Kelly Jarka Case

Kenneson

Did anybody see 20/20 Investigation Discovery earlier this evening? It was all about Kelly Jarka who is serving a life sentence for the murder of his wife. Took place in Murietta, California. He was an elder at the Kingdom Hall and the program referred to him as a "fallen minister." His mother-in-law immediately thought that he did it. But, his family members are all supportive of him. He was convicted on circumstantial evidence. The program included his interview by the police when he was taken down to the station; he seemed to me to be so unemotional for someone who claimed he had just found his house burgalarized and his wife killed. The jury did too; the judge sentenced him to life. But, he is going to appeal.

arko_n9ne

in 5 years there wont be a single loyal witness who will acknowledge he ever attended a meeting with them. and in six years if the appeal is successful they will welcome him back with that christian love they have in abundance.

i think russia has the right idea with how to treat cults.

thetrueone

so unemotional for someone who claimed he had just found his house burglarized and his wife killed.

Yes quite disturbing, it appears he thought he was so cleaver and so intelligent to make it look like a burglary, that he played it out not very convincingly.

He reminds of guy who thought he could exploit his self righteous character being a JWS to cover a very devious plot to kill his wife and collect the life

insurance policy. He was almost in foreclosure on the home and he was starting to develop some serious marital problems all at the same time.

It may have been his wife sugestion to leave him that might have helped in triggering his actions.

It was quickly apparent to homicide detectives that there appeared to be a cover up going at the crime scene.

Two important factors that showed probable cause was the many searches on Google on how to kill someone and 3 life insurance policies

taken out on his wife just 3 weeks before the murder. There were other mitigating circumstances as well.

If he got away with it, he could have gotten completely out of debt as well people would have felt extremely sorry for him at his congregation

and probably would have introduced to him some faithful sisters, being a respected elder and all.

I guess he wasn't as bright as he thought.

.

White Dove

There was a poster here who is a cousin of Jarka.

scary21

Yea, how about the search he did on HOW LONG SHOULD YOU WAIT TO REMARRY after your spouse dies ??? Wouldn't want to stumble anyone at the kingdom hall now.

Dagney

There is a lot to the case. Drugs, failing business, money from criminal means, I think infidelity. His house of cards started to crash.

steve2

i think russia has the right idea with how to treat cults.

Yeah Russia has a shocking record with human rights so it should have lots of practise at picking on small fry religious groups. Imagine using a shockingly tragic event in the USA to smear the JWs and then invoking the image of Russia having the right idea on how to treat cults. You sound like a nice balanced thinker.Not.

thetrueone

Drugs, failing business, money from criminal means, I think infidelity.

What not from a fine brother like elder Kelly Jarka....... impossible ! are elders are never crooked businessmen, adulterers, drug takers and alcoholics.

Are organization which is Jehovah's , is perfectly clean from these kind of people.

You may find though these kinds of individuals inside Christendom's group of religions because they don't have god's guidance and blessing.

ChakkaConned

I saw that piece last week. To be honest, I was somewhat torn about his guilt/innocense. He told the interviewer, "how stupid would I have be to take out an insurance policy 3 weeks before I planned to kill my wife?" as if to say, "I'm smarter than that". Plus, he made the point about having a 6 month old in the house, no way could he do such a thing. But, who else would have motive and commit such an empassioned killing. And, his demeanor was definitely suspect plus all those net lookups so I am leaning toward the jury got it right on this one.

james_woods

I saw it last night.

One thing that struck me was that nothing about this guy seemed to me to be like a typical JW elder. For one thing, he did not even talk like one - most JW elders would say "Jehovah" rather than "God". And, he did not say much of anything about the religion.

For another - he was way, way, into the worldly material life: House he could not afford, two new SUVs, new pickup for business, 36' boat kept in a rental pier.

Added to the circumstantial evidence: Computer searches on every way to kill someone (and make it look like an accident) known to man...$1.5 million dollar insurance taken out on the wife two weeks before she was murdered, weird nonsensical interviews with the police, etc.

What I was wondering was how on earth this guy was still an elder? Maybe he was a great PR guy...

The guy himself looked as guilty as hell - but I could not really see anything to blame the JWs for in this case.

Kelly Jarka Case

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