, Greene County Police visited 14 Branchland Court for a wellness check.[1] They issued Chris an Emergency Protective Order, forbidding contact between him and Barbara, and by extension, preventing him from remaining at her residence until 5 August. Meanwhile, Barbara was relocated to a hospital for a senior care inspection.[5]
As a result of the protection order levied against Chris, he was without a home for the time being. Due to ongoing financial problems, Chris could not afford a hotel. Null advised him to sleep in his van for one night, noting that Chris would have have the proceeds of Chris's GoFundMe (originally intended for Chris's trip to Everfree Northwest) transferred to his bank account the following day. Initial plans to stay with Aunt Harriet and Uncle Tom were disrupted after their invitation was rescinded - likely while he was already on the way to their home.[6][10]
On 30th of July, Everfree Northwest posted that "appropriate action to protect the vulnerable" will be taken; while not naming Chris, it is suspected that that this tweet refers to the revocation of Chris's invitation to the convention,[11] which Null subsequently confirmed. Due to the disturbing and lurid nature of the allegations, hashtags and topics such as #ChrisChan and #CHRISCHANDIDWHAT trended on Twitter, reaching 4th overall trend on July 30th,[12] exposing a large number of otherwise uninvolved individuals to the story of Chris-Chan causing the Orbiter Wave.
On 31 July, Null, who had access to Chris's email (with Chris's permission) since the Guard Dogs Saga,[13][14] found that Chris had received $750.00 from Barb's bank account, meaning he had either contacted Barb or gained access to Barb's bank account himself, either of which would violate the emergency protection order. When confronted, Chris initially denied the accusation, claiming he had "managed to find blessings in the minimum abundance needed." However, upon further questioning he confirmed the that he had had access to Barb's account for some time, contrary to Null's previous assumption that Barb had been control of Chris's finances and not vice versa. Upset by Chris embezzling from his mother and lying to cover it up, Null finally cut all contact with him, reported the theft to authorities, and canceled the transfer of the GoFundMe money, arranging for it to be refunded to the donors.[7]
Arrest
| “ | I am Chris-Chan Sonichu, your Goddess Blue Heart, and I continue to stand strong, and I maintain everything with CWCVille and my Sonichus and Rosechus and everybody. I keep in good faith that everything is going to work out. | ” |
| Chris, while being arrested.[15] | ||
On the evening of 31 July, Reddit user Chrisisaman located Son-chu at the Regency Inn in Richmond, confirming that Chris was in the city and that he would be spending time in a motel.[16] The next day, a number of people attempted to contact Chris there. Most significant was YouTuber Ethan Ralph who livestreamed himself and his friends driving to the motel to meet Chris. The group ordered a pizza in the hopes of luring him out, but this was unsuccessful - Chris was apparently too busy messaging Sean Walker.[19]
They then went about knocking on every door on the second floor, but this was fruitless as well, and only led to the menagerie being ordered to leave by a motel employee.[17]
Not giving up, the group went to the Regency Mall (of 'the bear' fame) across the street, following (incorrect) speculation that Chris might be there if not in his room.
Later that afternoon, Ralph was tipped off that four police cars had shown up at the motel. At around 6:00 PM, he got back just in time to film two Henrico County police officers perp-walking Chris down from his room, streaming the whole debacle for a live audience of over 3,000 viewers. While the police talked to Chris, Ralph sporadically yelled questions and comments, to which Chris occasionally responded.
Unlike Chris's previous run-ins with the law, he remained mostly calm and compliant during the arrest (possibly due to Walker having advised him the previous day to co-operate with the police in the event of his being arrested), though he rambled about the Dimensional Merge to both the police and Ralph's crew, promising that the Merge was in fact happening right at that moment. The police then loaded Chris into a squad car and left without answering Ralph's questions.[15] An additional POV shot filmed by an anonymous onlooker showed Chris climbing directly into the cop car - the last known video of Chris for the foreseeable future.
