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

[j2mirish]

I agree. She needs to held fully accountable for her heinous acts. The woman has no place in civilized society.

thanks for agreeing I/M-- sometimes I feel like my diversion to "excuses" drops on deaf ears--- I will never not feel sorry for someones upbringing, or life experiences....but I dont buy that that gives them some kind of ticket for what they do....because of it.........imo

 

[s_finch]

This is unbelieveable. 5 people dead all because Hall wanted a baby or some attention?? What kind of "crazy" is this?? Did she really think a 7 month fetus would survive after being cut out of the womb? And no, she can't quality as insane because she hide the 3 bodies, which is a type of "cover up". If she lured her friend outside before knocking her unconscious and taking the fetus, that reeks of premeditation.

Does this state have the death penalty?? I really hope so.

 

[cathieq]

Personally, as far as I'm concerned, the case is closed. The verdict? Guilty - no trial - no excuses - no reason to her actions. Very simple really - guilty! I'm not open to "fairness" - all fairness ceased the minute Hall took another life. Yes, people have problems....but Hall is the problem. Now let's get rid of it.

 

[southcitymom]

that has no bearing on the fact she cut out a fetus, killing the mother, and stabbed the other 3 children, disposing of them in a washer and dryer:furious:

I was responding to a poster who said they wished they had a crystal ball to see the murder's childhood. So it has bearing to that post.

Additionally, of course the murderer's childhood and life have bearing to the crime she committed. I am not so myopic as to think things happen in a vacuum.

You don't just wake up one day, cut a fetus out of your friend's body, stab her other three children and throw them in a dryer without having a path that led you to that place.

I am in no way implying that her upbringing excuses her actions (it's not up to me to excuse or condemn), but her upbringing is most definitely connected to her actions - as it is for all of us.

 

[Jack]

Sometimes early reports are not accurate. According to cnn.com, the two women were friends.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/09/23/killed.fetus.ap/index.html

I know the media often gives the wrong story, but in this case it was the murderer herself who said she killed her cousin:

"After the baby was buried, Hall told her boyfriend that she had removed it from her cousin's body after killing her, police said."


Perhaps they just considered themselves cousins since their families were close and they had grown up together.

 

[s_finch]

I was responding to a poster who said they wished they had a crystal ball to see the murder's childhood. So it has bearing to that post.

Additionally, of course the murderer's childhood and life have bearing to the crime she committed. I am not so myopic as to think things happen in a vacuum.

You don't just wake up one day, cut a fetus out of your friend's body, stab her other three children and throw them in a dryer without having a path that led you to that place.

I am in no way implying that her upbringing excuses her actions, but it is moist definitely connected to her actions.

True, she may have had a horrible life all of her life, BUT she didn't HAVE to do this. As John Douglas points out in his books, all the predators that claim they HAD to do their deeds, were DRIVEN to do them, somehow never commit these deeds in the presence of a uniformed police officer. Perps wait until they think they won't be caught, which smacks of premeditation. Apparently there were no eyewitnesses to these crimes we are discussing. Surely this woman has mental/psych issues but I don't believe she HAD to commit these crimes. I believe, as Douglas would point out I think, she could have chosen another path, the path of counseling.

Why did she tell her boyfriend? That's another weird thing. Did she think he wouldn't tell?? Did she figure she'd be caught pretty soon anyways so why not go ahead and shock the hell out of this guy and drag him into this mess as well???

And I wonder just how nice of a babysitter she was. Considering her psychological state, I can't imagine she was all love and smiles with these kids when she babysat. I would even bet she's abused them before all of this.

I agree, no need for a trial. She's confessed and pointed cops in the direction of 3 bodies. Just let a judge hand down the death penalty verdict. Wonder what "reason" she'll give, though. Wonder what findings the psychiatrists will render, becasuse no doubt the judge will order them to review her for insanity. Although she clearly isn't insane.

 

[julianne]

I don't think anybody said that she felt she "HAD" to do this. How could someone "HAVE" to violently removed a baby from someones belly & then violently kill the mother & children? There is no "HAVE" to do this in the equation. Even if----it doesn't matter.

I was the poster that said I wish I had a crystal ball to get a glimpse of the past into this womans childhood. Not because I think if she had a childhood that she should be excused for this. Nothing excuses this. I made that comment about the crystal ball for the exact reasons southcitymom said.....that there is always a path that leads to our actions. I'm just interested in what lead her to that path.....how she grew up.

If she was neglected & abused horribly, it's no excuse at all and she should pay for these crimes regardless. I personally cannot even for a second, fathom how anyone could do this. If she had a horribly cruel childhood, she still needs to pay the price just the same as if someone who grew up with a perfect childhood.

