Katie Stockton/ Prosecutors to seek death penalty in frozen newborn baby case in northern Illinois/Sentenced to 50 years in prison

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against a woman charged with the murder of a newborn girl whose frozen body was found in a plastic bag on a dead-end road in northern Illinois.

The Rockford Register-Star says the Winnebago County state's attorney made the announcement Tuesday in the case of 29-year-old Katie Stockton, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The infant, whom area residents named Baby Crystal, was discovered near the home of Stockton's parents in December 2004.

Stockton has not been charged in the deaths of two other infants whose skeletons were found in the trunk of an impounded vehicle that was registered to her.

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TWO *other* deceased infants that she has not been charged with?? WTF?

So she had three children she killed? What a horrible way to die, freezing. I can't imagine that. They better darn well seek the Death Penalty.LE will be able to tell how long these children were dead in the trunk. Could it be a con, she has babies, kills them but keeps getting aid for dependent children, food stamps, whatever. Who would know if they were dead at social services if no one told them. SICK!

Investigators in Winnebago County were no stranger to Katie Stockton. She's accused of murdering her infant in 2004 and now a suspect in the deaths of two other infants whose skeletal remains were found in the trunk of her car. Deputies and local police had arrested her over a dozen times for various traffic offenses, fraud and theft.
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2004LM001190 7/13/2004 Beacon Hill Apartments Forcible Entry & Detainer

2005SC002849 8/30/2005 Resurgence Financial Monies Due - Srvc Rendered
1998TR017733 3/27/1998 Driving 11-14 MPH above limit Traffic

2001F 000173 3/20/2001 Bickle Adam M Paternity
2002OP001471 11/25/2002 Craig John C Order Protection

2003CF003434 11/25/2003 Theft/Control/Intent Criminal Felony
2004TR003786 1/26/2004 Operate Uninsured Mtr Vehicle Traffic
2004TR003787 1/26/2004 Driving 11-14 MPH above limit Traffic

2004TR003788 1/26/2004 Seat Belt Required / Driver Traffic

2005SC001318 4/27/2005 Cacv of Colorado LLC Monies Due - Srvc Rendered

2007SC004241 9/11/2007 Asset Acceptance LLC Monies Due - Srvc Rendered
2007TR012699 3/15/2007 Driving 15-20 MPH above limit Traffic
2008CF003108 8/11/2008 Present False Info / ILL ID Criminal Felony

2008CF003110 8/11/2008 Poss/ Display Altered ID Card Criminal Felony

2008CF003247 8/19/2008 Forgery Criminal Felony

2008TR002558 1/25/2008 Operate Uninsured Mtr Vehicle Traffic

2008TR002559 1/25/2008 Unlicensed Traffic

2008TR002560 1/25/2008 Mufflers/1st, 2nd Traffic

2008TR002561 1/25/2008 Regis Expiration/ 1st & 2nd Traffic

2008TR015965 4/16/2008 Mufflers/1st, 2nd - failure to appear Traffic

2008TR026052 6/5/2008 OP MTR VEH/Regis/SUSPENDED Traffic

2008TR026053 6/5/2008 Operate Uninsured Mtr Vehicle Traffic

2008TR026054 6/5/2008 Driving on Suspended License Traffic

2008TR037264 7/30/2008 Driving on Suspended License Traffic

2008TR041091 8/16/2008 OP MTR VEH/Regis/SUSPENDED Traffic

2008TR041092 8/16/2008 Driving on Suspended License Traffic

2009CF002414 8/5/2009 Murder/Intent To Kill/Injure Dec 17,2004 Criminal Felony





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How many times can they let her drive on a suspended license without putting her in jail?

Stockton's next court date is October 12 for a case management conference.

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WTF????? I don't get this at all. If LE in the past found two other dead babies in the trunk of her car, why wasn't she behind bars a long time ago?

Just looking at those two pics, it is evident to me she is a sociopath. Her eyes say it all. No remorse or clue. Oblivious. I cannot look at her again.

There has to be much more to this than the media has published. Simply maniacal!!!!

by Wrapitup Today at 9:44 pm WTF????? I don't get this at all. If LE in the past found two other dead babies in the trunk of her car, why wasn't she behind bars a long time ago?

Winnebago County State’s Attorney Joe Bruscato announced this morning that he will pursue the death penalty against Katie Stockton.

Stockton, 29, faces 10 counts of murder in the death of her newborn daughter, dubbed Baby Crystal. The baby was found frozen to death in December 2004 on the side of the road near Stockton’s parents’ home in rural Rockton.

