CO CO - Jakeob McKnight, 10, Lakewood, 21 Jul 1991

[SunnieRN]

I hope this case will be solved and there will be justice or Jakeob and his family!

You would think with the fact that Chin bought him candy and was the last one seen with him that it would be probable cause and there could be a sample of DNA obtained. I can understand the family not wanting to talk about the case. Heartbreaking.

From the article listed above:

At the time Chinn, then 22, was facing a molestation charge involving a 9-year-old Denver boy, but the charge was later dropped after the victim’s mother didn’t want her son to testify.
Chinn reportedly admitted that he spent time with Jakeob and other boys in the greenbelt area, including swimming with them for 45 minutes.

A judge had ordered Chinn not to spend time with children alone without another adult present. Chinn said he was with a friend, Tom Judge, at the time of the crime.

 

[hmk911]

I am glad to see that so many people are still concerned about Jakeob and his case. My husband is Josh, Jakeob's brother and Josh and his parents still deal with this huge loss on a daily basis. My family is very reserved and do not talk to many people about this horrible tragedy, however we are happy that people still think about him. We believe that one day our family will receive justice and closure.

 

[Armchair14]

hmk:

Please extend my very belated condolences to your husband and his family, as well as to yours and yourself. This was indeed a profound tragedy.

Have the police cross-checked the suspects in Jaekob’s case with those of the Eric Hope case? The manner of the murders are very similar and so are the victim profiles. Eric Hope was murdered at age twelve, ten years before Jakeob, in a Denver neighborhood not all that far from where Jakeob was killed. For years the main suspect in Jakeob’s case seems to have been John “Felix” Chinn. If the two cases are connected in regard to the perpetrator, then it would seem to lessen the chance that Mr. Chinn was involved as he is around the same age as Eric Hope would have been if he had lived. Although it is not unknown for one child to murder another, it would seem less likely. Did Mr. Chinn grow up in Denver? Did he live anywhere near Eric Hope or attend his school? Can any other connection be established by interviewing Eric’s childhood friends, schoolmates, youth sports' teammates, paper route customers and family? (Eric would have been about 41 now.)

In the Eric Hope case, it seems most unlikely that the perpetrator had been a total stranger to the boy as Mr. Chinn apparently had been to Jakeob, thus a difference in MO. I understand that in Jakeob’s case there had been at least one other suspect, an older man with some sort of record who lived nearby. Can any connection be made to him and Eric Hope?

Were there any other cases (solved or unsolved) of boys having been stabbed to death in the Denver area before Eric Hope’s murder, in-between his and Jakeob’s murder, or since Jakeob’s murder?

I know the circumstantial case against Mr. Chinn, but I don’t feel comfortable accusing him or anyone without more substantive proof. I know your family wants justice for Jakeob which means catching the actual murderer whoever he might have been.

Here is the link to Eric Hope's Denver Post’s cold case file:

http://blogs.denverpost.com/coldcases/2009/01/18/paperboy-tied-up-in-bed-and-stabbed/

 

[ALittleBirdie]

Some important info:
The Lakewood Police Department has an eye witness that places both Chinn and Judge there at the park, covered in blood, with the murder weapon, fleeing the scene just after the brutal murder. But, for some unknown reason, they seem unwilling or reluctant to use that witness to bring this all to an end. Judge is already dead (from HIV '98) but Chinn still has yet to be brought to justice. In fact not only has he gone unpunished for destroying the McKnight family, he has had time to screw up his son as well. His son is currently being charged in Washington State for child molestation! Yet another family destroyed! I'm not sure what the cops are waiting for or why they don't use this witness; but, hopefully, Lakewood PD Chief Kevin Paletta or Detective Jameson will do everything in their power to end this whole mess, and give Jakeob's family closure.


Lakewood Police Department Cold Case hotline at (303) 987-7474

 

[Armchair14]

Birdie:

Thank you for the additional information. On Jakeob’s Denver Post's cold case file page, there were numerous comments posted until just recently, but they now appear to have been expunged for some reason. Mr. Gary McKnight, Jakeob’s father, participated in the discussion for awhile before declining to do so any longer. Additionally, John Chinn (or at least someone purporting to be him) also posted one or more times. Mr. Chinn reiterated that he had an alibi for the time of the murder that he characterized as “ironclad.”

