Daytona Joe-Lei
Robertson
May 16, 2005 - February
27, 2008
Could jealousy cause
woman to hurt a child? Could jealousy cause a woman to hurt a child so
severely that the child would die? Tommy Robertson says it could. On February
27, 2008, Daytona Robertson died of blunt force trauma to her head. Tommy
says that his wife, Katie Robertson caused the death of her stepdaughter:
"I've never
seen Katie smack Daytona or hit her or anything like that. I really feel
that she was jealous
of the love
that she knew my daughter and I had."
.
Called DayDay by
her family, Datona was a lovable little girl who had her father wrapped
around her finger. If she was handing him tools at the auto shop or wearing
high heals, she was the light of his life. Tommy talked of what a good
girl his daughter was:
"She hardly
ever got in trouble because if she did, she'd have a look about her. Then
you'd feel
bad and pick
her up and hug her."
Police say that case
came to light when Katie Robertson called emergency personel stating that
her stepdaughter had begun to have seizures on February 25, 2008. Katie
was arrested for aggravated battery. Five days later, Daytona Roberston
died from her injuries. Police would meet with the District Attorney's
office to discuss if there
would be further
charges.
"I don't know
what led up to the injuries, but i do know that according the step-mother
the
little girl
began having seizures and that is when EMS was summoned"
Wichita Police
Captain Randy Landen
On February 29, 2008,
Katie was formally charged with first degree murder in the death of Datona.
In courth District Judge Eric Yost set her bond at $100,000. and ordered
her to stay away from and not contact her husband Tommy, at all.
Katie's family was
upset with the charges filed against her:
"I'm amazed
at the single mindedness of the police department in the investigation
of this murder.
They never
even bothered to entertain any other ideas besides that one."
T.J. Cornejo
- Katie's brother
Rhonda Cornejo, Katie's
mother said that the family was tired of being quite about the case and
that her daughter was a loving mother and would never lay a hand on any
child:
"I know she
didn't do it. I know she didn't do anything but love that little girl as
much as she could."
Katie allegedly broke
that bond agreement by following Tommy to a mall and then then to the police
station when he went to report her to the police. While visiting the grave
of his daughter, Mike Hundley saw a note that had apparently been placed
there by Katie. The note would be turned over the Tommy who would inform
the police that the note seemed to indicate that Katie was planning to
commit suicide. Katie's mother would deny that she was suicidal at all
and say that she had been visiting Datona's grave every day.
Police were in the
process of trying to get a bond revokation hearing and were able to do
that, however, shortly before she would have returned to court to possibly
have her bond revoked, Katie Robertson was found in a room at the home
of a friend. Katie was found in an unconscious state.
Taken to the hospital,
Katie would undergo an emergency C-section and her son would be born on
April 23, 2008, weighing only one pound and nineteen ounces. He would only
live for 20 hours before his family told him goodbye. He was held by them
and then he died.
Tommy Robertson would
blame the courts for the death of his child saying that if they had kept
Katie in custody and under their care, she would not have been able to
try to kill herself and his son would still have been safe and healthy
inside the womb.
Rhonda also said
that Katie was devasted by the death of Daytona, who was her steptdaughter
and that weeks later when her biological daughter, Kailee died at a home
day care center, she just couldn't take any more. She says that Katie
took a prescription drugs and sleeping pills in an attempt to kill herself:
"I don't believe
in suicide. But I can't sit here and judge her either."
Katie was moved to
a treatment center to get psychological counseling and to recover physically
from what she had gone through. Katie's family says they love her and they
will stand by her even though it is
hard to do at times:
"I get around
my sister and I'm at a loss for words. I can't find something positive
to tell her
about her
life right now."
T.J. Cornejo
"Why is this
happening to us? What did we do to deserve this? We didn't do anything.
We're just as much victims here. We've lost children and we've lost Katie
Rhonda Cornejo
Mark Orr, the public
defender in Katie's case would say in court that he felt Katie should be
allowed to be out on bond and would do better with her family where she
could receive treatment saying that she was on medcation and no longe suicidal.
The Prosecutor, Justin
Edwards, said that on April 20, Katie had violated the court oder to not
have contact with Tommy or any other people who would be witnesses in the
case against her. Justin said that it seemed odd that Katie spent time
across the street from the auto body shop owned by Tommy and that later
in the day she was
at the Towne East
Square at the exact time he was there visiting friend. Tommy had also received
a disturbing text message from one of Katie's friends who was with her
at that time.
Mark Orr claimed
that Katie had had no contact with Tommy and that it was a coincidence
that she had seem him at the mall and as soon as she saw him, she left
the mall.
District Judge Clark
Owens said it was "amazingly conicidental" that Katie was
at the mall the same time as Tommy and that a text message sent through
a third party was a violation of the bond agreement. The Judge said that
Katie had known and approved of the text message.
In June of 2008,
District Judge Clark Owens ruled that Katie should be in jail, for her
own safety, during the time she faces a charge of murder for Daytona's
death. The Judge also found that Katie had voilated the order to have no
contact with Tommy and after the discussion of if she should remain in
jail with a temporary revocation
of her bond the
Jude said his main concern is for her to be healthy during this time:
"We need to
get to the bottom of these allegations in the murder case"
Daytona's family
donated her organs so that other children could live full, productive and
happy lives.
A memorial fund has
been established for Daytona Robertson. Donations can be sent to:
Daytona Robertson
Fund
Chisholm Trail State
Bank
Bel Aire or Park
City
Please visit the
pages of Daytona's sister and brother, on my site:
Kailee
Rhianne Marie Hundley
Daylee
Joe Robertson
Read
a message from Katie's cousin
For information about
preventing child abuse in the state of Kansas, click the links below. If
they can't help you, ask for someone who can. NEVER give up looking
for help for an abused child!
The
Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund
Call this number
to report child abuse ANY WHERE in the United States!
1-800-4-A-Child
1-800-422-4453
   
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My sincerest appreciation goes out to
Diane Trembly for allowing me to use one
of her beautiful Angels to make the graphics
for this set. Please visit her site,
by clicking the link below, to see all
of her amazing work.
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