Latest / Shades of Murder / 60: Children who Kill - Obsession with a Serial Killer

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60: Children who Kill - Obsession with a Serial Killer · Shades of Murder

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On July 23rd, 2015 in Elkhart, IN, firefighters arrived at the
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bizarre scene of an apartment building.
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Outside, near the door laid a bloody knife.
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Inside one of the bedrooms they discovered the body of a mother
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of two. Who was this victim and who was
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the monster who had murdered her and set the family's house on
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fire? Hello and welcome to Shades of
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Murder. I'm your host, Alita Caldwell.
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In this podcast, I discuss cases of murder from around the world
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and throughout history, attempting to unravel the layers
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of darkness that help make humans and are monsters.
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Please be forewarned that each episode contains specific and at
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times very graphic and disturbing details of the case.
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This show is not intended for all audiences and listener
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discussion is strongly advised. Late in the night of July 23rd,
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2015, the first responding officer, Daniel Meyer, arrived
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on the scene of an apartment fire in Elkhart, IN.
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He observed a large amount of blood in the hallway of the
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building. There was a trail of blood that
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ran up the stairs and stopped on the 3rd floor.
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Near 1 of the doors he discovered a bloody knife.
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The apartment was overflowing with smoke.
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Officer Meyer donned a gas mask he had inside his car before
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entering the residence. When the fire department arrived
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and surveyed the apartment, they found a woman lying on the floor
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of one of the bedrooms. They rushed the woman to the
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hospital where she was pronounced deceased.
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The victim was identified as 50 year old Maria Torres.
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Autopsy results would reveal that the woman's official cause
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of death was from multiple stab wounds to her torso and face,
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including a stab wound made to her chest that was three and
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three quarter inches deep. Edwintors and his daughter were
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traumatized by the night's events, barely able to speak to
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officers about the horror that had transpired.
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The father told the police that his 12 year old daughter had
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attacked his wife, stabbed him, and set their home on fire.
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The girl, identified only as JT, had fled to unknown whereabouts
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after he had gotten the knife away from her.
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Officers were stunned by what they were hearing.
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A 12 year old girl who had stabbed her stepmother to death
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attacked her father and started a fire and hopes to kill them
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all, and APB was immediately dispatched to locate the missing
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child who was now a suspect in first degree murder and arson.
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Early the next morning, a man was abruptly awakened by an
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unexpected knocking at his front door.
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There stood two young girls he had never seen before.
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They claimed that they had been hiking in the area with their
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families, but somehow they got lost on the trail.
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The girls were very hungry and asked him if he had some food.
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The man, who was later identified as Zachary Slaver,
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found their claims to be a bit suspicious since there were no
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hiking trails nearby and he noticed that one of the girls
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was barefoot. He told them though he was happy
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to call their families, but they avoided this and never gave him
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any contact information. Mr. Sleeper told them that he
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would go inside and cook them something, but he wanted them to
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remain on the porch. Hungry, desperate and without a
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real plan. The girls obliged.
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He called the police while he made some food for the girls,
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believing them to be runaways. Little did he know he had just
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helped capture a murderer. When the police arrived at his
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residence, they immediately brought the girls into custody
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due to minor privacy laws. The 212 year old girls are
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referred to by their initials JT and JP.
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Inside one of the girls backpacks, officers discovered
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pants with blood stains. When investigators interviewed
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the girl, known as JP, she swore that the pants were not hers.
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She told them they belong to her friend JT.
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She also shared with the police how her friend JT had more than
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one personality. It was determined that the girl
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had no involvement in the crime and she was released into her
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parents custody. While under investigation, 12
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year old JT remained in custody at the Elkhart County Juvenile
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Detention Center. During the homicide
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investigation, it was learned that the following sequence of
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events occurred on the night of July 23rd, 2015.
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After she made plans via text to meet up with her friend JP.
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Later that night, 12 year old JT hung out with her family as if
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everything was normal. She talked with both her father
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Edwin and stepmother Maria while they eat dinner together and
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watch TV. Her father would later describe
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the bizarre and disturbing grin his daughter wore on her face.
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He said she kept exposing all of her teeth when she smiled.
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Edwin Torres also shared how his daughter had been standing in a
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weird, unnatural pose, although she kept reassuring him that
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everything was fine. Later that night, when her half
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brother was out of the house and her half sister had already gone
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to bed, JT lit her room ablaze. Her stepmother suddenly awoke to
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a loud sound and smelled smoke. She walked over to JT's bedroom.
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As she opened the door, smoke bellowed out into the hall.
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Then she saw JT. The young girl was standing in
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the middle of her bedroom. She wasn't saying a word.
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Her father awoke to this commotion and rushed into the
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room. A fire was burning on the floor
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and an even larger 1 was blazing inside her closet.
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Maria pulled JT away from the fire and into the hallway as her
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father tried to extinguish it. Then he heard his wife screaming
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saying that JT had a knife. When he came back into the
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hallway he watched as his wife Maria was knocking on their
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daughter's door. She opened the doors till half
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asleep and saw her mother soaked in blood.
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I'm dying. Call the police.
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With the last words her mother ever spoke to her, she
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frantically dialed 911. Meanwhile, JT's father saw her
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standing by the front door of the apartment.
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She was wielding a knife and was standing strangely.
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He told her they all needed to leave or they would die in the
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fire. JT looked into her father's eyes
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and warned him to stay back, telling him to not get any
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closer to her. She spoke to him in a creepy
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clown like voice. He ignored what she said and JT
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swung at her father with the blade.
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Edwin Torres opened the door and they struggled with the knife
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toward the hallway of the building.
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He got the knife away from his daughter, tossing it aside, but
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he could not stop JT as she ran away from the apartment into the
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night. Once Edwin Torres stopped moving
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around, he saw that JT had slashed one of his arms and he
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was bleeding profusely. Even so, he ran back into the
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apartment to rescue his other daughter, who told him that she
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thought Mom was dead. The two rushed to safety outside
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the apartment and waited for law enforcement and the fire
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department to arrive. When officers interviewed JT
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hoping trying to understand what possible motive this young girl
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had for wanting her parents dead, she told them she did it
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because Laughing Jack told her to.
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Laughing Jack is a creepypasta character.
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Creepypastas are horror related legends that have been created
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and shared online. Coined in 2007, it's the
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blending of the words creepy and copypasta which is sling for
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copy and paste. Essentially they have become the
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modern day Internet form of legends and folklore.
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This user created content features stories and images of
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the paranormal including ghosts, rituals, zombies, aliens,
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cryptids, and more, often with a homicidal or suicidal edge.
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Their appeal is similar to tales of legend and lore shared around
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a campfire, except these are spread via the Internet.
