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

[AmandaReckonwith]

August? Geez.

Anyone new to the case can refresh or catch up through the pictures.
Little Jada was precious.

http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm166/crankycrankerson/Jada%20Justice/

 

[mysticrose]

Bumpity bump ... Jada, thinking of you today !

 

[mysticrose]

Castillo faces August trial in Jada's killing
May 26, 2010

CROWN POINT -- Attorneys will block out more than two weeks in August for the trial of Engelica Castillo, the Hobart woman charged with the murder of her 2-year-old cousin, Jada Justice.

Lake County Superior Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. put off scheduling a date for the high-profile trial because Lemuel Stigler, one of Castillo's two court-appointed attorneys, was not present at Tuesday's hearing be-cause of a schedule conflict.


Defense attorney John Maksimovich and Dave Urbanski, trial supervisor for Prosecutor Bernard Carter, discussed starting the trial in early August.

A scheduling hearing is set for June 7.

Over objections from prosecutors, Stefaniak ruled that prospective jurors would be asked to fill out a longer than normal questionnaire that would query them about their attitudes about the sentence of life without parole that Castillo faces if found guilty.

http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/2315212,new-castillo.article

 

[mem63]

News from yesterday...
Man admits role in Jada Justice killing.. here is the link
http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/2416862,new-tkachik0622.article

 

[mysticrose]

Jada Justice case advances
Boyfriend facing trial with girlfriend is expected to pursue a plea bargain
June 8, 2010 12:05 am

CROWN POINT | As court proceedings continue in anticipation of the upcoming murder trial of Engelica Castillo, expectations grew stronger that co-defendant Timothy Tkachik will negotiate a plea bargain.

Castillo, 19, and Tkachik, 24, both of Hobart, face murder and other charges in connection with last June's slaying of Portage toddler Jada Justice, a second cousin to Castillo.

Tkachik, Castillo's boyfriend, initially supported her story that Jada had been abducted from a gas station in Gary's Glen Park neighborhood but later told police Castillo killed the 2-year-old and he helped dispose of the body, authorities said

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/8642e0c1-0e3e-5d81-ac9c-562a4dd31420.html

 

[mysticrose]

Co-defendant in Jada Justice case enters guilty plea

CROWN POINT | Timothy Tkachik, co-defendant in last summer's slaying of Portage toddler Jada Justice, pleaded guilty to two counts of neglect of a dependent Monday morning for his role in the child's death.

The two counts of neglect of a dependent are both Class A felonies, which carry sentences ranging from 20 to 50 years each, which would be served concurrently.

The plea agreement was taken under advisement by Lake Criminal Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr., who set sentencing for Sept. 10.

Stefaniak sought assurance from Tkachik that he understood the agreement required his testimony against co-defendant Engelica Castillo.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/gary/ab9ca207-a885-5f75-9301-e2b5f9a00415.html

 

[mysticrose]

Guilty plea in death of NW Indiana toddlerMonday, June 21, 2010

June 21, 2010 (PORTAGE, Ind.) (WLS) -- One of the two people charged in connection with the death of Portage, Indiana, toddler Jada Justice entered a guilty plea Monday.


Timothy Tkachik pleaded guilty to two counts of neglect of a dependent

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7511639&rss=rss-wls-article-7511639

 

[mysticrose]

Man admits role in Jada Justice killing
Plea agreement reduces charges, requires testimony against former girlfriend

June 22, 2010


A Hobart man has admitted his role in the beating death of 2-year-old Jada Justice of Portage and has agreed to testify against his then-girlfriend, who faces life without parole if convicted of murder and other charges.

Timothy John Tkachik, 24, admitted he joined Engelica Castillo in the beating of the girl, who had been in the couple's care at their home at 3925 Missouri St., Hobart, between June 12 and June 16, 2009.

Castillo became irritated with some things Jada had done, including dumping a package of drink mix and spilling a container of syrup, and repeatedly struck the child, plea documents state.

Tkachik delivered several blows to Jada's head and held the girl down while Castillo repeatedly whipped her with a belt. Tkachik allowed the beating to continue over an extended period of time, the records state

http://www.post-trib.com/news/2416862,new-tkachik0622.article

 

[mysticrose]

Man Pleads Guilty To Encasing Toddler's Body In Concrete
Body Dumped In Swampy Area
POSTED: 11:32 am EDT June 22, 2010



CROWN POINT, Ind. -- A 24-year-old man has pleaded guilty to charges in the death of a toddler whose body was encased in concrete and dumped in a swampy area of northwestern Indiana.

