GUILTY IL - Jimella Tunstall, 23, pregnant, & 3 kids murdered, East St Louis, 15 Sept 2006

[SewingDeb]

I posted this in the missing threads also.

3 Siblings Missing After Murder Of Pregnant Mother; Victim Identified

(KSDK) - Police have identified the pregnant woman who was murdered, and whose child was cut from her womb, as 23-year-old Jamila Tunstall.

Police are searching for three children who have been missing since Monday, when they were last seen with the victim's cousin, who police have in custody.

The missing children are 7-year-old Demond Tunstall, 2-year-old Ivan Tunstall-Collins, and 1-year-old Jenilla Tunstall.

Police also say the victim's cousin does have two children, and that both of those children are safe.

The body of Jamila Tunstall was found behind an East St. Louis home Thursday.

An autopsy showed she died from the abdominal wound, from which the coroner's office says her unborn baby was taken.

A woman who went to school with the victim told NewsChannel 5 she had a tough home life growing up, and that she was fighting to hold onto her children, who were in and out of the custody of the state.

The victim's cousin, who is linked to the murder, was taken into custody for questioning around 11:40 Thursday night.

Friday, police were searching several locations in the metro east, including part of Frank Holten State Park for the children.

Police did not issue an AMBER Alert for the children, but said they are concerned because the children are missing and were last seen with a woman now accused of killing her cousin and cutting her cousin's child from her womb.

Police say the suspect, who is a 26-year-old woman from East St. Louis, went to Touchette Regional Hospital in Centreville on Friday, September 15. While at the hospital, police said the suspect told them she went into labor after being raped, and that the rapist delivered the child, who was stillborn.

Police believe that child may actually have been the child cut from the womb of the murder victim.

A funeral was held Thursday for the baby.

~more at link~
http://ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=104091

 

[j2mirish]

I posted this in the missing threads also.

3 Siblings Missing After Murder Of Pregnant Mother; Victim Identified

(KSDK) - Police have identified the pregnant woman who was murdered, and whose child was cut from her womb, as 23-year-old Jamila Tunstall.

Police are searching for three children who have been missing since Monday, when they were last seen with the victim's cousin, who police have in custody.

The missing children are 7-year-old Demond Tunstall, 2-year-old Ivan Tunstall-Collins, and 1-year-old Jenilla Tunstall.

Police also say the victim's cousin does have two children, and that both of those children are safe.

The body of Jamila Tunstall was found behind an East St. Louis home Thursday.

An autopsy showed she died from the abdominal wound, from which the coroner's office says her unborn baby was taken.

A woman who went to school with the victim told NewsChannel 5 she had a tough home life growing up, and that she was fighting to hold onto her children, who were in and out of the custody of the state.

The victim's cousin, who is linked to the murder, was taken into custody for questioning around 11:40 Thursday night.

Friday, police were searching several locations in the metro east, including part of Frank Holten State Park for the children.

Police did not issue an AMBER Alert for the children, but said they are concerned because the children are missing and were last seen with a woman now accused of killing her cousin and cutting her cousin's child from her womb.

Police say the suspect, who is a 26-year-old woman from East St. Louis, went to Touchette Regional Hospital in Centreville on Friday, September 15. While at the hospital, police said the suspect told them she went into labor after being raped, and that the rapist delivered the child, who was stillborn.

Police believe that child may actually have been the child cut from the womb of the murder victim.

A funeral was held Thursday for the baby.

~more at link~
http://ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=104091

am i to understand the hospital didnt question this?? or exam?? I am confused- did she have the precious little one who didnt make it...with her?

 

[SewingDeb]

They may have done an exam and called the police, I'm not sure. It is a little confusing. There's a video at the link that may clear it up, but I believe that's what the police think.

The article could have been more clear.

 

[SewingDeb]

I'm wondering why this one is not all over the news. A mother dies after having her baby cut out of her by her cousin. That cousin shows up at the hospital with a dead baby and is in custody and in the meantime 3 children of the victim cannot be found. You would think this would be big news.

It's not everyday that this happens and those children need to be found.

