“Prosecutors yesterday urged a judge to turn down a bail request by a Highland Falls man accused of stabbing a 7-year-old girl to death.
Defense lawyer Sol Lesser argued that if Christopher Rhodes is released on bail, he would be strictly supervised by his father, Linwood, who's "tougher than any ankle bracelet," like the kind probationers wear to monitor their movements.
Orange County Court Judge Jeffrey G. Berry said he'll issue a written decision on Rhodes' bail request and ordered him to return to court on April 5.
Rhodes, 28, is accused of stabbing Jerica Rhodes 16 times the morning of Jan. 27 and leaving her bloody corpse in a bathroom at Sacred Heart of Jesus School in Highland Falls.
Rhodes believed Jerica was his daughter, but DNA testing after the homicide revealed that he wasn't her father.
Rhodes is charged with second-degree murder. Prosecutors argued that the seriousness of the charge, coupled with previous failures to appear in court in other cases over the years, made Rhodes a bad bail risk.
He's been held in Orange County Jail since he was arrested on the same day that Jerica's body was found. Rhodes maintains that he didn't kill her.”
Courtesy of anonymous email.
This was sent to me via an anonymous email this evening, obviously from someone concerned that this man would be allowed out on bail.
Just for the record, the mother of the seven year old victim lives just three hours away from this man and his family. Furthermore, she has FOUR other children ranging in age from ten years old to one year old which she is responsible for as well. I hope the Judge who is even entertaining the notion of releasing Christopher Rhodes on bail, after being charged with such a dastardly crime, takes this into account BEFORE he makes his decision.
Especially since the news coverage up there, which was supposed to be investigating Rhodes and his family, has done nothing but focus on negative things to write about the victim’s mother, Lisa Mason. This appears to be a twisted attempt to deflect blame from the defacto father of this child, unto her mother, who is also a victim here, let’s remember that.
Lisa Mason was the victim here thrice. First of a judicially-sanctioned kidnapping of her first-born daughter. Then secondly, of being alienated from her daughter’s life. Third and lastly of having to stand helplessly by while her daughter was murdered and then even having to struggle to be allowed to say goodbye to her own child in the casket.
Again, since it obviously needs to be reiterated: Lisa Mason is a victim here, a 19 year old young woman, whose infant was kidnapped from her, with the blessings of the court. According to Lisa Mason, the Judge in this custody case was duly informed that Christopher Rhodes was NOT Jerica’s father…but the Judge chose to ignore the information he received and to play God, instead of following the law.
Thus, paving the way for all the horrors that followed.
We will never know the complicated reasons for the decisions made by the various protagonists in this situation. They could run from spitefulness; hatred of women, attempts to experiment with other people’s children like little guinea pigs by placing them in all kinds of weird male-custody arrangements; or, even attempts by those who eventually wrangled legal custody of this infant as a way to ‘juice’ the state taxpayers for tax credits and other public benefits.
We will NEVER know. But one thing that should be clear is that LISA MASON IS A VICTIM HERE AS WELL…along with those four children who were NEVER allowed to know their sister and who are scarred as well for life by this dastardly crime that was committed again her. THIS was a CRIME committed against THOSE CHILDREN AS WELL AS THEIR MOTHER…
“Rhodes believed Jerica was his daughter, but DNA testing after the homicide revealed that he wasn't her father.”
Courtesy of anonymous email.
Excuse me but who said Christopher Rhodes didn’t know Jerica was NOT his daughter? Rhodes? Well guess what…I’m going to believe that little girl’s mother, who said he knew damn well that he wasn’t Jerica’s father, BEFORE I believe a guy who is accused of stabbing a seven year old 16 times.
Okay…it’s just common sense.
Not that it makes a damn bit of difference whether he knew or not because you don’t stab a seven year old 16 times, whether or NOT you’re her father or whether or not you knew it…
Okay…
So what difference would it make to THAT ISSUE is the real question…The media keeps mentioning this like it’s a mitigating factor or something here. Well guess what it ain’t…I don’t care who her father was or whether or not Rhodes knew it wasn’t him…
Okay…
For some reason the media up in that Godforsaken town of Highland Falls wishes to keep giving this guy the benefit of the doubt on every lie and half-truth he tells…Well he doesn’t have the right to spin the story anymore.
