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Jada Justice
On Friday afternoon, 2-year-old Jada Justice was laid to rest and remembered by a crowd of about 300 mourners. Pink and white balloons and teddy bears surrounded the grounds at Jada’s outdoor funeral.
Jada’s father, Clarence Justice, said his little girl provided “two years of nothing but love.” He said, “She gave me strength to start loving again.”
Her mother, Melissa Swiontek, said of the funeral service, “It’s beautiful. I’m glad a lot of people came and showed support.”
The pastor of the Calvary Tabernacle Church of Griffith said, “God’s with you. Mom, Dad—God’s with you in this time.”
Jada’s cousin and babysitter, Engelica Castillo, 18, reported her missing on June 16 and her body was found June 25 near Otis, Indiana. Jada's mother had left her in Castillo's care on June 8, when she left on an out of town trip.
Castillo’s boyfriend, Tim Tkachik, 24, told authorities he helped her dispose of Jada’s body after Castillo had beat the girl about the head, which eventually killed her.
The coroner confirmed Jada had suffered multiple skull fractures.
One attendee at the funeral, Alejandra Gonzalez said, “You can’t really trust your kids with anybody.”
On Monday, both Castillo and Tkachik pleaded not guilty to charges of neglecting, battering, and murdering Jada. Last week prosecutors announced they may seek the death penalty against the two defendants.
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