MENTAL HEALTH

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JW FAMILICIDE & OTHER JW-ON-JW CRIMES

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The following criminal and other cases, in which the Jehovah's Witnesses religion served as the spiritual element of the perpetrators' and/or other actor's formative environment, or otherwise served as one of the major influencers of the perpetrators' and/or other actor's behavior, are often tragic, and speak for themselves.

Court Cases involving Jehovah's Witness Criminals who have been convicted of stealing money from their fellow Jehovah's Witnesses, and similarly related crimes, are summarized on a sister website. Click HERE for two webpages of financial related case summaries.

Visitors to this website should keep in mind that this website generally defers to SILENTLAMBS.ORG for coverage of the topic of sexual abuse and molestation committed by Jehovah's Witnesses. However, I will occasionally post summaries of a few of such type court cases in which the perpetrator committed other crimes, such as murder, or where there are other factors which make appropriate the posting of the case on this website.

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SUICIDE - BOMBING OF MISSOURI KINGDOM HALL OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES. On Saturday afternoon, July 26, 2008, at around 1:45 PM, a 52 year-old Jehovah's Witness, named Ralph E. Phillips, of Buckner, Missouri, committed suicide inside the newly-constructed Bates City, Missouri Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses simultaneous with his having set off a gasoline bomb which he intended to destroy that Kingdom Hall.

Ralph Phillips poured a large quantity of gasoline throughout the Kingdom Hall, which when ignited, resulted in a fiery explosion that initially blew out the rear wall and portions of the roof at the rear of the building. Secondarily, the remainder of the Kingdom Hall was heavily damaged by heat and smoke.

Ralph Phillips' corpse was found inside the Kingdom Hall, with a single gunshot to the head, which was ruled to have been self-inflicted. It is not known if the gunshot ignited the explosion, or whether Phillips' somehow managed to otherwise ignite the explosion simultaneous with his suicide.

The suburban Kansas City Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is located at 6001 Foggy Bottom Road, just outside Bates City, was just recently completed. The "dedication" ceremony apparently had been planned for sometime in August, and will go on as scheduled. Reportedly, the WatchTower Society had members of its' local Regional Building Committee standing by to rush in and rebuild the structure as soon as state and federal authorities completed their investigations.

Interestingly, this "religious suicide-bombing" on American soil received no national nor international media attention.

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MINNESOTA v. GAUSTAD is an ongoing 2008 Minnesota  murder court case. On Thursday, July 17, 2008, 21 year-old Corey Lee Gaustad shot and killed Christine Rose Nguyen, 48, who was the Jehovah's Witness Mother of his 17 year-old former JW girlfriend. Gaustad also attempted to murder his former girlfriend. Gaustad reportedly confessed not only to the murder and attempted murder, but also to having planned to murder his former girlfriend's father, grandmother, and a possible new boyfriend of his former girlfriend.

Reportedly, Corey L. Gaustad had met the teenaged girl at some JW function(s) sometime around 2004 (probably when the Nguyens moved into the area). The couple apparently had started to date at some point, and in early 2008, Gaustad had apparently even considered "proposing" to the teenager. Interestingly, it was not long thereafter that the girl broke up with Gaustad, although he had told his family that the breakup was "mutual".

On the day of the murder, Corey Lee Gaustad followed the mother and daughter around as they shopped that afternoon, but he lost them at some point. Gaustad then went to their New Brighton, Minnesota apartment, and waited for the mother and daughter to return home. When the duo returned at around 3:30 PM, Corey Gaustad approached their vehicle. Christine R. Nguyen exited her vehicle and attempted to reason with Gaustad, but he shot her in the stomach. Gaustad then fired four shots at his 17 year-old former girlfriend, but missed, as she fled the scene. Christine Nguyen died about 4 hours later at a local hospital. Given the type wound, one can't help but wonder if she died because she refused to consent to blood transfusions.

Media reports indicate that the Nguyen family -- father, mother, daughter (home-schooled), and possibly a grandmother -- were all members of the New Brighton Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.

The Gaustad family apparently are also associated with either the New Brighton Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, or another area Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. One media report stated:

"Gaustad's family was shocked Friday when they learned he had been arrested, noting he spent so much time studying the Bible.

"'It's hard to picture something like that,' said his younger brother, Josh Gaustad. 'He's so religious. He follows the Bible in every aspect of his life.' ... ...

"Gaustad graduated from Coon Rapids High School in 2005, school officials said. ...

"Corey Gaustad was depressed sometimes, his father said. His parents filed for divorce in 1993, and his mother, Charlene Gaustad, committed suicide in 1995, Arlen Gaustad said.

"'It just floors me,' he said. 'I would never think of him being a murderer. Why would he do that?'"

Unconfirmed internet postings claim that Corey Lee Gaustad had at some point served as a "Pioneer" in his JW Congregation, which is a fulltime "door-knocker". Typically, the local JWs have yet to even claim him as a member.