Okay…
Every single thing he said must be investigated and verified by at least TWO other people, one of them being LISA MASON…BEFORE we assume it’s correct.
Alright.
Quite frankly although not knowing either Christopher Rhodes or Lisa Mason personally, I still would say that, given the history between these families and the fact that NONE OF THEM HAVE EXPRESSED ANY REMORSE whatsoever to Lisa Mason or her children NONE, that this Judge Berry should think very carefully (I HOPE) before allowing bail for this man…and I don’t care what kind of arrangement is made for an electronic monitoring device put on him.
Nothing is fool-proof and I would hate to see another MISTAKE being made by a Judge in that town…AGAIN either underestimating or should I say overestimating the character of this Christopher Rhodes.
Let’s remember we don’t know the motivation yet behind either the judicially-sanctioned kidnapping, the alienation that went on for years OR most importantly the murder of a seven year old while in the care, custody and control of Christopher Rhodes…and there are other children involved here, the four siblings of Jerica…so we need to proceed cautiously until we know more about the why of this situation and not just let this guy run around loose up there before we have a few more facts…
5 comments:
Well let's see what happens.
He might get that bail anyway as the news coverage seems to be very sympathetic to him now...
Thank you both for replying.
I had actually made up my mind that I wasn't going to do another post on Christopher Rhodes since this whole paternity issue came up...
I just felt talking about the paternity issue too much had the potential to obscure the issue of the murder of little Jerica (which it has).
I also didn't want a website, which I created to improve the image of women in their role as mothers, to be dragged into a controversy which some might try to use to paint mothers in a bad light.
However, when I heard they were talking about BAIL for Rhodes, I just felt someone HAD to say something.
I mean the biggest priority in this situation is to get a conviction for the murder of this little girl...
Even today listening to the coverage of the Robert Blake acquittal, some are now saying the beginning of the end for a conviction there was when they got Blake released on bail...that along with the non-stop negative coverage focusing on the VICTIM is what ultimately led to Blake walking...
I would hate to see the same thing happen to Christopher Rhodes... because the media is focused on this paternity 'red herring' and loses the point of the whole case which is the stabbing 16 times of a 7 seven old resulting in her death...that should be the story here...
Bail set for man accused of killing child
Accused child-killer Christopher Rhodes can leave Orange County Jail if he posts $500,000 bail or $2 million bond, a judge ruled yesterday.
Rhodes, 28, has been jailed on murder charges since Jan. 27, when the body of 7-year-old Jerica Rhodes was found in a bathroom at Sacred Heart of Jesus School in Highland Falls. She had been stabbed 16 times.
Rhodes' lawyer, Sol Lesser, argued earlier this month in Orange County Court that Rhodes had a minor criminal history and that his father, Linwood Rhodes, could keep close tabs on him if he was released. Prosecutors argued that Judge Jeffrey G. Berry should keep Rhodes in jail.
Berry issued his decision yesterday afternoon. Lesser said he's not sure if Rhodes' family will be able to post bail or bond.
Rhodes has flatly denied killing Jerica, whom he raised as his daughter. DNA tests that were performed in the wake of the killing showed Rhodes wasn't her father.
"Rhodes' lawyer, Sol Lesser, argued earlier this month in Orange County Court that Rhodes had a minor criminal history..."
YET for many of those minor crimes Christopher Rhodes jumped bail and had to be rearrested on other charges before they caught up with him...so now he's under suspicion of MURDER and they think he'll show up for trial...
Once again releasing a dangerous man into the community with no thought whatsoever as to the havoc he might create...with four other children out there, their 7 year old sister Rhodes has already been charged with killing...
"DNA tests that were performed in the wake of the killing showed Rhodes wasn't her father."
What the heck does this statement have to do with ANYTHING?
Why do people keep bringing this up like it's a mitigaing factor or something here...
I don't care if Jerica's father is NEVER identified or turns out to be Osama bin Laden...it doesn't mean crap...
It will NEVER excuse stabbing a 7 year old 16 times in the head and face...no matter who her father happens to be...
Okay...
Well so far so good as I haven't heard anything saying that Christopher Rhodes is loose up there...
Hopefully the bail was set at such a high amount that he won't be able to make it...
Hopefully...
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