Chambers’ parents say he filed a police report two days later on September 14, 2020, with the Powhatan Sheriff’s Office but confusion over the initial report filed begins here because, according to the Powhatan Sheriff’s Office, while at the sheriff’s office on September 14, Kristle and Jerry Chambers Sr., “briefly showed a couple of photographs they had found on their son’s mobile phone to the deputy and expressed that they were not sure if they wanted to file a report due to concerns they had about the legal process. No further information was provided at that time,” a press statement said.
The Powhatan Sheriff’s Office also says, “The deputy encouraged them to meet with the Commonwealth’s Attorney to discuss their concerns and the deputy scheduled an appointment on September 15th at 9:45 am for them to meet with the Commonwealth’s Attorney and the Powhatan Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation’s Division Supervisor. The parents did not attend the appointment. The parents were contacted on two occasions afterwards by the Powhatan Sheriff’s Office and both times they stated they were not interested in filing a report or proceeding in any way with a criminal investigation.”
The Chamberses say the account from the Powhatan Sheriff’s Office alleging they had no interest in filing a report couldn’t be further from the truth.
“The victim went in on September 14, 2020, and gave his report, they never reached back out to us for anything,” Kristle Chambers said.
“They contacted a lawyer, they took their son to two precincts, they don’t look like somebody that’s afraid nor not ready to do anything, that looks like a family that’s ready to do something,” said Bernadette Lark, the Chambers’ family advocate.
The Chamberses say throughout the remainder of 2020 and most of 2021, they believed the Powhatan Sheriff’s Office was investigating the case, only to discover not much had been done.
In December, Lark filed a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to get federal help on the case because the family feels the Powhatan Sheriff’s Office had not done enough to move the case forward. It was around this time Powhatan Sheriff Bradford Nunnally called the family and admitted his office wasn’t moving fast enough on the case.
The family’s recorded call with Sheriff Nunnally shows him saying, in part: “I understand you came to my office and spoke with my chief deputy. Unfortunately, I was in a meeting and had my phone volume off so I was unaware you all were there, I do want to express to you, I was read into what’s going on with your case with your son today, I’m not happy with the way it’s been handled from what I can tell, looking at what’s been done so far all you all have been told is what we can’t do and not what we can do and that’s not what needs to be done.”