Stockton, who remains in Winnebago County Jail, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Investigators are still examining the skeletal remains of two infants found in the trunk of Stockton’s car Aug. 12, 2009, a week after Stockton had been charged in the death of Baby Crystal.

Forensic tests have revealed that the two infants found in the car were not twins; DNA results point to Stockton as the mother. No charges have been filed in that case.

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I read it wrong. Thanks for clearing this up. This was a year ago. Why are we just now hearing about it? If the two other infants were hers and NOT twins, I am speechless!!!!!

Well, maybe I'm not..sterilize this girl immediately!!! I would love to know the birthdates of these children. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Police have identified two men as the fathers of dead babies linked to Katie Stockton, a 29-year-old rural Rockton woman charged with killing her newborn daughter in December 2004 by leaving the baby in a garbage bag along a road in single-digit temperatures.

Police have conducted DNA testing on about half a dozen men in the past several months in an attempt to identify the father of the baby found frozen to death in 2004, dubbed Baby Crystal, and the remains of two other baby girls discovered in the trunk of Stockton’s car last summer, about a week after her arrest in the Baby Crystal case.

Winnebago County Sheriff Dick Meyers announced today that one man has been identified as the father of Baby Crystal and another man has been identified as the father of one of the baby girls from the trunk. Neither of the men is the father of the third baby.

The men do not face any charges in the deaths of those babies and are cooperating with police, Meyers said.

“The critical stage that we are at right now in the investigation is filling in the gaps by establishing a time frame in which she would have been involved with these men,” Meyers said. That information, he said, could be used to determine an approximate date of birth for the baby girls found in Stockton’s trunk.

Two months ago, authorities said at a news conference that DNA testing pointed to Stockton as the mother of the two babies from the car.

Stockton is also mother to a 9-year-old boy. The father of that boy is neither the father of Baby Crystal nor the two other baby girls, leaving police to believe that Stockton was pregnant at least four times in the past 10 years by four different men, three of whom are known.

Shedding light on baby girls
Forensic testing on the skeletal remains of the two full-term babies found in the truck of Stockton’s impounded car is ongoing.

The results of those tests should help authorities determine whether the babies, who were not twins, were born dead or alive. Forensic testing on Baby Crystal indicated that she was born alive and died from exposure.

“We just spoke to the scientist last week, and we believe it will be at least another two weeks before we hear anything,” said Winnebago County Coroner Sue Fiduccia.

Time-consuming tests
Forensic testing on skeletal remains tends to take more time than other kinds of forensic testing, Fiduccia said.

“Remember what we’re working with. These were not intact babies like Baby Crystal. They’re skeletal remains. It’s a much more complicated process. There are fewer labs that can do this type of very specialized work. They’re more difficult to find and typically very busy,” she said.

“I get stopped in public all the time. People ask me ‘When are we going to know?’ I tell them as soon I know something that we can release, we will. Right now, there’s nothing we can tell people. We’re waiting.”

Burials to be arranged
When forensic testing on the two babies is complete, Fiduccia said, she plans to work with Stockton’s family to arrange a burial for the baby girls, perhaps next to Baby Crystal, who was buried in Calvary Cemetery.

Fiduccia said Stockton’s family is “very pleased” with how the county handled the first burial and have no intentions of changing Baby Crystal’s name. The other babies have not been named.

Stockton’s vehicle was impounded after a routine traffic stop in South Beloit in August 2008, but the remains of the babies in the trunk were not found until August 2009.

Stockton has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges in the death of Baby Crystal and does not face charges in the deaths of the two babies found in the trunk of her car.

She is being held in the Winnebago County Jail and is due back in court April 28.

‘Still in discovery stage’
Winnebago County State’s Attorney Joe Bruscato said the criminal case against Stockton is progressing. No trial date has been set.

“We’re still in the discovery stage,” Bruscato said. He said he could not comment on whether Stockton is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.

The discovery stage is when parties prepare for trial by exchanging such pertinent information as police reports, witness information and evidence, Bruscato explained.

Standard sentencing for first-degree murder is 20 to 60 years. Stockton could face extended sentencing based on the victim’s age, including up to 100 years in prison or the death penalty.

The state’s attorney’s office has until May 12 to inform the court of its intentions regarding capital punishment or seek an extension.

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Stockton has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges in the death of Baby Crystal and does not face charges in the deaths of the two babies found in the trunk of her car.

Why in the hell not???? She is another Casey Anthony. I would bet she was mimicking her.

This case could keep a person up at night.

What a horrible excuse for a human being she is.

