GUILTY IN - Jada Justice, 2, Gary, 16 June 2009

[mysticrose]

Man pleads not guilty in murder of 2-year-oldFriday,
July 17, 2009 | 4:41 PM


July 17, 2009 (LAPORTE COUNTY, Ind.) (WLS) -- A man charged in the murder of a 2-year-old Indiana girl has entered a not guilty plea.
Tim Tkachik is accused, along with his girlfriend, Engelica Castillo, in the June 13th beating death of young Jada Justice. The two were babysitting the child and allegedly disposed of the girl's body in a swamp in LaPorte County.


http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6920914

 

[butterfly1978]

How can you plead not guilty, after giving a full confession? I just dont understand this. Not only did he give a full confession, but he has the burn marks to prove his confession is real as well as the location of the baby... Now why is so much money spent on these games because someone decides later on that the should not have confessed? I think if they decide to after a confession to go through a jury trial the state should not pay but the person should have to pay for his trial especially in a case such as this where it is so dang obvious.

 

[believe09]

How can you plead not guilty, after giving a full confession? I just dont understand this. Not only did he give a full confession, but he has the burn marks to prove his confession is real as well as the location of the baby... Now why is so much money spent on these games because someone decides later on that the should not have confessed? I think if they decide to after a confession to go through a jury trial the state should not pay but the person should have to pay for his trial especially in a case such as this where it is so dang obvious.

I suspect he will indicate that he just tried to dispose of the body-she will argue that he was violent, killed Jada and made her participate yada yada yada...does this ever really confuse a jury I wonder?

 

[mysticrose]

Accused killer gives DNA sample

July 18, 2009

Post-Tribune staff report
Accused killer Timothy John Tkachik appeared in court Friday with a swollen right eye, prompting the judge to ask what happened to him.

Tkachik, 23, of Hobart, told Lake Superior Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr., he has an eye infection.




During a brief hearing, Stefaniak granted a request by deputy prosecutors David Urbanski and Aleksandra Dimitrijevic that Tkachik provide a DNA sample. The judge also granted a request by defense attorney Herb Shaps that prosecutors provide copies of audio statements to police in the case.

Tkachik's next hearing is Aug. 28 when a jury trial may be scheduled.

Tkachik and his girlfriend, Engelica Elisa Castillo, 18, have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, neglect of a dependent, battery and misdemeanor false informing in the death of 2-year-old Jada Justice of Portage, who died last month of blunt force trauma.

The girl's body, encased in concrete, was discovered June 26 in a swampy area near Otis in LaPorte County. Jada sustained numerous skull fractures, court records state.

http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/1672082,tkachik0718.article

 

[mysticrose]

I guess these two are pleading NOT GUILTY ! What would be their excuse. not guilty by reason of herion addiction...they need to be fried...kentucky style.

 

[janedoe]

^^ They sure do any updates?

 

[mysticrose]

Trial advances in Jada case

August 28, 2009

Post-Tribune staff report
The Dec. 7 jury trial of a Hobart woman charged with murder and neglect of a dependent in the beating death of a Portage toddler has been affirmed.

Engelica Elisa Castillo, 19, has pleaded not guilty to the charges filed June 26 in the death of Jada Justice, who sustained numerous skull fractures.

Defense attorney Lemuel Stigler and trial supervisor David Urbanski told Lake Superior Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. they are cooperating in accomplishing discovery before the case goes to trial

http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/1738949,castillo0828.article

 

[believe09]

Co defendant/boyfriend has a hearing coming up on 9/18...rip little princess.

 

[tunker2000]

WHat they did to this little girl sounds very similar to how Neveah was disposed of in Monroe, MI. I know she was noy beaten or burned, but the cement and the water is just to close.

 

[mysticrose]

Castillo counsel seeks $50K

September 19, 2009

By Ruth Ann Krause, Post-Tribune correspondent
The defense attorney for a Hobart woman facing a life sentence without parole if convicted of murder in the beating death of a Portage toddler is seeking $50,000 from the court's budget to pay for a mitigation investigation.

Lemuel Stigler, who represents Engelica Elisa Castillo, 18, said there is no money in the public defender's budget to hire experts to develop evidence that could mitigate Castillo's potential sentence if she is convicted of the charges
Castillo and her boyfriend, Timothy Tkachik, 24, are charged with murder, two counts of neglect of a dependent, battery and misdemeanor false informing in the June 13 death of 2-year-old Jada Justice of Portage. The child died of blunt force trauma.

The girl's mother told investigators she left her daughter with Castillo, her cousin, for a two-week stay.

Trial supervisor David Urbanski said the request for the life sentence was filed Thursday after he received an autopsy report from Dr. John Cavanaugh, forensic pathologist with the Lake County Coroner's Office. That information was forwarded to Stigler this week, Urbanski said

http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/1778880,castillo0919.article

 

[mysticrose]

Prosecutors seeking life sentence in Jada Justice’s death

Posted: 6:47 AM Sep 19, 2009

Prosecutors are seeing a life sentence without parole for a baby sitter charged with killing a toddler

In June, 2-year-old Jada Justice was found in a swampy area near LaPorte

http://www.wndu.com/hometop/headlines/59840712.html

 

[mysticrose]

Castillo trial delayed

October 9, 2009

The murder trial for a Hobart woman facing life without parole if convicted in the beating death of a Portage toddler has been postponed until March 29.