Timothy Tkachik, of Hobart, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of neglect of a dependent during a Lake County court hearing Monday

http://www.wlky.com/news/23990246/detail.html

 

[AmandaReckonwith]

Case archive album for Jada Justice:

http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm166/crankycrankerson/Jada%20Justice%20%20-IN-/

 

[believe09]

Are you telling me that the state needed him that badly to testify against the other participant in this crime?

NEGLECT OF A DEPENDANT????????

Instead of a savage, lengthy beating of a BABY for spilling something??????

:furious::banghead::furious::banghead::furious:
:sick::sick::sick:

 

[Rhyme & Reason]

Man Pleads Guilty To Encasing Toddler's Body In Concrete
Body Dumped In Swampy Area
POSTED: 11:32 am EDT June 22, 2010



CROWN POINT, Ind. -- A 24-year-old man has pleaded guilty to charges in the death of a toddler whose body was encased in concrete and dumped in a swampy area of northwestern Indiana.

Timothy Tkachik, of Hobart, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of neglect of a dependent during a Lake County court hearing Monday

http://www.wlky.com/news/23990246/detail.html

WHAT????? Two felony counts of neglect of a dependant????? OMG UNREAL.

 

[mysticrose]

The Jada Justice tragedy: One year later

CROWN POINT | Last Friday, precisely one year after mourners wept before the flower-laden white casket of 2-year-old Jada Justice, the couple accused of murdering the child again were brought to the Lake County Courthouse.

Unlike their stormy joint arraignment a year ago, the couple arrived separately this time, one to witness trial preliminaries and the other presumably to be deposed by the defense as a prosecution witness.

In the year since her arrest, 19-year-old Engelica Castillo has not recanted her story about events leading to the discovery of the child's battered, burnt body in a LaPorte County swamp.

In her statement to police, Castillo said her cousin, Melissa Swiontek, dropped off her daughter, Jada, to stay with Engelica and her boyfriend, 24-year-old Timothy Tkachik, to be potty trained.

Castillo described several days during which the couple visited family members, shopped, paid bills, smoked marijuana, and Tkachik seriously burned himself while lighting a grill.

Out of milk, Castillo said she took Jada along when she went to a gas station in Gary's Glen Park area, where the child was abducted, launching a nine-day, nationwide search by local law enforcement, the FBI, the Lake County Sheriff's helicopter unit, canine units and cable television shows.

Tkachik told police a dramatically different story in which Castillo allegedly became increasingly violent with the child, spanking her, pulling her hair and hitting her in the head with her knuckles while the couple did heroin.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hobart/article_78b35af0-7b8f-58a2-a558-1a7b6076098e.html

 

[mysticrose]

500 potential jurors to be called for Castillo trial
August 1, 2010

Some 500 Lake County residents have been identified as potential jurors in the case of a Hobart woman charged in the death of 2-year-old Portage toddler Jada Justice.

They will begin reporting to the Lake County Government Center on Monday morning for the start of the trial of Engelica Elisa Castillo, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, two counts of neglect of a dependent, battery and false informing in Jada's death in June 2009.

One of the key witnesses during the trial will be Castillo's former boyfriend, Timothy John Tkachik, 25, who pleaded guilty June 21 to two counts of neglect of a dependent. Prosecutors may introduce as evidence some letters Castillo wrote to Tkachik and others while she's been held at the Lake County Jail.

In court, Tkachik admitted he endangered the girl by putting her in a situation that resulted in her death and by failing to get her prompt medical attention.

http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/2554146,new-castillo0801.article

 

[nums24]

Jada Justice Case: Boyfriend Admits Role In Abuse
Aug 6, 2010 8:30 am US/Central

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/jada.justice.trial.2.1846235.html

<snipped>

Timothy John Tkachik, 25, whose cooperation in the prosecution of Engelica Castillo, 20, was required as part of his plea agreement to two counts of neglect of a dependent, admitted he "knuckled" the child four to six times on the top of her head after Castillo began striking the girl on June 13, 2009, at their home at 3925 Missouri St., Hobart.

