SPRINGFIELD (WGEM) - AJ Freund, Rica Rountree, and Navin Jones are just a few of the children who died while in DCFS care. Advocates rallying outside the Illinois Capitol Monday want to see significant reforms within the Department of Children and Family Services to keep children safe.
The small group of about 25 people said something needs to be done soon to address the foster care crisis in Illinois and hold the agency accountable. Advocates demand reforms within Illinois DCFS
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A Peoria County judge barred the attorney for a man accused of fatally neglecting an 8-year-old from calling four witnesses. According to an order entered late Tuesday a…
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Jurors could decide the fate of a Peoria man who is accused of abusing and then fatally neglecting an 8-year-old boy. Brandon Walker, 41, stands charged with six counts …
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The attorney for a man accused of fatally neglecting an 8-year-old boy last year said the blame lies solely with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.…
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Morris said he plans to show at the Sept. 18 trial that it was DCFS, not his client, who effectively withheld care which led to the boy’s death.
thank you @JerseyGirl for all you do. From your link
The attorney contends his client, Brandon Walker, was waiting to obtain legal guardianship of the boy so he could take him to a doctor for medical care. Without that, Morris said, that’s not possible.
There are no words that can adequately describe how angry this argument from the defense makes me.
All these horrible persons needed to do was give Navin back to his paternal grandmother who had legal custody of him. That was it. It truly was that simple. DCFS did indeed drop serious balls and they contributed to Navin's death. But not in the way Walker suggests.
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A father, charged with fatally neglecting his 8-year-old son last year, will go to trial this winter, a judge said on Wednesday. Brandon Walker, 41, was to begin his tri…
www.centralillinoisproud.com
Brandon Walker, 41, was to begin his trial Monday on charges of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Navin Jones but issues with witnesses, pending motions and scheduling issues the week prior to trial caused Peoria County Circuit Judge John Vespa to cancel that setting.
His new trial date is now Dec. 11 and is scheduled to last about a week.
The boy’s mother – and Walker’s girlfriend – Stephanie Jones, 36, will go to trial on Jan. 22, 2024.
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A father, charged with fatally neglecting his 8-year-old son last year, will go to trial this winter, a judge said on Wednesday. Brandon Walker, 41, was to begin his tri…
www.centralillinoisproud.com
Brandon Walker, 41, was to begin his trial Monday on charges of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Navin Jones but issues with witnesses, pending motions and scheduling issues the week prior to trial caused Peoria County Circuit Judge John Vespa to cancel that setting.
His new trial date is now Dec. 11 and is scheduled to last about a week.
The boy’s mother – and Walker’s girlfriend – Stephanie Jones, 36, will go to trial on Jan. 22, 2024.
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Text messages between the parents of a 8-year-old boy who was fatally neglected will be used as evidence at the father’s trial, a judge ruled Thursday afternoon.
Peoria County Circuit Judge John Vespa denied a motion by Brandon Walker’s attorney to bar the use of those messages that prosecutors believe show Walker and Stephanie Jones knew Navin Jones was in extremely poor health.
[snip]
And that’s where the text messages come in. They are from October 2021 where Walker and Jones are discussing punishment for the little boy. The messages allegedly state Walker wanted to put the boy in the basement as punishment for urinating on the wall.
Other text messages, according to a transcript of grand jury testimony provided by Morris in his motion, seem to indicate Walker knew Navin Jones was losing weight and that he probably needed medical care.
[snip]
The case will return to court on Monday where Vespa will review all subpoena issues which have plagued the case in the past few months. Walker will go to trial on Dec. 11, and the judge made it clear again that he didn’t want to move off that day.
Stephanie Jones, 37, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on Thursday in the 2022 death of her 8-year-old son Navin Jones. Jones will be sentenced on Feb. 7.
Brandon Walker, the father of Navin Jones, is scheduled to begin a jury trial in his first-degree murder case on Dec. 11.
Navin weighed just 30 pounds when he died. The boy's bedroom was strewn with feces and urine, and the child had just one toy in there with him. A rope was tied to the bedroom door, used to keep Navin shut inside.
A note left on the door read, "Do not give Navin any food or drink. Do not let him out of the room. He has what he needs until I wake up."
Above is the link to a Youtube video posted by Law & Crime Network posted two days ago (Dec. 13, 2023). First 5 minutes discusses the NJ case and the other 6 minutes of the video is two different crimes. The sheer carelessness of the mothers demeanor when her murdered son is wheeled by her is criminally horrific. So sad to see a world where children become victims of violence at such a young age.