Video
| Chris-Chan Arrested | |
| Direct link | YouTube, archive |
| Stardate | 1st August 2021 |
| Performance Style |  My Baby Blue Arms,  Reason,  Tumbling Down, Tumbling Down, Tumbling Down
|
| Saga |  Incest
|
Transcript
| Transcript |
|---|
|
[Video begins with a shot of a neighboring car. A woman gets out of it with her phone. The song "Save Your Tears" by the Weeknd plays in background.] Girl: Oh my god! Ralph: They're arresting her! [Ralph gets out of the car and walks toward the fence. The woman from earlier is now kneeling with her phone pointing at the motel. Ralph walks past her.] Ralph: Sorry. [Camera zooms in on the motel, focusing on the second floor, where the police officers are walking Chris] Girl in background: Oh my god! Ralph: Yeah, they're arresting Chris-Chan here at the hotel. Chris (yelling): (unclear due to chatter) ...For the internet, do not record this! Ralph (yelling): Chris-Chan, what's up! Killstream, baby! When you get out, let's do the Killstream! Look me up! Guy in background: Let the charges drop! It's all about Joshua Conner Moon! Ralph: Tell 'em all about Josh Moon, that's who they want! [Bystanders start yelling] Girl in background: Give it up, Chris-Chan! Guy in background: Give him up... save yourself, girl! Another guy in background: Magi-Chan will help you! Third guy in background: You're beautiful! Ralph: Look up Ethan Ralph, Killstream! I live here in Richmond, buddy! Girl in background: Go to church! Ralph: No, come to... come to the Killstream first! [As the cops walk Chris down the stairs, there is more yelling] Person below: ETHAN I BOUGHT YOUR STICKER! Ralph: YEEEAH! What kind of shit is this? Holy shit! Oh my god, thank you! [The cops are now walking Chris past the motel entrance] Guy in background: Got a (indistinct) here! Girl in background: Christian Weston Chandler, right here being... [Camera turns past a nearby building as Ralph runs toward the motel parking lot] Ralph: Oh, shit, oh! You better hurry Jesse, you're missing out! [The camera now zooms in on Chris and three police officers, now standing outside a police car] Police officer:...oh no, (indistinct) transport in the front... [One of the officers says something to Chris that cannot be heard, presumably asking for his name] Chris: ...Chris-Chan, or Sonichu, as they know... [Camera freezes for a couple seconds] Girl in background:...Chris. (indistinct) Bring 'em... [A fourth officer gets out of one of the police cars] Ralph: Hey, officers, how's it going? Police officer: How you doing? I just saw you. Ralph: Yeah, that's right! That's you, oh my god! Person in background: Sorry about that, guys. Ralph: I told you! Chris: (indistinct) flying (?)... Girl in background: (To Ralph) Is the car unlocked? Chris: (indistinct) I am good like this! Guy in background: (To Chris) You are, you absolutely are! Ralph: Yeah, I think so. (To Chris) Yeah, you appear to be compliant. Chris: I am Chris-Chan Sonichu, your goddess Blue Heart, and I continue to stand strong, and I maintain everything with CWCVille and my Sonichus and Rosechus and everybody. Ralph: Yeah, you're live to about 3,000 people right now, Christian! Guy in background: How do you plead? Ralph: Well don't...you're taking everything in stride, you said you're doing good? Chris : Yeah. I keep a good faith everything is going to work out. Ralph: Doing good, feeling good? Chris : Yep. Ralph: How's the last few days been? I know it's been pretty stressful. Chris : Bit stressful, but... I've taken it one moment at a time and...I've got my...I've got my loves. Ralph: Well that's good. Guy in background: Do you, like, Josh Moon, like, did you dirty? [An officer begins frisking Chris, and apparently finds something on his waistband] Chris: (To officer) Oh, well, that's just the one thing, that's a pin. Feel free, just go ahead and take it out, it's a picture of Muffins from My Little Pony. Guy in background: Your Love Quest is over, Chris! Chris: (To officer) I promise like...I was not (indistinct) to fall... it fell off my bag, I did not want to lose it. And please, I would like that in my collection. (indistinct) Jesse: Hey, Ethan! Ralph: What's up, Jesse? Jesse: How you doing? Ralph: Boy we almost missed it, huh? [Ralph and Jesse laugh] Jesse: I was wandering around the mall. [The officer starts searching Chris's left side] Chris: Well, heh. He's not offering me any options there... Officer: I'm just letting you know I'm... (indistinct) Girl in background: I literally ran out to get that (chuckles). This is nuts. [Someone makes a noise in the background] Jesse: Christine, this man does want to help you. Ralph: Yeah, we were trying to get you on the show, but...look, when you get out, look me up, Killstream. I don't know if you know who I am or not. Girl in background: We're here to help you! [Indistinct yelling in background] Ralph: We saw what Josh was doing to you, so we wanted to come try to talk to you. [The cop finishes his search] Police officer: (To Chris) Do you have anything else on you? Chris: I have nothing else on me. [The police officer says something to Chris] Chris: I understand. I have no weed, I have no drugs on (indistinct)... like I said, frisk me, there you go! (chuckles) Ralph: (Chuckles) Chris: That felt good! Ralph: (Laughs loudly) Chris: Thank you. Police officer: Alright, let's have a seat. Jesse: Christine, is the merge coming? Ralph: Aight... Chris: It's happening now, we're on the very last thread! Ralph: (talking over Chris) The Merge, it's happening right now, isn't it? Girl in background: It's happening right now, it is. Chris: We're living it! [Chris turns to the officers.] Chris: (indistinct) ...Batman into a hero. [Chris sits down as one of the officers points into the back of the police car] Girl in background: It's happening right now. Guy in background: Merge the dimensions, Chris! Ralph: Farewell, Chris Chan! Girl in background: (indistinct) The Dimensional Merge is happening right now, August 1, 2021. [Chris disappears into the back of the police car] [End of relevant footage] |