If Mr. Chinn had an alibi then why don’t those who are convinced of his guilt accept it? I am asking this out of ignorance. I don’t know the reason, and I am not editorializing. The alibi might well be the reason why the Lakewood criminal justice system never proceeded against him.

Do you know the nature of Mr. Chinn’s alleged alibi? Can the time of death of Jakeob’s murder be definitively established to a time frame in which Mr. Chinn’s alibi would be effective? Again, my primary question is to inquire why at least some do not accept his alibi evidence. What is the nature of the alibi? Is it just one person who can testify to his whereabouts? Two people? Several? If several, are they all lying for him? I don’t know the answer to these questions or I wouldn’t ask.

Thank you.

 

[rosario]

i am still praying

 

[Armchair14]

I too pray for justice in this tragedy.

I wish someone knowledgeable about the case would post and shed some light on Mr. Chinn’s alibi which he alleges is ironclad (and perhaps LE agrees). I must be honest and state that looking at Mr. Chinn’s photograph at the time of the murder, I would have been hard-pressed to retain my objectivity had I been on a jury trying him for the murder. He looked like everything I despise, a real creep. Nevertheless, if his defense presented what seemed to have been an unshakable alibi for the time of the murder, then in all good conscience I would have had to have voted for an acquittal and wondered why the district attorney had brought the case in the first place.

Does his alleged alibi involve him having been in a public place where perhaps dozens of people, including strangers to him, could attest that he had been there? (His appearance at the time made him memorable.)
It is not possible to discuss this case intelligently unless this point concerning his alibi is clarified. Once again, why don’t those who believe Mr. Chinn is guilty accept the alibi evidence? Is it because they feel it is weak (he only had one or more relatives or friends as alibi witnesses), or is it because they don’t accept that the medical examiner could establish an accurate time of death of Jakeob?

 

[zchick]

Thanks for that info lil Birdie. The more that this gets talked about and attention we can draw to this the closer we can come to shaken something up.

 

[Armchair14]

Mr. Chinn was charged with child molestation but the case was dropped when the mother of the child refused to allow him to testify. Nevertheless, in the minds of many people he remains a pedophile, and that probably includes LE. As someone else noted on the now expunged comments on Jakeob’s Denver Post’s cold case file, Mr. Chinn might well remain a prime suspect because of the circumstantial evidence and the fact that it seems too much of a coincidence that Jakeob had met up with both a pedophile and a murderer (presumably also a pedophile) on the very same day. (That is, two separate and unrelated parties.)

However, if in fact Mr. Chinn is innocent of Jakeob’s murder, and if in fact he is a pedophile (despite having no convictions of such that I have read of), then that is exactly what happened as unlikely as it sounds, and that bizarre coincidence was most unfortunate not only for Jakeob but for Mr. Chinn as well. (Though in Mr. Chinn’s case, some might see some poetic justice in that misfortune.)

Now Birdie posts that the police actually have an eyewitness who can testify to seeing both Mr. Chinn and the late Mr. Judge fleeing the scene of the crime, blood-stained and with the murder weapon, yet neither were charged! Why not? Is it because LE doubts the credibility of the witness? Is that because of something personal about him or her or is it, once again, the alibi that is mentioned on the cold case file page in which it states that “several” people can verify Mr. Chinn’s and Mr. Judge’s whereabouts at the time of the murder?

So once again we must ask why Mr. Chinn is still suspected in spite of his alibi. If LE feels as though the alibi is weak, and if they have an eyewitness along with the circumstantial evidence, then it certainly seems incredible that they wouldn’t proceed. There must be more to the story.

 

[CrimeSolver]

However, if in fact Mr. Chinn is innocent of Jakeob’s murder, and if in fact he is a pedophile (despite having no convictions of such that I have read of), then that is exactly what happened as unlikely as it sounds, and that bizarre coincidence was most unfortunate not only for Jakeob but for Mr. Chinn as well. (Though in Mr. Chinn’s case, some might see some poetic justice in that misfortune.)

I consider that highly improbable, but there must be a reason for his having not yet been charged; to wit, there's not enough concrete evidence. Chinn seems like a lock for this poor child's murder. What are the chances it was someone else? Unfortunately, or rather fortunately I guess, for justice's sake, one cannot prosecute based on "what are the odds?".

