GUILTY PA - Jarrod Tutko, 9, disabled, starved to death, Harrisburg, 29 July 2014

[tlcya]

After a few minutes in the boy's room, we turned to enter D's room across the hall. I knew she was 13 and so prepared to find the stereotypical room of a teenager. D is deaf. Kimberly described her as "a little slow."

Her room left me feeling uneasy as well. The walls were bare, peeling in places, marred in others. The one piece of furniture, a small dresser, was smeared with writing, none of which I could make out. Two mattresses - one bare, both quite dirty - were on the floor. There was nothing about this room that said 13-year-old girl: no teen throb posters, action hero photos, hair products, nail polish, books, magazines. There was not one thing to indicate a young teen slept here.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/08/kimberly_totku_jarrod_totku_re.html

all that care and attention lavished on the severely disabled daughter and her living space. What of their other children?? I am angry. So angry.

 

[jmcgladr]

Reading about the medical issues of some of the other children in the home, I wonder if this couple was adopting special needs children or were they just genetically unblessed?

I think there was more to it than that. The oldest girl was deaf after she had the flu - I suppose that happens but it's quite unlikely. The bedridden daughter was apparently bedridden after a febrile seizure. Again, uncommon. The 12 year old boy was apparently so thin neighbors could see his ribcage poking out. All but one of the children had some sort of disability. Most of these disabilities were either caused by, or worsened by, neglect (IMO). It seems too coincidental for me. Did they ever seek out any medical treatment for any of their children, I wonder? Were they doing it for the disability checks? I hate to be so cynical, but they were likely bringing in a lot of money caring for 5 children with disabilities, and it's not at all evident that they were spending that money to adequately care for their kids! The bedridden daughter was the only one who seemed to be remotely well cared-for.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I think there was more to it than that. The oldest girl was deaf after she had the flu - I suppose that happens but it's quite unlikely. The bedridden daughter was apparently bedridden after a febrile seizure. Again, uncommon. The 12 year old boy was apparently so thin neighbors could see his ribcage poking out. All but one of the children had some sort of disability. Most of these disabilities were either caused by, or worsened by, neglect (IMO). It seems too coincidental for me. Did they ever seek out any medical treatment for any of their children, I wonder? Were they doing it for the disability checks? I hate to be so cynical, but they were likely bringing in a lot of money caring for 5 children with disabilities, and it's not at all evident that they were spending that money to adequately care for their kids! The bedridden daughter was the only one who seemed to be remotely well cared-for.

Im starting to think the same thing you are....I think.?
They were in it for the money....maybe even allowed them to become so ill as to qualify for a check.

Truth be told, the state goes above and beyond typically and IMO to keep disabled children with their parents that "love them" because these children are at high risk of abuse in foster homes where the risk of abuse is even higher.

Those poor children...all of them.

No wonder that boy hated to go home.


All IMO

 

[jmcgladr]

This site definitely has the most comprehensive coverage on this case. I don't think I've seen this article posted earlier: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/08/neighbor_cleaned_feces-covered.html

Some interesting things I took from this article: 1.) The pics the media took of J's bedroom are the AFTER pictures, before the neighbor came, the room was much worse. Can you imagine?
2.) The saintly neighbor who cleaned this room nearly set a fire when she burned incense b/c the levels of methane and CO2 were so high. I wonder if this is what J died from? Asphyxiated by the gases from his feces, which was apparently in piles everywhere? A horrible thought.

I guess we'll know the official cause of death soon, if they release it. The autopsy is set for tomorrow morning.

 

[tlcya]

I am sorry but that mother abdicated her role as parent to that poor baby years ago. She is lucky to have that neighbor. All I will say.

 

[craftybatchy]

Pennsylvania apparently has some pretty decent state funded waiver programs . The sibling who was on a vent and confined to bed would have qualified. Not sure about Jarrod though. If most of his issues were behavioural (medical cause nonwithstanding), his parents may have had a more difficult time acquiring services on his behalf.

