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Crawlspace? Maybe?

What parent leaves a crawlspace that a kid can accidentally fall into? Even if I buy that story, why was it not covered or sealed or barricaded in some way?

I am thinking that the crawlspace theory was probably true, however, it was Ponshe (Is that pronounced like Punches?) that threw Halli into it! Four year old may have witnessed that??? It is tragic enough, made more so to think that another toddler actually witnessed it.......

Fly with Angels Halli, Fly to Jesus!
 
Friendoflee has been busy posting this in all kinds of places. I've seen it personally on three different sites. I thought Lee's mom was staying occupied by suicide attempts over the stark reality of what her son is rather than mounting a message board defense.

The injuries from a single fall just aren't consistent with those of a beating. Which Lee just happens to have admitted doing rather than sticking to any 'fall' story. This shouldn't need repeated. If this baby's injuries looked like those of a fall, and there was reason to believe that was, indeed, what happened, we wouldn't see someone charged with 1st degree murder. Maybe some charges related to not getting timely medical care, but not murder charges. To charge someone that way, they feel they have a real case, not a single head injury caused by a fall along with some yellowed, week-old bruises.

No one needs to know these people to think a bit more rationally about the situation than you, F.lee. It doesn't seem your relationship has helped you any in that regard. But no need to worry about what we think. It's not as though we're going to stone him in the public squaure. In fact, it seems Lee isn't going to post bond, so he's going to stay locked up until a jury is presented with all the facts you point out none of us know. I trust they'll come to a sound judgement, and I'll consider revising my opinion then, if they find in the opposite. And while you keep the faith, the rest of us will keep pointing our fingers to make sure that the justice system keeps moving, thanks :D
 
Lee may not have been able to come up with the $500K cash to get out of jail , but I did read he got some local hot shot lawyer on his team. He didn't get his bail reduced but he is going around subpoenaing a bunch of video tapes of places the mom was at that day. Looks like his defense is to point the finger any were but at his client.

Then there is the whole Monday night fiasco, it was Josh the Bio-dads turn to have Halli that night and Jessie didn't let that happen for some reason. It could have been because of the knuckle bruises already on her daughters forehead and she was trying to cover up for Lee. What ever the reason was Halli wouldnt have been left with Lee and she would still be alive .



Lee K. Ponshe, the man accused of killing the little girl, made an appearance Friday. The family members might have thought that well-known Joliet defense attorney Ira Goldstein, the man representing Ponshe, was going to ask a judge to reduce his client's $5 million bond

But that's not what happened in Will County Judge Richard Schoenstedt's courtroom. Although Goldstein appeared in court, he didn't take any action on the case.

Although Ponshe was scheduled to appear in Schoenstedt's courtroom May 5, he was briefly in court Friday. The child's relatives had heard the news, came to Joliet and gathered in the courtroom. Several of them were wearing T-shirts featuring the child's photograph and the inscription, "In loving memory."

But very little happened. Outside the courtroom, Goldstein explained he had filed subpoenas requesting information, including employment records and security camera video tapes from two stores, Menards and Home Depot, and that's why he was in court. Both businesses are complying with the request, he said.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1543002,elwood-toddler-murder-jo042409.article
 
I see now were the Gravel / crawl space excuse came from. Not that it has any real validity and its actually pretty funny that anyone would believe it. Unless they were grasping at straws. I thought Lee bashed her head on something like most AssHats do , but he didn't he used his fists on her head and left knuckle imprints behind. They had an open casket funeral and people saw the injuries.


warhammer wrote:
The injuries to Halie's poor little body were revealed at the bond hearing. The knuckle print indentations and the fracture of her cheek were still evident at her funeral. Despite all of the heavy makeup that had to be applied twice. Pray for Josh and our families!! Lee will burn when he goes before the LORD!! It seems all of the quiet good all boys are the ones who do things like this. I know my ex-husband was one of those. No one who knew him could believe he abused me and my son. I had my nose broke twice. My son was 3. He looked like Rockie at the end of a fight. I was at work & he said someone kid on a motor bike did it. MY little boy was beaten all over his body. He was so swollen, I could barely recognize him. I divorced him but I should have of killed him!!!!

