Casefile Extra: The Tunstall Family

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As always, I'd like to offer a huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone who has listened and supported the show over the years, especially our Patreon and Premium subscribers. We appreciate each and every one of you. Our episodes deal with serious and often-distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support and for a more detailed list of content warnings, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. In the mid-2000s, there wasn't much that could shock first responders in the Illinois City of East St. Louis. The once thriving industrial city had been hit hard by the Great Depression, after which it struggled to recover. From the 1950s onwards, the loss of industry and the declining economy prompted residents to flee East St. Louis in the tens of thousands. This led to a sharp decline in city services and employment opportunities. Many of the remaining citizens lived below the poverty line with little assistance and scraped to get by. Substance abuse and violence were ongoing issues, and the murder rate was more than 10 times the national average. On the edge of East St. Louis is the Frank Holton State Park, a 1,000-acre expanse of woodland, fields and lakes. With wild deer roaming freely and ample fishing opportunities, the park is an urban escape where families can picnic and enjoy the outdoors. For many, it's a place where they can forget their hardships for a few hours. But on the afternoon of Friday, September 15, 2006, paramedics were called to the Frank Holton State Park after receiving a distressing 911 call. The park was just starting to get busy as they pulled up at the entrance at 5.30pm. The paramedics parked the ambulance and scanned their surroundings until they found what they were looking for. The young woman was standing still and holding something close to her chest. When they approached, she held out her arms and raised the bundle for them to see. It was a newborn baby, clearly deceased. The woman was taken to the hospital where detectives arrived to take her statement. She told them her name was Tiffany Hall and she was 24 years old. Tiffany said that earlier that day she'd been at the home of a man named Tony. The two had only known each other for a few weeks, but they were getting to know one another. Then, without warning, Tony pinned Tiffany down and raped her. Tiffany explained that she was seven months pregnant and the trauma of the sexual assault caused her to prematurely go into labor. She gave birth, but the baby girl wasn't breathing. Tony cut the umbilical cord, bundled Tiffany into a stool-borne baby into his car and dumped them in Frank Holton State Park. The calm nature in which Tiffany recounted her ordeal indicated to the detectives that she was likely in shock. She didn't know Tony's last name and couldn't remember exactly where he lived, but she was able to provide the detectives with a general description of him, his car, and his house. Using the information she provided, the detectives tried to track Tony down. After four days with no success, they requested that Tiffany Holt join them to retrace the route she'd taken to get to Tony's house. Tiffany agreed. Writing in the police vehicle, she directed the detectives up and down several different streets, but after 45 minutes, she still didn't recognize any of the houses. The detectives took Tiffany back to the station and urged her to remember any further detail she could about her ordeal. Tiffany insisted she didn't know anything more. She started to get defensive and shut down the questioning, asking if she needed a lawyer. This wasn't the first instance where Tiffany had been dismissive towards investigators. When she was taken to the hospital, she had also refused a rape kit. The detectives could understand why Tiffany was reluctant to assist them. At the age of 14, Tiffany was charged with domestic battery after she kicked her mother in the legs. She was given one year's probation, but refused her mandatory drug tests, continued to skip school, and regularly stayed out past curfew. Consequently, she was sent to a juvenile detention facility for six months. By the age of 17, Tiffany had given birth to two daughters. The second was dropped on her head as a baby, resulting in irreversible brain damage. Child protection authorities became involved when they found evidence that Tiffany's youngest daughter had also been physically abused. Both of her children were taken into protective care, but returned to Tiffany two years later. At the time she regained custody, Tiffany was under investigation for arson. Two fires had been started in her then-boyfriend's home, the second of which destroyed the house entirely. On both occasions, Tiffany had been the only one there. Five years had passed since then, but Tiffany Hall was still on the radar of a local police. Just one week before she was attacked by Tony, police received a tip that she was neglecting her two