GUILTY PA - Jarrod Tutko, 9, disabled, starved to death, Harrisburg, 29 July 2014

[Charlie09]

So mom didn't really see the kid (saving for allegedly the back of his head at some point the week before) and dad admits that he, the alleged sole caretaker of his son, did not check on him up there for at least two days.

I will never understand why these parents did not take advantage of services. I suspect it has to do with the Tutkos history with CPS prior to their moving to that area. They decided, consciously, to deny their child those services in order to keep as much of their family and household off of the radar of any and all mandated reporters as possible.

I want mom charged too. She allowed this to happen just as much as her husband.

Did the dad bring a dead Jarod downstairs, so she could see the back of his head?
Is that why he didn't bother checking for two days?

 

[Charlie09]

Really? I am sympathetic to the kids, and really only the kids. To me, the parents brought the situation upon themselves. They had multiple children they couldn't take care of on a financial or practical level, even after they had several children who were special needs already. They neglected their children in some cases so badly that they became disabled from pretty common illnesses, and they didn't seek out the help they needed to care for the children after they became sick (with the exception of perhaps Arianna). The Dad didn't check on his severely autistic son for days at a time, and left him in a deplorable, feces covered room where he died alone, with no food or water for several days! The Mom hadn't seen or spent time with her son in YEARS! I would have sympathy for these parents if they really seemed to try to provide a good life for their kids, but there's no indication that they did. IMO, they were in it for the disability money and that's it.

I'm still reading....I'm not sure they were in it "for the money" but I think they were way over their heads.

 

[jmcgladr]

Did the dad bring a dead Jarod downstairs, so she could see the back of his head?
Is that why he didn't bother checking for two days?

This tv watching "visit" was some time before the 2 days, IIRC. Of course, we don't know the actual death date yet, just what the father said to the police (that it was between the 27th and 29th). We will have to wait on the autopsy results for the actual date of death. So it's *possible* he was already dead when Dad brought him down to watch TV. I don't think it's probable though, since multiple members of the family were present IIRC and somebody would probably have noticed.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Really? I am sympathetic to the kids, and really only the kids. To me, the parents brought the situation upon themselves. They had multiple children they couldn't take care of on a financial or practical level, even after they had several children who were special needs already. They neglected their children in some cases so badly that they became disabled from pretty common illnesses, and they didn't seek out the help they needed to care for the children after they became sick (with the exception of perhaps Arianna). The Dad didn't check on his severely autistic son for days at a time, and left him in a deplorable, feces covered room where he died alone, with no food or water for several days! The Mom hadn't seen or spent time with her son in YEARS! I would have sympathy for these parents if they really seemed to try to provide a good life for their kids, but there's no indication that they did. IMO, they were in it for the disability money and that's it.

Did I miss something? How do you know the father didn't check on the child for days at a time? This is new news to me.
He was starved to death? What? No food or water?

 

[Linda7NJ]

Really? I am sympathetic to the kids, and really only the kids. To me, the parents brought the situation upon themselves. They had multiple children they couldn't take care of on a financial or practical level, even after they had several children who were special needs already. They neglected their children in some cases so badly that they became disabled from pretty common illnesses, and they didn't seek out the help they needed to care for the children after they became sick (with the exception of perhaps Arianna). The Dad didn't check on his severely autistic son for days at a time, and left him in a deplorable, feces covered room where he died alone, with no food or water for several days! The Mom hadn't seen or spent time with her son in YEARS! I would have sympathy for these parents if they really seemed to try to provide a good life for their kids, but there's no indication that they did. IMO, they were in it for the disability money and that's it.

It didn't look to be as if they were living high on the hog raking in the big bucks.

 

[jmcgladr]

Did I miss something? How do you know the father didn't check on the child for days at a time? This is new news to me.
He was starved to death? What? No food or water?

It was in the charging documents someone kindly posted a link to on the last page. Dad admitted to police that he last checked on Jarrod on the evening of the 27th, and not again until the 29th, when he found him dead. The lack of food and water is a supposition based on this lack of visitation by the father (and Jarrod being ostensibly unable to procure food or water for himself). The death may or may not have been due to a lack of food and water, but my point was there was no attempt to provide even the basics for survival for J for several days.