I am shocked that NG hasn't gotten a hold of this one!!

She must be the most fertile woman on the face of the Earth!!

Probably at the time that article was written there had been no determination as to how the 2 babies died (DUH). Not sure if it's know yet or not.

Stockton has not been charged in the deaths of two other infants whose skeletons were found in the trunk of an impounded vehicle that was registered to her.


SSSssooo, this means the children were in there when the car was hooked up to a wrecker and hauled away.
and then all the questions start popping off.
Were the babies alive or dead in the trunk at this point?
Why was the car getting towed?
Was she involved in an accident?
When were these babies last seen alive?

Just an observation of mine. The bitch has to be dumber than a bag of rocks, leaving her dead babies in the trunk of a car registered in HER NAME!!!!
Casey Anthony's bag, shy a few rocks... she used her mother's car trunk.

Investigators in Winnebago County were no stranger to Katie Stockton. She's accused of murdering her infant in 2004 and now a suspect in the deaths of two other infants whose skeletal remains were found in the trunk of her car. Deputies and local police had arrested her over a dozen times for various traffic offenses, fraud and theft.

7/13/2004
Beacon Hill Apartments
Forcible Entry & Detainer

8/30/2005
Resurgence Financial
Monies Due - Srvc Rendered

3/27/1998
Driving 11-14 MPH above limit
Traffic

3/20/2001
Bickle Adam M
Paternity

11/25/2002
Craig John C
Order Protection

1/25/2003
Theft/Control/Intent
Criminal Felony

1/26/2004
Operate Uninsured Mtr Vehicle
Traffic

1/26/2004
Driving 11-14 MPH above limit
Traffic

1/26/2004
Seat Belt Required / Driver
Traffic

4/27/2005
Cacv of Colorado LLC
Monies Due - Srvc Rendered

9/11/2007
Asset Acceptance LLC
Monies Due - Srvc Rendered

3/15/2007
Driving 15-20 MPH above limit
Traffic

8/11/2008
Present False Info / ILL ID
Criminal Felony

8/11/2008
Poss/ Display Altered ID Card
Criminal Felony

8/19/2008
Forgery
Criminal Felony

1/25/2008
Operate Uninsured Mtr Vehicle
Traffic

1/25/2008
Unlicensed
Traffic

1/25/2008
Mufflers/1st, 2nd
Traffic

1/25/2008
Regis Expiration/ 1st & 2nd
Traffic

4/16/2008
Mufflers/1st, 2nd - failure to appear
Traffic

6/5/2008
OP MTR VEH/Regis/SUSPENDED
Traffic

6/5/2008
Operate Uninsured Mtr Vehicle
Traffic

6/5/2008
Driving on Suspended License
Traffic

7/30/2008
Driving on Suspended License
Traffic

8/16/2008
OP MTR VEH/Regis/SUSPENDED
Traffic

8/16/2008
Driving on Suspended License
Traffic

8/5/2009
Murder/Intent To Kill/Injure Dec 17,2004
Criminal Felony

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Stockton’s vehicle was impounded after a routine traffic stop in South Beloit in August 2008, but the remains of the babies in the trunk were not found until August 2009.

I don't understand this case at all...This was over a year ago, and the car was impounded a year before that! The baby that froze was in 2004, so where has she been all this time, and why are they just now charging her...Is this an old story that has just now been posted? I think I'll go now and see if I can find out more about it...

Stockton was arrested Aug. 5 [2009]after new information purportedly linked her to Baby Crystal. Investigators have not commented on the substance of the new information.

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Stockton's in the Winnebago County jail on a $1 million bond. She's charged with 10 counts of first degree murder. She pled not guilty.

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From these two sources, it looks like she was arrested for Baby Crystal's death a little over a year ago, and has been in jail since then. The other remains were found in her trunk shortly after her arrest, although they had been in there for a year. It sounds like she might have told LE about the babies in the trunk...How else would they have known to go look at the impound lot? Or, maybe they located the car as part of the investigation into Baby Crystal's death (for forensics) and discovered the other remains then. Poor little sweet things...

She's charged with 10 counts of first degree murder.

What??? Did she kill 10 babies?

Lisette, your statement makes some sense. How could she drive around with dead babies in her trunk? We all know of or have heard of the horrific stench of human decomp. Did no one smell the car? Was she driving around with this smell?

Nite, I am w/you on this one. Sooo many questions.

ROCKFORD — Baby Crystal suffocated and froze to death 99 feet from the front door of the rural Rockton home of Katie L. Stockton’s family. It was a week before Christmas 2004 and the infant was just 99 feet from warmth and safety.