My son is profoundly disabled, medically fragile, extreme behavioural challenges, and a risk to self and others. I get this. Believe me. I've been to some pretty dark places mentally and emotionally. But the level of apathy required to virtually ignore your child for 4 years is pathological.

No excuse. None. No justification. Mom lived in the house, mere inches below her son, and hadn't seen him in how many years ?

There's a chair for both of them. I call it 'Old Sparky'.

 

[momrids6]

Pennsylvania apparently has some pretty decent state funded waiver programs . The sibling who was on a vent and confined to bed would have qualified. Not sure about Jarrod though. If most of his issues were behavioural (medical cause nonwithstanding), his parents may have had a more difficult time acquiring services on his behalf.

My son is profoundly disabled, medically fragile, extreme behavioural challenges, and a risk to self and others. I get this. Believe me. I've been to some pretty dark places mentally and emotionally. But the level of apathy required to virtually ignore your child for 4 years is pathological.

No excuse. None. No justification. Mom lived in the house, mere inches below her son, and hadn't seen him in how many years ?

There's a chair for both of them. I call it 'Old Sparky'.

Fragile X is an automatic approval for SSI; therefore eligible for state services. My hat's off to you...<3

 

[Leigh9]

There are several things in this case that just don't sit right with me, beyond the obvious questions:
-as several of you have said, it seems odd that two of the other children had severe conditions resulting from things that happened after birth (seizures, flu). The three year old is the only "typical" child I think?
- in the interview the mom only refers to the dad as "the dad" and "Mr Tutko"
-in the interview she made a point to say that when the dad brought him down to watch TV on Saturday she only saw the back of his head. If it's the first she saw him in FOUR YEARS wouldn't want to make eye contact?? I wonder if more abuse is going to show up in the autopsy & she wanted to be clear she hadn't seen him well enough to notice??

 

[SilkySifaka]

I am beginning to wonder if the mom was abused as well and actually not allowed to see her son to start with aned then it became her 'norm'. Possibly the one daughter was daddy's little girl and she was the one mom was allowed to lavish attention on

eta, i think like this because it is inconceivable that she is so matter of fact about it. Almost as if she thought it was the way it had to be and she just turned off emotionally. I can call her all sorts of names but in my gut i think something was seriously wrong with her beyond the obvious. It just does not happen that someone can explain it so simply without any remorse or any coverup. Either one is normal, trying to hide it or showing some guilty feelings, but this is beyond that.

And if she was a monster i would think they would come uip with a better story than they had which is makes her completely unsympathetic a character.

 

[tlcya]

interesting comment under the article alleging previous marriage etc of mom. http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/08/neighbor_cleaned_feces-covered.html

 

[tlcya]

She recalls that, at one point, social services took custody of his then-girlfriend&#8217;s kids, but believes that the family had been reunited when they moved.

http://wnep.com/2014/08/03/man-accused-of-hiding-sons-corpse-has-roots-in-schuylkill-county/

If I am reading this right Kimberly is the girlfriend being referenced in this story and CPS had involvement with the family prior to them moving from the area. Anyone shocked by this info? Not I.

 

[tlcya]

Dauphin County Children and Youth Services investigated an abuse allegation in December against the parents of a boy found dead in his room last week.


Kimberly Tutko, the mother of the boy who died, provided PennLive a copy of the agency's letter saying they were ending all services after a "final visit" on Dec. 20.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/08/dauphin_county_investigated_al.html

Heads will end up rolling. MOO. IF CPS had an open case on this family that they closed just this past December someone screwed up big time.


Kimberly Tutko talked to PennLive Monday and said she believed her 12-year-old son, who has behavioral issues, may have called in the abuse complaint last year because he was angry at his parents.