Here is the link to the charging documents:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/236161839/Jarrod-Tutko-Sr-police-report-charges

 

[Linda7NJ]

It was in the charging documents someone kindly posted a link to on the last page. Dad admitted to police that he last checked on Jarrod on the evening of the 27th, and not again until the 29th, when he found him dead. The lack of food and water is a supposition based on this lack of visitation by the father (and Jarrod being ostensibly unable to procure food or water for himself). The death may or may not have been due to a lack of food and water, but my point was there was no attempt to provide even the basics for survival for J for several days.

Here is the link to the charging documents:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/236161839/Jarrod-Tutko-Sr-police-report-charges

Thank you so much! I can't believe I missed that!!!

THUD!

Well now...that changes everything doesn't it. At least it does for me. Any sympathy and compassion I had just ...is gone.

 

[jmcgladr]

It didn't look to be as if they were living high on the hog raking in the big bucks.

I didn't say they were - however, they have managed to survive and pay the bills with neither parent having to work outside the home for a number of years, while living off of the disability payments. And there's nothing wrong with disability payments, but they need to go toward a decent standard of living for the children they are designated for. And they weren't. The parents seemed to have put some money and care toward A, and pretty much squat toward the other kids! I can actually see why they wouldn't have wanted to give the disability payments up, but it still doesn't make it right how those children were being raised. IMO, the parents should have sought out a way to improve the family's standard of living (i.e. seeking employment and providing nursing care), practiced some family planning, or given up the kids they could not support.

 

[Charlie09]

This tv watching "visit" was some time before the 2 days, IIRC.

I'm caught up now...I don't know if its been determined how long J had actually been dead? I'm wondering if it's longer than the dad has admitted to?

Nope, my sympathy is gone...I think they were way over their head, I'm not sure if he was abusive to everyone or not - but there's no way two people can handle all of that with no professional training and not have problems.

 

[al66pine]

Thank you to the folks here who responded to my post 95 about services available to fam.
So basically CYS-type agency offers (referrals to) parenting classes, etc.
and for 'recidivist parents' (for lack of a better term) refers extreme cases to LE or prosecutor?

But it seems there is really a disconnect in interface/referrals from CYS to
other med & health & behavior services available from other agencies?
Ditto re school - 'regular' and special ed?
CYS is not obligated to notify the other agencies?
So unless the parents make the effort to contact the other agencies & schools, it ain't happening.

So parents initiate contact w $$$-dispensing agencies?

I never had contact w CYS-type or other agencies involved in these situations, so am woefully ignorant about this.

Thx again.

 

[chaotic_idealism]

Yes, in order to get disability payments, you have to apply. It can take years to be approved, though in really obvious cases or in case of terminal illness, it may take much less. The amount, even at the maximum payment, is a very low income--about 30% below the federal poverty line, with no other resources allowed. If you want to learn more, check out SSI--that's probably what they were getting. When you move from one place to another, you have to get your case transferred to the new county's agency, or you won't get the periodic forms you have to fill out to maintain your support payments.

The low level of the payments is part of why I don't think they were in it for the disability money. They could have had more money than they were getting, simply due to their income level, but they weren't getting that, and it doesn't appear they were engaging in the sort of fraud you hear about in the rare cases where someone on disability payments is actually getting more money than if they worked a minimum-wage job. They seem to have asked for disability payments for only some of their children, perhaps to avoid attracting more attention than necessary.

 

[jmcgladr]

Yes, in order to get disability payments, you have to apply. It can take years to be approved, though in really obvious cases or in case of terminal illness, it may take much less. The amount, even at the maximum payment, is a very low income--about 30% below the federal poverty line, with no other resources allowed. If you want to learn more, check out SSI--that's probably what they were getting. When you move from one place to another, you have to get your case transferred to the new county's agency, or you won't get the periodic forms you have to fill out to maintain your support payments.

The low level of the payments is part of why I don't think they were in it for the disability money. They could have had more money than they were getting, simply due to their income level, but they weren't getting that, and it doesn't appear they were engaging in the sort of fraud you hear about in the rare cases where someone on disability payments is actually getting more money than if they worked a minimum-wage job. They seem to have asked for disability payments for only some of their children, perhaps to avoid attracting more attention than necessary.