cooncerned wrote:
Hey kendrick, instead of worrying about my spelling check your grammar idiot ! FYI , I was blinded by my tears ! What's your EXcuse ? At the funeral today , most of Josh's family hugged Jessi out of respect for Josh and Halli and yes for Jessi's loss ,too . There were a few who couldn't bring themselves to do so ! At the end ,Jessi got upset about this and her brother , the state trooper , grabbed one of Josh's cousins and stated You all need to get your facts right ,the investigation is over !! Well,I hope that isn't true , because all anyone wants are the facts ! There are a lot of questions that still need to be answered ! The stories just don't match the facts that are known ! By the way, I happen to like raccoons ! I apologize for any spelling errors !

joliet area wrote:
to erin- i just am curious where u got the info about 20 indentations on the babys head. i hadnt read anything like that nor heard that info from people who know Lee. the papers only say "reportedly" admits to killing her. that means they dont have proof he said he did.. its hearsay. remember the riley fox case. her dad did confess to killing her and sodomizing her under the duress of interrogation. when the dna results came back it wasnt him! we dont know what happened in that house. and u CAN meet someone someone wonderful on the internet i have seen it happen!

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1531826,elwood-death-jo041709.article
 
The knuckle print indentations and the fracture of her cheek were still evident at her funeral. Despite all of the heavy makeup that had to be applied twice.

I am a mortician's child. I have seen alot. I am going to puke.
 
JOLIET -- A man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to killing his fiancee's 18-month-old daughter last month.

Will County Judge Richard Schoenstedt then assigned Lee K. Ponshe's case to Judge Dan Rozak's courtroom. Ponshe will return to court at 9:30 a.m. June 2.

Ponshe, 25, of 503 Beattie St. in Elwood, was arrested April 16 and charged with the murder of Halli R. Burton. He is being held at the Will County Jail.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1560165,4_1_JO06_COURTS_S1.article
 
Oh dear god, "defensive wounds", the two words that make me cringe! For every blow, every strike, she tried at such a young age, to fight back...and tried...and he looking down at this little figure, screaming and crying I am sure, inflicting more and more pain, harder and harder blows, breaking her bones with more than 8lbs of pressure delivered from his very fist........death was coming to her....but she held on, "maybe mommy will help me", her being was holding out, waiting for her mommy, maybe, maybe she could get to a doctor soon when mommy got home and then she could make it....surely they will take care of her...

I don't care what anyone says bout me, I just am judgmental, sorry but fuck them both! The mother and the boyfriend! There is no way under the sun she didn't notice an injury I CAN FUCKING NOTICE A TINY BITTY CRUMB IN THE CORNER OF MY CHILDS FACE!!! By waiting, the behavior indicates being anxious, trying to hide, trying to figure out what to do, maybe the child would recover some, maybe come up with an excuse....If she didn't hide it, then I say fuck her for moving in with and leaving her baby with essentially a stranger....Fuck her, fuck the evil HIM, and I hope I see them both in hell, because when I do, I will burn the ass holes out of them both myself!
 
Agreed! If the bio-daddy played an active role in the childs life, and was a visible, constant presence, then the new penis might think twice before abusing the child. (might)

Also, I think that some women have such low self esteem when the father dumps them and vanishes from their life, that they grab hold of any man who shows interest in them and cling on to them, no matter what. They are so 'grateful' for attention from a penis that they become besotted and then turn a blind eye to what the guy is really like, and ignore what they KNOW he is doing to their child/ren because they are so desperate to prove they are still 'desirable' to the opposite sex, and dont want to lose their catch!

This bastard started to abuse that child as soon as mommy-dearest moved them both in. And she HAD to have known about it.

He murdered the child, but she allowed him to be in a position to do so.
Halli had no absentee father. He and especially his mother played a very active role in Halli's life. Halli was at the city hall with her grandma all the time and will surely be missed by everyone who's lives she touched!!
 
Halli had no absentee father. He and especially his mother played a very active role in Halli's life. Halli was at the city hall with her grandma all the time and will surely be missed by everyone who's lives she touched!!


Um, "played a very active role" in their own child's life? Shouldn't that be a given? A parent should play the primary role. And if Halli spent all of her time with her Grandmother at City Hall, doesn't that insinuate that the biological parents had other things going on in their lives?

What seems clear to me, being local, is that Josh was a fairly good father. He wasn't the reason this child was beaten to death. Jessie made some pretty poor decisions. I am anxiously awaiting information from the trial...like how, as an RN, she did not notice signs of blunt force trauma to her daughter's head. It's not as though the beating occurred and that child died immediately. As an RN, perhaps you can explain that. My entire life has been devoted to Emergency medicine but obviously I am missing something crucial. Perhaps the "sisterhood of nurses" at Passavant Hospital makes the members sign an oath in blood which makes them totally forget any and all training they've acquired for the sake of a new sex life.