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They weave some truths with first person narration around
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make believe characters and stories instead of by word of
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mouth. These dark tales spread like a
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virus, being copied and pasted through digital channels,
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reaching a massive audience. Creepypastas are also
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represented through images, videos, and even interactive
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games. They have also found influence
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in various films like Slender Man and all seasons of sci-fi
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Channels Channel 0 which are based on different creepypasta
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characters. Channel 0 is one of the most
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compelling, fascinating and disturbing series I have ever
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seen. Especially creepy during this
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spooky season. But really anytime I would
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highly recommend watching this bizarre and extremely unique
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show. Being into dark and creepy
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characters sounds relatively normal for teens and preteens to
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be interested in. I myself watched very violent,
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disturbing slasher horror films as a preteen.
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Although I was fascinated by these evil characters portrayed
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on screen, even at 7 years old I knew the villains weren't real,
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much less did I attempt to emulate them.
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Creepypasta characters are often portrayed as being ominous,
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mysterious, and extremely violent, and the line between
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reality and fantasy has been known to blur for some of its
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fans and users. Creepypastas are now infamously
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associated for inciting fanatic, even erratic and homicidal
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behavior shown by some of its viewers.
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The Slender Man character has become infamous when 212 year
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old girls who were obsessed with the fantasy villain lured to the
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woods and stabbed their friend, 12 year old Peyton Lautner, to
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appease Slender Man and prove to the world that he was real.
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Fortunately, and incredibly, this brave young girl survived
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despite being stabbed 19 times. As a result, web administrators
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of many creepypastas posted statements reminding their users
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and fans of the line between fantasy and reality.
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Creepypasta stories and images seem to hold an abnormally
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strong impression over especially young children, some
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of whom have become confused about what is real and what is
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fantasy. This violent and disturbing act
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committed by 212 year old girls against their friend occurred
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less than a year before JT murdered her stepmother.
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No one in J TS life was paying attention to the media she was
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consuming, specifically the subject of her fascination, who
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was a clown called Laughing Jack.
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Yet JT never hid her obsession with a dark, sinister clown
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character. JT and her friend JP, who was
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one of the few friends the girl had first met in fifth grade.
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They shared a love for the spookier side of things and
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wrote horror stories they referred to as creepypastas.
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A lot of their time together, as well as alone, was spent writing
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and reading these tales of sadistic and bizarre
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supernatural beings who commonly killed and tortured innocent
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people, including children. So who is Laughing Jack?
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You may be curious to know. Laughing Jack would be a typical
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looking clown, except that he wore a black and white costume
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and was properly illustrated holding knives.
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What may be the most disturbing aspect about Laughing Jack is
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his origin story. Laughing Jack is the story of a
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clown who became consumed by darkness and twisted by
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vengeance when he was portrayed by the child he loved.
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Originally, Laughing Jack was a fun, light hearted creature
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created by a guardian Angel. Laughing Jack was a bright and
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colorful jack-in-the-box clown who mirrored the personality of
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his owners in 1800s London. He was sent to be the imaginary
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friend of a young boy named Isaac Grossman.
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Isaac Grossman was a very impoverished and lonely little
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boy. His father was a violent drunk
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who abused and sexually assaulted his mother.
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Little Isaac would cry in silence and shiver in his pea
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stained bed, listening and waiting for the terrifying
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sounds to stop. The boy would dream about having
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a friend, one whom he could play games with and laugh together
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and help him escape his dark existence.
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Then one Christmas, when Isaac was seven years old, a wooden
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box appeared with his name on its tag.
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It was a Laughing jack-in-the-box.
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At first he thought the toy was broken, because when he wound it
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up, nothing happened except that the song Pop Goes the Weasel
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Blade. Then, out of nowhere, Laughing
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Jack appeared. He was very tall, brightly
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dressed and real. The boy and his clown had great
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times together and all was happy and well and Laughing Jacks and
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Isaac's world, at least for a little while.
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That is until the little boy forgot about him.
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Isaac left for boarding school and abandoned Laughing Jack. 13
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years passed without Isaac ever saying hello to his friend in
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the box. Over time, the clown began to
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lack any emotion and he lost his bright colours, slowly turning
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black and white. As Isaac Grossman grew into an
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adult, he turned brutal, violent and buried in darkness.
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He had become a serial killer. He mercilessly kidnapped,
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tortured and murdered multiple people in his neighborhood.
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Isaac would commit heinous acts in front of the clown's box.
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Laughing Jack was shocked and horrified at what his once
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innocent and gentle young friend had turned into.
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But just as the guardian Angel had created him, Laughing Jack
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began to reflect the evil inside Isaac.
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One day, Laughing Jack freed himself from the box.
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This time he appeared as an even taller, darker, and sinister
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version of who he once was. The clown was seething with
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rage, hatred, and vengeance toward his owner, who would
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abandoned him and become a monster.
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So he found Isaac laughing. Jack tortured and killed him
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with the exact weapons Isaac had used on his victims.
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But murdering Isaac Grossman was not enough to satisfy the hunger
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of the murderers. Twisted Clown.
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He went on a killing spree. First he would befriend lonely
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and neglected children, and then he would torture and murder them
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one by one. In one of Laughing Jack's
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stories, he stabbed his victims before removing their organs,
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which in turn he placed pieces of candy inside.
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Laughing Jack trapped these innocent young souls within a
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twisted fairground. The place was abandoned and full
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of nightmarish creatures and sights, and the song Pop Goes
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the Weasel accompanied them for eternity.
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JT became obsessed with Laughing Jack and even wrote a story
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about him featuring herself. Together, they shared candy.
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There was even a picture JT drew of herself and Laughing Jack
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together, which JP later described to the police.
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Sometime in late May or beginning of June, in the year
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she killed Maria J TS father discovered inappropriate and
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dark pictures she had drawn of Laughing Jack.
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JT began to emulate Laughing Jack.
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She mimicked his dress and behavior.
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She began wearing black and white clothes like Laughing Jack
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does. She painted her face in white
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and black, just like him, and the young girl became obsessed
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with candy, laughing Jacks favorite thing.
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After the night of the murder, JT was initially held at the
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Juvenile Delinquency Corrections facility.
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When she arrived, she told staff members that she would fight for
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any reason at any time, but that if she carried some candy, it
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decreased her urge bite people. 11 days after the murder and
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arson occurred, the staff discovered 2 pieces of paper
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inside JT's room. She had written the word candy
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over and over and over again on the first piece, and on the
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second piece she had written out the lyrics to Pop Goes the
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Weasel. When the Slender Man related
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attack happened, members of the community wanted to understand
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how some children have difficulty distinguishing
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between reality and fantasy. Doctor David Lowenstein, a
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psychiatrist, specifically addressed some of the factors
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that may culminate in this issue.
