On June 13, 2022, Jason Karels, 35-36, drowned his three children — Bryant (5), Cassidy (3), and Gideon (2) — at his home in the Sutton-on-the-Lake subdivision in Round Lake Beach, Illinois, during a custodial visit. The children's mother, Debra Karels, who was in the process of divorcing Jason, arrived to pick up the children and contacted police for a well-being check around 1:40 p.m. Officers found the three children dead inside the home and discovered a note from Karels reading, "If I can't have them, neither can you." The Lake County Coroner's Office determined the cause of death to be drowning. Karels fled the scene and was arrested near Joliet after a 17-minute police pursuit that ended when he crashed his vehicle near Interstate 80. Upon being removed from the car, he made statements to officers acknowledging his role in the children's deaths and reported that he had attempted suicide multiple times afterward. Karels was indicted on nine counts of first-degree murder and ultimately pleaded guilty but mentally ill to three counts, receiving a sentence of natural life without the possibility of parole.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Both documents explicitly state the children were drowned. The ABC7 article states: "The Lake County (IL) Coroner's Office later determined the cause of death to be drowning." The People article states: "Authorities said Karels drowned Bryant, 5, Cassidy, 3 and Gideon, 2, at his Round Lake Beach, Ill., home on June 13, 2022." The drowning was intentional, committed by the father.
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
The father murdered his three children and then attempted suicide. The ABC7 article quotes Police Chief Rivera: "He also said he attempted to commit suicide several times after the deaths of the children but was unsuccessful during these attempts." The People article similarly states: "[Karels] also said he attempted to commit suicide several times after the deaths of the children." This constitutes a murder with attempted suicide (murder-suicide attempt).
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Jason Karels is the biological father of the three children he murdered. The ABC7 article describes him as "A Round Lake Beach father accused of murdering his three children" and refers to the victims' mother discovering them at "her estranged husband"'s home. The People article confirms: "An Illinois man accused of drowning his three children during a custodial visit."
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The ABC7 article states: "Jason Karels, 35, was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday on nine counts of first-degree murder." It also notes he "was arrested later that day near Joliet, following a 17-minute pursuit by Illinois State Police." The People article confirms he "pleaded guilty but mentally ill on Friday to three counts of first-degree murder."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The People article states that Karels "pleaded guilty but mentally ill on Friday to three counts of first-degree murder," which is an explicit legal acknowledgment of mental illness. Additionally, the ABC7 article quotes Police Chief Rivera saying Karels "also said he attempted to commit suicide several times after the deaths of the children but was unsuccessful during these attempts," which further references the perpetrator's mental health state.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the text that are not fully captured by the preceding questions. First, the killings occurred during a custodial visit amid an active divorce and custody dispute. The People article reports the mother told CBS Chicago that she and Jason "were in the middle of a divorce because he 'constantly played games and neglected his family.'" She stated: "I thought what was right was the father should be involved. The father should see them... I just had so much faith; so much faith, so much love that it would all work out in the end, and it didn't." Second, the note left by Karels — "If I can't have them, neither can you" — establishes a clear retaliatory motive tied to the custody dispute. Third, Karels entered a "guilty but mentally ill" plea, which is a specific legal disposition in Illinois that acknowledges guilt while recognizing mental illness, resulting in a sentence of natural life without the possibility of parole. This case has significant implications for custody and visitation safety policies.
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