Mother of dead five-year-old Isabella Tennant calls teen murder suspect 'a mooch' as coroner's repor
- John Freeman previously called a 'trusted friend' by friends and family
- Isabella had been staying at house of great-grandmother on Sunday night where Freeman often spent time
- Body found on Monday in garbage can four blocks away
- Freeman pleaded not guilty to second degree murder
- Isabella died from an obstructed airway and compression of the neck
View
comments
The 16-year-old boy accused of killing five-year-old Isabella Tennant in Niagara Falls, New York, and dumping her body in a trash can, has been described by the victim's mother, as a 'mooch'.
John Freeman, 16, lived three doors down from Isabella's great-grandmother's house and, according to Crystal Walker, had been a regular fixture there, using her computer, sleeping in her spare room when his heat was cut off and helping to mow the lawn.
The teen is pleading not guilty to second degree murder after a coroner's report found the toddler was choked to death by bare hands and testimonies have placed him at the house on the night.
Devastated: Murdered five-year-old Isabella Tennant's mother Crystal Walker told interviewers that John Freeman was a 'mooch' and she had asked her great-grandmother to stop letting him wander into her house
In a heartbreaking interview, Isabella's mother revealed how her grandmother, Sharon Lascelle, had always found it hard to turn Freeman away even though Ms Walker had asked her repeatedly to stop 'just letting [him and his stepfather] come in whenever they want'.
RELATED ARTICLES
Couple plead guilty to murder in the 2006 sex slaying of... 
Care home assistant jailed after daughter installed CCTV in...
Jury shown dramatic video of father refusing to look at his...
Share this article
Share'She's just so welcoming in her home and just trusts everyone,' a devastated Ms Walker told WIVB-TV on Tuesday. 'I do blame my grandmother because she... she was responsible at the time. But then again I can't because it wasn't her fault, she trusted this kid.'
Charged: John Freeman, 16, has pleaded not guilty to second degree murder of five-year-old Isabella though he was placed in the house the night she was killed
Accomplice: Tyler Best, 18, has been charged with evidence tampering after he showed police where he had allegedly helped his friend dump Isabella's body when Freeman killed her
John Freeman and his stepfather, she explained, often came over when times were tough after the teen's mother, who was 'really bad into drugs' deserted them.
Isabella's family had referred to Freeman as a trusted friend while a neighbour, speaking to the local Buffalo news channel, lamented: 'He's been around for about seven years. He'd known her since she was a baby.'
Ms Walker and the police are puzzled as to why Freeman would have done such a terrible thing after knowing the family so long, and authorities are still attempting to ascertain a motive since no signs of sexual abuse have been found.
Motherly love: Crystal Walker called her daughter 'warm' and 'energetic' and doesn't understand how anyone could kill a little girl in such a cold, calculated way
Sweet: Friends and family recall Freeman having been a regular fixture at Isabella's great-grandmother's house since before she was even born
A coroner confirmed, however, that Isabella died at the bare hands of her killer from an obstructed airway and compression of the neck most likely due to choking.
The blue-eyed, blonde haired girl had been wearing pink pyjamas with black stars.
Isabella had been staying at her great-grandmother's on Sunday night while her mother worked a shift at sports bar, Player's, in Niagara Falls but on Monday morning when Ms Walker went to pick up her daughter, they discovered she was not in the home and a search was mounted with dogs.
Happy days: Isabella's mother described how excited she had been to start kindergarten in two weeks
Police suspect that Freeman came to the house sometime on Sunday night, after Lascelle went to bed around 11pm and knowing that Ms Walker and police went straight to his house to ask if he knew anything.
But, she recalled, holding back the tears on Tuesday, Freeman appeared uncommunicative and told them only that he had last seen Isabella colouring at Ms Lascelle's when he left that night.
'He didn't even ask to help us look for her,' Ms Walker recalled.
The body of the five-year old, who has been described by her mother as 'energetic', 'warm' and 'full of life', was found on Monday afternoon after a friend of Freeman's, Tyler Best, led police to the trash can four blocks from Ms Laschelle's home.
Best, 18, has been charged with tampering with evidence and accused of helping to dispose of Isabella's body.
'I don't understand,' Ms Walker cried thinking about the gruesome details of her daughter's death. 'He could have left her in the basement and made it look like she fell. But instead, he took her little body three streets away and put her in a garbage can. I mean, who does that?'