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Desensitization has long been a factor in the study of violent
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media on adolescence. Research has consistently shown
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that repetitive exposure to violence can lead to increased
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aggressive behavior. Such overexposure to violent
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media, no matter its form, whether it is movies,
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television, video games, can create emotional detachment and
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prevent some individuals from perceiving death and homicide
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within the context of reality. Doctor Lowenstein also addressed
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how adolescents who struggle with their mental health.
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Are particularly vulnerable to being negatively affected by
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violent media. For children who use the online
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fantasy world to escape their lives, some become so entranced
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by this imaginary world that it is difficult for them to
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distinguish between the two. The third main factor is the
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developing brain of the child or teenager.
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It is a simple fact that young people process information
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differently from adults when their emotions dominate their
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thinking. This can lead them to behave and
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think in irrational ways. Doctor Lowenstein's main
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recommendation for avoiding a potential concerns with a child
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who is incapable of deciphering between reality and fantasy is
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to monitor their media usage. I think that is the mere
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starting point and that parents must discuss with their children
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what they are viewing and what it means to them.
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Censoring what a child watches does not prevent them from
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becoming an aggressive or potentially violent individual.
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It is well known that when a parent tells their child not to
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do something, this typically only drives the child to want to
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do it more. I have discussed in past
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episodes the impact of violent content on an individual's
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psyche and their potential for or risk of committing violent
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acts. I covered the psychotic
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delusions experienced by David Gonzalez of England, who
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believed he was Freddy Krueger in episode 55, A Nightmare in
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England, and in episode 11, Dead Rising, I discussed the brutal
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slaughter committed by Spain's video game obsessed Andrew
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Coulter. By the way, if you have not
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listened to either one of these, please do.
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They're both compelling and horrific stories and very
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relevant to this discussion. Now, the research has been mixed
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on the impact of violent media has on people, specifically
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adolescents and their brains. One side states that violent
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content is known for escalating aggression and can trigger
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violence in some viewers, where the other side argues there is
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no direct correlation between violent media and violent acts.
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There are arguments presented with empirical evidence to
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support both sides. However, almost all studies and
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mental health professionals agree that when someone, in
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particular a child or adolescent, has a propensity for
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violence, being exposed to a large amount of violent and dark
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material can harm their psyche. Whether it is a result of a
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mental illness or psychopathy, overexposure to violent media
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can trigger aggression and even violent behavior.
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It was evident that no one was paying attention to, much less
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caring about, the violent, twisted stories and imagery 12
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year old JT had become obsessed with.
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Her already fragile mental health was further impacted by
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her unhealthy infatuation with a serial killer clown, Laughing
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Jack. There was strong evidence that
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supported JT's mounting symptoms of her mental illness,
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specifically her dissociative identity disorder, before, on
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the day of the act, and days and months after the crime.
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Studies on individuals diagnosed with DID are intimately
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associated with serious and incessant childhood trauma and
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are very often linked to sexual abuse.
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JT was faced with many traumatic circumstances in her upbringing.
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Up until the age of 12. The same year of the murder, she
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had resided with her mother, Deshea.
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Her mother was a victim of childhood trauma herself and
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reported she had been sexually abused by more than one relative
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and grew up in a House of addicts.
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As her mother, Deshea grew up, she imitated this behavior and
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had abused both alcohol and drugs most of her life.
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It was also learned through the investigation that Deshea had
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been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression, and PTSD.
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It is unknown whether she ever received treatment for her
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conditions, but based on the history of her daughter, I would
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presume she never did. At the tender age of 15, Deshea
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had a son and then a couple years later, a daughter.
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A few years after her second child was born, she had JT.
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All three children had different fathers.
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JT had been the result of an affair with a man named Edwin
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Torres, who was married and already had two children.
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Initially, Edwin left his family and lived with JT and her mother
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for almost 7 years. As a small child, JT was exposed
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to her mother's ongoing struggles with substance abuse
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and the constant fighting between her parents.
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She was also a victim of her half brother's rage.
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Who punched her, choked her, and verbally abused her.
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JT was terrified of her half brother, but she never told her
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parents about the abuse he put her through.
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When JT turned 8 years old, Edwin Torres left the house and
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returned to his wife and other children.
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Her mother, Deshea spiraled into a darker cycle of violence and
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abuse. She ended up marrying a
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registered sex offender who physically abused her in front
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of JT. One incident was so severe that
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her mother Deshay was hospitalized for three to four
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days. JT also witnessed her mother cut
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herself with a knife during this period of her young and
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impressionable life. Fortunately, someone was paying
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attention to the abuse and neglect JT was supposed to, and
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the Department of Child Services eventually removed her and her
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half brother from her mother's home.
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Her mother Deshay would attempt to clean up her life by
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divorcing her abusive husband, but she could not get hold of
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her addiction and along with a pending criminal case, this
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prevented her from regaining custody of her children.
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During a psychological evaluation, a psychologist
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reported that it was almost certain that JT had been the
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victim of sexual abuse by someone who had lived inside her
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mother's house. Whether it was her half brother
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or her abuse of stepfather, GT continued to deny ever having
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been sexually abused. Once JT was removed from her
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mother's home, she was placed with her father, Edwin Torres,
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her stepmother Maria, and their two kids.
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Imagine how awkward and potentially hostile in
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environment that would have been for this young girl.
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JT was ripped away from her mother, who exposed her to
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violence and neglected her her entire life.
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Then the court places her with her father, her stepmother, and
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two teenagers she doesn't know. Given the circumstances, they
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undoubtedly felt some resentment towards her, at least
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indirectly, since their dad had left them and their mother to
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live with JT and Dishea. Understandably, it would have
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been a complicated and challenging living situation for
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all involved. At one point, Maria moved out of
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the apartment with her two kids, leaving JT to live alone with
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her father. About a year or two later, they
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would move back in. Although you would think her
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relationship with her stepmother, Maria would have
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been strained, at the very least, JT claimed.
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They got along really great. She later would tell
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psychiatrist how Maria was not a replacement, but a real mom.
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To me. Any abuse or negative behavior
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directed toward JT had allegedly been coming from her father.
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JT reported how her father verbally abused the entire
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family. Her father would call her a liar
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and tell her she made horrible decisions just like her mother.
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His abuse wasn't limited to his daughter.
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JTJTS half sister once contacted the police when Edwin threatened
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to assault his son. School wasn't much better than
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her turbulent and violent home life for JT.
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She was often the target of bullies and had few friends.
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Her friend JP was in many respects the closest person in J
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TS life. She even shared with JP her
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struggles with her mental health and sanity.