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CALIFORNIA v. JARKA is an ongoing 2008 California murder court case. In May 2008, a Murrieta, California Jehovah's Witness, named Kelle Lee Jarka, 39, was arrested and charged with the April 28, 2008 bludgeoning death of his 40 year-old JW Wife,  Isabelle Jarka. Kelle L. Jarka was charged with first-degree murder, and the special circumstance of murder for financial gain, given that Jarka reportedly purchased in excess of $1,000,000.00 in life insurance on his wife during the weeks preceding her death. The Jarkas reportedly were deep in debt, partially due to the two Lexus vehicles and an expensive powerboat that they owned and enjoyed.

Jarka was arrested at the Southwest Justice Center's family law court on May 22 as he attended a hearing to regain custody of his 12 year-old daughter and 6 months-old son, who have been staying with Isabelle Jarka's parents since the murder. The daughter stayed overnight with her maternal grandparents, who lived just across the street, on April 27/28.  Around 8:45 AM, on April 28, Kelle Jarka called police to report that his home had been burglarized. Jarka reportedly didn't mention anything about his wife's death for the first 26 seconds of the call. Jarka then told police that he had gone shopping to buy coffee and baby formula, and when he returned home, he found a door forced open, the house ransacked, and his wife bloody and unconscious on the master bedroom floor. Isabelle Jarka died from 11 or more blows to her head, but no murder weapon was nor has been found. Shockingly, police believe that the couple's 6 month-old son was in the bedroom when the murder was committed.

Isabelle Jarka's relatives stated that the Jehovah's Witness probably had no clue as to the extend of her family's financial problems. Jarka's relatives stated that Isabelle was "trusting", "naive", and "easily taken in by people". They described Kelle Jarka as "secretive" and "very controlling". They further stated that while Kelle Jarka usually came off as a "nice person", that he also had a "darker side".

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COLORADO v. CORTEZ is an ongoing 2007-8 Colorado murder and attempted murder court case. Ricardo Cortez, now 25, is charged with the September 2007 murder of his estranged pregnant wife, Nikki Lynn [Fix] Cortez, 21, and the attempted murder of her 24 year-old boyfriend, Sam Jantz.

Around 11:00 PM, on Sunday, September 16, 2007, Ricardo Cortez burst into the Greeley, Colorado, home where Sam Jantz was living with relatives, and shotgunned his estranged wife. Sam Jantz ran from the home, but was partially struck by multiple shotgun blasts. Although initially admitted to a local hospital in "critical condition", Jantz recovered from his wounds. Ricardo Cortez, accompanied by his parents, voluntarily surrendered to police a few hours later.

Ricardo Cortez pleaded "not guilty by reason of insanity", and was ordered by the court to be evaluated at the state mental health hospital for six weeks. Currently, the trial is scheduled for October-November 2008.

Limited details provided by local media seem to indicate that Ricardo and Nikki Lynn Cortez had began "studying" to convert to the Jehovah's Witnesses sometime after they married in June 2006. However, given that the couple's marriage soon began to fall apart, it is possible that it was Nikki Cortez who wanted to join the JWs, and that Ricardo Cortez's involvement may have been only to appease his wife.

In fact, in March 2007, Ricardo Cortez had been arrested for punching Nikki Cortez in her face, and "holding her against her will" (possibly trying to stop her from attending a JW meeting), and apparently, instead of first seeking medical care for her broken nose and jaw, and/or police protection, Nikki Cortez went to the home of a local Jehovah's Witness "minister", named Raymond Bove. Such would indicate that it was Raymond Bove who was attempting to convert Nikki Cortez.

In a July 2008 court hearing, Raymond Bove testified that he knew both Ricardo and Nikki Cortez. Raymond Bove said that he considered them "friends", and that he had had the couple over to his home for dinner. (That revelation means little to non-JWs, but JW "Ministers" normally will not invite anyone to a meal in their home unless the invitees are JWs, or well on their way to becoming JWs.) Raymond Bove testified that the couple had attended the local Kingdom Hall "on occasion", but were not regular members.

Raymond Bove testified that it was "especially after" the March 2007 incident (for which Ricardo Cortez was arrested and eventually released on bond) that he reached out to Ricardo Cortez. Reportedly, a second unidentified JW Elder was brought in to help with dealing with Ricardo Cortez. (That way, the JWs' efforts to convert Nikki Cortez would not be negatively affected by whatever they did with Ricardo Cortez. If they converted both, then fine, but they did not want to chance losing Nikki Cortez as a convert. This exact same scenario has been played out hundreds, probably thousands, of times over the decades. JWs have broken up numerous marriages this exact same way. They make initial contact with the wife. Husband throws fit. Husband eventually starts attending meetings and "studying" to appease wife. Marriage still falls apart. Wife converts. Husband does not, and loses wife and any children in divorce. Some divorced/widowed JW male eventually gets himself the new convert as his new wife.)

Interestingly, the prosecution is seeking to have Raymond Bove testify regarding the "communications" between himself and Ricardo Cortez. Ricardo Cortez's defense team is seeking to stop such based on religious "privilege". Such forces the local JWs to walk a thin line. If the JWs separate themselves too much from Ricardo Cortez, which is probably what they want, then they may have to testify. But, if they do so, this is just one more publicized instance of the JWs either throwing "privileged communication" under the bus, or outright losing on the issue as they recently did during a California molestation trial. A ruling will have to be made prior to trial.