 

[nums24]

Tkachik: He, Castillo left Jada dead in car during drug buy

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/article_b54750f2-e10b-54b7-8b0b-f500da661e80.html

Child&#8217;s mother takes the stand as murder trial begins

By Bridget Flynn
Published: Thursday, August 5, 2010 5:04 PM CDT

http://heraldargus.com/articles/2010/08/05/news/local/doc4c5aeb62022a5689331207.txt


Ex-boyfriend testifies in toddler murder trial

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7594913

 

[mysticrose]

Several testify as Jada Justice case begins

CROWN POINT | Testimony in the Jada Justice slaying case began Wednesday afternoon following the final selection of four alternate jurors.

The regular jury, composed of seven women and five men, had been seated earlier after two days of intense grilling by Lake County deputy prosecutors and defense attorneys.

The jury is charged with judging the fate of Engelica Castillo, of Hobart. Castillo, who turns 20 on Friday, faces a potential sentence of life without parole if convicted in the death of her 2-year-old cousin, Jada Justice, of Portage.

In opening statements, deputy prosecutor David Urbanski set the stage for the state's star witness, Castillo's boyfriend, 25-year-old Timothy Tkachik, also of Hobart.

Tkachik faced the same five charges in the case as Castillo until he entered into a plea bargain last month, which includes testifying against his girlfriend.

Urbanski's opening focused entirely on what the jury can expect to hear from Tkachik.

Set against a background of heavy drug abuse, Urbanski detailed how the couple first attempted CPR on the child, who had been severely beaten June 13, 2009, and then, finally determining the girl had died, placed her in a garbage bag "like trash."

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte/article_e2b552f2-a3fb-5ab8-9a82-307e7d2cf53a.html

 

[mysticrose]

Castillo murder trial begins; mother takes stand
August 5, 2010


The mother of 2-year-old Jada Justice testified she became suspicious of her cousin's boyfriend shortly after the toddler had been reported missing.

Melissa Swiontek, the first witness to testify in the murder trial of Engelica Castillo, said Castillo had called her in early June 2009 to see about having Jada stay with her for a couple weeks, beginning June 8, 2009.

Melissa Swiontek, mother of Jada Justice, testifies while Engelica Castillo, her attorneys Lemuel Stigler and John Maksimovich and Judge Thomas Stefaniak listen on the first day of the trial.

Swiontek said on June 16, 2009, she learned Castillo had reported her daughter missing outside a gas station at 1401 E. Ridge Road, Gary.

Castillo was screaming hysterically after reporting she'd left the baby in the car while she went inside for milk and cigarettes, Gary police Patrolman Nicolas Deem said.

That information resulted in a nine-day search by federal, state and local authorities. Jada's body was discovered June 25, 2009, bound with rope and encased in cement in a swampy area near Otis.

Swiontek said she felt something wasn't right with Timothy Tkachik....

http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/2568394,new-castillo0805.article

 

[mysticrose]

Lawyer says toddler's death wasn't intentional
6:44 a.m. CDT, August 5, 2010


CROWN POINT, Ind. &#8212; A defense attorney says his client didn't intend to kill a toddler whose body was found encased in concrete in a swampy area of northwestern Indiana.

Testimony began Wednesday in the trial of 19-year-old Engelica Castillo of Hobart, who is charged with murder for the June 2009 death of a 2-year-old cousin she was baby-sitting.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-in-missingtoddler-tr,0,893620.story

 

[mysticrose]

Tkachik: He, Castillo left Jada dead in car during drug buy
Friday, August 6, 2010 12:00 am

CROWN POINT | Timothy Tkachik took the stand Thursday in the trial of his ex-girlfriend, Engelica Castillo, who faces a possible sentence of life without parole if convicted of murder in the death of her 2-year-old cousin, Jada Justice.

During nearly daylong testimony, Tkachik, 25, of Hobart, described a heroin-high couple who opted to keep a date to buy more heroin for Tkachik's drug business despite the child having lost consciousness from a beating Tkachik described as lasting hours on June 13.

Tkachik portrayed Castillo, who turns 20 on Friday, as out of control and repeatedly pummeling the child over having made a mess and resisting being made to stand in a corner.

Tkachik testified he was first awakened by a phone call about 10 a.m. June 13.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/article_b54750f2-e10b-54b7-8b0b-f500da661e80.html