Hours of yelling, cursing, even crying: More 'boy in the box' exchanges with adopted dad before state rested

by VICTORIA DE CARDENAS | WPEC Staff

EST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WPEC) — “This language is not used out there in front of the baby and the girls, but you’re a tough guy, right?"

The jury in the trial of Timothy Ferriter watched and heard hours of sometimes difficult video involving Ferriter and his adopted teenage son, forced to live in an 8-by-8-foot box in the family's Florida garage.

"If you’re going to break s*** then break s***! Right? I don’t give a s***. Let’s break it! Let’s break all this s***. I don’t need it. Let's rip it off the wall!” Ferriter was heard on video from a camera installed on the ceiling of the structure.

The state rested its case, Friday, after showing a few more hours of exchanges between the boy who was 14 in January 2022, and Ferriter, who is charged with false imprisonment, aggravated child abuse, and child neglect. Wife and adoptive mother Tracy Ferriter will be tried separately.

The boy testified on Wednesday he had behavior issues and his adoptive father was the disciplinarian. Before this exchange, the boy had pretended to be someone named Richard.

You’ve been stealing and running away calling yourself Richard," Timothy Ferriter said. "You’re lucky you have anything. Give me a f****** break. If you want to get serious with me stand up. Stand up! You want to get serious with me?”

Several times, the boy was seen visibly upset, tearing down all the posters in his room, and tossing things around.

The jury also saw the boy relieve himself in a bucket meant to be used as a bathroom.

Once, when it was dirty, the boy was told to take it outside and clean it.

“Better not let the neighbors see you,” warned Ferriter.

The boy was also shown alone in the structure for hours on end, sometimes crying in the dark.

The light was controlled outside. The boy was also not allowed to touch the air conditioning unit in the box, but jurors watched when he was caught turning it on.

Are you supposed to touch the air conditioning?” Ferriter asked the boy.

“No,” he replied.

“Why did you touch it?” Ferriter asked.

“Because it was getting hot,” the boy answered.

I don’t give a s*** if it was hot," his father responded. "You’re a tough guy. You don’t touch the air conditioning. I’ll deal with you tomorrow on that.”

After that exchange, the Ferriters were seen walking into the room and turning off the air conditioner.

For much of this trial, The six-person, three-alternate jury had been stoic for much of the trial, showing little to no emotion but taking several notes.