original story posted June 30, 2009
A long ten days have gone by since reports came of Jada Justice disappearing from a car outside of a gas station. There is finally closure to the whereabouts of the infant.
Jada Justice was found dead last Thursday in a nearby swamp.
On Friday, it was announced by authorities that the remains found were of the missing girl and reported that she had been burned and encased in concrete before attempts were made to dispose of the body.
Reports stated that Jada Justice went missing
the evening of June 16 from a gas station in Gary, Ind. as she was waiting for her cousin, who was babysitting, to return to the car.
Engelica Castillo, 18, who was the cousin of young Jada stated that she took her little cousin with her to the gas station in order to get milk. Parking the car on the side, not only did she reportedly leave the door unlocked, but also left the child in the car alone at 9:30 pm.
Upon returning to the vehicle, Castillo said that young Jada was nowhere to be found.
When asked the reasoning behind Castillo leaving Jada in an unlocked car, she was unable to provide an adequate response.
Jada's mother, Melissa Swiontek, said Tuesday, “I've asked her, and she just keeps telling me ‘I don't know, I don't know. I was just running in real quick'.”
In a turn of events, on Friday, Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter made the announcement that Castillo and her boyfriend, Tim Tkachik, 23, had both been charged with murder, two counts of neglect of a dependent, battery and false informing.
This news came from Tim Tkachik when he reported to the police the events that had occurred, according to the affidavit.
Unlike similar cases such as the disappearances Caylee Anthony and Haleigh Cummings in Florida, or Neveah Buchanan in Michigan, there wasn't an equal amount of coverage or national news placed on the missing black child.
Kathy Chaney, a journalist for the “Chicago Defender” expressed her irritation in the lack of national coverage of Jada's case and proceeded to send e-mails to her friends in the media to make them aware of the news which thankfully was heeded and publicized on the “Nancy Grace” show and “American's Most Wanted.”
Gary Police Commander Anthony Titus reported to BlackAmericaWeb.com last week that dogs, helicopters and highly trained officers were implemented in the search for the missing Jada.
As a memorial for young Jada, 200 silver and pink balloons were released at a park in East Chicago where her parents and siblings were in attendance, according to an article in the Post-Tribune.
“For the past two weeks, I've been running, so I haven't been able to really cry about this situation,” Clarence Justice, her father, told the Post Tribune. “I'm going to miss everything about her.”
Stay tuned for more information and a deep look into what the affidavit revealed…
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