And of course that child will be missed. However, if the actions of her mother are any indication whatsoever, the baby's death opened the door for a more suitable lifestyle. She can continue planning her evenings on the town and her weekend excursions without having to be inconvenienced by finding a baby sitter and that child no longer has to be pawned off on grandparents who jeopardize their profession by babysitting at work.

Jessie is a selfish little brat who's daughter was murdered by her finance's fists. And she did nothing.
 
I am a very good friend of Lee's and have been for a long time. This whole situation has not been truly told. From my understanding through talking to Lee and his family, Jessi was not supposed to move in with him until she had a job. From what I have been reading, Jessi's ex-husband, Josh, was trying to get custody of Halli. Jessi was advised by her lawyer to move in with Lee as soon as possible to make it harder for Josh to get custody.

Lee has had custody of his own son for about 2 and 1/2 years now. His son is 4 years old. Lee loves his child dearly and would never hurt his child or anyone elses. He loves children and always has. He is a very protective father. From talking to Lee throughout his relationship with Jessi he always said how much he loved Halli and always wanted a daughter of his own. From my understanding he took care of both his own son and Halli while Jessi was working most of the time.


There is still a lot of missing pieces to this case and it is still under investigation. Please stop pointing fingers until someone is actually sentenced. I believe in Lee's innocence and so do the people that know him and his family. This is truly a tragedy for all who are involved. God Bless Halli.


Wow arent we the back peddler, Guess none of the other web sites bought your load of crap about the Crawlspace either. I noticed you came back and edited your response. On to plan #2 then??? The real tragedy is all of the people who are blinded by the truth and sticking up for Lee. Your Murderer friend is still behind bars, were he rightfully belongs.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Not sure what happened on Lee's 6/5/2009 court date but here is his next ones.

NAME DATE ROOM TIME CASE TICKET CHARGE CNT REASON
PONSHE LEE K 6/16/2009 406 930 09CF000861 0 MURDER/STRONG PROB 1 Return Date
PONSHE LEE K 7/31/2009 406 930 09CF000861 0 MURDER/STRONG PROB


http://www.willcountycircuitcourt.com/
 
Cool, thanks for the upcoming court dates, Tazzzz.

What I find curious is that everyone expected his attorney to argue for a reduction in bail but he did not. No explanation why. And requesting video surveillance tapes from a couple of stores. I'm very interested in what's going to come out during trial. And I'm equally wishing for her arrest as well. (I hope that comes true) "Rumor" is that she is reconciling her relationship with the father of Halli. His grief is obviously fucking with his brain if that's indeed true.
 
cat, how is that sarcasm? I thought I was the one being sarcastic, then was scolded for being sarcastic by Nell's "That isn't what she said at all and you know it." And she was right.

Sorry. I'm not trying to argue with people (and perhaps doing a poor job of it). I just think it's weird that everyone is so quick to blame the mother more than the actual murderer when there are so few facts known about the case.

They both deserve the take fault in my opinion.

The mother made a horrible decision that often ends tragically. And it did. She put her child in that position. No one else. She gave this POS the opportunity. She was the caretaker of this child. The responsible adult. The person who was supposed to protect the child above all else. Yet she compromised all of that for a man. And the consequences are horrific. This is nothing new, nothing shocking anymore (sadly), it happens all the time. She is culpable. Just as he is.
 
Wow arent we the back peddler, Guess none of the other web sites bought your load of crap about the Crawlspace either. I noticed you came back and edited your response. On to plan #2 then???
And THANK YOU Tazz for making sure it was quoted before he changed it!
 
A lawyer asked a judge Friday to dismiss the charges filed against a young man from Elwood man who has been accused of killing an 18-month-old girl.
[...]

Earlier this year, the case went before a grand jury, and the members approved the murder charges. Goldstein argued Friday that Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow gave the jurors inaccurate evidence during the proceedings.

Goldstein had several concerns about the testimony heard by the grand jury. For example, at one point April 15, Halli's mother was away from the Elwood home and Ponshe was taking care of the child, Goldstein told the judge. When Dunlap returned, something was wrong with Halli, so she called 911.

When paramedics arrived, they could see that the unresponsive little girl was hurt. "The child had ... facial trauma," Goldstein said.

During the autopsy, numerous bruises were found on the girl's head and body, and one of her eyes was lacerated, Goldstein said.