Stockton gave birth to the healthy baby girl in secret Dec. 17, 2004. Stockton had managed to pretend she wasn’t pregnant. She hid it from her friends, co-workers and family who had their suspicions.

Maybe she managed to convince even herself she wasn’t pregnant.

On Friday, she learned she will have decades to consider her decisions after being sentenced to 50 years in prison for the murder of her infant daughter who she left to die on the side of a road by her parents’ home.

“I was in a very dark place for many years,” Stockton told Judge John Truitt. “I apologize to those I hurt and ask forgiveness. I’m truly sorry for the pain and hurt they have endured.”

Public Defender David Doll told Truitt that Stockton is a good person who has strong work and family ethics but who had struggled with drug addiction. Doll said she has one incredible failing: an inability to face the fact of her pregnancy.

Doll asked for a lenient, yet punishing 25-year sentence for first-degree murder that would mean Stockton would remain in prison until her child-bearing years were finished.

But Truitt said what Stockton had done — even as he tried not to consider the “deranged” placement of two additional infant skeletons in the trunk of her navy blue Saturn — was too heinous a crime for a lenient sentence.

Stockton chose to leave her baby to die despite all the available options Truitt ticked off: adoption, legal abandonment at a designated safe haven or her own loving family who already cared for her then 4-year-old son.

“You did the incomprehensible,” Truitt told Stockton. “You gave birth, by all accounts, to a healthy, full-term baby girl and you chose to play judge, jury and executioner and put her by the roadside like yesterday’s garbage.”

Stockton wore a black sweater and her hair pulled into a pony tail. She wept through much of the marathon sentencing hearing that lasted most of Friday and included 15 witnesses for the prosecution and just one for Stockton, her mother, Lisa Landsee.

Baby Crystal wasn’t the first time Stockton hid a pregnancy. She had tried at least once before in 2000 when her son was born. But that time, Landsee arrived just in the nick of time. Landsee said her daughter grew up an intelligent, good-natured, generous girl with many typical interests.

“She was pretty much a wonderful little girl,” Landsee said.

Stockton played sports and was a cheerleader in middle school. She became rebellious in high school. Landsee suspected she developed a drug problem after she graduated.

After years of denials, Stockton entered a guilty plea to a single count of first-degree murder for the death of Baby Crystal in February. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the 11 remaining counts of murder including charges that could have meant natural life in prison.

Stockton gave birth alone. The baby was infected with hepatitis and Stockton’s cocaine was in her system, but she was otherwise healthy and would have lived if not for extreme neglect, forensic pathologists noted.

Stockton ignored her baby girl’s cries, stuffed her in a plastic Halloween-themed Menard’s bag with the placenta and a bunch of bloody clothes, packaged it in a white garbage bag with red draw string and left the infant outside her family’s Rockton home in sub-freezing temperatures.

Baby Crystal couldn’t breathe with all the clothes and the plastic. She either suffocated or froze to death.

Winnebago County State’s Attorney Joe Bruscato had at one time sought the death penalty for Stockton before it was abolished in Illinois. Bruscato said he agreed with Truitt’s sentence and that the death of Baby Crystal was a community tragedy.

“A mother has taken her child’s life,” Bruscato said. “We agree with Judge Truitt who found this to be a heinous crime as he described it. And I think that’s the way we should look at this. This is an event that should never occur in our community.”

Although the skeletal remains of two additional infant girls were discovered in the trunk of Stockton’s car after her arrest in 2009, it could never be proven they were born alive.

Unlike Baby Crystal who was perfectly preserved by the frigid weather, they were so badly decomposed that their bodies had in part liquefied. Stockton was driving around for some time in a car that reeked of human remains.

Bruscato said their deaths remain open investigations.

It was later learned that they were Baby Crystal’s sisters, each of the three with different fathers.

John Craig had met Stockton when they worked at K’s Merchandise in 2000. They had planned to marry at one time and they had an off-and-on relationship for years.

It wasn’t until years later he learned that he had fathered one of the babies, the one stuffed in a grocery bag and left in Stockton’s trunk. The other had been put in a Target bag.

Stockton had told Craig sometime in 2007 or 2008 that she was pregnant. He told her how excited he was to be a father.

He told her he would support whatever decision she made.

“She told me she miscarried a month later,” Craig testified.

The truth was she was still pregnant. Craig found out months after her August 2009 arrest that he had become a father, though it remains unknown if the girl was born alive or was stillborn.

He named her.

“Mariah Renee,” was the infant’s name Craig chose, he testified.
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