Chaviers Receives 2 Consecutive Life Sentences McBryar Seeks Youthful Offender Status

DEKALB CO, Ala.-- On January 4, 2023, Christopher Michael Chaviers, 51, of Boaz, received 2 life sentences, to run consecutively, for his convictions of Rape in the 1st Degree and Sodomy in the 1st Degree. A DeKalb County jury found Chaviers guilty of both charges following the November 14-15, 2022 trial. Circuit Judge Jeremy Taylor presided over the trial and following Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, pronounced Chaviers’s sentence.

Chaviers’s two prior felony convictions render him subject to the Habitual Felony Offender Act, meaning that any subsequent Class A felony conviction would result in a minimum sentence of life imprisonment. Rape 1st Degree and Sodomy 1st Degree are each Class A felonies. Often, conviction of separate offenses results in imposition of separate sentences that run concurrently, meaning that they begin and

Taylor elected to impose a life sentence for each offense, and require that they run consecutively, guaranteeing that Chaviers will be in prison for the remainder of his life.

One of Chaviers’s prior convictions is for Rape 2nd Degree, a charge to which he pled guilty in 2010, and which already required him to register as a sex offender under the Alabama Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Act (SORNA). The November 2022 convictions likewise require lifetime registration under SORNA.

The investigation was completed by

County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted at trial by Deputy District Attorney Bob Johnston and Assistant District Attorney Stanna Guice. Ms. Guice argued at the sentencing hearing for Chaviers to receive the maximum sentence. District Attorney Summer Summerford said, “On behalf of the victim and her family and all who worked on this case, we are pleased with the sentence Judge Taylor imposed. These types of cases are difficult to prosecute, not only due to the nature of the offense, but also because trial requires a victim to relive the trauma of the event. It takes a very brave person to follow through to trial and sentencing, and we are so proud of the heart and courage this victim showed in doing so. Her goal was to do everything she could to ensure this man would never victimize anyone else, and her dedication to seeking justice is an inspiration to us.”

Numerous agencies and individuals played a part in the investigation and prosecution, including the James M. Barrie Center for Children in Gadsden; Tasha Galanty, Registered Nurse and Certified Forensic Nurse Examiner with Family Services of North Alabama; Investigator Gary Williams with the District Attorney’s. Office Major Crimes Unit; and Sheriff’s Office Chief Investigator Nick Brown. These contributors are part of a multidisciplinary team that pools resources and advocacy practices to ensure child safety, provide services to victims, and bring perpetrators of abuse to justice.

By Marla Jones Managing Editor marla@southerntorch.com

IDER, Ala.-- Taylor

Marie McBryar, 21, of Ider was indicted on one count of custodial sexual misconduct in October 2022, after she was accused of sleeping with an inmate while employed at the DeKalb County Detention Center.

Records show McBryar applied for youthful offender status in the case on Thursday, January 5. McBrayar, who was arrested on the charge in August 2022, remains free on a $15,000 bond. If youthful offender status is granted, McBryar would get up to three years of probation and a suspended jail sentenced for the crime but it would not be considered a conviction. This would mean she would not be subject to the same restrictions as others who are found guilty for the same Class C felony. A hearing is set for February 10.