Update on Katherine Bunnell Story
Today, I received an email from a reader, Jane, about last weekend’s story “Katherine Bunnell Murders Three-Year-Old Nephew. (Look at the comments under the post for more from Jane.) She wrote,
I wanted to point out an error to you on a recent posting on Parents Behaving Badly. This is regarding the Katherine Bunnell case in RI. She did not act alone, she acted in concert w/her scumbag boyfriend. You said in the post that he “called 911 immediately”. He did not. Also, he is the one who threw the child into the wall, probably inflicting the fatal blows. His cousin is the one who called 911. I just thought you might want to correct the post.
So I went back to the original story I found in the Norwich Bulletin which said that Delestre’s cousin (Delestre is Bunnell’s boyfriend) said she hung up the phone after he called 911.
I honestly thought that the he referenced was the boyfriend and not the cousin, which was a mistake on my part. In fact, Delestre is awaiting trial for the murder of the little boy according to the article that Jane referenced.
At the trial, T.J.’s babysitter, Kayla Roderick, testified that Bunnell beat the child then Delestre hurled him across the living room. Delestre’s cousin, Jose A. Santiago, also testified and said he was the one who called 911 and tried to perform CPR on T.J.
Two seemingly credible witnesses mean that both Bunnell and her boyfriend will be put away for a long time. Bunnell has been found guilty of second-degree murder, which carries a sentence of 10 years to life in prison, with parole eligibility after 20 years. She was also found guilty of murder conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Thanks Jane, for the correction and update.
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POSTED IN: foster+parents, murder
18 opinions for Update on Katherine Bunnell Story
Ihavekidstoo
May 20, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Jane, thanks for the clarification. Mistakes happen and Ann Marie and Joel have always been good about correcting them. You’re right that they don’t want to put errors out there.
Personally, I’d like to see both Bunnell and Delestre get the maximum sentence the law will allow … and then a little “prison justice” from their fellow inmates. And I’d like to personally kick the snott out T.J.’s mother, who - if she had her shit together as a mom - could have kept her son out of the hands of his psycho aunt and her boyfriend.
It looks like every adult in his life failed T.J. Please excuse me. I feel a need to go hug and kiss my son right now.
JaneRI444
May 20, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Exactly - every single adult in that boy’s life failed him (including social workers). I’ll never forget this story and this little boy. I can’t even imagine the terror he must’ve felt being yanked out of his bed in the middle of the night to be beaten (and the cold milk - it defies reason). And not one adult he could look to for protection.
rockdoll_71
May 20, 2008 at 8:16 pm
I hope both of those scumbags get what they deserve and I tell you what- it sure as hell is more than ten effing years!
JaneRI444
May 21, 2008 at 4:20 am
Rockdoll, I explained in the other thread but I’ll post it here too. She has not been sentenced to 10 yrs. She was convicted last week of murder 2. The penalty for that in RI is 10 yrs to life. There is no reason yet to think she will only get 10 yrs.
JustJess
May 21, 2008 at 8:00 pm
I may have missed something, I don’t know, but why didn’t the babysitter and/or the cousin stop what was happening?
rockdoll_71
May 21, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Jane, I get that you have a need to feel superior to us and all of that but I CAN READ. I know that it doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s going to get 10 years, ok?
I still stand by what I said: THESE ASSHOLES DESERVE MORE TIME than the 10 years that they could POSSIBLY get.
JaneRI444
May 22, 2008 at 4:13 am
JustJess, she was 15 and afraid. I struggle w/that and try not to feel angry w/a girl so young, but I can’t help it. What really upsets me is that she simply went home and went to bed. I can’t believe she wasn’t so upset that she didn’t wake up her mom to say “you’ll never believe what I just saw”. She actually went to bed. Who could sleep?
Rockdoll, right now only SHE is up for the possible 10 yr sentence (you said these assholes, and what “they” deserve). He will be tried over the next couple of months and it is expected to be a conviction for 1st degree murder, which in RI carries the penalty of life w/no parole.
Ihavekidstoo
May 22, 2008 at 4:48 am
Jane, I agree. I find it very upsetting that anyone would witness this and not do more to stop it. I know that at 15, physically stepping between these killers and the baby might have gotten her injured too. And it’s possible Bunnell threatened her in the car on the way home - we’ll never know. Still, you would think she would have at LEAST told her parents. It’s this same “don’t get involved, not my business” mentality that leads people to see babies sitting alone in hot cars on a summer day and just keep walking instead of picking up their cell phones and dialing 911.