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CALIFORNIA v. YUN is an ongoing 2006-8 California murder court case. On Sunday afternoon, April 2, 2006, a Los Angeles Jehovah's Witness, named Dae Kwon Yun, 54, allegedly set fire to the interior of his Toyota Sequoia while he was sitting in the driver's seat and while his daughter, Ashley, 11, and son, Alexander, 10, were sitting in the rear passenger section. Dae Kwon Yun eventually jumped out of the SUV with second and third degree burns on his face, hands and legs, but his two children died in the fire. Yun was charged in 2006 with two counts of murder, including special-circumstance allegations of multiple victims and murder committed during an arson, which allow a possible death sentence. Yun has pleaded "not guilty".

Yun, who is of Korean heritage, immigrated to the United States from Argentina in the 1980s. Yun supposedly had earned a law degree in Argentina, but it is not known whether he practiced law there or after coming to the U.S. In 1993, Yun married another Korean immigrant, Sun Ok Ma, a realtor, and they soon had the two children. Yun owned and operated a garment factory in the Koreatown district, and was financially successful until 1999, when reportedly, the state and federal governments came after Yun for nearly $100,000.00 in back taxes. The business and family struggled thereafter.

In mid 2004, after years of alleged unreported spousal abuse, Yun was convicted of spousal battery after Ma finally called the police. In 2005, Yun allegedly began to frequent local casinos, which exasperated his financial situation. Yun was forced to close his garment factory in early 2006, and in May 2006, Ma moved out and filed for divorce.

A week later, Yun picked up Ashley and Alexander from their new apartment for a supposed Sunday afternoon at the movies and shopping.  Around 4:00 PM, Yun drove to a vacant alley near his closed factory, where he allegedly doused the interior of his SUV with gasoline and then ignited the fire.

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ILLINOIS v. WHITTEN is a 2006-8 Illinois murder court case. In April 2006, an African-American Jehovah's Witness Mother, named Betty Whitten, 57, of St. Charles, Illinois, and a member of the Elgin Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, stabbed to death her 34-year-old disabled daughter, Nyakiambi Whitten. Soon after her arrest, Betty Whitten was declared mentally unfit to stand trial, and was committed to a state mental health inpatient treatment facility until she was able to stand trial. In March 2008, Betty Whitten pleaded "guilty but mentally ill" to second-degree murder in exchange for a 20-year prison sentence. Whitten could be eligible for parol after 8 years in prison, but her time does not start so long as she is committed to a mental health treatment facility.

Betty Whitten reportedly had been treated for depression for several years. Whitten was the primary caregiver for her oldest daughter, who had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and impaired vision at the age of two. On Monday morning, April 3, 2006, at the Whitten's rural home, Betty Whitten first threatened 24 year-old daughter, Rachael Whitten, but she fled the house, and eventually called her father and then the police from a neighbor's telephone. Betty Whitten then stabbed Nyakiambi Whitten three times with a kitchen knife. One stab wound to the heart was fatal. Before police could arrive, Whitten loaded the corpse into her car, apparently for the purpose of disposing of it in the nearby Fox River. Whitten stopped her car on a St. Charles bridge at a point before it was over the river. An unwitting police officer came up behind Whitten's stopped car. When the officer turned on his lights, Whitten accelerated, crashed through the bridge's guardrail, and landed upside down on a bike path below. There, police discovered the corpse and Whitten, who had a minor head injury.

Betty Whitten later told police that "demons" had cause her to do what she did. Whitten also stated that she believed Nyakiambi was being abused and that her husband had been unfaithful.

The father, Earstin Whitten, 57, who was either an "Elder" or "Ministerial Servant" in the Elgin Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, stated that although Nyakiambi (Swahili for "first daughter") had various disabilities which required her to be constantly supervised, she had attended special education programs in St. Charles schools and at Elgin Community College until she was 21.

In June 2006, Betty Whitten filed for divorce from Earstin Whitten, claiming "extreme and repeated mental cruelty", as well as adultery. Betty Whitten also reportedly formally accused her husband of the same with their local JW Congregation. Earstin Whitten denied Betty's charges and apparently contested the divorce, but the outcome of the divorce (pending as of March 2008) and any congregation action is unknown. However, in March 2007, Earstin Whitten relocated to Reno, Nevada, "to start a new life", per Rachael Whitten, who stated that she was joining her father there.

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MASSACHUSETTS v. WEST, MASSACHUSETTS v. WEST, and MASSACHUSETTS v. WEST was/is a series of 2006-7 Massachusetts criminal court cases, which involve an African-American family of Jehovah's Witnesses living in the Marlborough area. The defendant in these cases is the husband, George West, 49, who was employed as a Hudson police officer from 1986 until 1999, when West retired from the Hudson Police Department because the use of deadly force and the carrying of a weapon conflicted with his religious beliefs as a Jehovah’s Witness. West also served several years as the department’s DARE officer.