 

[cheko1]

I'm wondering why this one is not all over the news. A mother dies after having her baby cut out of her by her cousin. That cousin shows up at the hospital with a dead baby and is in custody and in the meantime 3 children of the victim cannot be found. You would think this would be big news.

It's not everyday that this happens and those children need to be found.

It was on the news here tonight in St Paul / Minneapolis......they stated police are trying to find the kids.

Well hello!!! I'd imagine they should be looking for them. Deranged lady killed her cousin / cut baby from the Mom's womb & 3 kids are gone. You'd think the cops would be all over the beech!!!!! To give them the info ASAP!!!

 

[julianne]

Any news on the kids yet?

This is scary. Makes me think that maybe she didn't want any witnesses...

 

[cathieq]

Suspect in killing was victim's dear friend
http://tinyurl.com/eq3vd

...They were like sisters. They stayed dear throughout rocky single lives, raising kids in the same East St. Louis neighborhood...

 

[SewingDeb]

Suspect in killing was victim's dear friend
http://tinyurl.com/eq3vd

...They were like sisters. They stayed dear throughout rocky single lives, raising kids in the same East St. Louis neighborhood...

This just makes it worse. I so hope they find the three children alive and stashed somewhere but I have a feeling she got rid of them too.

 

[SewingDeb]

Any news on the kids yet?

This is scary. Makes me think that maybe she didn't want any witnesses...

I'm thinking the same thing.

 

[SewingDeb]

I haven't seen any information indicating they have.

Still missing last I heard. I started a thread---didn't see this one and did a search, but had no names at the time. Maybe they can be merged.

 

[SewingDeb]

am i to understand the hospital didnt question this?? or exam?? I am confused- did she have the precious little one who didnt make it...with her?

Found a little more on that question. This is from an early article:

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) - Authorities suspected there was more to the story when police found in a park a woman with a dead fetus that she claimed was stillborn. Ace Hart, a deputy coroner, said the 26-year-old woman flip-flopped in her story, saying she'd gone into labor accidentally after having consensual sex with a man she knew only as Tony. She also told police she'd been raped.

At the hospital, Hart said, the woman refused to be examined. The lifeless baby girl "looked normal" with no signs of trauma, and an autopsy failed to pinpoint how she died.

"We didn't even figure it was a homicide," he said.

Authorities aren't so sure now.

http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0906/363341.html

 

[julianne]

She was a "dear friend???"

More like a devil in disguise! Anyone who can do something like that just doesn't have the capacity to be a dear friend.

 

[2luvmy]

The father of the three children, Ivan Collins of East St. Louis, was at the Police Department waiting to talk to detectives Friday morning when photos of his children began circulating in the lobby. When he saw the photos, he began slamming his fists into a brick column and pulling out chunks of hair until a friend intervened.

Sooooo sad!!!

 

[Trino]

Friday, police were searching several locations in the metro east, including part of Frank Holten State Park for the children.

I wonder if she just let the children off somewhere. Wouldn't it seem like someone should have found them by now?

Who is/are the father(s) of these children? There's no mention of a male, nor is there a mention of a father for the children of the culprit who did this terrible crime.

 

[Beyond Belief]

OMG

Fox just said their bodies were found in a dryer at an apartment building.

OMG
OMG

 

[concernedperson]

The children have all been found dead according to FoxNews. Just sucks to high heaven. Just sucks................................

 

[Sassygerl]

OMG

Fox just said their bodies were found in a dryer at an apartment building.

OMG
OMG

I was walking into the living room and thought that was what I heard, but came here to check if I heard right. OMG!!!!!

 

[Pinkhammer]

The poor babies. This is the news none of us wanted to hear.

A deranged "best friend" wiped out an entire family because?? Jealousy? Rage? Insanity?

 

[julianne]

Once again, I am totally speechless.

 

[SewingDeb]

The children have all been found dead according to FoxNews. Just sucks to high heaven. Just sucks................................

Oh, no. I was just coming here to say the Police Chief was quoted as saying the children were from East St. Louis, they know how to survive.

I was so afraid of this.