Mother and 9yo son slain in Hallsville IL
Indigo Ace
Foster relative tells of despair
By Edith Brady-Lunny
eblunny;@mchsi.com
CLINTON -- Jean Plotke was kept awake most of Tuesday night by the
image of her two foster grandchildren soaked in blood, the oldest one
delivering the news “Mommy and Kendall are dead.”
Katie Griffieth, 28, and her son Kendall, 9, were found stabbed to
death in their home at 202 Harvest St. in Hallsville late Tuesday
afternoon by her son Zachariah, 3, and 18-month-old daughter Verlin,
according to Plotke, who lives next door to the homicide scene.
Plotke’s foster son, Roger Griffieth, was the father of the three
children at the home and two others who were away visiting relatives.
The two other children, both older daughters, remained out of town
Wednesday.
Plotke said Katie Griffieth and her foster son had been separated for
about two years.
The slain woman was about six months pregnant, said Plotke.
Zachariah and Verlin found the bodies inside the home and walked a
block to the home of Rocky Followell, Plotke’s son-in-law, Plotke
said. Rocky’s 15-year-old son, Tim, went with Followell and the
children to find the bodies.
Jean Plotke said she went to town with a grandson after 3 p.m. and
returned to find police and ambulances at the Griffieth home about an
hour later.
Plotke learned details of the incident after talking with Followell
and Timothy Plotke.
“The little ones went to Rocky’s house and knocked on the door. They
were covered in blood. He said ‘my Mommy and Kendall are dead,’” said
Plotke, her voice shaking and fighting back tears.
Plotke acknowledged that her foster son and his estranged wife had
problems. She said he worked at a factory in Champaign and was working
at the time of the incident. Roger Griffieth lives in Clinton.
Plotke and other family members believe the mother and her child may
have been murdered as many as 12 hours before the toddlers left the
house to report the killings. Police later confirmed they could have
been killed as early as Monday night.
Shanna Plotke, who is married to Jean Plotke’s grandson Joseph, said
she heard loud voices coming from the Griffieth house about 3 a.m.
Another family member who lives east of the Griffieth home said he
thought he heard a woman saying “help me” about the same time, said
Jean Plotke.
The Plotke family gave several interviews to the news media Wednesday
afternoon as they tried to come to grips with the violence that
occurred a short distance from their home.
“It was hard to sleep last night. I just laid there and thought, why?
I thought about that poor little kid who didn’t have a chance,” said
Jean Plotke.
Jean Plotke said she has spoken with Roger Griffieth since the
tragedy.
“He said ‘Mom, I don’t have any tears left.’ I told him not to worry,
I still had plenty,” she said.
Jean Plotke served as a foster parent to many children, including
Roger Griffieth, who came to live with her when he was 8 and stayed
until he married.
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2006/07/12/news/116192.txt
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Indigo Ace
No arrests in Hallsville case
By Edith Brady-Lunny
eblunny;@mchsi.com
CLINTON -- No arrests had been made Wednesday in the stabbing deaths
of a 28-year-old mother and her 9-year-old son whose bodies were
discovered Tuesday afternoon in their Hallsville home.
Katie R. Griffieth and her son Kendall Griffieth were found dead in
their home, reportedly by two of her small children. DeWitt County
Sheriff Roger Massey said police believe the victims may have died
late Monday night or early Tuesday morning, but police were alerted
when a relative called 911 at 3:41 p.m. Tuesday.
Massey told reporters Wednesday that a third victim has been
determined in the case: the unborn child of Griffieth, who was about
six months pregnant.
Officials worked through the night on the case.
“We’ve completed dozens of interviews of people throughout the
community, and we are continuing an intensive investigation,” Massey
said.
Coroner Alex Calvert did not attend the press conference and could not
be reached for comment Wednesday.
When asked if police have a specific suspect or person of interest who
is the focus of their investigation, Massey said, “Anyone we interview
is a person of interest.”
The sheriff declined to answer questions about details of the
investigation, including the type of weapon used to make the multiple
stab wounds and how the bodies were discovered.
Jean Plotke, the foster mother of the children’s father, Roger
Griffieth, said two of the Griffieths’ children discovered the bodies.
Zachariah Grieffith, 3, and 18-month-old Verlin Griffieth went to a
nearby residence and told the owner, “My Mommy and Kendall are dead.”
The resident was Plotke’s son-in-law Rocky Followell.
Massey confirmed Zachariah and Verlin had contact with the bodies
before adults were notified of the deaths, but he declined to go into
detail.
Griffieth had five children, three at the home and two older daughters
who were out of town with relatives Tuesday.
Massey would not comment on previous reports that the Department of
Children and Family Services took custody Tuesday of the two children
who were at the scene. The older daughters remain out of town, Massey
said.
Roger Griffieth was at the press conference and offered a brief,
muffled response to reporters’ questions as he left in a car, saying
the victims were too young to die.
An unidentified woman sobbed and commented during the sheriff’s
remarks, “I think I’m going to pass out.”
The children’s father and the victim had been separated for about two
years. He lives in Clinton.
The sheriff said residents of the small village west of Clinton should
not be fearful in their homes because of the homicide.
“We don’t believe at all that this was a random act,” said Massey.
