Calling her ex-husband a “monster” on the witness stand, the ex-wife of a suspended Pennsylvania State Trooper testified Monday during the opening day of his trial, detailing alleged child abuse against their infant son and a subsequent armed stalking confrontation.
Stacey Young took the stand for much of the day in Courtroom 3 of the Schuylkill County Courthouse in the prosecution of Christopher Young, 36, now of Berks County. The suspended trooper faces two consolidated sets of charges: felony counts of aggravated assault of a person less than 13 years old, endangering the welfare of children by a parent, and aggravated assault of a person under 6 years old stemming from alleged infant abuse in 2023, as well as a felony count of witness intimidation and misdemeanor counts of stalking and prowling at night connected to a February 2025 incident.
Initial Medical Evaluations in September 2023
Stacey Young testified before Senior Deputy Attorney General Lauren Eichelberger regarding events that began in September 2023, months after she gave birth to fraternal twin boys. Returning to work after maternity leave, Stacey testified she was dressing when she placed one of her sons on her bed in a Boppy nursing pillow while looking for a pair of pants.
With her back turned for a few moments, she heard a noise as the family dog jumped off the bed after making contact with the baby’s head, causing a minor injury. Her father, Chris Henne, was there to assist with childcare and told his daughter the injury was no reason for alarm. Stacey went to work, leaving Henne to care for the children before he handed babysitting duties over to Christopher Young.
Not long after her husband was in charge, Stacey testified she received a call from him “in a panic” saying their son was “starfishing” and his eyes were not focusing, pointing in a singular direction.
The infant was evaluated at Geisinger-St. Luke’s Hospital outside Orwigsburg, where clinicians told the couple nothing was wrong with their son and discharged him. Seeking a second opinion the next day, the couple took the baby to Lehigh Valley Health’s children’s hospital outside Allentown.
At that hospital, doctors conducted extensive tests and told the couple their baby was the victim of child abuse. Stacey testified she was gobsmacked by the news, which triggered child abuse investigations by Children & Youth Services in both Schuylkill and Lehigh counties.
Fearing she might lose her children, Stacey agreed to a safety plan in order to bring them home. “I didn’t know if I could believe what they were saying. I didn’t want to believe that Chris could hurt my baby,” she testified.
After a week at Lehigh Valley Health and follow-up care at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation, the couple sought a third opinion from a doctor at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, who concluded there was no evidence of child abuse against their son.
Allegations of Domestic Conduct, Weapons, and Text Evidence
Despite the Mt. Sinai diagnosis, Stacey testified that she still harbored conflicting thoughts. “I always thought Chris was rough with the babies but he’s my husband,” she said.
Testimony focused on Christopher Young’s behavior toward the twins, who suffered from GERD and required slow feedings. Stacey testified that her husband would hold a child and “slam down on the couch” with them. Henne also testified regarding an instance of alleged aggressive feeding, recalling that when Young was feeding a baby who was not taking the bottle as he wished, Young allegedly said, “Take the f***ing bottle. I know that’s what you want.” Henne testified he told his son-in-law, “C’mon.”
Stacey testified to another incident on New Year’s Eve 2023, when she woke to the sound of one twin screaming. When she investigated, her husband was holding the child, looked at her, and said, “Shut the f*** up.” When she questioned him, he asked, “I can’t do this?” while “jolting” the baby. Stacey packed up her children, told her husband he had two days to leave their Auburn home, and installed security cameras after initially bluffing that she already had video evidence.
Under direct questioning from Eichelberger, Stacey also testified about weapons inside the marital home. She told jurors her husband would leave numerous weapons around the house in places where the children had access to them, recalling instances where one child had one of his guns in their hands. She testified that her husband brushed off her concerns by telling her the child did not have the strength to pull the trigger.