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JP later revealed to investigators how JT experienced
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extreme mood swings. In fact, according to JP, she
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became a different person. JP described how one day at
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lunch, JT all of a sudden didn't recognize any of the friends
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they were hanging out with. JP believed it had been Star
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sitting with her at lunch that day.
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JT also told her friend JP that she didn't like Star, that she
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was scared of her and feared that Star was becoming strong
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enough to take over. It wasn't just JP who was aware
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of her friend's battle with mental illness when she lived
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with her mother. JT heard voices, including those
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of Stars and Anna's, and would see things.
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No, we're not there. JT told her mother about what
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she was experiencing, but nothing was ever done to help
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this poor, mentally ill young girl.
29:18
The voices only grew in intensity and frequency once she
29:22
moved in with her father, who told her to shake it off.
29:26
And when Maria and her father Edwin were reunited, the other
29:31
two personalities only became louder and stronger.
29:35
JT spoke of how Starr screamed at her and pushed her to start
29:39
fights. GT also believed that someone
29:43
was watching her always. Even when she was in her own
29:47
room, she could feel their eyes watching her.
29:51
It got so extreme that she dressed behind the shower
29:55
curtain on some occasions. JT would not remember her
30:00
actions or events that had happened at all.
30:02
These blackouts sometimes even occurred while she was at
30:05
school. When they did, other kids would
30:07
tell her what she did or said, but she had no recollection of
30:11
doing saying anything. During this time, JT began
30:15
experiencing horrible, debilitating headaches.
30:17
JT later reported on several occasions that she did not
30:20
remember much of that night. She said she blacked out several
30:24
times earlier in the evening and after she went into her bedroom
30:27
and closed the door. She did not remember anything
30:30
else until after she met with JP later that night.
30:33
JT cried and begged for help for more than one person in her
30:38
life. She never hid what she was
30:40
experiencing. She was terrified and wanted
30:43
someone to stop the voices inside her head, but no one
30:47
listened until it was far too late.
30:50
Two months before the murder, she told her mother, father,
30:54
aunt, and aunt about what she was experiencing, but no one
30:58
took her symptoms seriously. She specifically described to
31:01
her father the blackouts, headaches, and that she was
31:05
hearing voices. GT also discussed all of this
31:08
with her school counselor, who contacted her father, Edwin
31:11
Wright, right away and encouraged him to get
31:13
professional help for his daughter.
31:16
He even gave her father the contact information for two
31:19
different mental health clinics, but instead, her father, Edwin
31:22
Tors, insisted that she go to the family doctor.
31:27
The doctor, Doctor Thomas Sutula, reported that JT was
31:30
hearing voices in her head and not their names or * and Anna.
31:35
But this doctor was not an expert to diagnose muscles
31:39
properly treat this girl's mental illness.
31:41
When she had appointments set up for counseling, JT was forced to
31:44
miss them first due to issues of insurance and then later on
31:48
because her father couldn't take her since he had back surgery.
31:52
This child's escalating mental health concerns were not
31:56
prioritized and as a result, everyone in her life, including
32:00
her, would suffer for this neglect.
32:04
On August 3rd, 2015, the state filed A petition for authority
32:07
to file juvenile delinquency action and tendered A
32:11
delinquency petition. It's cited that JT's actions
32:14
would constitute A felony if an adult had committed them.
32:19
The juvenile court authorized the state to file the
32:21
delinquency petition. Elizabeth Bellan was assigned as
32:25
JT's guardian at Lytum, also known as a GAL.
32:30
The Gals are essentially court appointed individuals who are
32:33
impartial and represent the interests of the juvenile during
32:36
legal proceedings. She initially filed a report
32:39
detailing the severity of G TS mental illness.
32:43
The court immediately ordered the GT be placed under
32:46
psychiatric evaluation and directed that the Elkhart County
32:49
Probation Department look into alternative placement options.
32:53
Only two days later, at the initial hearing, the State
32:56
announced that they weren't actively seeking a juvenile
32:58
waiver for the offender at this time.
33:01
On August 13th, 2015, JT filed a motion to determine her
33:06
competency to understand and engage in legal proceedings.
33:09
The juvenile court granted her motion and appointed mental
33:12
health professionals to evaluate JT's mental state.
33:16
It was during this time that the probation department looked into
33:19
several alternate places for JT to receive treatment, including
33:23
private and state-run facilities, but none of them
33:26
were willing to accept her. Almost two months would pass
33:30
until the Juvenile Courts evidentiary hearing was held.
33:33
One evaluation revealed how JT was preoccupied with the clown
33:38
Laughing Jack, and that she was suffering from paranoia and
33:42
hallucinations. 2 psychiatrists and one psychologist both
33:46
testified that JT's symptoms were consistent with DID and
33:50
PTSD. Another healthcare professional
33:52
concluded that JT was quite immature for 12 years old and
33:57
that her behavior and the way she processed her thoughts and
34:00
feelings mirrored a child much younger.
34:03
They all supported the finding that JT was not competent to
34:07
participate in her defense. The court directed that the
34:10
Division of Mental Health and Addiction in Indiana house JT in
34:14
a psychiatric facility until the time she was deemed competent.
34:18
They initially objected to this request and sought a Deputy
34:22
Attorney General to dispute this order.
34:25
However, the juvenile court reaffirmed the direction and on
34:28
December 1st, 2015, JT was transported to LaRue Carter
34:33
Hospital for psychiatric treatment.
34:35
Yet still this severely mentally ill girl was not taken care of
34:41
as she needed. The staff there claimed to have
34:44
no experience restoring the mental competence of a juvenile,
34:48
and they had doubts that it could be successful.
34:51
Over the next year and a half, the juvenile court held a review
34:54
hearing to gauge JT's advancement in treatment.
34:57
Although there were some signs of her improvement, the girls
35:00
still showed signs of both the ID and PTSD.
35:05
It was noted by more than one specialist that JT had been
35:07
suffering from PTSD. We often correlate PTSD or Post
35:12
Traumatic Stress Disorder with adult victims of trauma and
35:16
violence, in particular veterans, but anyone who has
35:20
experienced a traumatic event can develop PTSDPTSD is
35:25
characterized by symptoms which adversely affect mood,
35:28
cognition, bodily experience, and behavior.
35:31
Dissociative reactions, such as a flashback, can occur when a
35:35
person feels or behaves as if they are re experiencing the
35:39
traumatic event. Such a reaction could be a brief
35:42
momentary reaction or a total loss of awareness, including of
35:46
oneself and their environment. This is reflective of the
35:49
dissociative incidents JT continued to experience.
35:54
The symptoms of PTSD mirror those of adults, but teens in
35:59
particular are more likely to act out in more aggressive,
36:02
risky, and self-destructive ways.