At the arraignment on Tuesday at Niagara Falls City Court, during which both boys appeared on television blurred out, Freeman spoke only to answer the question: 'Are you a student?'
'No,' he replied looking only briefly at his own family and avoiding eye contact with Ms Walker, according to WIVB.com.
Home sweet home: Sharon Lascelle lived at this house and frequently invited Freeman and his stepfather in when their electricity was cut off or if the boy wanted to use her computer
Crime scene: Isabella had been staying at her great-grandmother's on Sunday night while her mother Crystal, worked a shift at the Player's nightclub in Niagara Falls, but had not been there on Monday morning
But though Isabella's mother called Freeman a 'mooch', others outside the court had contrasting stories to tell of the boy.
Former Cadet leader, Christopher DiDonna, told News 4 that two years ago, Freeman had been a member of the Niagara Falls Junior Military Cadets, a program aimed at keeping kids off drugs and out of gangs.
'He was a squad leader,' Mr DiDonna recalled. 'He was an excellent cadet. I'm shocked. I can't believe this happened. [He] never had any violent tendencies.'
Memorial: A teddy bear is left to mark the place where Isabella's body was found dumped in the trash after 18-year-old Tyler Best led police there on Monday
Praying: Andrea Brown of Niagara Falls, attends a candlelight vigil in Hyde Park for Isabella on Monday night to which over a thousand residents of the area are estimated to have shown up
Though aware of the boy's unfortunate family situation, Mr DiDonna said that he seemed like any normal kid.
'I had great hopes for his future,' he said. 'I thought he would join the military. Leave the cadet program, join the military and become quite successful.'
Freeman is being tried as an adult and though he has pleaded not guilty to second degree murder, his future now seems gloomy..
Defense Attorney Robert Viola asked the judge on Tuesday for extra time to speak with his client and requested the confession be sealed.
Remembrance: Neighbours and friends pay tribute to the little girl and pray for her family on Monday night
He told reporters that he will seek to challenge Freeman's alleged confession to police and is considering having Freeman's competency tested to see if he is fit to even stand trial.
'It's my understanding the people's case for the most part rests on a reported statement given by my client,' he said.
On Tuesday night, about one thousand people from the Niagara Falls community gathered for a vigil and lit candles in Isabella's memory.
Grief-stricken: Ms Walker says it's hard not to blame her grandmother but that she can't because she trusted Freeman and that wasn't her fault
A neighbour told WIVB: 'We just held hands with the kids and told them, "say a prayer, taker her to heaven, tell Jesus to let her in and send that boy to hell."'
While Ms Walker struggled to come to terms with her tragic loss, Isabella's father, Michael Tennant issued a statement saying: 'Isabella was loved deeply by her daddy Mike and his fiancee Maria. Isabella enjoyed spending time with her cousins and family.
'Anybody who knew Isabella always saw her warm beautiful smile. The Tennant family appreciates your thoughts and prayers at this time of grieving.'
Evidence: Ms Walker conveyed her bewilderment at why the two boys went to such lengths to hide the body in the trash when they could have made it look like an accident
Busy: Niagara Falls Police crime scene investigators work in the area where the body was found
Mr Tennant had been a big part of his daughter's life though the couple were separated, caring for her a few days a week while Ms Walker worked two jobs to make ends meet.
Ms Walker recalled the youngster's excitement to start kindergarten in two weeks. 'She already packed a lunch, and it doesn't even start for two weeks,' she said. 'I just want everyone to know what a great girl she was and so full of life.'
'I just don't want it to be real. I just want her back. Everyone says "What can I do, what do you need?" I don't need anything but her back.'
VIDEO: 5-year-old Bella's mother speaks on immeasurable loss
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCmmZmhe6S7ja6iaKaVrMBwrdGtoJyklWJ%2FcoWUa29sZ32kwamx0WabnpmUYsamrdFmpqWcXX7Aoq7EpaOaZYSau6%2Btza1knJmcocBuwMSepWalpaexpr6MrKysqJWYwW65zqiaoWWTpL%2BwusSrqmaqlaW8s8CMnKannpmnurR5wqGmpJ2UYrGmrdOhZJuZopp6qa3NnapnoKSiuQ%3D%3D