 

[Armchair14]

I consider that highly improbable, but there must be a reason for his having not yet been charged; to wit, there's not enough concrete evidence. Chinn seems like a lock for this poor child's murder. What are the chances it was someone else? Unfortunately, or rather fortunately I guess, for justice's sake, one cannot prosecute based on "what are the odds?".

CS:

Then once again we are back at Mr. Chinn’s alibi. Unless someone is able and willing to enlighten us as to what it involved then I’m afraid we cannot discuss this case intelligently. The alibi might be the entire reason why he was never charged. If he had been in a public place where numerous strangers would have verified his whereabouts at the time of the murder, then the only out that I can see for those convinced of his guilt was that the medical examiner erred in estimating the time of death.

On the other hand, if his alibi consisted of a few relatives or friends, then the DA could have proceeded hoping the jury would not credit such evidence. ("What is your relationship to the defendant?!") Mr. Chinn would not have been the first person convicted despite of having one or more alibi witnesses.

 

[zchick]

Im not sure but did Judge have an iron clad alibi as well ? I think it is rather odd that Chinn was sighted with the kids prior to the murder and he is a convicted child molester. He was not supposed to be around kids so to me that makes him look way guilty. But thats just me and I am not a Jury or a Judge.

 

[zchick]

Edit, Chinn was not convicted of child molestation, charges were dropped because the mother got scared, I still say he is guilty. Thats my opinion!

 

[Armchair14]

Im not sure but did Judge have an iron clad alibi as well ? I think it is rather odd that Chinn was sighted with the kids prior to the murder and he is a convicted child molester. He was not supposed to be around kids so to me that makes him look way guilty. But thats just me and I am not a Jury or a Judge.

All I know about the case is what I saw written on the DP cold case file and in a few news articles. Also, I noted information left in the form of comments on the cold case file which have been now, for some reason, apparently expunged.

(Someone at least purporting to be Mr. Chinn (and I believe it was him) made at least one post in which he asserted the ironclad nature of his alibi and his protestations of his innocence and desire to see the murderer brought to justice. He struck me as intelligent and fairly well-educated, though he made some minor errors in his writing at least partially, though not exclusively, of a typographical nature.)

In regard to the alibi, the cold case article states that Mr. Chinn asserted that he had spent the evening when the murder presumably took place with Mr. Judge, thus they alibi each other. However, the article also states that “several alibi witnesses" verified that Mr. Chinn (and I would assume Mr. Judge as well, though such is not explicitly stated) were with them that evening.

I don’t know what “several” translates to in terms of people, who the alibi witnesses were, the time frame the alibi is good for (assuming it is truthful), and what the estimated time of the murder was.

In your post you state that Mr. Chinn is “a convicted child molester.” What is your source for that, please? I have never read anywhere that he actually has been convicted of that offense (or even charged a second time for that offense). I’m not certain that he has ever been convicted of any crime.

In the cold case article, it is stated that Mr. Judge acknowledged that Mr. Chinn and he met up with Jakeob and the other kids that day and that Mr. Chinn had been “enamored” of Jakeob but “nothing happened.” When one combines that with the previous accusation of child abuse, the circumstances don’t look favorable for Mr. Chinn, I agree.

However, once again, the laws of physics dictate that an object or a person cannot be in two places at the same time. This is why alibi defenses are so very powerful. This is why this aspect of the case must be examined before any really useful discussion could begin.

 

[zchick]

I edited my last post

 

[CrimeSolver]

CS:

Then once again we are back at Mr. Chinn’s alibi. Unless someone is able and willing to enlighten us as to what it involved then I’m afraid we cannot discuss this case intelligently. The alibi might be the entire reason why he was never charged. If he had been in a public place where numerous strangers would have verified his whereabouts at the time of the murder, then the only out that I can see for those convinced of his guilt was that the medical examiner erred in estimating the time of death.

On the other hand, if his alibi consisted of a few relatives or friends, then the DA could have proceeded hoping the jury would not credit such evidence. ("What is your relationship to the defendant?!") Mr. Chinn would not have been the first person convicted despite of having one or more alibi witnesses.