daughters. On the afternoon of Friday, September 15, 2006, officers had arrived at Tiffany's home to perform a welfare check on her children. The girls were there being cared for by Tiffany's mother. Unbeknown to all of them, it was around this exact same time that Tiffany was being assaulted by Tony. The detectives decided not to press Tiffany for any further information for the time being. She requested to be left alone for at least one day. Tomorrow was her baby's funeral. The father of Tiffany's stillborn baby was her boyfriend Keith Horn, a Navy sailor stationed 900 miles away in Norfolk, Virginia. The news that Tiffany had been assaulted and their baby had died as a result had left Keith heartbroken. He'd been granted a few days of shore leave to attend his daughter's funeral. Keith arrived at the funeral home on Thursday, September 21. The service was scheduled to commence at midday, but as the clock ticked past 12, nothing was happening, and Tiffany was nowhere to be seen. The funeral director approached Keith and told him that Tiffany was running a little late. She'd called a few minutes earlier to ask if the service could be rescheduled to another day when more of her relatives would be able to attend. The director was unable to accommodate her request, but agreed to wait for Tiffany before commencing the service. Tiffany arrived about 90 minutes later. A short service was held for the baby whom she and Keith had named Taylor. The coffin was then taken to the nearby cemetery for burial. Keith was still processing his grief as he and Tiffany walked away from their daughter's grave. Moments later, Tiffany turned to him with a revelation. She admitted that Keith was not the father of the baby, in fact it wasn't even her baby. Leaving a frantic phone call from Keith Horn, police officers were dispatched to Tiffany Hall's weatherboard home on North 56th Street, where she lived with her mother and two daughters. They knocked on the door, but there was no answer. The house had only one neighbor about 15 feet to the right. The rest of the house was surrounded by a large expanse of trees, dense scrub, and weeds. Based on the information Keith had given them, police commenced a search of the property. About 10 minutes later, an officer was searching behind the house when they came upon a disturbing side. Lying amongst the thick bushes and weeds was the body of a young woman. She was wrapped in a shower curtain and damaged to the surrounding foliage indicated that she'd been dragged there from Tiffany's house. After her body was a pair of scissors. The young woman had clearly been pregnant, but there was no baby. There was only a large gaping hole in her abdomen. Case file will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors. Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. By supporting our sponsors, you support Case file to continue to deliver quality content. Tiffany Hall and her Gemella Tunstle had been close friends since a young age. Although they weren't biologically related, they referred to each other affectionately as cousins. Like Tiffany, Gemella had a troubled upbringing and was considered a bit of a social outcast. She was acquired and shy girl who didn't meet friends easily. A car accident had left her with a large scar across her eye, which other children made fun of and called her ugly. Having been placed in foster care at a young age, all Gemella ever wanted was to be part of a stable, loving home. When she became pregnant at 16, being responsible for providing such a thing for her baby was a terrifying prospect for Gemella. But a month later, her best friend Tiffany had an announcement. She was pregnant too. Not only could they raise their children together, but this would be Tiffany's second child, so the Gemella could benefit from Tiffany's experience. In June of 1999, Gemella gave birth to a little boy and a few weeks after that, Tiffany welcomed her second daughter. The two supported one another, eating meals together, taking their children to the cinema and babysitting for one another. Determined to give her child the best possible life, Gemella persevered through high school as a single mother. In the years that followed, she had two more children. She worked two jobs while attending college classes to become a photographer, and in time, she managed to put together enough money to buy a car and ran to small apartment. In early 2006, Gemella was delighted to discover that she was pregnant for the fourth time. She'd come a long way from the scared teenager she used to be, and although she had some ups and downs during her parenting journey, she'd worked hard to be a good mother. She had a job and an apartment and was in a loving long-term relationship. She'd even built a good relationship with her own mother. When considering her fourth pregnancy, Gemella realized there was really only one thing reminiscent of her first. Tiffany Hall was pregnant again too. Tiffany and Gemella had remained close into adulthood, and even their mothers had become best