Speculations of the mom will side against the father figure in court. IMO, I think this speaks to the dynamic or lack thereof in the parents relationship-- clearly endangering the child on multiple occasions. Also, when the dad gets angry about the news and slams his hands down on the grey vehicle-- do you think this was a rage fit in the manner of guilt? Or more of ... well I know I did it and I need to react to seem surprised/upset? Maybe even more of angry in the fashion he what he did to that little boy as in guilt and fear of being caught building?
Brandon Walker found guilty of first-degree murder in death of 8-year-old Navin Jones
Published December 15, 2023 at 2:50 PM CST
A Peoria County jury took less than an hour on Friday to find Brandon Walker guilty of first-degree murder for the death of his 8-year-old son, Navin Jones.
[snip]
Post-trial motions and possible sentencing are set for Feb. 28, 2024.
[reminder: Stephanie Jones plead guilty and will be sentenced on Feb. 7th]
Whew. SMH.
I do wonder if the ~father~ was the main abuser of that beautiful little boy, or if the ~mother~ was the main abuser. She was with him while the son and ~father~ were at work. Certainly both of them contributed to his horrible home situation. Just glad they are being sentenced soon. IMO each of them should receive LWOP.
So what happens to the surviving older brother? Maybe he can be counseled and go to school, and possibly get through this horror without too much baggage. He is a victim, too, IMO.
Felony Murder in Illinois - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A conviction for felony-murder in Illinois carries a penalty of 20 to 60 years imprisonment and, under some circumstances, the maximum penalty can be extended to a term of natural life. This same maximum and minimum sentence is available to juveniles and young adults who are disproportionately impacted by the felony-murder rule, as they are more likely to act in groups (or “co-offend”) and are more susceptible to peer pressure.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
More here at the source:
In Illinois, a person can be charged and convicted of first-degree murder—a conviction that carries a minimum sentence of twenty years and, under certain circumstances, a maximum sentence of natural life—even if they did not actually kill the victim or intend to commit the murder.
Whew. SMH.
I do wonder if the ~father~ was the main abuser of that beautiful little boy, or if the ~mother~ was the main abuser. She was with him while the son and ~father~ were at work. Certainly both of them contributed to his horrible home situation. Just glad they are being sentenced soon. IMO each of them should receive LWOP.
So what happens to the surviving older brother? Maybe he can be counseled and go to school, and possibly get through this horror without too much baggage. He is a victim, too, IMO.
Felony Murder in Illinois - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A conviction for felony-murder in Illinois carries a penalty of 20 to 60 years imprisonment and, under some circumstances, the maximum penalty can be extended to a term of natural life. This same maximum and minimum sentence is available to juveniles and young adults who are disproportionately impacted by the felony-murder rule, as they are more likely to act in groups (or “co-offend”) and are more susceptible to peer pressure.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
More here at the source:
In Illinois, a person can be charged and convicted of first-degree murder—a conviction that carries a minimum sentence of twenty years and, under certain circumstances, a maximum sentence of natural life—even if they did not actually kill the victim or intend to commit the murder.
the texts between Walker and Jones are horrible. No matter who was the ringleader in the situation it is clear they were both well aware of what little Navin was suffering. I wish they'd just returned him to his gramma. They only wanted him for the additional income in the form of benefits MOO
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After much deliberation between the two sides, jurors were shown text message conversations taken from the phone of Stephanie Jones, Navin’s mother. Jones, 31, pleaded guilty last week to one count of first-degree murder.
The messages were sent to a contact labeled “Babe,” that appeared to refer to Walker. The dates ranged from Sept. 16, 2021 to Feb. 18, 2022.
The conversations include Jones telling Walker she was going to withhold food as a punishment after Navin told two people he was hungry. She also referenced restraining the boy multiple times.
Rezac then testified about several text messages in the fall of 2021 and early in 2022, where the person who owned the phone, Stephanie Jones. She repeatedly texted Brandon Walker about Navin and his behavior. Jones is clearly irritated that Navin is always wanting to eat and that he’s urinating on the wall and the floor.
Jones complained about how difficult the young boy was being and repeatedly indicated he or she was worried about losing their cool.
“He should have woken me up and I would have opened the door. his excuse was that he didn’t want to wake me up,” one of the messages said.
Repeatedly, the owner of the phone, likely Jones, then talks about punishing Navin by tying him to a banister or forcing him downstairs without pillows or blankets. At one point, Jones asks if she can leave the little boy downstairs whenever she’s sleeping or gone.
In response, Brandon Walker, aka “Babe,” says okay and makes a flirtatious comment.
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