Interestingly, in March 1999, George West had been the subject of national media attention, which publicized his resignation from his career as a police officer due his WatchTower beliefs that prohibited the carrying of a firearm. Apparently, George West had been reared as a JW, but he apparently had been inactive as a JW until he became active again sometime around 1995/6.

George West was convicted in October 2006 on charges relating to an attack on his wife in June, when he was charged with assault and battery, and assault with a dangerous weapon. West was given a one-year term in jail, but was sentenced only to time served of 42 days, with the remainder of his one-year sentence suspended until October 2008.

West also had been charged with assault and battery, and unarmed burglary, for a September 2006 Labor Day weekend incident, after which West served the 42 days. Fatima West had a restraining order discontinued on August 28, when Fatima and George shopped for a new car for her. On September 1, Fatima filed for a legal separation.  On Labor Day, September 4, Fatima and the two teenaged children spent time with George West at his Clinton apartment. Later that evening, during the AM hours of September 5, George West was arrested after attempting to enter Fatima's apartment.

In November 2007, George West was arrested on charges of assault and battery (three counts), kidnapping, intimidating a witness, and threatening to commit a crime, when West allegedly attacked his wife, Fatima West, on Thanksgiving weekend. Due to the probation violation, West was ordered to serve the remaining days from the 2006 conviction in protective custody at the Billerica House of Correction, because he was once a police officer. The judge set bail after West's release from Billerica at $2500.00 cash, with conditions that West stay away from his wife and two teenaged children, not use drugs or alcohol, and complete an education program.

During these incidents, West has not been charged with attacking his 15 year-old daughter, or his 11 year-old son, although his wife allegedly told police that in years past that West had repeatedly threatened to kill them, her, as well as himself. Fatima West allegedly also has told police that her husband is mentally ill.  Reportedly, both the wife and daughter have called police on various occasions, and both have testified against George, but both also have testified in George's favor on occasion.

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ILLINOIS v. LAWRENCE SLACK and ILLINOIS v. CONSTANCE SLACK were two 2006 Illinois criminal court cases which involved a homeschooling family of African-American Jehovah's Witnesses who lived in Chicago, Illinois. Larry Slack and his wife, Constance Slack, homeschooled their six children, despite the fact that Larry was a fulltime mechanic at the Chicago Transit Authority, and Constance was a fulltime Registered Nurse at La Rabida Children's Hospital.

Cook County Judge Sumner lamented, "Of the cases I have presided over myself or seen go through this building, this situation, bar none, is the worst I have ever seen or heard."  The two Jehovah's Witness Parents were convicted of the beating death of their 12 year-old daughter, Laree Slack, and the beating of their 6 year-old son, in November 2001. Judge Sumner stated that Laree Slack suffered more torture than many prisoners of war who undergo human rights violations. Larry Slack was convicted of committing aggravated battery on his 6 year-old son, and first degree murder of Laree Slack. Larry Slack was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Constance Slack, who cut a deal with prosecutors to testify against her husband, pleaded guilty to murder, but received only a 25 year sentence.

Typical of parents who are Jehovah's Witnesses and/or homeschoolers, Larry and Constance Slack were strict disciplinarians. Each of their six children, who in November 2001, ranged in age from 6 to 16, were assigned various chores and responsibilities in the Slack household. Given that both parents worked fulltime jobs in the Chicago area, these children must have also been responsible for their own homeschool education.

On Saturday night, November 10, 2001, Larry and Constance had been planning to go out to eat, but Constance could not find her wallet and credit cards, which she believed to be in one of her jackets or work smocks. Larry ordered all six children to search for them.  Dissatisfied that the 6 year-old son was not looking hard enough, Larry Slack lashed the child several times with a thick Romex electrical cable, which the Slacks regularly used to discipline their children. When Constance's wallet and credit cards continued to go un-found, the parents became enraged over finding some laundry scattered about the house.  Twelve year-old, Laree Slack, was in charge of washing and putting away the family's clothing, so Constance Slack's lost items were blamed on Laree.

The 41 year-old, 400+ pound, Larry Slack then began to beat Laree with the Romex electrical cable, in sessions of 39-blows, for what eventually amounted to nearly two hours of beating. At first, Larry bent his 12 year-old daughter over a large metal toolbox. When Laree would not hold still during her beating, Larry ordered his two older teenaged boys to tie her face down onto a metal bedframe, where Larry continued the lashing. When Laree began to scream, Constance first stuck a sock in her mouth. When Laree eventually spit out the sock, Larry ordered his sons to fetch a towel to stuff in her mouth. He then tied a scarf over the towel and used a stick to wind the scarf like a tourniquet. Lalece Slack, then 13, testified at the murder trial that she went to the basement of her family's home and turned on the washer and dryer to drown out the sounds of her sister being beaten upstairs.

The full details of what occurred during those two hours of torture are blurred. Both Larry and Constance took turns beating the child with electrical cables that may have varied in thickness. At some point, exhausted from delivering the dozens of blows, Larry even took a break to watch television. In what seems to indicate that something even more disgusting may have been going on in this Jehovah's Witness household, at some point, Larry ordered the two teenaged sons to pull off her pants.  At some point, Larry also cut off his daugher's shirt. Larry repeatedly ordered the teenaged boys to flip Laree over from side to the other for her next session of 39-blows. The flailing mostly naked girl was beaten bloody on her back, chest, stomach, and legs. When the beating finally stopped, Larry ordered the boys to carry Laree down to the basement and place her on an old mattress, where she eventually died of internal bleeding.