When Ponshe was interviewed on videotape by the Elwood police, he admitted to striking the child because she wouldn't stop crying, Goldstein said. Ponshe even demonstrated the way that he hit her by rapping his knuckles on a table. But Ponshe didn't say that he punched the girl several times, although an assistant state's attorney told the jurors it had happened.

"He specifically said, 'I never punched her,'" Goldstein said.
[...]

Additionally, the jurors didn't know that not long before her death, Halli had fallen several feet into a gravel-filled crawl space at the home, Goldstein said.

"The cause of death is blunt force trauma which could just as easily be attributed to a fall as a punch to the top of the head," Goldstein argued.

Will County Assistant State's Attorney Jim Long asked the judge not to dismiss the charges.

"There is absolutely nothing misleading whatsoever," Long said.

Calling the blow a punch or a strike was a matter of semantics, Long argued.

"The fact that they didn't learn anything about the crawl space incident is neither here nor there," Long argued, explaining that Ponshe said the girl wasn't hurt by the fall.

At the end of the hearing, the judge said he wanted to see the videotape of Ponshe's police interview before he made a decision, adding that he wouldn't be on the bench next week.

The case will return to court at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 18.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1696341,4_1_JO02_COURTS_S2-090802.article
 
Goodness, as if this story couldn't get any worse it apparently has.

The local thread regarding the beating of this child had turned nasty.

The paternal family, on the condition of anonymity, gave their first public statement to the Jacksonville Journal-Courier in an attempt to clarify some form of time-line. The mother, daughter and boyfriend were in White Hall, Illinois (her hometown) for a great-grandfather's birthday party to be held on Wednesday. There was an argument at her apartment witnessed by a neighbor, Tuesday evening. The mother, child, and boyfriend left that evening for his house thus missing the birthday party. It is reported that Halli was beaten sometime Tuesday evening. (911 was not called until Wednesday evening)

Family from both sides have been posting on the newspaper's website.

These questions still remain: Where was the mother? Why didn't she seek medical attention for her daughter earlier? (as posted before, the mother is an RN, worked in Pediatrics)

Reports are the funeral was a complete mess. The mother made a scene after she was not acknowledged by some of the father's family members and remained composed the rest of the time. Family and friends from both sides have mentioned her pulling her cell phone to check her messages upon walking back to the car after the graveside service. Mom supporters claim this behavior is perfectly fine and it is her way to reach out to those who care about her. Dad supporters and the rest of the community seem thoroughly disgusted and in complete disbelief regarding this move.

I tried to remain neutral, reading the information on both sides and I have to say the mom's behavior has turned my stomach.

Perhaps I simply am showing my age and just don't get the gravitational pull of social networking. What I do know for a fact is, Heaven forbid ever having to put myself in those shoes, if it were my child I certainly would not be on the very computer that started this horrific murder, updating my status as "crushed" and leaving the acronym "RIP" for my child on MySpace.

If I lived through those first 24 hours, I would surely be in the psychiatric ward heavily sedated and not worried about logging onto a computer.


Ugh!!
I HATE it when people put RIP next to the name of someone they KNOW!!!!! :mad:

To me RIP is impersonal, something reserved for strangers ..
 
A child must fall 3 times their height to sustain life threatening injuries - however, as stated before, freak accidents and outcomes do occur.

The varying accounts and timelines are very interesting. A child is dead and the lawyers are arguing semantics. What about the evidence? If she fell face first into a gravel pit, of course she's going to have some cuts and scrapes...unless it was river rock which is used on playgrounds and is widely used around here as filler for basements, etc - and is soft with no rough edges. What about the knuckle imprints on the child's face when friends and family viewed the body prior to her visitation? That's more than a rap on the face, that is more like a pretty solid punch.

Supposedly, the happy couple went shopping at a couple of stores prior to Halli dying. Video tapes from those stores have been requested - a while ago, by Ponshe's defense attorney.

Word around here is mum. The local papers have totally dropped the story. I still receive correspondence from friends and family of Jessi (mom) and Josh (father) on my local account - and as far as I know, the family isn't venturing up to DeKalb County for the meetings with lawyers and court like they once were. And I think the attendance was only initiated by the grandparents of this child as mommy seems to have recovered quite remarkably upon loosing her child. (via people partying with her, canoeing trips, dating, etc.)

Thanks DV and Tazzzz, for the continued updates - I look every once in a while both locally and the Chicago news sources.
 
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