An estranged father who allegedly drowned his three children in a bathtub left their mother a note that read ‘If I can’t have them neither can you’.
Jason Karels, 35, has been charged with murdering his three children, Bryant, 5, Cassidy, 3, and 2-year-old Gideon in a bathtub at his home when they visited him over the weekend.
After committing the gruesome murders, Karels tried to kill himself before leading police on a chase throughout the suburbs outside of Chicago, which concluded with him crashing his car, according to the .
The children’s bodies were discovered during a welfare check on the home but their father and his car were missing.
They later spotted Karels driving along the I-57 and chased him for 17 minutes before he crashed.
Karels admitted to police that he was responsible for the deaths of his three children.
Police Chief Gilbert Rivera said: ‘After the crash, Karels made statements to police officers involved in the chase and wearing body-worn cameras indicating he was responsible for the deaths of the children at the Round Lake Beach home.
‘He also said he attempted to commit suicide several times after the deaths of the children.’
Karels was taken to a hospital to treat his injuries before he was booked in jail the following day. He was charged with three counts of murder and is currently being held on $10million bond.
Preliminary autopsies of the children found that they had all died from drowning.
They were supposed to be picked up by their mother, who is estranged from her husband. When it seemed like no one was home, the mother asked police to perform a welfare check at his house. While there, police found the three children dead.
Police said the murders were an isolated incident spurred by domestic situation.
According to a page set up for the family’s needs, ‘On the 13th of June, 2022, a father allegedly took the lives of all three of his children in the most violent way possible. Left to deal with this tragedy is the estranged wife of the murderer of those three innocent angels.’
Lake County Board member Dick Barr, who set up the page for the grieving mother, said: ‘She wants people to know who they were, and she wants people to remember them.’
He added: ‘This tragedy happened in my own neighborhood, and I need to make certain that this mother has everything she needs to not have to worry about money at this terrible time.’
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