For the last six months, the three-year-old innocent child would only be known to our organization as Baby Carbondale has finally been given a name thanks to the Effingham Daily News. We want to reiterate that a murdered baby deserves to have their name mentioned, and be remembered by who she was, not for how they died. This is the only picture that was finally released of her. This is what we have learned.
Two people of Carbondale, Illinois were charged for murder of three-year-old I'Kera Hill in Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois after she died on June 22, 2022. Those charged were 41-year old Katrina S Simelton and Isaac Hill, 45, both charged with multiple counts involving her abuse and murder.
I'Kera was taken to the local hospital where she was pronounced dead. The Carbondale Police Department, Illinois State Police, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Jackson County State Attorney's Office and the Bloomington, Illinois Coroner joined in their efforts to investigate her death.
I'Kera's cause of death was malnutrition and dehydration.
Katrina was charged with:
In the end, she received a plea deal of a lifetime, with all charges dropped but one. Cause of child endangerment or death, where she received 30 months probation, 140 days of jail time served, 100 hours of community service, alcohol and drug treatment. Yes, that's it ladies and gentleman. No prison time, no murder on her file. She's out now. Yes. She was her mother.
The obituary states that she died after 'a bout of COVID-19'.
No mention of neglect or accountability, of course.
DCFS was supposed to give a timeline on the actions taken to protect I'Kera. No sign of that report. It did become public that the father, also charged - Isaac Hill was involved with DCFS in 2012 when he was charged with aggravated battery of a child for beating a boy with an extension cord on March 26, 2012, which he plead guilty and was given two years of probation, and required to follow the guidelines of DCFS, which included attending domestic violence counseling and parenting classes.
Clearly, the counseling and classes failed, and so did DCFS.
This wasn't the first notice of failure, however, for either of the parents, or DCFS in this family. I'Kera was the second child to die. Ka'lisha Isa'nique Hill was born July 1, 2014. On May 20, 2015, Ka'lisha died at just 10 months old in Marion, Illinois. At this time, Isaac was on probation after abusing his son.
Child abuse charges against Isaac were dropped July 30, 2015.
DCFS reported that “The Assistant State’s Attorney declined to file a petition for court-ordered supervision.”
At least we know that fingerpointing goes on in these agencies.
So the biological mother of both these children is out on a plea deal.
Free and clear.
Isaac Hill's current charges are as follows:
Let's see how easy he gets off. Again.
Information gathered by:
Judici
Effingham Daily News
KBSI 23 News
The Patch
Belleville News Democrat