As for the cousin who was too busy puking in the bushes to do anything more than call 911 AFTER the baby bounced off the wall, well, at the very least he deserves to get the snott kicked out of him. And don’t even get me STARTED on T.J.’s biological “mother.” If she were a better mother, he would never have been placed in this situation to begin with. She’s just as guilty as the killers, as far as I’m concerned.
JaneRI444
May 22, 2008 at 4:53 am
In fairness to the cousin, he didn’t know what was going on….he was outside and saw nothing. He heard screaming which he thought was Katherine & Gilbert fighting, so he went inside. When he saw the boy was limp he called 911, then tried to give CPR.
Yes, a whole family full of scumbags. And more rotten decisions by DCYF to boot. Mama was sitting in jail for transporting large quantities of pot, not just having a joint in her pocket, you know? But it turns out her darling baby sister also had similar drug charges in her past which DCYF never dug up. And I believe this baby fell out of a second story window MORE THAN ONCE, and DCYF left him there.
rockdoll_71
May 22, 2008 at 11:11 am
Yes, Jane I did say that “they” were assholes. That’s a nice word for what baby murderers are and whatever sentence that HE will receive isn’t enough either.
Now, would you please stop picking my words apart?
Thanks.
JaneRI444
May 22, 2008 at 11:22 am
Rockdoll, you keep insisting I can read and I stand by what I said, but the fact is you got it wrong.
“I still stand by what I said: THESE ASSHOLES DESERVE MORE TIME than the 10 years that they could POSSIBLY get.”
He is expected to get life with no possibility of parole. No punishment on earth is good enough for something like this, but you and your buddy keep making comments about how the penalties aren’t severe enough, like you’re not even reading the articles in question. I don’t get it.
rockdoll_71
May 22, 2008 at 11:28 am
No, JANE, you pretentious idiot. I did not get it wrong. You just want to believe that I got it wrong. I’m not here to argue, unlike you. I’m not going to explain myself to some windbag like you any further. Everyone else seemed to get what I said. You didn’t because you are one of the people who get on this site to stir shit. That’s more than obvious.
Unbelievable44
May 22, 2008 at 5:25 pm
I think everyone will agree that this is one screwed up family. Mother distributing drugs, “gives” several children to her 23 year old sister who has two children of her own. Grandmom of murdrered child attends trial of her daughter, but had no time to check on them … Boyfriend was an apparent complete lunatic, boyfriend’s cousin puking outside from drinking, 15 year old babysitter does not tell parents or call police when getting home safely, after what she witnessed….. Mind boggling.
“And I believe this baby fell out of a second story window MORE THAN ONCE, and DCYF left him there.” - Post by Jane. Not sure what occurred here, but apparently, this child was previously abused and no action was taken to stop it. Disgusting.
Given what happened to this poor child, I think people are having trouble fathoming how 10-20-30 years - life is appropriate after what this poor child has been through.
Correcting grammar is not important in this case. It waters down how horrible this entire situation is/was.
I think by now everyone realizes there was an error in the original story posted, but the only people who need “correcting” are the horrible people who committed these acts. And I think everyone thinks the people who committed these acts are vile and deserve severe punishment.
rockdoll_71
May 22, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Unbelievable44, THANK YOU!!! I appreciate that and totally agree.
If it were up to me, neither one of them would see light of day again.
Thanks again :)
CJsmamaLeah
May 23, 2008 at 2:01 pm
More name calling?? More snide remarks? Hello! What about T.J. Please, remember why this post is even here.
ohiogirl
May 27, 2008 at 12:03 pm
That part that gets me this boy’s mother…
“Wright’s mother, Karen Wright, was in court Friday and still supports her sister, Donley said. She is expected to argue for leniency when Bunnell is sentenced.”
WHAT?!
Not sure if when the mother went to prison she REQUESTED that DCYF place the kids with her sister or DCYF just looked for family to put the kids with.
Either way, this is a sad story that probably could have been prevented.
rockdoll_71
May 27, 2008 at 5:10 pm
You know what? I have been reading this site for a few months but I can’t come back anymore. This bothered me so much and there are other stories too. I just can’t believe that anyone could hurt a baby like this. I just can’t handle reading these anymore.
I wish everyone the best. God bless.
Junebug
Jun 6, 2008 at 6:28 am
I just wanted to clarify that 2nd degree in RI is 10 to life w/out parole. Plus, she has another 10 on top of the 2nd degree for the conspiracy. We shall see…. sentencing is scheduled for July. And, the scumbag lump of crap boyfriend’s trial begins this month with a trial date certain of June 23rd. I pray he gets murder in the first.
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