The Slacks told police that they had meted out the "biblical punishment" of "40 lashes minus one" only three times. At trial, Larry Slack denied intending to harm Laree - only discipline her. Larry even testified that Laree smiled at him and spoke with him after the beating. However, a Medical Examiner testified that Laree had actually  been hit "hundreds" of times.

Various neighbors described Larry and Constance Slack as "devout Jehovah's Witnesses", who occasionally had attempted to convert them to their WatchTower religion. A reporter who went to view the Slack's residence after the tragedy reported that he found WatchTower and homeschooling publications scattered on an exterior staircase.

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DARIC ROBERT FRANS.  Around 7:00 AM, on the morning of Friday, October 20, 2006, unemployed and mentally ill 25 year-old Daric Robert Frans left his Grand Forks, North Dakota, apartment, which he reportedly shared with his father, dressed in camouflage and openly carrying a high-powered M-16 style semi-automatic assault rifle. On his person, Daric R. Frans also was packing a .32 caliber handgun, 10 hunting knives, a collapsible police baton, and 100 rounds of ammunition. At some point, as Daric Frans walked down the sidewalk, he pointed the rifle at an unidentified woman, who called 9-1-1.

Approximately 30 local, county, state, and even Border Patrol officers eventually responded to the scene at the northeast corner of 17th Street and Highway 220, which apparently was near to fast-food restaurants, a day-care center, other businesses, including an adjacent business where Daric Frans' mother worked, and even a High School and a Community College. There, for approximately 30 minutes, Frans fired 35-40 rounds at police, striking at least 3 cruisers. Finally, a state trooper arrived, who also had an assault rifle. The trooper fired three shots, striking Frans once in the hip. Shortly thereafter, Daric Frans shot himself in the head with his .32 caliber handgun, at around 8:00 AM.

Daric Robert Frans left no suicide note, and supposedly had made no threats, so police were left to speculate whether Frans was heading to one of the nearby schools, his mother's place of employment, or somewhere else.

Daric Robert Frans, and his two sisters, were reared as a Jehovah's Witness, in the East Grand Forks Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, by parents Doug Frans and Teresa Ostgard Frans, who separated when Daric was 15/16, and later divorced. Although reportedly reared in a nearly idealic formative environment up until the time his parents separated, Daric Frans gradually developed one or more mental illnesses. Frans reportedly had worked in the family business as he grew up, but he had gradually even become unemployable. Frans spent two terms in jail, in late 2003 and early 2004, with one incident involving a handgun.

In an article published a year later, on the first anniversary of after this averted tragedy, that article stated that "his family wants people to know Daric was not a violent, dangerous person intent on killing others, but rather an increasingly troubled man who seemed to lose the ability to go on living. 'He was a beautiful little boy whose life ended tragically,' said his mother, Teresa Frans."

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CALIFORNIA v. KNIGHT was a 1999-2006 California murder court decision. On the afternoon of September 26, 1999, a 34 year-old Jehovah's Witness, named Donna Michelle Knight, telephoned a friend, named Debbie Paley, and asked her to come to her apartment. When Paley arrived, the crying and upset Donna Knight told Paley to look in the bathroom. There, Paley found a dead newborn baby wrapped in a towel. Knight explained to Paley that she had given birth to the baby boy that morning. Paley called 9-1-1.

Knight, who weighed nearly 300 pounds, told the paramedics that she woke up about 11:00 AM with abdominal and lower back pain, which she thought were the residual effects of a prior car accident. She sat on the toilet in the bathroom, passed some blood clots, and then went back to bed. Knight stated that she did not even know at the time that she was pregnant, nor that she had given birth to a baby. Knight later told police that she only discovered that she had been pregnant, and had delivered the baby, after she woke up and discovered the by-then dead newborn in the toilet.

A forensic pathologist performed an autopsy on the baby and found that the baby was born alive and died of asphyxia from drowning in the toilet. Knight eventually admitted that she had suspected that she was pregnant. She also admitted that she realized that she had delivered a baby immediately afterwards, but that she believed the baby was stillborn.

Donna Knight was prosecuted for first degree murder. The prosecution contended that Knight, who was not married, concealed her pregnancy, and killed the baby, because Knight feared repercussions from her Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. The defense contended that Knight had been unaware of her pregnancy due to her large size, and that Knight could not remember what happened when she delivered the baby, because she had taken antidepressants and other medications. The jury found Knight guilty of second degree murder, and she was sentenced to state prison for 15 years to life.

On appeal, in 2004, the appellate court reversed the judgment due to possible jury misconduct, and remanded the case to the trial court. Following remand, the trial court held an evidentiary hearing to determine whether there was jury misconduct. The trial court found there was none, and denied Knight's motion for a new trial. On appeal, in 2006, the appellate court affirmed Knight's conviction.

