Jessica Tata found guilty of “felony murder” in deaths of 4 kids
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USAfrica, Houston, November 13, 2012: Nigerian-American Jessica Tata has been found guilty of “felony murder” regarding the deaths of 4 children from charges brought against her after a February 24, 2011 fire at her home day care. Her lawyer Mike DeGeurin said today: “The jury has spoken. We accept their verdict and move on to the next phase of the trial.”
After 2 weeks of of trial, prosecutor Steve Baldassano made his closing argument by showing again to the jurors surveillance video of Jessica shopping at a nearby Target store just as her home day care facility was on fire with children.
The prosecutors argued that Jessica left hot oil on a stove and abandoned the children. He noted to the jurors that “She doesn’t seem to care at all she left those kids home alone…. She’s just hanging out, going to Target.”
In a previous and major contradiction after the fire, she told investigators she was at home when the fire began. But she was not.
Complicating the matter, a few days after the deaths of the children, Jessica fled to her parents home in Port Harcourt, Nigeria (as first reported here on USAfricaonline.com) — until she was arrested and returned in March 2012 to the U.S by the U.S Marshalls, Interpol and allied security services. She has Nigeria as her country of citizenship, although she was born in the Houston area of the U.S.
USAfrica Special report by Chido Nwangwu.