friends. But while Gemella was dedicated to her children, Tiffany continued to spend most of her time with her friends and going to parties. Tiffany's two daughters were often cared for by their grandmother, while Tiffany sometimes stayed at Gemella's apartment for days at a time. Although Tiffany helped Gemella around the house during these days, Gemella sometimes got the feeling that Tiffany was just using her. By early September 2006, the two friends were both heavily pregnant when they got into an argument over the phone. After hanging up, Gemella decided she needed a break from their friendship. Tiffany called back immediately, but Gemella ignored the call. She didn't answer the next few times Tiffany called either. Never Tiffany wanted to say, "Germella didn't want to hear it." On September 21, after Tiffany and her boyfriend Keith buried their stillborn baby, Tiffany admitted that she'd never been pregnant at all. The baby they'd just buried was Gemella townstalls. Tiffany said she'd cut the baby from Gemella's womb before dumping her body in her backyard. When police found the body of 23-year-old Gemella Townstall, the search for Tiffany Hall began immediately. Her image and a description of the car she was likely driving was released to news outlets, as officers went to check Gemella's apartment in case Tiffany was hiding out there. Gemella lived only four miles away, so police arrived quickly on scene. They gained access to the apartment, but a quick scan revealed each room to be empty. Given that Tiffany lived with her mother, Beverly, police also considered that Beverly might have somehow been involved with Gemella's murder. They tracked her down and told her that she was being questioned under suspicion of murder. Beverly appeared to be genuinely confused, saying she had no idea what the officers were talking about. When they told her that Gemella Townstall had been killed and Tiffany was the prime suspect, Beverly was in shock. Gemella's mother and aunt were her dearest friends and she considered Gemella to be like a daughter. Unable to comprehend the news, she said she had no idea where Tiffany could be hiding. It was evident to police that Beverly was telling the truth. The search for Tiffany continued, and a few hours later, she was traced to a housing project just a few streets away from Gemella's apartment. Tiffany was placed under arrest and taken into custody, where she began to talk. According to Tiffany, it all began when her boyfriend Keith Horn was stationed away as part of his naval duties. She didn't want him to go, so she concocted a plan to get him back, saying she was pregnant with his child. For months, Tiffany faked her own pregnancy alongside Gemella's real one. She bought baby clothes and toys and shared the news with her friends and family. However, Tiffany knew that at some point her ruse would be discovered unless she could somehow produce a baby. Tiffany confessed to the detectives that she had "contemplated taking Gemella's unborn baby for quite some time." In early September, the pair had a falling out, at which point Gemella started ignoring Tiffany's calls. Around at the same time, Tiffany started putting her plan into action. She bought rubbing alcohol, a pair of scissors, and a nasal aspirator, which she intended to use to clear the baby's airway after she cut the child from Gemella's womb. By Friday September 15, Tiffany and Gemella were back on speaking terms. Tiffany had the house to herself so she convinced Gemella to swing by. At some point during the visit, Tiffany grabbed a chair leg and used it to beat Gemella over the head twice. It was enough to incapacitate Gemella while Tiffany bound her hands and feet with duct tape. When Gemella struggled to free herself, Tiffany hid her over the head again, knocking her unconscious. Tiffany then dragged Gemella into the bathtub where she used the scissors to remove Gemella's baby. Neither the baby nor Gemella survived the attack. Tiffany wrapped Gemella's body in the shower curtain, dragged her into the backyard, and to dump her among the bushes. She then took the baby and made her way to Frank Holtman State Park where she called for an ambulance. While she was out, Tiffany's mother and daughters returned home, unaware that Gemella's body lay hidden only yards away. While detectives were taking Tiffany's confession, the question arose, where were Gemella's three other children? Officers began interviewing members of the Toonstal family and to learn that on the day Gemella was killed, her kids had been staying with their father, Ivan Collins. While Ivan and Jumella were in a committed relationship, they lived separately and shared the care of their children. Jumella's eldest child was seven-year-old Dimon, a kind-hearted and intelligent boy who loved superheroes and always let other kids play with his favorite little green right on tractor. Ivan Collins was not Dimon's biological father, but he had quickly come to love Dimon as his own. Ivan and Jumella's second son Ivan Jr. was only a week away from his third birthday, and their daughter, Jumella, was 22 months old. The couple had been looking forward to welcoming their fourth child in just two months' time. In fact, when police phoned Ivan to tell him about Jumella's murder, her baby shower had been scheduled to start in just a few hours. Ivan told the police that his children weren't with him. Four days prior, he'd answered a knock at his door. It was Tiffany Hall. She said that Jumella had sent her to pick up the kids. This was a common occurrence, so Ivan hadn't thought anything of it. He knew how close Jumella and Tiffany were, so he rounded up the children and watched as they happily went with their aunt Tiffany. Ivan told the police he hadn't seen or heard from them since. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode Sponsors. When the detectives interrogating Tiffany Hall about the murder of Jumella Tunstle and her unborn child were informed that Jumella's three children had last been seen in Tiffany's care, they changed the focus of their interview. They needed to know where the three children were as a matter of urgency. Tiffany refused to tell them anything. Officers were dispatched to Jumella's apartment to collect photographs of the three children. Missing person posters were quickly produced and a local news stations broadcast the details as police immediately began their search. Every inch of the land surrounding Tiffany Hall's house was scoured. Within a few short hours, the search had expanded to nearby Frank Holden State Park. Dozens of officers, firefighters, local volunteers and sniffer dogs scoured the expansive wooded area on foot. Jumella's loved ones joined the search while mounted police surveyed the fields on horseback and police divers searched the lake. The Illinois State Police captain told news outlets that the priority was to find the children alive, but time was running out. A severe storm was approaching East St. Louis. Heavy rain and strong winds began to bat at the park as lightning split the sky and thunder clapped overhead. By 3pm, a tornado was on its way and the police had no choice but to suspend the search. One of Jumella's cousins told the St. Louis Post to dispatch, "I'm praying that they are not out there, that they are with someone and that person will return them." The search for Daemon, Ivan Jr. and Jinella recommence that first alike the following day, with the FBI also getting involved. More volunteers joined in, checking vacant houses in Tiffany's neighborhood and dumpsters all around the city. As the hours ticked by, concerned citizens of East St. Louis became more and more frantic, desperate for news that the children were safe and well. The state police chief held a press conference to reassure the public that they would not stop searching until the children had been found, stating, "These children are from East St. Louis, they know how to survive." Police continued to hound Tiffany Hall for information, but she refused to tell them anything about the children. That was until seven that evening, when she finally broke her silence. Officers had been to Jumella's apartment the day prior to grab photos of the children, and had briefly looked inside the day before that when searching for Tiffany Hall. They had not seen the children or noticed anything unusual during either visit, but based on Tiffany's latest revelation, officers re-entered the apartment for a third time. This time, they were immediately struck by a strong odor coming from the laundry. One officer lifted up the lid of the washing machine. Inside was the semi-naked body of seven-year-old Daemon. Next to the washing machine was a dryer. They pulled open the door to find the naked bodies of two-year-old Ivan Jr. and one-year-old Janella. Police officers wept openly as they lifted the children out and covered them in sheets. Many of the officers were so traumatized that they later needed counseling, with one being put on medical leave. Officers of onlookers gathered in the fresh night air to watch as the children were taken away. The people of East St. Louis had seen more than their fair share of violence and detragity, yet the murders of the three-tunstled children devastated the entire community. One local citizen told reporters, "These were our children. They didn't even have a chance to live." Tiffany Hall spared no details when giving police her confession. She admitted that days after murdering Jamella and her unborn child, she'd gone to Ivan Collins' home to pick up Daemon, Ivan Jr. and Janella. At the time, Tiffany's own daughters and mother were staying with a friend, so she took the tunstled children back to her house. There, she gave each of them a dose of cough medicine to make them sleepy, before drowning them one by one in the bathtub. The same tub in which their mother and baby sister had been killed only days earlier. Tiffany said she then wrapped the three children up and carried them to her car. She drove the four miles to Jamella's apartment and dumped their bodies in