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MICHIGAN v. THOMAS was a 2006-7 Michigan court case. On Thursday evening, April 27, 2006, at around 10:30 PM, Raphael Thomas and his live-in baby's-momma, Betty Jenkins, were supposedly "involved in a Bible study" at their Detroit duplex apartment, when Thomas and Jenkins began to argue. Thomas grabbed a can of red spray paint, and began writing various Bible-related words on interior walls throughout their apartment. The argument escalated, and the attention of neighbors was attracted to the couple's screaming and Thomas' throwing furniture, books, and other items, including their television and stereo, out of the apartment. Two neighbors reportedly called 9-1-1, but no police responded. Neighbors also called 9-1-1 at midnight and 1:00 AM, as the argument continued. Police finally responded after the 1:00 AM call, which reported a man spraypainting Bible-related words on parked autos near Thomas' apartment. However, the police apparently did not make contact with Thomas.

At some point in all this, Thomas grabbed his 9 month-old son and left the apartment. After another call from neighbors to 9-1-1, at around 2:20 AM, police responded a second time and finally located Raphael Thomas as he was walking in the neighborhood. Thomas had a knife and was stabbing himself. Thomas' son was thereafter found death in the backyard of a nearby home. The infant had been literally butchered. Thomas told police that he had killed his son to free him from "the evils of the earth".

Thomas was taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where he received over 200 stitches for 30 self-inflicted knife wounds. Thomas was eventually admitted to the hospital's psychiatric section, where Detroit authorities charged him with the murder of his son. Outcome unknown.

The media reported that amongst the items which Thomas had tossed from his apartment were his "Bible" and "other items that may be linked to a Jehovah's Witness". In fact, one of those books was the official songbook of the WatchTower Society, entitled, "Sing Praises To Jehovah", to which noone but those who attend a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses would have access. Interestingly, the couple's argument started about the time of night when attendees of the JW's mid-weekly "Theocratic Ministry School" and "Service Meeting" would have arrived home from such.

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FLORIDA v. PARSONS was a 2006 Florida murder case. During the early AM hours of Tuesday, April 4, 2006, a 49 year-old African-American Jehovah's Witness, named Charles Lester Parsons, went to his former girlfriend's place of employment, which was a Exxon-Mobil gasoline station near Riviera Beach, Florida, purchased a container full of gasoline, then went inside the store where his former girlfriend was working behind the counter, doused her with the gasoline, and then struck a match and set her on fire. In the process, Charles L. Parsons also unintentionally ignited the store and even himself as he attempted to flee the scene -- leaving his burning ex-girlfriend to be rescued by other customers.

Charles Parsons, who suffered severe burns to his hands and arms, was treated at a local hospital before eventually being released to the care of Palm Beach County authorities, who charged him with attempted murder and arson. Parsons died at the Palm Beach County Jail Infirmary, on April 22, 2006, reportedly from a blood clot that had traveled from his leg to his lungs.

Charles Lester Parsons was a truck driver, who was known to his friends and family as "Big L". Parsons reportedly did not drink or smoke, and he supposedly had no prior criminal record, nor history of violence. Parsons' funeral was held at a local middle school gymnasium, and the funeral and graveside service were conducted by Walter Embry, an Elder at Parson's local Rivera Beach Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Charles Parsons' former girlfriend was Tanya LaDonna Cohen-Hughey, 38. She suffered third-degree burns over 90 percent of her body, and lived an agonizing 43 days before she died on May 16, 2006. Tanya Hughey was the mother of three children -- Anthony Hughey, 13, Tiara Hughey, 16, and Louis Decquir, 22. Hughey's relationship with the Jehovah's Witnesses, if any, is not known, but Parsons and she had dated for six years prior to their recent breakup. According to another former girlfriend of Parsons', named Margaret Hazel (who was probably a fellow Jehovah's Witness given that she told a reporter that she spoke with Parsons frequently, and last spoke with Parsons on the previous Sunday), the breakup was caused by Hughey's recent reconciliation with her ex-husband, whom Hughey had divorced in 2003 (do the math).

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HYPERTHERMIA DEATH OF TODDLER LEFT UNATTENDED IN HOT VAN. On Wedneday, August 2, 2006, a 23 month-old toddler, named Vidal Vela, died from heat stroke after he was left for an uncertain number of hours inside his Jehovah's Witness GrandMother's van, while that van was "reportedly" parked in the GrandMother's unshaded driveway in Topeka, Kansas.

I would encourage readers interested in this case to read as many media reports on this case as they can locate on the internet, because a careful reading of such seems to indicate the possibility that the picture that was presented to the general public may have not included all the pertinent details of what happened on the day in question. Most of the media reports that I have found depend on details provided by a fellow member of the Shawnee Meadows Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, named Carol Jackson, and the local District Attorney Robert Hecht, who refused to prosecute Cynthia C. Keeling. I could locate only one report that also included multiple details from local police, who investigated the case as a possible "involuntary manslaughter" case.