Lake Superior Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. granted a request by defense attorney Lemuel Stigler to continue the trial in light of prosecutors' intent to seek a life sentence for Engelica Castillo, 19, who has pleaded not guilty to murder, two counts of neglect of a dependent, battery and false informing.

Stigler is seeking money from the county to conduct a mitigation investigation that would explore factors such as Castillo's mental health history, social history and medical issues that could factor into a sentencing decision.

http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/1815026,castillo1009.article

 

[nervous_nellie]

this girl and her boyfriend revolt me - i dont care what her life has been like considering the injuries that were found on jada. an accidental death is terrible this is just beyond all and any explanations. like someone said above, they should fry, KENTUCKY STYLE! :rage:

ok - i think i feel better

 

[believe09]

Mitigating factors...like she was mean, a bully and high when she beat the child to death?

 

[mysticrose]

Judge considers defense request for $72,000 in baby-killing case

October 30, 2009

BY RUTH ANN KRAUSE, POST-TRIBUNE CORRESPONDENT
Lake Superior Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. is considering a request by defense attorney Lemuel Stigler to order the county to appropriate $72,000 for an array of experts to help him defend accused child killer Engelica Castillo.

Castillo, 19, of Hobart, faces life in prison without parole if convicted of murder in the death of 2-year-old Jada Justice of Portage. Typically, those trials have a guilt phase and a penalty phase during which mitigation evidence would be presented.

In a motion seeking public dollars to hire defense experts, Stigler is seeking $12,000 for a pathologist who would examine injuries on the toddler's body, which was found encased in cement on June 25 in rural LaPorte County.

Stigler also wants $8,000 to hire a psychologist to examine the defendant, who had been raped at least three times before she turned 15, he said, and a psychopharmacologist, at a cost of $12,000, to determine the effects of Castillo's drug use.

In addition, Stigler said in his written motion he has observed what appear to be "significant mental health issues" in Castillo and is asking that he be allowed to explore those through the services of a psychiatrist, neurologist, neuropsychologist and radiologist for a total of $34,000

http://www.post-trib.com/news/1854611,castillo.article

 

[mysticrose]

Lawyers will query jurors in Jada killing

December 19, 2009


Attorneys in the case of a Hobart woman facing a potential life sentence for murder of a Portage toddler have submitted proposed jury questionnaires.

Engelica Castillo, 19, and her boyfriend, Timothy Tkachik, 24, both of Hobart, have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, two counts of neglect of a dependent, battery and false informing in the death of 2-year-old Jada Justice.


Tkachik led investigators to the girl's body, which was found burned and encased in concrete June 25 in LaPorte County.

One of the issues before Lake Superior Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. is whether prospective jurors should know up front what the potential sentence in the case might be. Jurors typically are not informed of the potential sentence range in criminal cases

http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/1947520,castillo-1219.article

 

[mysticrose]

Letters may become evidence in murder trial

December 5, 2009

Letters that authorities said accused killer Engelica Castillo wrote to another jail inmate might be used as evidence against her at her upcoming murder trial.

Lake Superior Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. reviewed the 43 letters privately before granting a request Friday by trial supervisor David Urbanski to receive the original letters, which will be scrutinized by a document examiner and compared to new handwriting samples the judge ordered Castillo to provide.


Jail personnel confiscated the letters, which authorities said Castillo wrote to another inmate in violation of jail security policy. Other letters appear to be ones Castillo wrote to a family member who then copied them and mailed them to an inmate.

Defense attorney Lemuel Stigler objected to the request for additional handwriting samples because he didn't want his client subjected to additional hours of testing.

"I don't think it's any undue burden whatsoever," Urbanski said.

Castillo will be required to write portions of the letters

http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/1921899,castillo1205.article

 

[nervous_nellie]

these two loosers engelica and timothy deserve nothing less than the needle for what they did to that beautiful little girl. i dont understand how or why people could be so EVIL as to do what they did. must just be wicked to the core and rotten beyond belief. this case i have a hard time thinking about for very long, it is just so upsetting. though im not blaming jadas mom, i still dont quite understand why she would leave jada with anyone for so long or go for so long without talking to jada on the phone - or something?? these things dont sit well with me, maybe we will get a better understanding when the trial comes around. i wonder what they are trying to expose with these letters?
thanx mystic for updating this thread!

 

[LogicalMinds]

OMG>>>>

I just read thru some of the info on this sad story...>I hope sweet little Jada does get JUSTICE

I would not spend 72 cents on "experts" to give a boo hoo story about this miserable woman who beat this poor little girl to death....what "mitigating" circumstances?? Heroin??

Ugh

as for the so called "mother">>> yuck...I would love to see her charged with something also

 

[mysticrose]

Castillo murder trial delayed until August

January 20, 2010

A jury trial for a Hobart woman facing life in prison if convicted of murder in the death of a 2-year-old Portage girl has been postponed until August.

The trial for Engelica Elisa Castillo, 19, who has pleaded not guilty to murder, neglect of a dependent, battery and false informing charges filed in the June 2009 death of Jada Justice, will begin Aug. 2 and is expected to last two weeks. Lake Superior Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr., will preside over the trial.

http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/1999749,justice-castillo-0120.article