Several months later, after they had separated, Christopher Young stayed overnight at the home before the children’s baptism. Stacey called it an attempt to present “a perfect family” night for the children’s sake so as not to alarm relatives. Overnight, while feeding the twins in rocking chairs, Stacey heard one twin scream. “I turned around and Chris was holding him and … I don’t know,” she testified. “I took (the baby) off Chris.” Prosecutors allege Young was dragging his chin across the baby’s head in an aggressive manner, leaving a red mark.
Stacey read aloud pages of text messages exchanged with her husband over the following months. In them, Christopher Young initially denied hurting the children before appearing to accept blame. In one text, he wrote, “I deserve far worse than what’s going to happen” and that he needed to “repent for what I’ve done. I’m awful. I lost my way. I deserve death.” In another, he thanked her for “keeping his secret,” to which Stacey replied, “I’m so terrified of you.”
Reflecting on the situation, Stacey told jurors, “I had a really hard time wrapping my head around all of it.”
February 2025 Stalking Incident, Young’s Arrest
The second set of charges stems from events on Feb. 24, 2025.
Earlier that day, Christopher Young learned his ex-wife had been speaking with the Attorney General’s office regarding its investigation. Prosecutors allege Young began calling furiously, making 30 to 40 calls and sending numerous text messages. Because state investigators had temporarily taken Stacey’s phone to retrieve data for the case, Young began calling and texting her father to ask where she was.
Prosecutors allege Young drove from his father’s residence in Berks County to the former marital home in Auburn, parking his truck in tall grass to avoid detection while armed with a handgun and a knife. Stacey testified he sent threatening text messages while simultaneously threatening self-harm.
“I had no idea what was coming. I was freaked out,” Stacey told jurors regarding Young’s presence outside her home. State Police took Young into custody in the driveway before he could act on any threats.
Reflecting on her conflicting emotions regarding her ex-husband throughout the ordeal, Stacey testified on the stand that she struggled to reconcile his identity as a officer and a parent with his alleged actions.
“I do believe he’s a monster but he’s the father to my kids,” she said, wiping away tears as she recalled moments when she realized he likely caused one of their twin sons to suffer serious injuries after shaking him in 2023.
Defense Cross-Examination
During cross-examination, defense attorney Jay Nigrini established key elements of his client’s defense.
Nigrini questioned Stacey about birth complications that caused one twin to experience an asymmetrical head and noted that GERD can cause small children to emit loud cries and screams. Turning to the night before the baptism, Nigrini asked, “You believe with cameras in the house, he would hurt his children?” Stacey answered, “I couldn’t believe he was that stupid.”
Nigrini pointed to grand jury testimony in which Henne previously stated under oath that he had never seen Young physically abuse the children. He also noted that the couple jointly sought medical opinions to disprove abuse, and highlighted that Lehigh Valley Health’s initial finding that the other twin had three fractured ribs was later determined to be untrue. Nigrini noted the couple had joined a group focused on “medical kidnapping” and believed a doctor at that hospital was quick to diagnose Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Nigrini had Stacey admit that prior to the New Year’s Eve incident, “things were better but weren’t perfect.”
Stacey testified, “I always had a pit in my stomach. Nothing ever made sense, which is where the cameras came in. He was my husband. He was a State Trooper. Everything was supposed to make sense but nothing made sense.”
Testimony in the week-long trial is scheduled to continue Tuesday morning.
Schuylkill County Crisis & Support Resources
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse or sexual violence, free, confidential, and inclusive help is available 24/7 in Schuylkill County.
- Schuylkill Hope Center (Domestic Violence): Call the 24/7 hotline at (570) 622-6220, text HOPELINE to 20121, or visit schopecenter.org. Services include emergency shelter, housing assistance, counseling, and legal representation.
- SARCC (Sexual Assault): Call the 24/7 hotline at (570) 628-2965 or visit sarccheals.org for counseling, advocacy, and healing support for survivors of sexual violence.
- Outside Schuylkill County: Residents across Pennsylvania can find their local domestic violence program at pcadv.org. You can also visit domesticshelters.org to find resources near you.
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