The double homicide is the second time in less than three years that
children have been homicide victims in DeWitt County.
In 2003, Christopher Hamm, 6, Austin Brown, 3, and Kyleigh Hamm, 23
months, drowned in Clinton Lake after their mother’s car became
submerged in the lake.
Their mother, Amanda Hamm, and her former boyfriend, Maurice LaGrone
Jr., were charged with murder in the deaths. LaGrone has been
convicted and Hamm is set to go on trial in October.
Massey said the deaths of children are a special category of tragedy
for a community.
“These are all very tragic circumstances. It’s tragic to the families
and these small communities where everybody knows everybody. Anytime
you involve young children, it becomes more and more tragic,” said
Massey.
The Hallsville deaths are being investigated by the sheriff
department, Illinois State Police and the Clinton Police Department.
Anyone with information on the Hallsville homicides was asked to
contact the DeWitt County Sheriff Department at (217) 935-3196.
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2006/07/12/news/doc44b575faadfb8876821675.txt
Nancy Rudins
I heard about this on WCIA News when I got home yesterday. Unbelievable!
Like the Haigh slayings, police are saying they don't think this is
a random attack either. Other than that, they're being pretty quiet
so far.
As for the Haighs, there's speculation about a money motive somewhere.
They were rather wealthy after buying homes, fixing them up, and
reselling them. It's rumored that they may have loaned money out
to someone. I'll just wait and see what turns out.
Kind regards,
Nancy
--
Live life like making pudding. Cook, then chill.
http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/People/nrudins/
Indigo Ace
<nru...@ncsa.uiuc.edu> wrote:
>I heard about this on WCIA News when I got home yesterday. Unbelievable!
>Like the Haigh slayings, police are saying they don't think this is
>a random attack either. Other than that, they're being pretty quiet
>so far.
>
>As for the Haighs, there's speculation about a money motive somewhere.
>They were rather wealthy after buying homes, fixing them up, and
>reselling them. It's rumored that they may have loaned money out
>to someone. I'll just wait and see what turns out.
>
>Kind regards,
>Nancy
Thanks, Nancy. Money sounds like a good motive in the Haigh case. As
for this one, I am wondering about the guy involved in Griffieth's
pregnancy, which is apparently not her ex.
Here's today's story, from the [Bloomington IL] Pantagraph--
Massey: Murder probe won't be lengthy
By Edith Brady-Lunny
eblunny;@mchsi.com
CLINTON -- DeWitt County Sheriff Roger Massey said he doesn’t expect a
lengthy investigation into the deaths of a Hallsville mother and her
son, but no one was in custody Thursday.
Katie Griffieth, 29, and 8-year-old Kendall Griffieth were found
stabbed to death in their home at 202 Harvest Street in Hallsville
Tuesday afternoon.
Two of Griffieth’s other children - a 3-year-old boy and an
18-month-old girl - reportedly walked to the nearby home of a relative
and told about finding the bodies.
Massey said Thursday the investigation by his department, the Illinois
State Police and Clinton Police Department is progressing.
"I don’t think this will be anything like the LaGrone and Hamm case. I
think we will have some answers quickly," said Massey, referring to
the cases of Maurice LaGrone Jr. and Amanda Hamm.
The Clinton couple were arrested and charged with murder in 2003 four
months after the car they were in sank in Clinton Lake with Hamm’s
three children inside.
Two days after the Griffieth family members were found, Massey said
investigators were still conducting interviews and gathering evidence.
Each interview, said Massey, is bringing police closer to answers in
the case.
In Hallsville, residents remained jittery as they waited for news of
an arrest. A homeowner next door to the Harvest Street house called
police after seeing bright lights in the house after 1 a.m. Thursday.
They were told investigators were working and to expect further police
presence until the case is solved.
John Clark, his wife and five children live about a block from the
Griffieth home. Like everyone, he was sad to hear the news about
Kendall, a little boy who played with one of the Clark’s sons.
"Our kids hung around their kids. They road bikes and skateboards
together. They were just active kids," said Clark.
Clark was not looking forward to going in the house to tell their
children about the death of the neighborhood playmate. "That’s going
to be hard," said Clark.
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2006/07/13/news/doc44b67f2aed0a1468166131.txt
Nancy Rudins
> On Thu, 13 Jul 2006 08:24:31 -0500, Nancy Rudins
> <nru...@ncsa.uiuc.edu> wrote:
>
>> I heard about this on WCIA News when I got home yesterday. Unbelievable!
>> Like the Haigh slayings, police are saying they don't think this is
>> a random attack either. Other than that, they're being pretty quiet
>> so far.
>>
>> As for the Haighs, there's speculation about a money motive somewhere.
>> They were rather wealthy after buying homes, fixing them up, and
>> reselling them. It's rumored that they may have loaned money out
>> to someone. I'll just wait and see what turns out.
>>
>> Kind regards,
>> Nancy
>
> Thanks, Nancy. Money sounds like a good motive in the Haigh case. As
> for this one, I am wondering about the guy involved in Griffieth's
> pregnancy, which is apparently not her ex.
>
> Here's today's story, from the [Bloomington IL] Pantagraph
Thanks for the update. I think you're probably right.
Kind regards,
Nancy
--