Dad Pleads Not Guilty In Drowning Deaths Of 3 Young Children

LAKE COUNTY, IL — A Round Lake Beach dad accused of drowning his three children has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.

Jason Karels, 35, was indicted on nine counts of first-degree murder in Lake County last week in connection with the deaths of his children, Bryant Karels, 5, Cassidy Karels, 3, and Gideon Karels, 2.

Authorities say Karels drowned them one at a time in a bathtub at his home in Round Lake Beach in June. After they were dead, prosecutors say Karels left a note for his estranged wife that read, "If I can't have them, neither can you."

• ‘If I Can’t Have Them, Neither Can You:’ Round Lake Beach Man's Letter
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Karels was not in the home when his wife found the children on June 13 and called 911. Authorities put out an alert for Karels' car, and he was later taken into custody after the vehicle he was driving plunged off a bridge on Interstate 80 in Joliet. Before driving off the bridge, he led state troopers on a 17-minute chase, police said.

Karels is being held without bond at the Lake County Jail. He is set to appear back in court on October 7.