All media reports indicated that on the day in question that Cynthia C. Keeling was babysitting two grandchildren for her daughter, Lisa Keeling, while Lisa Keeling was at work. Those same reports also state that Cynthia Keeling had picked up and given Lisa Keeling a ride to work that "morning", but without clarifying exactly what time those events occurred. Possibly pertinent was the absence of info in the media reports as to whether "Beetle" Vela's rear-facing safety seat was carried out to the van, placed in the van, and securely strapped in by Lisa Keeling, and/or Cynthia Keeling, and/or Lisa Keeling's 11 year-old daughter, Cynthia Avalos.

Which of the three persons handled Vidal Vela before Lisa Keeling was dropped off at work may not have been mentioned because such may not have been a major issue. Why? That leads us to another "unclear" part of this case. Some of the media reports state that Cynthia Keeling had returned home and left the toddler in her van after "a trip" that morning. Those reports give their readers the impression that the "trip" to which they refer was Cynthia Keeling's dropping off of Lisa Keeling at work.

However, the media reports which quote District Attorney Robert Hecht have Hecht stating that "Beetle" was left unattended for only "FOUR HOURS". Absent from those media reports is the information in other media reports citing the police investigation, which indicated that Lisa Keeling had been dropped off prior to 9:00 AM, and that the dead toddler was not discovered by 11 year-old Cynthia Avalos until around 3:48 PM, when Cynthia Keeling and she got in the van to go pick up Lisa Keeling from work.

So, what "missing facts", which would account for the seemingly "missing 3 hours", were not included in those media reports? After Cynthia Keeling dropped off her daughter at work, prior to 9:00 AM, did Cynthia Keeling then go to the Shawnee Meadows Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses for either "field service", or possibly even a weekday "Congregation Book Study" (given that more than one JW Congregation was reportedly sharing that Kingdom Hall at that time)???

Whenever it was that Cynthia Keeling, Cynthia Avalos, and "Beetle" arrived back at Cynthia Keeling's home, how did Cynthia Keeling and Cynthia Avalos BOTH manage to get out of the van without remembering that "Beetle" was with them, and then go into the house for supposedly FOUR HOURS, or SEVEN HOURS, without ever once thinking about the infant? Further raising questions as to what time it was when Cynthia Keeling arrived home is that she allegedly went into her bedroom and fell asleep while watching a video.

One can't help but wonder whether 11 year-old Cynthia Avalos was even with Cynthia Keeling when Keeling returned home, or whether Avalos might have been with others, who later brought her to Keeling's home. Cynthia Keeling may have had reasons for her lapsed of memory, but every 11 year-old that I have ever known was always on top of everything going on around them. Had other persons been involved in the care and custody of Vidal Vela and/or Cynthia Avalos that morning???

Regardless of the presence or absence of Cynthia Avalos when Cynthia Keeling arrived home, there may have been a good reason that whoever was in the van had forgot that "Beetle" was in there also. The toddler may have already been dead by the time Cynthia Keeling arrived home -- whenever that was. If such were the case, then such would require opening a whole 'nuther can of worms as to why the toddler had been left unattended in a van that still would have been excessively hot in Kansas, in early August, even if it were between 9:00 AM and Noon.

Whatever were the circumstances, reported or unreported, in January 2007, District Attorney Robert Hecht announced that his office would NOT be filing charges against Cynthia Keeling. His announcement reportedly reasoned (as partially excerpted from media reports):

"It is the opinion of this office that there was no conduct which constitutes recklessness as that term is defined by Kansas law, nor was there any guilty intent, nor would the interest of justice, the welfare of the citizens of the State of Kansas, or justice and equity be advanced by the filing of criminal charges against Cynthia C. Keeling. ...

"[The police investigation showed that the conduct of Keeling was] one of forgetfulness of an extreme degree, which resulted in a terrible tragedy, but that her forgetfulness was coupled with and perhaps exacerbated by if not occasioned by her documented medical conditions and the documented prescription medicines that she took and had been taking for a lengthy period of time prior to this event. ..."

Reportedly, Hecht went on to explain that at the time of the death that Cynthia Keeling had been taking 13 prescription medications for her morbid obesity, elbow pain, diabetes, high blood pressure, a degenerative disk disorder impacting her neck and lower back, and a sleep disorder.

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NORTH CAROLINA v. DOWEN was a 2005-7 North Carolina court decision. In September 2007, Richard Dowen, Jr., then 34, plea bargained "guilty" to second-degree murder and felony child abuse for the death of his 4 year-old step-son, Randolph Thomas, and was sentenced to 26 years in prison. His wife, Amber Thomas Dowen, then 22, also pled to the same charges, but received only a 13 year prison sentence.

Richard Dowen, Jr. was an OTR semi-truck driver, who owned his own rig, and hauled freight throughout the country on a contract basis. Dowen, 29, had married 17 year-old Amber Thomas, in Texas, in 2002. Thomas already had an infant son out of wedlock, Randolph Thomas, and the couple thereafter had a daughter of their own in mid-2004. The couple spent most of their life on the road, living out of the cab of their semi-truck. Amber Dowen also was pregnant at the time of her arrest.

