A man in Illinois is finally being sentenced after pleading guilty for the drownings of his three children during a custodial visit last year in 2022.
Jason Karels, 36, pleaded guilty but mentally ill on Friday to three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of his three children, ages 5, 3 and 2.
Authorities said Karels drowned Bryant, 5, Cassidy, 3 and Gideon, 2, at his Round Lake Beach, Illinois, home on June 13, 2022.
Officers who were called to the scene by the childrens’ mother said they found a note from Karels that said, “If I can’t have them neither can you.”
Later that evening, Karel’s was arrested by officers near Joliet, Illinois, following a 17-minute pursuit by state troopers. The police chase led Karels to wreck his car near Interstate 80.
“While being removed from the car, Karels made statements to police officers regarding his role in the triple homicide,” the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office release states.
Round Lake Beach Police Chief Gilbert Rivera said, “Karel’s also said he attempted to commit suicide several times after the deaths of the children.”
The children’s mother, Debra Karels, told authorities that her and Jason were in the middle of a divorce because he constantly played games leading to neglecting his family.
Debra added tearfully, “I discovered the dead bodies of my children lying on a bed when I went to pick them up that day.”
“I thought what was right was the father should be involved. The father should see them,” she said. “I just had so much faith; so much faith, so much love that it would all work out in the end, and it didn’t.”
Lake County Community Action collectively created a GoFundMe campaign to financially support Debra following her childrens’ deaths. As of Monday, it had raised upward of $100,000.
“This case has devastated the Round Lake Beach community and beyond. We hope that today’s resolution provides some measure of closure, and we will continue to provide support to the family,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said in the release.
As part of the plea, Karels will be sentenced to natural life in the Illinois Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole, prosecutors said. A pre-sentence investigation was ordered for Karels and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 16, 2024.