Yes, I believe it was SSI they were getting for their kids and I'm not sure we know the total sum for certain, but I heard a $2100/month number bantered around IIRC. You're right about them only applying for several of their kids "who qualified." Maybe the others didn't qualify or it was for the reason you suggested. The parents WOULD be allowed to work on top of that though, would they not? Especially since the disability payments weren't for them as far as we know, but for their kids.

 

[tlcya]

But neither parent cleaned the feces-covered room where their son lay dead.

“Everybody feels terrible because nobody wants that to happen to their child or anybody else’s child,” says neighbor Beth Beene.
She says she spoke to Tutko about his son’s disability and behavioral issues.

“I gave him agencies, telephone numbers of different services that he could get help to come into the home and he says well he got paid to do all that he didn’t need help,” she says.
SNIP

“Unfortunately this little boy lost his life, but he also saved his brothers and sisters,” says Erica Boyer, visiting the street.

Read more: http://fox43.com/2014/08/07/police-tutko-didnt-check-on-dead-son-for-days/#ixzz39pQduUqd

"Let me go institutionalize my son and my daughter so I can go to the mall?" Kimberly said. "I don't want that kind of life. I want to devote my time to my children.

SNIP

"People think my kids are just paychecks. That's not true. My kids are my kids."

SNIP

How can you lock a 9-year-old boy in a room covered in feces and urine? How can you never visit a child who lives just feet from you? How can you let your dead child alone in a room for days? How do your children become handicapped after what sounds like routine childhood illnesses?

SNIP

"I didn't try to cover this up," Kimberly told PennLive, adding words that now sound eerily prescient, "I love my children to death. Nobody understands."

http://www.pennlive.com/living/index.ssf/2014/08/post_24.html

 

[seattlechiquita]

Mother didn't know her child was DEAD for days? I don't think so. It just does not fly.

 

[Donjeta]

Jarrod Tutko Jr. was diagnosed at 11 months with Fragile X Syndrome, a genetic defect along the autism spectrum that made the boy unable to communicate, eat solid food or use the toilet, his mother said.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/08/death_of_9-year-old_harrisburg.html

No it didn't. (IMO). He could have learned all that but he was stuck inside a room alone and neglected for years... Who was he supposed to communicate with?

"Let me go institutionalize my son and my daughter so I can go to the mall?" Kimberly said. "I don't want that kind of life. I want to devote my time to my children.

Her son was stuck in a feces-decorated room alone for years because she was devoting her time to her children? It's hard to imagine an institution that would be worse.

 

[seattlechiquita]

No it didn't. (IMO). He could have learned all that but he was stuck inside a room alone and neglected for years... Who was he supposed to communicate with?




Her son was stuck in a feces-decorated room alone for years because she was devoting her time to her children? It's hard to imagine an institution that would be worse.

Boom. you nailed it Donjeta. I don't know what she was devoted to, but certainly not this child.

 

[chaotic_idealism]

"Loves her children to death", does she?

Yeah. Yeah, she does.

 

[Heroine]

I think if I was 8 and someone just left me all alone all the time I'd act out too, disabled or not. No wonder he smeared feces everywhere, what else was he supposed to do to pass the time away? This is sick IMO.

 

[momrids6]

Yes, in order to get disability payments, you have to apply. It can take years to be approved, though in really obvious cases or in case of terminal illness, it may take much less. The amount, even at the maximum payment, is a very low income--about 30% below the federal poverty line, with no other resources allowed. If you want to learn more, check out SSI--that's probably what they were getting. When you move from one place to another, you have to get your case transferred to the new county's agency, or you won't get the periodic forms you have to fill out to maintain your support payments.

The low level of the payments is part of why I don't think they were in it for the disability money. They could have had more money than they were getting, simply due to their income level, but they weren't getting that, and it doesn't appear they were engaging in the sort of fraud you hear about in the rare cases where someone on disability payments is actually getting more money than if they worked a minimum-wage job. They seem to have asked for disability payments for only some of their children, perhaps to avoid attracting more attention than necessary.

they made quite a bit per child...

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-11150.pdf

 

[Heroine]

Also none of this makes sense really. Now she's trying to clean the boys room? What about when he was still alive? And I don't really buy her excuse that she was ALWAYS caring for the severely disabled child. Think about it? Don't you think if that child were bed ridden and wasn't going anywhere anyway (not to be so blunt) she could have taken a couple minutes out of her day to visit with Jr to feed him, clean his room some , and nurture him like any mother would, disabled or not?