Devastated mum: “My little boy told me he was going to die – then his dad shot him”
Just three months after this photo was taken, four-year-old Jesse Adams was brutally murdered by his dad while his mum was forced to listen
Pregnant and P single, Christy Pilgreen never expected to find love – but she was unexpectedly swept off her feet at a party by a handsome stranger. But despite marrying Carey Adams and having another son, Jesse, together, Christy’s dream soon turned into a nightmare. Five years later, jealous Adams forced their four-year-old son to tell her over the phone: “Mummy, I’m going to die tonight” before shooting him and then committing suicide.
Christy says: “I think of my little boy every day. Jesse’s murder will haunt me forever.”
Christy was 20 when she met Adams at a party inin July 2007. She was seven months pregnant, but single after splitting with her unborn baby’s father.
She recalls: “Carey and I chatted and, at the end of the night, he asked me out. I was shocked that he’d be interested in a pregnant girl, but I said yes. He was very affectionate and made me feel truly loved.”
Adams was by Christy’s side when she gave birth to Christopher in September 2007. She recalls: “He held my hand and cried when Christopher was born. I was sure I’d found the perfect man.”
BULLYING BEHAVIOUR
The couple married the following month and, four months later, Christy fell pregnant. But far from being an exciting time, Christy says Adams began to change.
She remembers: “One day, Carey turned on me. I’d left some books on the table and he went crazy about it. He started yelling at me, throwing stuff around.”
Terrified, Christy took Christopher and left to stay with her mum, but Adams begged her to come back. She says: “He apologised and said it was a mistake, so I gave him a second chance. But he started bullying me regularly, calling me stupid, fat and ugly.
“I thought about leaving, but I was heavily pregnant and wanted to keep our family together. And a lot of the time, the Carey I’d fallen in love with would shine through and give me hope.”
Christy gave birth to their son Jesse in November 2008.
She says: “Carey was there, but I felt like he didn’t want to be. He wasn’t emotional like he’d been with Christopher, which I found shocking as this was his biological son.” In April 2011, Carey lost his job as a handyman and started drinking heavily. Christy says: “When he was drunk he’d become argumentative and nasty.”
Frightened, she took ❜ on two jobs working in different shops and secretly started to save money so she could leave him – which she did in June 2012.
DEATH THREATS
She took the boys and moved in with a friend. Adams was furious, but the couple managed to work out a joint custody agreement.
“I wanted full custody but our lawyers convinced me it was in Jesse’s best interest to see Carey, so we’d have the boys on alternative weeks,” says Christy.
The plan seemingly worked. But on 13 July 2012, while Jesse was staying with his dad nearby in Grafton, North Carolina, Christy called so she could say goodnight.
She says: “Carey was drunk and angry because he wanted me to take him back. Then he told me that he was going to kill himself and Jesse. I thought he was just trying to hurt me but I called the police anyway and sped to his house.
“As I was driving, I stayed on the phone to him begging him not to hurt Jesse. Then, suddenly, I heard Jesse’s voice. He said: ‘Mommy, I’m going to die tonight.’ I was panicking but told Jesse that I loved him and that everything would be OK.
“When I was a few minutes away from Carey’s house, there
❛HIS MURDER WILL HAUNT ME FOREVER – I THINK OF HIM EVERY DAY
was a loud popping sound down the phone. Carey said: ‘I’ve killed Jesse and it’s your fault.’ All I can remember is that I started screaming hysterically.”
CRYING & SCREAMING
As a distraught Christy arrived, she heard another gunshot – Adams had killed himself. Police officers arrived and told her to stay away from the house.
She says: “I got out of my car and was sick on the side of the road. I was crying and screaming. I saw a stretcher come out of the house, but I didn’t know if it was Jesse or Carey. I wasn’t allowed in, instead a policeman told me to come with him to the hospital.”
There, Christy was taken to see Jesse. She says: “He looked like he was asleep. I told him how much I loved him and how sorry I was over and over again. I kissed his face and held him tightly.”
Heartbroken Christy was in such a state, it took her two days to tell Christopher that his little brother was dead.
She says: “I eventually told him that Jesse had gone to heaven and so had his dad – I couldn’t tell him the truth. Christopher was devastated.”
After Jesse’s funeral, Christy saw a counsellor to try to help her cope with what had happened. She finally told Christopher how his brother had died and he too had counselling.
She says: “He was so angry – he was just four years old and hated his father.”
Christy and Christopher, now 10, are still struggling to come to terms with what happened.
“Time has definitely helped us,” says Christy. “But we still have a long way to go. Christopher has good and bad days – he hates me leaving him anywhere as he’s frightened I won’t come back. We speak about Jesse often and he wonders what Jesse would look like now and what toys he’d like. He still sleeps with Jesse’s pillow and he has a little box with some of Jesse’s clothes in. Sometimes he gets it out and takes a look and he smiles remembering his brother. They were so close.”
SPEAKING OUT
She adds: “This year was the fifth anniversary of Jesse’s death. I spent the whole day at the cemetery with a few of his monster trucks. I told him again how sorry I was that I hadn’t been there for him. That guilt will never go away, even though I know it wasn’t my fault. I talked about how much I loved him and missed him and how much he meant to me. I still feel a pain stabbing in my chest when I’m there, which helps me feel close to him.” Now Christy goes to community groups to tell Jesse’s story in the hope that anyone in an abusive relationship will have the courage to leave. She says: “I encourage people who witness domestic violence to speak out too – if you hear something, you should help. It helps with my grief to think I am supporting other people. “My life has changed forever – a piece of my heart and soul is missing. But I’ll make sure that Jesse is never forgotten.”