The complaint alleged Jarrod Tutko Sr., threw a sippy cup at Jarrod Jr.'s leg, causing serious bruising.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/08/dauphin_county_investigated_al.html

Would that be the 12 year old son who looks starved and neighbors worried was being abused? Thta child reported a problem in December and Jarrod was dead by August. No wonder that poor kid didn't want to go home. His parents held him responsible for the spotlight that was put on their home by CPS

 

[tlcya]

Maybe mom is slow or purposefully obtuse. She claims because the termination of the CPS investigation letter says CPS is terminating services it meant that she could get no services for her children. That is not what that letter means. It means we don't think the abuse reported was founded and we are closing our investigation.

Mom is now waving this letter around like a flag saying see? See? I was told I could get no services.

So either she is not bright or she is now looking to blame CPS for the death of her son and the state of her other children.

 

[jmcgladr]

She recalls that, at one point, social services took custody of his then-girlfriend&#8217;s kids, but believes that the family had been reunited when they moved.

http://wnep.com/2014/08/03/man-accused-of-hiding-sons-corpse-has-roots-in-schuylkill-county/

If I am reading this right Kimberly is the girlfriend being referenced in this story and CPS had involvement with the family prior to them moving from the area. Anyone shocked by this info? Not I.

I saw that quote too. I was confused by it because I had also read that the Tutkos had been married for 14 years, which is longer than any of their kids have been alive. D, the oldest, is only 13 right?

ETA: I have been puzzling over this, and there are a few possible explanations:

1.) One or both news sources got their facts wrong.
2.) The relative was mistaken about whether they were boyfriend/girlfriend at the time, or married - quite possible if they were not close and she was not at the wedding.
3.) Kimberly Tutko had other children, possibly with another man, before the 6 children she had with Jarrod Sr. The wording of "his then-girlfriend's kids" not "their kids" in the article you referenced made me wonder about this. Why would the cousin not say "their kids" if they were the children of both Jarrod and Kimberly?

 

[tlcya]

yes, I get the feel this cousin of Mr. Tutko is not a close cousin or someone involved enough with him to know specifics about his life. My own take is that this person wanted to speak to the press but had nothing really of substance to relay.

Or perhaps they were common law and then at some point made the marriage official

 

[Redux]

Did anyone notice that she refers to her husband as "the father" rather than calling him "my husband" or by his first name?

That just really stuck out to me.

ETA: Oops, I should have refreshed before I posted - I noticed someone pointed that out on the last page.

 

[PlainJaneDoe]

oh my god this is in my town. My friend just sent me the link. I am sick.

"Don't go on WS in the office" is one of my few personal office rules for keeping myself on task. I can't believe this. I am so sick.

 

[chaotic_idealism]

Minor update from one of the later articles; Jarrod was 9 years old, not 8. The close age gap between him and Arianna makes them a real study in contrasts. Arianna becomes severely disabled, and gets everything she needs; her slightly younger brother is born with a disability, and gets a hellish existence you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.

 

[chaotic_idealism]

No immediate determination of cause of death from the autopsy.

Cause of death undetermined for 9-year-old Harrisburg boy Jarrod Tutko Jr.

The cause of death of a 9-year-old Harrisburg boy whose body laid for days in his feces-covered room has not yet been determined, pending further testing, according to Dauphin County officials.

The coroner has ordered further testing on the body of Jarrod Tutko Jr., and those results could take two weeks or more, according to county spokeswoman Amy Richards. An autopsy was performed this morning on Jarrod Tutko Jr.'s body beginning at about 5 a.m.

Can't really conclude much from that, except that little Jarrod probably didn't have any severe injuries that obviously caused his death; if he had, the cause of death wouldn't have been "undetermined".

 

[tlcya]

My heart breaks for Jarrod. He should have had help and a completely different outcome.

The 12 yr old son A really bothers me too. I get the feeling he was dad's scapegoat along with Jarrod.

I am glad every one of those children is out of that house of horrors now. I only wish Jarrod had not had to die for people to know what was going on in there.