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Jehovah’s Witness killed wife to collect on insurance

20 August 2009

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Author: Moxie
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Article Source: The Press Enterprise

articleA Murrieta man accused of beating his wife to death so he could collect $1.3 million from life insurance policies was “drowning in debt” and appears to have done Internet research on murder methods, the prosecution argued Wednesday during the trial’s opening statements in a French Valley courtroom.

Kelle Lee Jarka, 40, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Isabelle Jarka, 40, his wife of nearly two decades and the mother of his two children, one of whom was still an infant at the time of the killing.

Jarka’s defense attorney, Erin Kirkpatrick, portrayed him as a caring friend and father and devout Jehovah’s Witness who loved his wife and had spent his younger years helping to build churches. Kirkpatrick suggested that Jarka took out the insurance policies because he and his wife had been rattled by the recent death of a close family friend.

According to police, Jarka said he came home after running some errands on the morning of April 28, 2008, to find his house broken into and his wife bludgeoned to death. Police say Jarka killed her and staged the break-in.

Prosecutor Burke Strunsky said Jarka is “preoccupied with money, status and image” and executed a “well-researched but sloppily executed murder.”

The burglary, according to Strunsky, was “transparently staged,” with valuable items such as a laptop and a wad of cash left behind and drawers removed and neatly stacked.

On a laptop that prosecutors say was used almost exclusively by Jarka investigators found records of incriminating-sounding Internet searches, including “poisons that cause instant death” and “how to medically suffocate” and “when to remarry after death,” Strunsky said.

On the morning Isabelle Jarka was found dead, a church elder had spent hours at their home discussing the couple’s marital problems and had not left until about 4 a.m., Strunsky said.

Forensic evidence suggests that Isabelle Jarka likely was lying in bed asleep when the first blow was struck and that the killer appears to have followed her, continuing to strike her in the head, as she struggled across the bedroom floor.

Isabelle’s mother, Tina Canchola, who lived across the street, described on the witness stand how her agitated son-in-law came to her door that morning talking to a 911 dispatcher on his cell phone and carrying his infant son. Canchola, realizing something was wrong, ran across the street and into the Jarka home where she found her daughter, face down in a pool of blood.

Canchola wept as she explained how she got down on her knees next to her daughter.

“I start touching her legs, her back, her hair,” she said.

“Isabelle, answer me,” Canchola repeated to her daughter. “She couldn’t … She was already dead.”

Reach Sarah Burge at 951-375-3736 or sburge@PE.com

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10 Comments »

  • Gilbert said:

    My heart goes out to Isabelle. Geez, if she’s my wife, I would stay a JW!

  • joe said:

    Hi sir Ithink that some people are forced to joinjw under some sever circomstancec.may be they are not aware of what they are doing.I see that we are so responsible to show to them the facts.we must stay near those people to tell them the truth.This is our responsibility of realm believers0.

  • Autumn said:

    Hi Joe. No one is forced to be a JW. It’s a decision we all have the right to make. It depends on whether or not you want to know the Truth and believe it. I am saddened for Isabelle and her family. As a believer myself, I know that she will be missed but will be rejoined with her brothers and sisters on the Paradise. May God Bless all of you.

  • SONSON said:

    hi everybody, knowing that guy was never a jeh witness. he pretends to be but unfortunately for his wife she’s gone. if she was faithful herself she’ll live again and never die.

  • rae said:

    The truth will come out on what happened, my heart goes out to the family of Isabelle. No one knows trulu what is in our hearts and minds.
    Only God knows what really happened, If the husband is telling the truth or is not telling the truth, he being a JW knows the consequenses. And that alone should means alot to him (IF) he is a believer.
    He knows what the Bible says about killing someone.
    As for Isabelle, she is at rest, and is in the hands of God.

    As to Joe, there are Millions of JW”s, and are not puppets as to be forced to join anything, people are of free will, and do whatever they choose to do or join.
    I think these people do extensive study, research, and prayer before making a decision in anything they do.
    I hope you can one day talk to one and see for yourself the individuality of each JW.

    I am sure Isabelle has many friends that will miss her, and look forward to seeing her again.

    Isabelle will rest in peace.

  • Job said:

    Joe is right. Alot of people are misled from the truth.

    Yes, we have our own free will to chose whose God we want to serve but the truth. Every religion has its own bad testimonies. God will not judge the religion.. It’s the person that the Lord Jesus will deal with in the end. ‘Its by grace we are saved and not of works so that no one can boast’ in the judgement day.

  • Leticia said:

    It really shouldn’t be about Kelle Lee Jarka being a Jehovah’s Witness, it is about claiming to be a man of God in any religous faith. Many priests have molested many children, should we say that all priests do this?

    In the court of law, God wants us to use our better judgement, we have to give ceasar’s things to ceasr, but Gods things to God (right)? We need to put the bad where they belong in this world of satan, and God will take care of what he truly knows! in due time.

    We tend to throw judgement at men who call themselves christains, which means to be christ-like, yes this is the irretating factor when we hear stories like this, yes I judge muderers, etc. it is for our safety that we are allowed to be part of a jury, we have to dwell here, so you judge here and let God make the final decision in the after life.

    So it is not about being a Catholic, or Jehovah’s Witness, etc. it is about claiming to be like Christ/Christian; this is what I feel is disturbing, because when your evil, you are a follower of satan and no one else…

  • Vanessa said:

    My heart goes out to the Canchola family. Be strong for your grandchild, she’s going to need you so much now.

  • DAVID B.MOORE said:

    I’ve been baptized since 1969 and grew up in the truth.my
    feeling’s for JEHOVAH’S organization have never wavered.
    this is JEHOVAH’S earthly organization taking care of king
    dom interest’s here on earth.no other organization here on
    earth taught me or my family about JEHOVAH,HIS son christ
    jesus,and HIS kingdom hope for righteous mankind.my family
    and I include 2 older sibling’s,a twin brother,and 2 younger
    sister’s.my mom and dad also were faithful and loyal witnesses
    for JEHOVAH and all of HIS kingdom interest’s.my oldest brother
    michael has loyally served as an elder in the stoneham,mass
    congregation for 20+ year’s and a younger sister who has served
    along with her husband jim up in the world headquarter’s in
    brooklyn,new york.I’m proud and fulfilled and happy to be a part
    of JEHOVAH’S organization.may all of JEHOVAH’S people con
    tinue to praise HIM on into infinity.

  • daiseyclover said:

    Was Isabelle”s mom Tina Canchola also a Jehovah”s Witness?
    Why would she think her son in law killed her daughter?
    It was a brutal murder.There had to be alot of hate.Nothing indicates such hate.There was no motive to me .Yes the insurance but lots of people have insurance on their spouses”.Was Kelle suffering with mental illness? My sympathy to the Canchola & Jarka family.Both are suffering.

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