IL - Jason Karels, 35, murdered his 3 children, ages 5,6,7, Round Lake Beach, 6 June 2022

[wendybtn]

Chicago-area father charged with murder in drowning deaths of 3 children

A Chicago-area father has been charged with first-degree murder in the drowning deaths of his three young children.

www.foxnews.com

 

[airportwoman]

The children were 2, 3, and 5. This link has a link to a fundraising site for the funerals, and for the mother to get back on her feet financially, because all of their money and other assets were in his name, which suggests domestic violence, or at least financial abuse.

Mother of 3 kids killed in Round Lake Beach home speaks out, 'My children were amazing'

"I talked to the kids the night before. I said, 'I love you so much. I can't wait to see you tomorrow.' And the next day they're gone."

abc7chicago.com

The first link I saw didn't say where the children were, so I had assumed they were with him in the car.

 

[realanastasia]

Dad Left Vile Note After Drowning 3 Kids: Prosecutors

Prosecutors described the chilling note at a bond hearing for Jason Karels on Wednesday. “I don’t want to see it,” his estranged wife, Debra Karels, told the Beast.

www.thedailybeast.com

“Mr. Karels left a note in the home, which stated, ‘If I can’t have them, neither can you,’” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said during a Wednesday court hearing for Jason Karels.

Karels, 35, has been charged with murder for the Monday deaths of his three young children—5-year-old Bryant, 3-year-old Cassie, and 2-year-old Gideon. On Wednesday, a Lake County judge set the father’s bail at $10 million."

 

[realanastasia]

Jason Karels allegedly drowned his kids in midst of divorce proceedings

An Illinois father allegedly drowned his three children before trying to take his own life and leading authorities on a police chase, cops said.

nypost.com

"Debra’s sister-in-law told The Daily Beast on Tuesday that Jason “had severe mental issues and refused to get help.”

“Unfortunately, there was domestic abuse in their relationship and Debbie was finally getting the strength to leave him and proceed with a divorce,” Christina Neuman Berg, who is married to Debra’s brother, told the outlet.

“But Debbie wanted to maintain a relationship with her kids’ father and let him visit them, and now we know that was a horrible mistake,” she said."

 

[wendybtn]

The children were 2, 3, and 5. This link has a link to a fundraising site for the funerals, and for the mother to get back on her feet financially, because all of their money and other assets were in his name, which suggests domestic violence, or at least financial abuse.

https://abc7chicago.com/round-lake-beach-dick-barr-jason-karels-/11961092/

The first link I saw didn't say where the children were, so I had assumed they were with him in the car.

The initial link says the children were found at his house. He drove off a bridge while being chased by police. Not sure if it was an attempted suicide or an accident.

 

[wendybtn]

Jason Karels allegedly drowned his kids in midst of divorce proceedings

An Illinois father allegedly drowned his three children before trying to take his own life and leading authorities on a police chase, cops said.

nypost.com

"Debra’s sister-in-law told The Daily Beast on Tuesday that Jason “had severe mental issues and refused to get help.”

“Unfortunately, there was domestic abuse in their relationship and Debbie was finally getting the strength to leave him and proceed with a divorce,” Christina Neuman Berg, who is married to Debra’s brother, told the outlet.

“But Debbie wanted to maintain a relationship with her kids’ father and let him visit them, and now we know that was a horrible mistake,” she said."

Sad that it was thought that the children needed to maintain a relationship with someone suffering from severe mental illness. Wonder if this was something a court decided.

 

[cvaldez1975]

omg..... those poor babies and their mother. i would want to die.

 

[Rosegold68]

I don't know where the strength would come from to continue on. Its totally heartbreaking

 

[realanastasia]

Sad that it was thought that the children needed to maintain a relationship with someone suffering from severe mental illness. Wonder if this was something a court decided.

From the NY Post article, this quote is from the children’s mother, bolding by me:

“I am just in disbelief. You never think something like this is going to happen to you. I never thought he would do this to his kids.

“But now I know, if you have any inkling of doubt, don’t ignore it and stick to your guns,” Debra said, adding that she had recently started divorce proceedings after leaving Jason.

She said she had agreed to his demands for visitation despite a little voice in the head after he told her he would “never hurt the kids.”

Sounds to me like it was NOT court-ordered.

 

[airportwoman]

Does anyone know what kind of job he had, if any? It sounds like she was a SAHM, although not necessarily because she wanted to be.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Law enforcement spotted Jason’s Nissan Maxima on the freeway a short time later and got into a high-speed chase that ended with the suspect crashing his vehicle.

At a June 15 news conference, Round Lake Beach Police Chief Gilbert Rivera claimed that following the wreck, Jason “made statements to police officers involved in the chase and wearing body-worn cameras indicating he was responsible for the deaths of the children” and “also said he attempted to commit suicide several times after [they died].”

“I cannot fathom the pain this family is going through right now,” Chief Rivera said.

Authorities charged Jason with three counts of murder and he was being held on $10 million bond at the Lake County jail.

True Crime News Roundup: Father Accused Of Killing His 3 Children, Leaving Bodies For Wife To Find

Plus: California man uses Bitcoin to pay hitman to murder his ex; police accuse woman of abandoning baby found frozen to death in 1985; woman who may be victim of alleged D.C. serial killer identified; and Ghislaine Maxwell makes bid for lighter sentence.

www.investigationdiscovery.com

 

[Armchair63]

I saw something in one story implying that the court, and their families too, recommend that he not see them, at least not unsupervised, but she insisted on it anyway.

If the court had recomended that he not see the children unsupervised why would she insist otherwise.
The court should have ordered it.
Hind sight is 20/20.

 

[airportwoman]

Only she could answer that question, and now is not the time to ask, that's for sure.

 

[HM99]

I believe this is his FB according to the comments left on the posts: Log into Facebook

 

[airportwoman]

I believe this is his FB according to the comments left on the posts: Log into Facebook

And the posters are sparing nothing! Makes me wonder if he had any IRL friends or family, and what his wife could possibly have seen in him in the first place.

 

[airportwoman]

His Facebook page is still up, but has been wiped. Any more information about this?

 

[legalmomma]

Lake County Sheriff - Inmate Detail

10/7 hearing date

 

[Irishknit]

Dad pleads guilty, but mentally ill.

Dad who said 'If I can’t have them neither can you' pleads guilty to killing 3 kids

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP) — A suburban Chicago man who told his estranged wife “If I can’t have them neither can you” pleaded guilty but mentally ill Friday plea to three counts of first-degree murder for killing their three young children, a prosecutor said.

apnews.com

 

[alexwood]

Per Wikipedia:
"Capital punishment has been repealed in the U.S. state of Illinois since 2011."

Darn.

 

[airportwoman]

Per Wikipedia:
"Capital punishment has been repealed in the U.S. state of Illinois since 2011."

Darn.

Do remember that people who harm children are not popular in prison.