the washing machine and dryer. Autopsies on all three children, as well as on Jamella and her unborn baby, supported Tiffany's version of events. Jamella's post-mortem revealed she'd suffered blunt force trauma to their head, but died from blood loss. The medical examiner described Jamella's death as "very graphic and very brutal" and confirmed that her baby had not lived to take a first breath. Tiffany Hall was charged with the first-degree murders of Jamella Tunstle, Daemon Tunstle, Ivan Tunstle Collins, and Janela Tunstle. She was also charged with the intentional homicide of a Jamella's unborn baby. Tiffany was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation. While the results revealed she suffered from some unresolved mental health issues and had a lower than average IQ, the conclusion was that she was fit to stand trial. In a blow for Jamella's family, Tiffany pleaded not guilty on all counts. In response, the state prosecutor announced that he would seek the death penalty. In relation to Jamella and her baby, Tiffany Hall had perpetrated what is known as a Caesarian kidnapping or a fetal abduction. This type of crime is exceedingly rare, with Tiffany's case marking only the twelfth recorded fetal abduction in US history. In each of the previous cases, the abductors were women who needed a newborn to pass off as their own. All had faked their own pregnancy, either entirely or after miscarrying. Most had done so, at least in part, to manipulate their partners into remaining in a relationship. It was clear to law enforcement that Tiffany Hall had killed Jamella Tunstle to gain access to her baby. However, that didn't explain why she murdered Jamella's living children three days later. Tiffany never revealed her motive for killing the children, nor did she express remorse for any of her actions. She maintained her not guilty plea for nearly two years until June 2008, when she changed her position just before her trial was scheduled to begin. In exchange for the death penalty being taken off the table, Tiffany pleaded guilty to wall charges. For the first degree murders of Jumella, Demon, Ivan Jr., and to Jinella, she was given four life sentences without the possibility of parole. For the intentional homicide of Jumella's unborn baby, Tiffany received a concurrent sentence of 60 years. Jumella's family were satisfied with the outcome. One of her cousins commented, "I just think she should be imprisoned the rest of her life to think about what she did. God's going to have the upper hand." Jumella's mother said, "I have to forgive her. I believe in putting justice in God's hands." Just over a month after her sentencing, Tiffany Hall claimed she'd been coerced into pleading guilty and filed a motion to withdraw her plea on all counts. Jumella's loved ones adamantly opposed the motion, with her aunt stating, "We want to heal. We thought everything was enclosure. I believe Tiffany did it and we need to put this behind us. I love Tiffany as though she were my blood and knees. I still love her. But Jumella can't speak, so I have to speak for her." Ivan Collins' mother told reporters, "Tiffini massacred a whole family. Before I would see that woman walk free, I will go to prison myself." Tiffany's motion to change her plea was denied. After the deaths of Jumella and her children, their loved ones faced another heartbreak. Neither Ivan Collins nor Jumella's family could afford the cost of a funeral. Word of this reached the people of East St. Louis, and within a matter of days, the community had raised $35,000 for the cause. More than 700 mourners gathered at the church to attend the service, with Tiffany's mother among them. But pastor told the congregation, "This is not a time for contemplation of revenge, but a time for healing." He encouraged those in attendance to lean into their faith and to use the tragic deaths of Jumella and her kids as fuel for change. After the funeral, Ivan Collins sat beside the graves of his children in tears. He clutched two white teddy bears, but they provided no comfort. Ivan was consumed by guilt at having handed his children over to Tiffany Hall. He'd been plagued by nightmares every night since their bodies were discovered. It was too painful for Ivan to remain in East St. Louis. Shortly after the funeral, he relocated, but his guilt followed him across state lines. Every day was a struggle. Two years went by before he returned to East St. Louis. There was one last thing he needed to do. Ivan and Jumella's stillborn baby had been buried under the name Taylor, as though she was the child of Tiffany Hall and Keith Horn. On Wednesday, October 8, 2008, the baby girl was exhumed and re-buried alongside her real mother and siblings. After the funeral, Ivan told reporters, "It's very tough. I am happy though that my family is all together." Ivan found comfort in knowing that his daughter was finally buried under her real name. Before all of the tragedy that befell their family, Ivan and Jumella had chosen a name for their baby girl. Come in here.