Nobody here is excusing her actions on the premise of a bad childhood. It would just be interesting to know what that childhood entailed.

 

[southcitymom]

.....that there is always a path that leads to our actions. I'm just interested in what lead her to that path.....how she grew up.....Nobody here is excusing her actions on the premise of a bad childhood. It would just be interesting to know what that childhood entailed.

My thoughts exactly, julianne.

 

[s_finch]

I don't think anybody said that she felt she "HAD" to do this. How could someone "HAVE" to violently removed a baby from someones belly & then violently kill the mother & children? There is no "HAVE" to do this in the equation. Even if----it doesn't matter.

I was the poster that said I wish I had a crystal ball to get a glimpse of the past into this womans childhood. Not because I think if she had a childhood that she should be excused for this. Nothing excuses this. I made that comment about the crystal ball for the exact reasons southcitymom said.....that there is always a path that leads to our actions. I'm just interested in what lead her to that path.....how she grew up.

If she was neglected & abused horribly, it's no excuse at all and she should pay for these crimes regardless. I personally cannot even for a second, fathom how anyone could do this. If she had a horribly cruel childhood, she still needs to pay the price just the same as if someone who grew up with a perfect childhood.

Nobody here is excusing her actions on the premise of a bad childhood. It would just be interesting to know what that childhood entailed.

I'm agreeing with both of you!! I was just pointing out that some sappy person will say "she couldn't control herself because she was so abused in childhood, blah blah blah" I know that's not what you're saying.

 

[joe jones]

I am wondering when she killed the other 3 children, from the news I have read they were last seen on Monday, she was arrested Thursday, so it is somewhere within those few days,


And why wasn't their mother missed, and somebody asking questions about why she had the three children with her,

she killed Tiffany on the 15th, so she had the children for quite some time, if the family was as close as they are now saying why when a pregnant woman was missing for nearly a week was she not reported missing,

Another thing I find odd, was nobody doing any washing as the bodies of the children were in their before she was arrested on Thursday, so did nobody go down there,

I hope that the mods put up a thread for this case, it is a big case,

 

[blonde1]

An update from local news --

Hall drowned the 3 living children in the bathtub, dried them off and put them in the washer and dryer.

Beyond my comprehension.

 

[southcitymom]

An update from local news --

Hall drowned the 3 living children in the bathtub, dried them off and put them in the washer and dryer.

Beyond my comprehension.

Thanks - I wonder where the earlier report that she had stabbed them came from?

 

[luvbeaches]

An update from local news --

Hall drowned the 3 living children in the bathtub, dried them off and put them in the washer and dryer.

Beyond my comprehension.

OMG. What is going on in this world we live in? Those poor babies.

 

[blonde1]

Thanks - I wonder where the earlier report that she had stabbed them came from?

I'm not sure - here's yahoo's article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060924/ap_on_re_us/woman_slain

I can tell ya that people here around st. louis are way past sick between this horrible thing and last week's abduction in Lonedell.

 

[Trino]

The two women were described as close as sister. Do you suppose it could have been jealousy?

Again, where are the fathers of these kids?

 

[j2mirish]

I'm agreeing with both of you!! I was just pointing out that some sappy person will say "she couldn't control herself because she was so abused in childhood, blah blah blah" I know that's not what you're saying.

thanks- you said it better than i did-

 

[izzyB]

i am having a hard time with this one. the pic of these children that is being shown on websites and the news, the the eldest with the biggest smile on her face, she looks radiant....well i am just heartbroken and at a loss for words for these dear children. may they rest in peace.

 

[Goodwin]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14984707/

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A woman accused of killing a pregnant woman and her fetus told police she drowned the woman’s three young children and stuffed them into a washer and dryer at their apartment, an official said Sunday.

Preliminary autopsies on the dead children Sunday appear to show they were drowned, Ace Hart, a deputy St. Clair County coroner, told The Associated Press.

 

[concernedperson]

An update from local news --

Hall drowned the 3 living children in the bathtub, dried them off and put them in the washer and dryer.

Beyond my comprehension.

The thinking is a personal issue with this woman. She was getting back in some way for some perceived fault.Not logical in any way, shape or form.But this is what happened. She isn't totally mentally ill or she would not have hid five people. 5 people. This in inself is beyond comprehension.

She knew to hide and, therefore,she is guilty. Everyone has issues but we don't go around killing pregnant moms or little kids.

This is just bad.

 

[mattsmom]

I'll never understand how she could do that to her friend and children she had cared for!?? I think the death penalty is on the table unless she is mentally unstable. She has killed 5 people, ruined (or ended) her own life and shattered the lives of at least 2 families. I just don't understand such evil.