On August 31, 2005, Richard Dowen stopped his rig alongside a highway in Durham, North Carolina, and flagged down a passing Deputy Sheriff, who was asked for directions to the nearest hospital. The Dowens told the Deputy that their son was sick, and needed medical attention. When the Deputy caught a brief look at the 4 year-old, he immediately detained the Dowens, and called for an ambulance. Randolph Thomas died the next day at Duke Hospital. The 4 year-old died from malnutrition, dehydration, and complications from pneumonia. Randolph Thomas, who was 3 feet tall, weighed only 19.5 pounds at time of death. The 4 year-old had been starved to death. He also had signs of prior physical injuries. The Dowens never provided an explanation for his starvation, but their 15 month old daughter showed no signs of having been abused.

The difference in the prison sentences given Richard Dowen and Amber Dowen was attributed to the fact that a court psychologist described Richard Dowen, Jr. as a controlling and domineering husband, who instilled fear in his wife. Richard Dowen, Jr. gradually started to physically abuse his young step-son, and to punish the youngster by withholding food from the child. Amber Dowen, who was also mentally ill as a result of an abusive childhood, did what she thought she could to feed her son without incurring additional wrath from her husband.

Richard Dowen, Jr., was the product of a comfortable Jehovah's Witness upbringing in California. It is believed that Richard Dowen, Sr. was an Elder in the family's local Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. Linda Dowen stated that she had home-schooled Richard Jr. and his two siblings, and that Richard Jr. had been a dedicated Jehovah's Witness, who went along with the program so long as he had lived at home. However, in his later teenage years, Richard Jr. began to show signs of developing mental illness -- schizophrenia, paranoia, etc. It is not known if his JW parents got him any professional help. Dowen had been estranged from his parents since leaving home after graduating high school.

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Described by his widow, Francine Hinton Toney, as being "strait-laced" during his teen years growing up in Baltimore, Sean Hinton was reared as a Jehovah's Witness. By 1992, then 22 year-old Sean Hinton sought employment as a law enforcement officer with the Baltimore Police Department, in order to support his wife, two infant sons, and a 5 year-old (step?) daughter. By mid-October 1992, all seemed to be going well. Hinton had nearly completed work at the academy, and was undergoing field training. Graduation and becoming a sworn officer were only a few short weeks away.

However, on Friday night, October 24, 1992, Sean Hinton had an auto accident in downtown Baltimore, and was arrested and jailed for DUI. Hinton spent most of that Saturday getting out of jail, and getting his auto out of impoundment. Later that same Saturday afternoon, at 5:40 PM, the troubled Sean Hinton penned a short note to his wife, which stated in part:

"Francine you have dealt with me 4 years, and you never seemed to believe I really loved you -- I do love you. You have Jehovah on your side. I have no one. I need Jehovah but I just can't seem to reach him. So I guess I will see someone. Please take care of our children for me."

Shortly thereafter, Sean Hinton left the housing project apartment which he, his wife, and their children shared with Sean's mother, Jean Hinton. Hinton walked out of the project, rather than driving his auto. At 6:48 PM, Hinton telephoned home from Amtrack's Penn Station to say that he would be home shortly. However, when he didn't return by midnight, his mother and wife reported him missing. Hinton did not return home that weekend, nor to his job on Monday.

On Tuesday, November 3, 1992, Sean Hinton's partially decomposed corpse was found floating in NYC harbor. His wrists were tied together using the drawstrings from the jacket he was wearing. His wallet contained a small amount of cash, and multiple pieces of ID. The autopsy indicated that Hinton had died from drowning several days previous. The NYC medical examiner eventually ruled Hinton's death to be a suicide, but issued the death certificate without a cause of death listed. Curiously, the Baltimore Police Department gave the unsworn Hinton a police funeral and burial, paid for all the expenses, and even reportedly paid out Hinton's insurance benefits to his family, despite the fact that due to the DUI, and failing to return to work, Hinton reportedly had been officially recommended for termination on or about October 28/29, 1992.

Because of all those uncertainties, and others too numerous to mention in this summary, Francine Hinton, Jean Hinton, and other family members refused to believe that Hinton had committed suicide, but rather believed that he had been murdered by corrupt members of the Baltimore Police Department. On Tuesday, October 21, 1992, during Hinton's field training, Hinton and two regular drug-enforcement officers busted an alleged drug dealer. That alleged drug dealer later filed a formal complaint in which he accused the three officers of burglarizing drugs and cash from his home while he was in jail. Hinton's family believe that he was murdered to keep him from testifying in the inquiry that later cleared the two drug-enforcement  officers.

MARYLAND v. HINTON. The 1992 case of Sean Hinton was brought back to the public's attention in June 2006, when Hinton's by-then 15 year-old son, Ronald Hinton, was arrested for the rape and murder of the 4 year-old female cousin that he was babysitting. The Hinton family resurrected the case in efforts to excuse why Ronald Hinton had essentially confessed to committing the crime to police interrogators. Although Francine Toney believed and still believes that her son was innocent, in May 2008, a Baltimore jury convicted Ronald Hinton of the rape and murder. Hinton was sentenced to life plus 25 years in prison.

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RECOMMENDED READING:

Jehovah's Witnesses and the Problem of Mental Illness

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