Jada Justice to Be Laid to Rest Today
2-year-old killed, allegedly at hands of heroin-using cousin
Jada Justice -- who was almost 3 years old -- was first reported missing June 16. Her body was discovered encased in concrete nine days later.
Funeral services will be held today at noon for Jada Justice, the 2-year-old who was beaten to death, allegedly at the hands of her cousin.
Visitation will begin at noon at Edmonds and Evans Funeral Home Portage Chapel, the NWI Times reported. Funeral services will begin at 2 p.m., and then Jada will be laid to rest in Portage's heritage Cemetery.
Jada was being watched by her cousin, Engelica Castillo at the time of her death. Castillo initially reported that the girl had disappeared from her car when she went into an area gas station, but police suspected that wasn't the whole story. They later got Castillo's boyfriend, Timothy Tkachik, to confess that Castillo beat the girl to death and the two disposed of the body, according to a police affidavit.
In the affidavit, Tkachik described gruesome details of how the couple tried to get rid of the body. They first planned to burn Jada's body, but only ended up injuring Tkachik when gasoline they were using exploded. Instead, they went to an area hardware store, purchased a plastic tub and concrete, and encased the girl in it before dumping her in a swampy area.
The pair were charged with murder, and prosecutors are considering seeking the death penalty.
For more in-depth coverage of the Jada Justice case, check out the NWI Times' interactive page.
Posted Tuesday, Jul 14, 2009 - 1:59 AM CST
