Mary Zumwalt Jophlin Arrested After 8yo Alexus Smothers Found Dead In Crawlspace

[Whisper]

Not alot out yet

WEST FRANKFORT, IL (NBC) - The mother of an 8-year old girl has been arrested after police say they found the child's body in the crawlspace of her home.

Police in West Frankfort, Illinois arrested 28-year-old Mary Zumwalt-Jophlin on a charge of concealing a death.

Neighbors and family members say the body of Alexus Smothers was found by police early Tuesday morning in the crawlspace under the house where she lived.

Neighbors say the family just moved in two weeks ago.

Police are not releasing any details on how the child died, or why they think the mother hid the body, but they are not looking for any other suspects
[...]

http://www.14wfie.com/story/15111126...er-crawl-space

[Whisper]

Mary Zumwalt-Joplin

[Whisper]

Little bit more

WEST FRANKFORT, Ill. (AP/KMOV) – The mother of an 8-year-old girl found dead in her home has been arrested in connection with the case, according to police.

Police Chief Jeff Tharp says the girl's body was found early Tuesday in the basement of her home on East Oak Street.

The chief calls the death suspicious and says the case is being handled as a homicide.

Tharp says the child was reported missing before the body was found.
Mary Zumwalt-Jophlin, 28, is being detained in the Franklin County Jail, charged with concealing the child’s death. Officials say this is the girl’s mother.

Jophlin had been investigated by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services in 2004. The agency says there was an accusation of abuse or neglect. In 2005, the courts closed the case and returned the children to the home.

As of Tuesday night, one of Jophlin’s two other children is in foster care. The other is staying with a relative.

[...]

http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Polic...125830073.html

[Whisper]

More details emerge
West Frankfort, Ill. — Details surrounding the death of an eight-year-old West Frankfort girl are emerging as the West Frankfort Police Department and other law enforcement agencies continue to investigate the incident.

West Frankfort Chief of Police Jeff Tharp announced early Tuesday afternoon that the victim’s mother, Mary Jophlin, 28, of West Frankfort was arrested on the charge of Concealment of a Death.
[...]

Tharp indicated Jophlin’s being arrested and charged was the result of both evidence collected at the scene of the crime as well as interviews conducted by officers Tuesday morning.

“What led to her being jailed was probable cause developed by the physical evidence gathered from the home and subsequent interviews that took place yesterday,” explained the chief.

Tharp added that, as of Wednesday morning, officers are executing a search warrant on Jophlin’s vehicle while awaiting the results of an autopsy that was underway in Bloomington. He said until the autopsy is complete, the cause of death remains undetermined.

http://www.dailyamericannews.com/fea...details-emerge

[Jerri Blank]

What a cute little girl. This makes me so sad..

Alexus Nicole Smothers
5/1/2003 - 7/19/2011
Here is her obituary

[Whisper]

What a cute little girl. This makes me so sad..

Alexus Nicole Smothers
5/1/2003 - 7/19/2011
Here is her obituary

sure make me read that obit and cry!!@Jerri Blank
Im so glad not to see moms name in there ,they should make that law you murder your babies your name is left out of everything

[AngelFire]

That poem or song, what ever it was....did me in. Tears are flowing.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

As Mary Jophlin made her way into the Franklin County courthouse on Wednesday, she did so facing a new charge.

Late Tuesday, prosecutors added a count of first degree murder to go along with concealing a death and obstruction of justice.

Jophlin's sister, Jennifer Gaskin, can't believe it.

"It was mind-blowing, because honestly, I didn't think she'd be charged with it, but they have to pass it off on somebody I guess," Gaskin said.

According to court documents, on July 19th, Jophlin drowned her eight year old daughter Alexus Smothers with the use of her hands, water, or another object. Prosecutors say she then placed Smother's body in the crawl space of their West Frankfort home and reported her missing.

Gaskin says new details have come to her attention that proves her sister's innocence.

"Someone else did it," Gaskin explained. "Most definitely you know, there's just different things that came up within the past few weeks that proves that my sister is innocent."

State's attorney Evan Owens cites two aggravating factors in court documents that could lead to a sentence of life in prison if Jophlin is convicted. Those factors include "exceptionally brutal or heinous behavior."

"She loved my niece, she loved all her kids," said Gaskin. "She begs now to see her kids and to be able to hear their voice. And there's no possible way that my sister would ever do that to her kid."
[...]

Jophlin is being held at the Franklin County Jail on $2 million bond.

http://www.wsiltv.com/news/local/Wes...127972093.html

Making her first court appearance since learning of her first degree murder charge, Mary Zumwalt-Jophlin had a small crowd of supporters.

"There's no possible way my sister would do that to my niece," Jennifer Gaskin said outside the Benton, Illinois courthouse.

Gaskin said police have it all wrong. She maintains her sister didn't kill Alexus Smothers inside a West Frankfort home. Gaskin said her sister isn't a murderer.

"I know my sister and we've been close on and off through our lives and even though she's my sister, I would tell you if I thought she's guilty and she's not," said Gaskin.

But Franklin County State's Attorney Evan Owens said there will be no more arrests in this case and charged Zumwalt-Jophlin with murder, saying she drowned Smothers and hid her body. Despite learning the new charges against her sister, Gaskin said her faith will pull her family through.

"God has a reason for everything and he only gives what they can handle, you know, and it will all come out and he'll bring it all out."

http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local...127970298.html