36:04
PTSD can cause chronic impairment, result in
36:07
comorbidity, specifically comorbid psychiatric disorder,
36:12
which means simply that more than one disorder exists at once
36:17
and increases the risk of suicide for children.
36:20
They exhibit the symptoms in different ways and therefore the
36:23
criteria for evaluating children younger than 6 and older than
36:27
six are distinct. Psychotherapy is encouraged to
36:30
be the first line of treatment in children with medication
36:34
being avoided. It has been reported that
36:36
children as young as one years old have experienced PTSD.
36:41
Trauma is unique to the individual who experiences it.
36:45
There is no way to predict or determine who may develop long
36:49
term mental health concerns as a result.
36:52
Trauma, when concerning PTSD, is defined by the DSM 5 as exposure
36:57
to actual or threatened death, sexual violence, or serious
37:01
injury. This trauma can be experienced
37:03
directly or indirectly. It may be the result of an
37:06
individual's personal experience or they're witness to trauma or
37:11
even learning about trauma that someone else, particular, a
37:15
close friend or family member has dealt with.
37:19
I have mentioned the concept of generational trauma in relation
37:22
to Indigenous people and other cultures and groups of people
37:26
who have suffered great inflictions of violence,
37:28
disparity and genocide. This trauma and the emotional,
37:33
physical, and psychological aftermath that results from
37:37
these experiences can transfer itself onto other and younger
37:42
generations. Research has also shown that
37:45
this phenomenon exists within generations of a household where
37:50
they have suffered personal violence and trauma.
37:52
Similar to the theory of the intergenerational cycles of
37:55
violence, the abuse continues from one generation to the next.
38:00
When a child experiences and is exposed to violence within their
38:04
home, they become victims of and often perpetrators of abuse.
38:09
The child equates this treatment and these toxic violent
38:12
relationships as the norm and it is what they expect and they
38:17
often repeat as they become adults.
38:19
Studies on children brought up in abusive homes show that they
38:22
commonly develop behavioral problems, including regression
38:26
out of control behavior, and imitate the behaviors they are
38:30
exposed to. Children are the most vulnerable
38:33
to being victims of abuse and neglect, which can have long
38:36
term psychological effects on their brains during the most
38:40
critical stages of development. Much of the research on trauma
38:44
and its impact on children has been based on studies of child
38:47
sexual abuse. Emotional trauma has a negative
38:51
impact on a child's emotional relationships, profoundly
38:55
affecting how they view themselves and the world.
38:59
Physical, emotional, and mental abuse damages a child's basic
39:03
sense of safety. Children who are physically
39:06
abused and treated violently often become violent themselves.
39:10
Proposed by Yanov Bohlman in 1992, the Shattered Assumptions
39:14
theory helps to explain the massive impact trauma can have
39:19
which leads to a child suffering from PTSD.
39:23
Trauma in a child's life can drastically shift the way in
39:27
which a child views themselves in the world around them.
39:30
The basic beliefs that the world is kind, holds meaning, and that
39:35
they are of worth are shattered once a traumatic event occurs.
39:39
It is not surprising that intentional trauma versus
39:42
nonviolent or accidental trauma is correlated with a much higher
39:47
risk of developing PTSD, especially when the trauma is
39:51
repetitive and prolonged. Studies show that females are
39:55
more predisposed to PTSD. The males.
39:58
As far back as 1890, the strong connection between a
40:01
psychological trauma and mental illness has been established.
40:06
Psychopathy is not to be confused with psychosis.
40:09
Psychosis is the presence of either delusions or
40:12
hallucinations, sometimes both. They impair a thought disorder.
40:16
Can create behavioral disorganization, which includes
40:20
patterns of illogical, inconsistent, and erratic
40:23
actions and even catatonia. Catatonia is characterized by
40:28
abnormal movements, behaviors, or actions, or a complete lack
40:34
of response to one's own environment.
40:38
Research has shown that before the onset of psychosis, it is
40:41
very common for individuals to exhibit irregular or abnormal
40:46
signs of social and cognitive development.
40:49
Also known as the prodrome, this interim stage of psychosis is
40:54
often manifested in social withdrawal and strange, extreme,
40:59
and even suspicious behavior. Youth in this stage frequently
41:04
recognize that they are experiencing strange and
41:07
abnormal sensations or feelings, although typically they have
41:12
trouble acknowledging what they are seeing or hearing.
41:15
Unless specifically asked, this behavior is often inaccurately
41:20
diagnosed as a stage of major depressive disorder, which can
41:24
lead to improper treatment. The emotions or affect shown by
41:28
youth diagnosed with schizophrenia have traditionally
41:31
been described as flat, but they can also display themselves in
41:35
silly, even goofy behavior. The thought process is
41:38
characterized by abstraction and disorder, exhibited in symptoms
41:43
such as illogical or erratic thinking, a loss of sense of
41:48
self, and poor judgment and impulse control.
41:51
Childhood or adolescent schizophrenia is believed to be
41:54
caused by a combination of factors including behavioral,
41:58
environment and genetic. The research has been extensive
42:03
on the high risk of developing schizophrenia in addition to
42:07
other severe mental health disorders and relatives who have
42:10
the disorder. The despite of childhood
42:13
psychosis in children younger than age 12 is extremely rare,
42:17
with appearances of symptoms being a 60th as common as seen
42:22
in adult onset psychosis. Long before any symptoms of
42:26
psychosis are presented, children with schizophrenia in
42:30
particular exhibit other signs. It can also be exhibited in
42:34
delays in language and other cognitive functioning.
42:37
Even children in their first few years of life may present
42:41
psychological disorders in behaviors like posturing,
42:44
rocking, or arm lapping. As babies grow, it may show
42:48
itself an unusual crawling and later in anxious and disruptive
42:53
behavior. Psychotic symptoms in children
42:55
and adolescents are more likely a result of non schizophrenic
42:59
conditions, specifically bipolar disorder, major depression and
43:05
dissociative identity disorder. Symptoms of psychosis in
43:09
children are most often manifested in impaired
43:11
functioning flat a fact social isolation and hallucinations.
43:17
DID or Dissociative Identity disorder is an extremely rare
43:23
kind of mental health disorder formally known as multiple
43:27
personality disorder. There is no exact data on how
43:31
many individuals suffer from this condition.
43:34
This is mainly due to the diagnosis being very complicated
43:38
and the symptoms can resemble other illnesses, specifically
43:42
bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
43:45
I covered this topic quite extensively back in episode 22,
43:49
Killer Inside My Mind, which details the tragic story of
43:53
Juanita Maxwell. It's a fascinating and a
43:55
heartbreaking story of how a woman dealt with her childhood
43:59
trauma, believed to impact roughly 1.5% of the US
44:03
population. There are still minimal research
44:06
done on this mental health disorder, and some mental health
44:11
professionals dispute its existence at all.
