Benjamin Kingan
Benjamin Kingan murder 1/13/2009 Lincolnshire, IL *Day care worker, Melissa M. Calusinski, charged with his murder*
Video shows day care worker admitting she hurt child who later died
With trial beginning Monday, experts question interrogation of day care worker
Jury sees day care worker confession in toddler’s slaying
Day care worker guilty of murder in toddler’s death
Calusinski found guilty in toddler’s day care death
Calusinski gets 31 years in prison for toddler’s death
Day care worker convicted of toddler’s murder continues to proclaim innocence
Judge rejects Calusinski’s second bid for new trial in child’s murder
Former owner of day care center dies day before tria
Murderpedia: Melissa Calusinski
INMATE INFORMATION
R88005 – CALUSINSKI, MELISSA
Parent Institution: DWIGHT CORRECTIONAL CENTER
Offender Status: IN CUSTODY
Location: DWIGHT
Sex Offender Registry Required
PHYSICAL PROFILE
Date of Birth: 10/04/1986
Weight: 119 lbs.
Hair: Brown
Sex: Female
Height: 5 ft. 05 in.
Race: White
Eyes: Brown
MARKS, SCARS, & TATTOOS
SCAR, CHIN -
SCAR, KNEE, LEFT -
PIERCED EARS – 2XEA BM/L LEG
ADMISSION / RELEASE / DISCHARGE INFO
Admission Date: 03/01/2012
Projected Parole Date: 12/30/2039
Last Paroled Date:
Projected Discharge Date: 12/30/2042
SENTENCING INFORMATION
MITTIMUS: 09CF252
CLASS: M
COUNT: 1
OFFENSE: MURDER/STRONG PROB KILL/INJURE
CUSTODY DATE: 12/30/2008
SENTENCE: 31 Years 0 Months 0 Days
COUNTY: LAKE
SENTENCE DISCHARGED?: NO
Filed under: crime, murder, murder in the 21st Century Tagged: | 2009, Benjamin Kingan, child abuse homicide, crimes against children, homicide, Illinois, Melissa Calusinski
I was locked up with this girl in the Lake County Jail, and I hear all these horrible things people are saying about her and it hurts me so I know it hurts her. What I hate is people hear things in the media and automatically make ASSUmptions. No one but her and God know for sure if she committed this crime. If she did then justice has been served, but if she didn’t when the real truth comes out a lot of you ASSUmers are going to look really foolish.
Mz Redd,
It was good of you to read my comment policy before commenting. My blog is a place to remember the victim, who is Benjamin Kingan, not Melissa. You never even mentioned him. He needs to be remembered. Melissa is a convicted killer, therefore, please remember Benjamin here, not her.
I was locked up with Melissa also. She seemed like a good person and I befriended her before I knew why she was there. I don’t know if she did it for sure or not, she refused to talk about her charges. But I do know that she was so sure that she was going to go home. I went to Dwight shortly before her trial, and I was released from Dwight the day she got there, so I didn’t get to see her reaction to being convicted. But I do feel sorry for her because she was making so many plans for when she got out, which would have been before all the holidays. That had to be the hardest part for her. Thinking she was going home, then finding out that she was going to spend the rest of her life behind bars. If she did do it, she deserves to be where she is at, if she didn’t do it, then I hope she gets a new trial and gets to go home. But come on, don’t confess to something if you didn’t do it. Why would you say you killed a child if you didn’t? That is the one thing that makes me think that she is guilty. But I am not a judge and I am sure as hell not God, so I have no room to judge. I do however wish her justice, whatever that may mean.
I, also, spent some time in Lake County Jail and befriended Melissa while there. I blame her family for feeding her the notion that she was coming home. She never seemed to understand the severity of her situation or what ALL of the possible outcomes could be. But, as the mediator of this blog said, this isn’t about her. When I got home last fall, I googled Melissa and found the story. Anyway it goes, Baby Benjamin’s life was ended prematurely and there is no changing that. My heart goes out to his parents and, even moreso, his twin. Additionally, I can’t help but feel for Melissa. She was so childlike(not necessarily denoting innocence). Lives were changed eternally by this situation. God bless them all.