Initial jail stay
At 8:23 PM later that day, Chris was booked into Henrico County Jail West and held without bail.[20][1] On 2 August 2021, the Charlottesville CBS affiliate, CBS 19, reported on the case, following the release of a press release from the Greene County Sheriff's Department indicating that Chris had been moved to Central Virginia Regional Jail, which serves several rural counties including Greene County.[2]
Calls to the Sheriff's Office confirmed that Chris was being held on a charge of incest. Notably, the charge against Chris is listed on the Henrico Sheriff's Office website as "incest with own child or grandchild",[20] presumably because "incest with own parent" charges are too uncommon to warrant an option for them in the software.[21]
Originally, Chris was going to be transferred to a female prison, but after uproar from his new exposure, the designation was changed to male without explanation and he was placed in a corresponding facility.[22][23] It is noted that transgender inmates in Virginia are usually only placed in the prison of their identified gender if they have received sex-change surgery,[24] which Chris has not. On 7 August 2021, conservative media host Tucker Carlson briefly talked about the discourse in a Fox News segment, exposing millions of retired, right-wing boomers to Chris for the first time.[23]
Many observers predicted Chris would not take to an extended jail stay well. However, on August 5, the jail's Captain Hoffman told news, "I've had an interaction with inmate Chandler and it's been fine. Everything is okay."[22] A letter Chris sent from jail in early October confirms that he is being fed well and that he has been able to purchase minor luxuries from the jail's commissary including playing cards, earplugs and a sports bra.
Legal proceedings and communications
First court appearance
On 5 August 2021, Chris appeared before the court for the beginning of his arraignment, represented by Charlottesville public defender David Heilberg.[25]
The attorney representing Greene County asked presiding judge David M. Barredo to deny Chris bond out of concern for "the community's safety and Ms. Chandler's safety." Chris reportedly interrupted the proceedings multiple times. He was chided by his attorney for shouting "I'm famous on the internet." He was sworn in to state his case for bond, but wasted his opportunity to speak by demanding to be allowed to pick up personal possessions first.[25]
Judge Barredo ordered Chris to be held without bond until the preliminary trial on 16 September, believing Chris posed a danger to both society and himself. While Heilberg was informing the judge that he sought "evaluations" of Chris, Chris interrupted his own attorney by loudly stomping on the floor and demanding "to get everything back home,” claiming "I won’t feel safe proceeding" until he could get the items back.[25]
Judging by Chris's behavior, it can be inferred that Chris either did not fully understand or care about the seriousness of his charges and the possible consequences, or that he still expected to be saved by the Dimensional Merge.
Continuance and first letter from jail
- Main article: Jail Letter 1
Chris's next court appearance was to begin 16 September 2021,[25] but got a continuance before the hearing was even set to commence[27] due to the defense requesting more time to evaluate Chris's mental health, giving him a brief respite.[28]
However, Chris, as always, managed to screw himself over where others failed. Three days later, Chris penned a bizarre letter directed to Null and defense lawyer David Heilberg, in which he defended incest, ranted at Null for turning his back on Chris, and claimed to be Jesus Christ reincarnated, among other equally batshit statements.[6]
Chris evidently never listened when he was given the right to remain silent. Before this point, while the prosecution had audio and screenshotted DMs of him confessing to the act, information collected from internet forums or leaked text messages can be unreliable in court.[29] Chris's lawyer could have made the argument that he was coerced into saying those things (which has happened before), or even argued that Chris's accounts were taken over by trolls, as they often are. These things could have gotten a potential jury to view Chris in a more favourable light and could also have secured Chris a lighter sentence, or even an innocent verdict if he could convince the court that he had simply imagined the whole thing.
