A jury in Crown Point has determined a 20-year-old Indiana woman convicted of murdering her 2-year-old cousin will go to prison for life without parole.
CROWN POINT, Ind. (AP) — A jury in Crown Point has determined a 20-year-old Indiana woman convicted of murdering her 2-year-old cousin will go to prison for life without parole. Jurors imposed the sentence Friday night after deliberating for two hours. They convicted Engelica Castillo of Hobart of murder and neglect Thursday in the June 2009 beating death of Jada Justice. The girl’s body was found encased in concrete in a northwestern Indiana wetland. Castillo originally claimed the toddler disappeared from a car after she went into a Gary convenience store. Authorities say Castillo and her 25-year-old boyfriend Timothy Tkachik were going to Chicago for heroin when they beat Jada for spilling food. He pleaded guilty to neglect charges. Formal sentencing is set for Sept. 9. Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
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