Murder of Casey Chadwick

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On June 15, 2015 Casey Chadwick was stabbed to death in her Norwich, Connecticut home by Jean Jacques. Jacques had been convicted of a 1996 attempted murder and served 15 years in prison, was released from the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service for deportation, but was never deported because the government of his nation of birth and citizenship, Haiti, refused to accept him. The case "received widespread attention"[1] and "sparked outrage" because Jacques was not deported and committed a second murder after his release from federal custody.[2]

Crime[edit]

Jacques stabbed Chadwick to death in her apartment on Spaulding Street in Norwich, Connecticut following what is thought to have been an argument about drugs that belonged to Chadwick's boyfriend, a drug dealer.[3]

Victim[edit]

As a result of her daughter's death, Chadwick's mother, Wendy Hartling, became active in the Remembrance Project and an active supporter of President Trump.[4][5]

Perpetrator[edit]

Jacques is an illegal immigrant.[3][6]

Jacques, a Haitian citizen, arrived in the United States in 1992 after being intercepted in a boat off the Florida coast.[6]

Previous crime and failed deportation[edit]

In 1996, Jacques was involved in a shooting on Laurel Hill Avenue in Norwich in which his former girlfriend suffered a serious head injury and her new boyfriend was killed.[2] Jacques was convicted on weapons charges and attempted murder.[6] He served 15 years in prison and was released in January 2012 into custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).[6] He was held by ICE for 205 days, while arrangements were made to deport him to Haiti.[6] At the last minute, the government of Haiti refused to take him, citing his lack of identity documents.[6] He was released by ICE on Nov. 9, 2012 (TIME UNKOWN).[6][7]

Jacques could not be deported because the Haitian government refused to accept him, saying that he could not prove that he was a citizen.[6][8] Federal agencies failed to deport Jacques on three separate occasions between 2002 and the murder of Chadwick.[9]

Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representative Joe Courtney jointly introduced "Casey's Law," a bill intended to expedite deportation of illegal immigrants who pose a threat to public safety or who have committed a violent crime, and to "crack down" on countries that delay or refuse official U.S. attempts to deport dangerous criminals to their home country.[10][11]

Federal investigation[edit]

In January 2016, the Department of Homeland Security opened an investigation into the handling of the Jacques deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.[9] The report found that while ICE had failed to pursue all possible avenues to establish Jacques’ Haitian citizenship, it was unlikely to been able to satisfy the government of Haiti even if it had pursued all possible ways to establish his birth and citizenship.[12][13]

Legal proceedings[edit]

Jacques was convicted of murdering Chadwick[3] and was sentenced to 60 years in prison, the maximum sentence for murder in Connecticut.[14]

Jacques' attorneys filed an appeal of the conviction on procedural grounds and the appellate case has been accepted by the State Supreme Court. The appeal is based on the question of whether Norwich police needed a warrant to search Jacques' home on July 15, 2015; his lease on the apartment had expired at the time the search was conducted.[3]

Public and political attention[edit]

In a 2016 campaign speech, Donald Trump criticized "a Supreme Court decision, if these violent offenders cannot be sent home, our law enforcement officers have to release them into your communities... the results are horrific, horrific. There are often terrible consequences, such as Casey Chadwick’s tragic death in Connecticut just last year."[15][2]

During another campaign speech he blamed his opponent Hillary Clinton, for her "refusal," during her term as Secretary of State to force foreign governments to take "killers" back, asserting that, "One foreign national and convicted killer who should have been sent back to his home country in 2012 was instead set free by Clinton's watch. Six months after his release, he killed again, murdering a 25-year old beautiful Casey Chadwick.[16]

State Representative Joe Courtney complained of "a breakdown in the system that allowed a convicted felon with a deportation order to return to the Norwich community."[5]

Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Chris Murphy and Representative Joe Courtney stated that, "It is unacceptable that ICE failed to remove a convicted attempted murderer subject to a final deportation order — a measure that would have saved the life of Casey Chadwick."[9][17]

Representative John Culberson of Texas stated that when Haiti refused to take Jacques back the country should have been treated as Guyana was treated by the United States in 2001 when it refused to accept deportees; all visa approvals from Guyana to the United States were suspended until Guyana complied.[18]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Nixon, Ron (13 September 2017). "Trump Administration Punishes Countries That Refuse to Take Back Deported Citizens". New York Times. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Meyers, Jacinta; Johnson, Melissa (31 August 2016). "Trump references Norwich murder case during immigration policy speech". The New London Day. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d Barry, John (11 April 2016). "Jean Jacques found guilty in murder of Casey Chadwick". The Bulletin (Norwich). Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  4. ^ Diangelis, Jenna (14 November 2016). "Mother of woman murdered by immigrant stands behind President-elect Trump's plan". WTIC-TV. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Mother Explores Deportation Policy After Daughter's Death". Hartford Courant. 2 August 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Nixon, Ron (1 July 2016). "Nations Hinder U.S. Effort to Deport Immigrants Convicted of Crime". New York Times. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  7. ^ Staff, Crimsider (17 July 2015). "Immigrant accused in Conn. killing was spared deportation". CBSNews.
  8. ^ New York Times Editorial Staff (2018). Deportation: Who Goes and Who Stays?. Rosen Publishing Group. p. 176. ISBN 9781642821123. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  9. ^ a b c "Federal Probe Opened In Accused Immigrant's Deportation Case". Hartford Courant. AP. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  10. ^ "Lawmakers to unveil bill after immigrant's murder conviction". AP. 26 July 2016. ProQuest 1806385823.
  11. ^ Constable, Kyle (25 July 2016). "Lawmakers look to speed deportation of undocumented convicts". The Connecticut Mirror. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  12. ^ Editorial Board of the Miami Herald (10 July 2016). "Not all deportees are easily deported". Miami Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  13. ^ The Times Editorial Board (30 June 2016). "The government needs to work harder to ensure dangerous immigrants get deported". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  14. ^ Barry, John (9 October 2018). "High court will hear Norwich killer Jean Jacques' appeal". Norwich Bulletin.
  15. ^ "Transcript of Donald Trump's Immigration Speech". New York Times. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  16. ^ Blake, Aaron (11 October 2016). "Donald Trump, unplugged as ever". Washington Post. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  17. ^ Sacchetti, Maria (4 June 2016). "Criminal immigrants reoffend at higher rates than ICE has suggested". Boston Globe. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  18. ^ Root, Jay (9 February 2016). ""Criminal Aliens" Flashpoint of Border Security Debate". The Texas Tribune. ProQuest 1763848818.
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