With this open letter, however, Chris has shot both himself and his attorney in the foot. Any plans by Heilberg to make the trial an issue of mental health[31] are going to be much more difficult now. In order for the insanity defense to be utilized, Heilberg would have had to make a convincing argument that Chris did not possess the criminal intent required for legal guilt due to his mental illness worsened by years of trolling clouding his judgement.[32] Already difficult to pull off, Chris had gone ahead and made it near impossible by BOTH admitting to the crime and demonstrating that he was cognizant of his actions in writing.
Second and third letters from jail
- Main articles: Jail Letter 2 and Jail Letter 3
In his second letter, Chris provides a brief update of his current conditions in prison. He would also continue to double down on his delusions, threaten the weens stealing things from his house, beg for money for both him and Barbara, and demand his release from prison. In his third letter, Chris responds to a fan's attempt to get him to convert to Islam. Like the previous letters, he compares himself to Allah and rants about the dimensional merge.
Second court appearance
Chris's second court appearance is currently scheduled for the 18th of November.[3] While it's too early to predict exactly what will happen next, it's safe to assume Chris has essentially handed the state prosecution their guilty verdict on a silver platter.
Fan videos
| Sonichu Saves Chris Chan from Prison to Fight Clyde Cash & Liquid Chris! | |
| Stardate | 11 September 2021 |
| Made By | sheWIND |
| Subject Matter | Chris in jail |
| Video Type | Animation |
| Other Info | "Christine Weston Chandler, aka Chris Chan, mayor of Cwcville, is rescued by the demential merge after going to jail for hurting Barb by Sonichu to have a final battle against some of his strongest trolls, Clyde Cash and Liquid Chris!!" |
| TRUE and HONEST Sonichu Fan Videos | |
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chris Chan arrested for ‘incest’ after claims Sonichu comic book creator sexually assaulted family member (archive)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Press release on CBS, Facebook
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 9-16-21: Court Case Gets a Continuance (page 7)
- ↑ Transgender, autistic internet personality Chris Chan held without bond in men's jail on incest charge involving senile mom
- ↑ Chris-Chan incest leak / Chris has been removed from 14 Branchland Court
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Jail Letter 1
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Incest fallout chat leaks#Chris takes money from Barb
- ↑ Regency Mall (Richmond, Virginia) and Chesterfield Towne Center on Wikipedia
- ↑ Chris leaks the Ashbys' address to Miyamoto-san
- ↑ Chris told Null that after spending the night in his car, he would go to a mall as soon as it opened in the morning and loiter there.[7] The two malls he mentioned, Regency Mall and Chesterfield Towne Center, are in Richmond.[8] This suggests that Aunt Harriet and Uncle Tom, who live in Richmond's southwest suburbs,[9] did not rescind their invitation until he had actually gotten near their home, though Chris would later claim they “caste [sic] [him] out before [he] even arrived in Midlothian.”[6]
- ↑ Everfree Northwest tweet
- ↑ Who is Chris Chan? Sonichu comic creator leaves Twitter scandalized with latest trend
- ↑ Marvin answers questions regarding OPERATION: Kingsnake
- ↑ OPERATION: Kingsnake
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Video of Chris's arrest filmed by Killstream crew
- ↑ Archived Reddit post confirming Chris's location
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Archived stream snippet
- ↑ Sean Walker Discord DMs#Chris's final messages
- ↑ The time Ralph was knocking on Chris's door - about 3:01 PM[17] - is almost exactly the same as the timestamps on Chris's final messages to Sean Walker - 3:10 PM.[18]
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 File:Charged.png
- ↑ Chris - The Legal Issues - A Prosecutor's Perspective
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 After her arrest on an incest charge, Chris Chan is being categorized as male in jail despite being a trans woman
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Tucker Carlson discusses Chris-Chan
- ↑ Transgender prison inmates 5 to 6 times more likely to be victims of sexual assault in U.S., study says
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 Internet personality "Chris-Chan" in court on incest charge (archive)
- ↑ 9-16-21: Court Case Gets a Continuance (page 1) (archived)
- ↑ The hearing was scheduled for 10:00 AM;[25] news of the continuance broke at 8:31 AM.[26]
- ↑ 9-16-21: Court Case Gets a Continuance (page 4) (archived)
- ↑ A Primer and Problems in Admitting Electronic Records in Evidence at Trial and in Support of Motions for Summary Judgment
- ↑ Chris Chan's Lawyer Says 'Mental Health Issues' Contributed to Incest Charge
- ↑ After Chris's first court showing, Heilberg framed the case in these terms, telling media sources that his client was "legally disabled with mental health issues," and called Chris's online antics "a product of mental health issues causing misguided attention seeking and often provocative engagement with others."[30]
- ↑ Legal requirements for an Insanity Defense
