Kelle Jarka Murder trial (page 2)

purplesofa

thanks truth

An elder with a Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation was being evasive when testifying during a Murrieta man’s trial on murder charges, a judge ruled this morning.

Judge Timothy Freer’s ruling allows the prosecutor to ask leading questions of Jose Cespedes, with the Murrieta-based Spanish Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, when he resumes his testimony this afternoon.

Prior to the trial, Cespedes attempted to avoid testifying in the trial of Kelle Lee Jarka, a 41-year-old Murrieta man charged with murder in connection with the April 2008 death of his wife, Isabelle.

Freer denied Cespedes request for the protections of the clergy-penitent privilege after learning Isabelle Jarka invited Cespedes — in his capacity as a friend and not a clergyman– over to her home on the night before she was killed.

Isabelle Jarka, 40, was found bludgeoned to death on the floor of her Tamarisk Street home. Kelle Jarka called police at about 8:45 a.m. on April 28, 2008, and reported finding his home burglarized and his wife dead.

Cespedes testified Isabelle Jarka wanted to talk to him after she learned a family friend recently died of AIDS and Kelle Jarka kept the friend’s illness a secret.

Deputy District Attorney Burke Strunsky asked Cespedes if an elder had a duty to report to other elders upon learning that a congregation member has AIDS. Cespedes initial responses did not completely answer the question so Strunsky asked again.

“So the fact that Kelle didn’t tell other elders was in violation of his duties as an elder?” Strunsky asked.

“That’s a choice he made,’ Cespedes replied.

Moments later, at about 11:15 a.m., Freer let the jury leave early for lunch and a brief hearing was held to determine if Cespedes could be deemed a hostile witness and the prosecution given more leeway in asking questions.

“The witness was being somewhat evasive in his answers,” Freer said. “It’s apparent from his demeanor, and his response to the questions, Mr. Cespedes is not necessarily answering questions in a forthright manner.”

Testimony is expected to resume this afternoon at the Southwest Justice Center in French Valley. If convicted of murder and commission of the crime for financial gain, Jarka faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Was the family friend a witness?

Scully

It could be that the guy was waiting until after the person with AIDS died before he disclosed to the other elders. Trying to avoid health care privacy violations. Or maybe he just made that up as a smoke screen, to get his wife upset, get her to call this other elder over to the house at midnight, and then give himself some kind of alibi....

truthseekeriam

So does anyone know what the elders do with the information if someone is HIV positive or has AIDS in the congregation?

Is there a warning given to the congregation?

Just curious as to why it would be such a big deal that the elder didn't want to answer the questions.

purplesofa

In another news article it said that Cespedes left the house at 4am, he was there for four hours, so from midnight to 4am.

The article posted above says: Cespedes testified Isabelle Jarka wanted to talk to him after she learned a family friend recently died of AIDS and Kelle Jarka kept the friend’s illness a secret.

Then the next day Ms Jarka gets blungeoned to death by her elder husband.

Weird.

Dagney

Weird is right.

What the heck happened in the next 4 hours?

purplesofa

I wonder what they were really talking about?

It's like I said before, what elder comes over at midnight ?

Dagney

SUPPOSEDLY, he was not coming over in official elder capacity, but as a personal friend to console them because of the loss of their friend. I "thought" this guy tried to get out of testifying claiming ecclesiastical privilege, but it was a no go. I need to check the first threads on this to refresh my memory.

Okay, I'm remembering now, there is the wife of the friend that died that is involved here, and something in Mexico.

As a side note, Kelle could not get appointed in an English hall, so he went to the Spanish and became an elder. Ick ick ick.

purplesofa

The next few days of testimony should be very interesting.

purplesofa

here is some of what happened friday, McGraw is the BIL.

The elder supposedly left at 4am and Isabella was found at 8:35am by Kelle bludgeoned to death. In an earlier article

the elder Cespedes testified Isabelle Jarka wanted to talk to him after she learned a family friend recently died of AIDS and Kelle Jarka kept the friend’s illness a secret.

From Friday:

McGraw has heard Kelle and Isabelle Jarka were arguing and had a congregation elder at the house.

“How is it Isabelle is murdered a few hours later?” McGraw testified, recalling his conversation with Jarka.

truthseekeriam

Interesting how the elder got on the stand saying the victim wasn't angry. Yeah right!

I was looking at the open access public records for this case and seen that a reporter from 20/20 asked for permission to cover the trial.

That would be a nightmare for the WTS. Here you have an elder who is accused of murdering his wife a few hours after another elder comes to their home in the middle of the night because the wife is upset her husband has been spending a lot of time with a recent widow in the congregation who's husband died of AIDS. The elder tries to use the clergy petenant rule in order not to testify and when that fails he testifies as a hostile witness.

Then we have the computer searches from the accused about "deadly poisons for humans""effects of cyanide on humans""can you suffocate from a trash bag" not to mention "sex with HIV"

Sucks that the poor family and children of the victim has to go through all of this mess. If he was a decent human he would just have plead guilty. Because he sure looks like he is.

Kelle Jarka Murder trial

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