44:15
DID is even more rare in children.
44:18
But since the disorder is known for being triggered by the
44:21
result of severe and prolonged trauma in childhood, it is not
44:26
surprising that some children begin to show symptoms very
44:30
young. According to Frank Putnam, a
44:34
psychiatrist for the National Institute of Mental Health, when
44:37
a young child is a victim of severe abuse, whether it is
44:41
physical, sexual and or extreme neglect, they are helpless to
44:45
fight off or even avoid their perpetrator.
44:49
In order to escape this dark reality, dissociation may be the
44:55
only way for them to endure their suffering by shielding
45:00
themselves from the truth. When an individual dissociates,
45:05
their brains processing of memory is disrupted so there is
45:09
little if any memory left of the trauma.
45:13
Traumatized children may dissociate anywhere at any time,
45:18
very much like JT. It could be at home, inside the
45:21
classroom, or somewhere in public.
45:23
It makes perfect logical sense that the more dissociation a
45:27
person, but especially a child, experiences, the more their
45:31
memories, emotions and thought processes counteract with normal
45:35
functioning and can cause a major increase and socialization
45:40
problems, as with adults. And accurate diagnosis for a
45:43
child has faced many obstacles. Children are often misdiagnosed
45:48
with depression and ADHD, which results to improper treatment
45:52
and therapy. According to Jeffrey Haugart, a
45:56
professor of human development at Cornell University, there are
45:59
specific symptoms that children in particular who suffer from
46:02
DID are known to experience. These may include what others
46:06
describe as daydreaming or spacing out, but they are
46:10
experiencing trance like states that the children escape to.
46:15
Children may also not understand why someone is upset with them
46:18
because they don't remember what happened during an episode.
46:23
A child may also exhibit extreme changes in how they look, what
46:28
they're interested in, what foods they eat, games they play,
46:32
and even severe, unexpected, and sometimes hard to believe
46:36
changes shown in their language, accent, or even how they speak
46:42
or write. DID is frequently associated
46:45
with periods of lost time, and children may experience not
46:49
remembering an entire day. Children with DID have also been
46:54
reported as having an imaginary friend at a much younger age
46:58
than is usually seen. They are more likely to develop
47:01
these imaginary friends as young as two to three years old and
47:05
frequently have more than one. These friends may not always
47:10
behave or act in the best interest of the child.
47:14
Children with DID may break out into periods of rage or violence
47:18
that seemingly arise for no known reason.
47:25
Children with this disorder have difficulty distinguishing
47:28
between reality and imagination. Typically, where as a child
47:32
stops believing in imaginary friends at the latest 10 years
47:36
old, a child with dissociative identity disorder may believe in
47:41
them for years. Much after this mark.
47:44
On March 23rd, 2017, J TS competency was formally
47:49
reassessed by two mental health care professionals.
47:52
They filed that JT was competent to stand trial.
47:55
The court then held a hearing to determine if her competency had
47:59
been restored. A week later, the state filed a
48:03
motion for waiver of Juvenile court.
48:05
They sought to prosecute JT as an adult.
48:09
For a juvenile to be waived to Criminal Court in Indiana, there
48:12
are specific requirements that the court must determine.
48:15
The juvenile court shall waive jurisdiction if, following a
48:18
full investigation and hearing, the court finds that the child
48:22
is charged with an act that would constitute murder if
48:25
committed by an adult. Second, there is a probable
48:27
cause to believe that the juvenile has committed the act.
48:30
And 3rd, the child was at least 12 years old when the ACT was
48:34
allegedly committed. That is, unless the court
48:37
determines that it is in the best interest of the child and
48:41
the safety and welfare of the community that they remain
48:44
within the juvenile system. After the initial hearing on
48:48
October 4th, a secondary evaluation was ordered to be
48:51
performed on JT. After the final evaluation was
48:55
conducted on January 19th, 2018, it was officially determined
49:01
that JT was now competent. The State will now present their
49:05
case to prosecute her as an adult.
49:08
Multiple evidentiary hearings took place between April and
49:11
June of that same year. The court determined that the
49:15
State had provided sufficient enough evidence to meet the
49:18
statutory elements of the juvenile waiver, but that the
49:22
mitigating circumstances surrounding JT changed the
49:26
course of this direction. It was determined that JT and
49:30
her counsel had proven that it was in the best interest of the
49:34
child, as well as the safety and welfare of the community for her
49:38
to remain in the juvenile system instead of being handled in
49:43
Criminal Court. The State filed a motion of
49:45
discretionary interlocutory appeal.
49:48
This is an appeal made in the intermediate stages before the
49:52
conclusion of legal proceeding or judgement of a case.
49:55
The reason this is done is that so one side can address critical
49:59
issues without having to wait for the final decision.
50:03
This motion was granted by the court with the exception of
50:05
holding JT in a secure residential facility for the
50:09
duration. Although she contains to receive
50:12
treatment, it was addressed in her cross appeal how several
50:15
residential mental health providers refused her treatment
50:19
due to the pending case in the interim of the appellate
50:22
hearing, JT was transferred back to the Juvenile Delinquency
50:26
Corrections in 2018 after she was declared competent to stand
50:30
trial. Her ongoing symptoms only
50:33
escalated after she was taken into the JDC.
50:37
According to her GAL, Bell and JT told her she was hearing
50:40
voices in her head telling her to do things and that her
50:43
hallucinations were increasing in frequency.
50:47
She was suffering from blackouts, headaches, and she
50:50
couldn't sleep. JT told Gal Bellin that six
50:53
months before the incident, she had asked her mother, father,
50:57
stepmother and her aunt for help, but no one paid attention
51:01
to the desperate pleas she made. If only the adults in her life
51:05
had listened when JT began exhibiting signs of psychosis,
51:10
her violent behavior and exacerbated mental illness may
51:14
have been prevented. The situation was also traumatic
51:17
for Gal Bellin. Each visit was accompanied by JT
51:21
screaming, crying, and begging for help.
51:25
One moment she would be rational and coherent, the next she would
51:29
be talking in circular form and not make any sense.
51:33
Based on her experiences with JT, Galbel and firmly believe
51:37
that the hospital may have been safer JT but it was not treating
51:41
her appropriately or effectively enough in terms of therapy.
51:46
JT was also openly frustrated with the doctors for not
51:50
treating her for DID because she still felt Anna and star with
51:55
her. According to Gal Bellin however,
51:58
JT symptoms seem to come back in full force.
52:01
She was suffering from episodes of self harm.
52:04
JT was plagued with headaches and insomnia.