Agreed. It depends on the nature of the alibi. But what possible alibi could negate what we have read so far: Chinn swam with the children for 45 minutes at the park that day. He bought Jakeob candy and was the last person seen with him. And this little nugget:

The Lakewood Police Department has an eye witness that places both Chinn and Judge there at the park, covered in blood, with the murder weapon, fleeing the scene just after the brutal murder.

You would think with the fact that Chin bought him candy and was the last one seen with him that it would be probable cause and there could be a sample of DNA obtained.

If a judge won't issue a warrant demanding a DNA sample from Chinn, police could get it surreptitiously, by digging through his trash, following him to restaurants, etc.

 

[Armchair14]

Agreed. It depends on the nature of the alibi. But what possible alibi could negate what we have read so far: Chinn swam with the children for 45 minutes at the park that day. He bought Jakeob candy and was the last person seen with him. And this little nugget:


If a judge won't issue a warrant demanding a DNA sample from Chinn, police could get it surreptitiously, by digging through his trash, following him to restaurants, etc.

CS:

I don’t know what you mean when you ask “What possible alibi….” The kind that would prove Mr. Chinn did not murder the boy because he couldn’t have been in two places at the same time. That is the nature of all alibi defenses and the word is from the Latin for “elsewhere.” I simply would like to know the nature of the alibi, how strong it is. If LE has not proceeded against him despite of all the circumstantial evidence then perhaps it is because they do not feel they can refute the alibi. Perhaps it involved numerous people willing to testify to his whereabouts at the time of the crime; including people who would have no apparent reason to lie for him. I just don’t know.

Look, the Lord knows I am not defending him if what has been written about the man is true. His own friend and alibi witness was reported to have said that he had been “enamored” of Jakeob and we have all read of his activities that day with the kids. But he is suspected of murder and that is what we are dealing with here, not his alleged deep character flaws as exhibited by his reported actions that tragic day.

In regard to Birdie’s post asserting LE has an eyewitness, I have read that no other place and have no idea what the source is. If it is true, then all I can suggest is that there must be some reason why LE does not consider the witness to be credible.

If his alibi is in fact unassailable and if in fact he is guilty, then the only answer could be that they have fixed the time of the crime incorrectly.

 

[Armchair14]

As a follow-up to my last post, one other point to consider is how likely it would have been that Mr. Chinn would have murdered (and sexually assaulted?—I don’t know if it has even been reported that the boy and been sexually assaulted, though it seems the only possible motive), Jakeob in the wake of his activates with the boy that day.

As I said previously, on the DP cold case file someone at least purporting to be Mr. Chinn made at least one post asserting his innocence. If it was Mr. Chinn who wrote the post, then he seems intelligent to me. It would seem really foolish to have assaulted and murdered the boy that very evening knowing how many people had seen him that day with Jakeob and the other kids. A counter to that is that Mr. Chinn had been twenty-two at the time, an age not notable for patience and restraint and an age when sexual impulses are intense.

It is also possible that the murderer was an unrelated party who had observed both Jakeob and Mr. Chinn together and saw an opportunity. It would not be all that much of a coincidence. If one wishes to hunt ducks, then one goes where the ducks are. Pedophiles do "hang out" at places where children are likely to frequent. If so, sometime after Mr. Chinn departed, the actual murderer made his advance. The timeline here needs to be clarified as well. As is so often the case when LE releases accounts of cold cases, the details given out are rather sparse.

 

[zchick]

I dont remember hearing if Jaekob had been sexually assaulted, It sure seems likely considering the nature of the way he was murdered.

 

[CrimeSolver]

CS:

I don’t know what you mean when you ask “What possible alibi….” The kind that would prove Mr. Chinn did not murder the boy because he couldn’t have been in two places at the same time. That is the nature of all alibi defenses and the word is from the Latin for “elsewhere.” I simply would like to know the nature of the alibi, how strong it is. If LE has not proceeded against him despite of all the circumstantial evidence then perhaps it is because they do not feel they can refute the alibi. Perhaps it involved numerous people willing to testify to his whereabouts at the time of the crime; including people who would have no apparent reason to lie for him. I just don’t know.

Absolutely. I was waxing rhetorical by imagining "what possible alibi" could refute the circumstantial evidence. It would have to be a bloody convincing, nigh-incontrovertible one.