SALT LAKE CITY — A former close friend of Stephanie Sloop says their friendship fell apart when Sloop split from Ethan's father, Joe Stacy.
But in the emotional crisis surrounding Ethan's death, Sloop apparently reached out to her former friend for help.
Carla Jones, who lives in Florida, told KSL that she's turned over to police as potential evidence, recordings of Sloop's voice messages. Jones blames herself for not reacting in time to save the little boy she calls "Pumpkin."
Photos document years of friendship between Jones, Ethan and his parents.
"We were very, very close," Jones said. "We did a lot of things as families and as couples."
When the couple's marriage fell apart, Jones said Sloop forced her to choose between her and Joe Stacy.
"I love Joe and Ethan. They are extended family to us," she said.
Jones said she's infuriated by claims that Sloop was a nurturing mother.
"Stephanie is a very conniving, manipulating and deceiving person," Jones said. "She would sell her own mother if it was going to get her something.
"She was not a fit mother. She was not a fit wife. She had a personality disorder. She had anger issues. She should have never had that child," she said.
Jones said she believes Sloop took custody of Ethan for the summer and brought him to Utah "so she could hurt Joe."
"She knew the only way she could hurt Joe was by getting Ethan," she said.
Three nights before Sloop and her new husband, Nathan Sloop, reported Ethan missing, Jones said Stephanie Sloop left her a series of frantic voice messages.
"She left … messages while she was crying, 'Ethan, he's crying. He won't stop crying. He just wants mommy. I don't know what to do. Please, please, call me. I don't know how to handle it. I don't know what to do,' " Jones said.
The final message, Jones now believes, may have come after Ethan died.
"It was absolutely hysterical sobbing to where I couldn't understand what she was saying," she said. "If I had to look deep into my heart, yeah, I would probably have to say that Ethan probably was dead, if not close to being dead at that point. And it was her grief reaching out."
Now, Jones wishes she'd called Ethan's dad or the police.
"I actually feel terrible, and I have tremendous guilt," she said.
Jones said the death penalty would be too good for her former friend and her new husband. She'd like to see Nathan and Stephanie Sloop locked up for life, surrounded by pictures to remind them of what they did.
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e-mail: jhollenhorst@ksl.com