52:08
Most concerning is that the voices were back and they were
52:11
stronger and angrier than ever. In April of that year, JT was
52:15
having suicidal ideations and communicated this to her
52:19
probation officer. In response, she was placed on
52:22
five minute checks. A week later, they rushed her to
52:25
the emergency room with a panic attack.
52:27
She spoke about the voices she was still hearing and told them
52:31
about her. Her family had done nothing to
52:33
help her. A couple weeks later, JT once
52:38
again reported thoughts of killing herself.
52:41
Two days after this she identified herself as Star and
52:44
Anna. To the staff members of the JDC.
52:47
She exhibited 2 glaringly different personalities.
52:50
One was full of rage, the other childlike.
52:55
Getting us. Then they found JT cutting
52:58
herself, to which she said she had all intention of continuing
53:03
to harm herself again. They took her into the ER where
53:06
she was treated and then returned back to the JDC.
53:10
On May 15th she contacted a therapist describing how people
53:14
kept screaming at her inside her head and they just wouldn't
53:17
stop. This time when JT was
53:19
transferred to the emergency room, she was unresponsive.
53:23
Except she told the doctors I didn't want to come.
53:26
She is going to be pissed off. 3 days later she called her
53:31
therapist terrified. She told them that she was
53:34
scared of switching and someone else getting hurt.
53:40
When JT was moved from the JDC to the hospital in December of
53:43
that year, a doctor placed her on Risperdal, which is an
53:47
antipsychotic drug. She continued on this medication
53:51
through early March 2016. Contrary to the initial
53:54
physicians who evaluated JT's mental state, the primary doctor
53:58
there who treated her, Doctor Syed Khan, did not see any signs
54:03
of DID. He did, however, believe that
54:06
she was suffering from PTSD. The medication and therapy
54:10
seemed to have made a drastic change in her mood and behavior.
54:13
By the end of that period, JT had a positive contact record
54:17
and was reported as being one of the most well behaved residents.
54:21
She also began to improve in school and was earning good
54:24
grades while a resident at the hospital.
54:26
JT talked with a counselor every week, and she was finally
54:31
capable of processing the grief and regret she felt over causing
54:35
Maria's death. Although JT's mental state did
54:39
exhibit some positive signs, she continued to experience symptoms
54:43
of dissociation, PTSD, severe depression and psychosis.
54:48
The young girl's battle with her sanity was far from over.
54:52
A report by Doctor Jeffrey Vanderwater Piercey, who assess
54:56
her competency, found that JT's mental state illustrated a very
55:00
severe and complicated clinical picture.
55:04
It was also recorded how she held a great amount of anger
55:08
toward her parents, whom she believed had let her down by not
55:12
getting her the psychiatric help when she asked for it.
55:16
Her gal Bellin visited every month while she resided in the
55:19
hospital. JT continued to tell her very
55:22
disturbing things that she was hearing and seeing, which was
55:26
sometimes the opposite of what she was conveying to the staff.
55:31
JT confessed to Galbellan while she was at La Rue Carter
55:34
Hospital. She saw shadows and figures
55:36
moving around the room at night. She became so paranoid at one
55:41
point she even booby trapped her room.
55:44
She prevented the bookshelves from falling forward or the
55:47
doors opening. There was a painting of a tree
55:49
on the wall which JT described how the tree had arms and they
55:54
were waving around. The voices she heard were more
55:57
or less whispers and most of the time JT couldn't make out what
56:02
they were saying. Gal Bellin later testified in
56:04
court that she believed JT was actively minimizing her symptoms
56:08
with a hopes that she would be released.
56:12
The exact type of mental illness or illnesses JT was inflicted
56:16
with very depending on her diagnosis from psychiatrist.
56:20
In November 2015, she was assessed by Doctor Alan Barsman,
56:25
who was a specialist in the field of child psychiatry.
56:29
He recommended that she undergo extensive therapy for both TID
56:34
and PTSD as soon as possible. However, as mentioned earlier,
56:38
Doctor Syed Khan from the hospital disagreed that she
56:41
suffered from dissociative identity disorder, but he did
56:45
believe she was experiencing severe PTSD.
56:49
Around the time she was experiencing heightened symptoms
56:52
of her mental illness, Doctor Antoinette Kavanaugh, A forensic
56:56
psychologist, was brought on to assess JT's competency.
57:01
She interviewed JT, her parents, her half sister, and Gal Bellin
57:05
to determine whether or not it was appropriate to try JT as an
57:09
adult. When she had JT fill out several
57:11
diagnostic questionnaires and personality assessments, she was
57:15
taken back by the extent of abuse and neglect the young girl
57:20
had endured in her life. JT indicated that she had been
57:24
emotionally and physically neglected and abused and had
57:27
been severely sexually abused. In fact, her scores in
57:31
comparison to other female juveniles who were in
57:34
residential treatment programs who had committed similar
57:38
felonious acts revealed levels of abuse and neglect that were
57:43
much worse than any others she had previously assessed.
57:47
The doctor also determined that GT had severe issues of
57:51
depression, memory, and suffered from disordered thinking.
57:55
She believed that the goal needed to be focused on fusing
57:58
her personalities together while beginning to understand the
58:02
trauma that had triggered her mental illness.
58:05
Doctor Kavanaugh also testified in court that JT did not exhibit
58:09
any kind of antisocial or conduct disorder, which many
58:14
other juveniles who act out in violent ways have.
58:17
She stated that if it weren't for her severe mental illness,
58:21
JT would not pose a threat to herself or anyone else.
58:25
During the State's presentation of evidence to support JT being
58:28
waved to Criminal Court, they introduced elements of
58:32
premeditation. J TS behavior on the night of
58:34
the attack brought into question her lack of criminal culpability
58:38
due to her mental illness. It was learned that JT had made
58:41
specific plans to leave her home on the night of the murder.
58:45
She had sent a text to her friend JP to meet her at the
58:48
park near her house at 10:00 PM. JP, who was her friend, was
58:52
fully aware of her alternate personality, Star and Anna, with
58:56
whom she had had more than one interaction with.
59:00
Within the text in all caps, she wrote that she could not take it
59:05
anymore, and she expressed to her friend JP how she was about
59:09
to snap. The text between the two girls
59:13
discussed what to bring for supplies like food, water, and
59:16
clothes. JP shared later with the place
59:19
that she believed it was * who was texting her that night.
59:23
The search on her mobile phone revealed that JT had looked up
59:26
some bizarre and suspicious things online.
59:29
The girl had searched how to make poison and sharpen knives.
59:33
JT looked up how to hide from law enforcement and survive in
59:36
the woods. There was also a very disturbing
59:38
video. She had searched with
59:40
individuals stabbed to death, a website with violent stories
59:44
like creepypasta, and for the song Pop Goes the Weasel.
59:48
That song, as aforementioned, was in connection with Laughing
59:51
Jack. JP later told investigators that
59:54
JT said her signal upon arrival at the park that night would be
59:58
whistling that song. She also had hidden weapons that
1:00:02
were used in the attack, specifically the knives in her
1:00:05
room. JT had also started a fire in
1:00:08
her bedroom and disabled the smoke alarm to help lure Maria
1:00:12
to our room and initiate the assault.
1:00:15
Now, what I find to be so interesting, and tends to make
1:00:18
me a bit hesitant to believe that JT does have DIT, is that
1:00:23
she was aware of her alternate personalities.
1:00:26
Based on the in depth research I have done on this subject, the
1:00:30
host personality, that is the primary individual, is unaware
1:00:35
or conscious of the other personalities.
1:00:38
Apparently, some physicians disagree on whether the factor
1:00:41
of this condition is true, and in some circumstances, the host
1:00:46
may be aware that they have multiple personalities.
1:00:50
I'm not an expert on the matter, nor a psychiatrist, but it seems
1:00:54
that if the host is aware, then that defeats the primary purpose
1:00:58
of the other personalities, which is to protect and shield
1:01:02
the host. Nevertheless, it can't be denied
1:01:04
that GT is a severely mentally ill young girl.
1:01:08
Even on, the state presented a strong case for waving juvenile
1:01:13
jurisdiction over the young defendant.
1:01:14
The juvenile court denied its request based on evidence you're
1:01:19
hearing. This is a required procedure
1:01:21
that occurs when the state has filed A petition to waive a
1:01:25
juvenile offender. As mentioned in previous
1:01:27
episodes, it provides both sides the opportunity to present their
1:01:31
reasons for or against the waiving of a juvenile.
1:01:35
Everything from delinquent history, known childhood
1:01:38
background, and mental health, in addition to the specific
1:01:41
circumstances including aggravating and mitigating
1:01:45
factors of the case surrounding the incident are presented
1:01:48
during this hearing. It couldn't be denied that JT
1:01:51
fared far worse after she was returned to Corrections versus
1:01:55
her residential stay at the hospital.
1:01:57
The juvenile court would come to the conclusion that JT needed to
1:02:00
remain in a secure residential facility versus being sent to
1:02:05
the Justice Department of Corrections and be given proper
1:02:09
treatment by medical professionals, ideally those who
1:02:12
specialized in DID. The state did their best to
1:02:15
argue that JT may still be placed in a residential facility
1:02:18
within the Department of Corrections if tried as an
1:02:21
adult, but the juvenile court wasn't taking their chances.
1:02:25
In addition to the fact that the Department of Corrections is not
1:02:28
trained to treat DID, nor do they treat underlying trauma, GT
1:02:34
will be held at a residential facility and continue to receive
1:02:38
psychiatric treatment for her mental illness until she turns
1:02:41
21. Unless something radical,
1:02:44
especially something violent, occurs during the time frame
1:02:47
that requires the juvenile court or the state to intervene, JT
1:02:51
will be released back into society with no record of any
1:02:56
kind. What is encouraging is that if a
1:02:59
child is diagnosed and begins treatment early, their prognosis
1:03:03
is very positive. Adults and children alike are
1:03:06
most often treated with psychotherapy.
1:03:08
Nonverbal forms like art, play therapy, and hypnosis are
1:03:12
especially effective for younger patients since it helps them to
1:03:15
act out or express the trauma differently and can be much
1:03:20
easier than openly talking about it.
1:03:23
Children diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder
1:03:26
have a much higher rate of recovery than adults.
1:03:30
Mental health disorders affect a large number of adolescents, and
1:03:34
the numbers only continue to increase each year.
1:03:37
In 2023, one in 512 to 17 year olds were diagnosed with
1:03:42
suffering from some form of mental health condition.
1:03:46
Anxiety was the most common, followed by depression.
1:03:49
The third most common was contact behavior disorder.
1:03:53
Individuals with schizophrenia and similar mental health
1:03:55
disorders face an increased risk of suicide.
1:03:59
Research has revealed that 90% of youth who killed themselves
1:04:03
had a mental disorder. An upward of 30% of
1:04:07
schizophrenic patients attempt suicide at least once.
1:04:10
Population based studies, which often involve self reporting,
1:04:14
have discovered that higher than 25% of children and adolescents
1:04:19
have experienced some form of psychosis.
1:04:23
Some studies done on suicide prevention in high school
1:04:26
students have shown an unexpectedly high correlation of
1:04:30
34% of students who experienced auditory hallucinations and
1:04:36
those with suicidal ideation. Ideally and most often a parent
1:04:41
or guardian of the child would report concerns of mental
1:04:44
health, in particular when there are signs of psychosis.
1:04:48
But what can be done for someone like JT?
1:04:50
When a child's symptoms are ignored, a young girl's fears
1:04:55
and cries for help are pushed aside.
1:04:58
In the case of JT, her counselor immediately reached out to her
1:05:02
father and encouraged him to get his daughter professional help.
1:05:06
He minimized and did not prioritize getting his sick
1:05:10
daughter treatment. Her father and all of the adults
1:05:13
in her life failed this poor sick young girl.
1:05:17
She was desperate, wanting their help.
1:05:20
I told them everything she was experiencing and how scared and
1:05:25
sick she was and they did nothing to get the help this
1:05:29
girl needed until the worst possible scenario played out.
1:05:36
I wonder whether her mother and father have supported her
1:05:40
throughout this process and try to make amends for the trauma
1:05:44
they put her through and acknowledge how they failed her.
1:05:49
There are many cases in which I struggle whether a young
1:05:53
offender should be tried as an adult or remain within the
1:05:56
juvenile court, but in the case of JTI, agree a wholeheartedly
1:06:01
with the juvenile court's decision to prioritize her
1:06:05
psychological well-being and treatment over penalizing her.
1:06:09
All of the signs of mental illness were there and this
1:06:11
young, sick little girl begged for professional help multiple
1:06:17
times. Unfortunately for her victim and
1:06:21
the entire family, her cries were not taken seriously enough.
1:06:26
I can only hope that time and treatment will heal her trauma
1:06:31
and that JT can fully recover from her mental illness.
1:06:35
Thank you so much for listening. I would love to hear your
1:06:38
thoughts on this case. Please share your opinion on
1:06:42
whether or not you agree with the Juvenile Court's decision.
1:06:45
Please participate in the poll I have provided.
1:06:50
Until next time, stay safe and watch over shades of Murder
1:06:58
happening in the streets next door, especially inside your own
1:07:04
home. Shades of Murder is created,
1:07:08
researched, written and edited by Alita Caldwell.
1:07:13
Original music Stranger composed by stereo code.