Jarka case: Murrieta man expected to be sentenced today for murder of wife

Kelle Lee Jarka, 41 at the time of his trial, was convicted by a jury that deliberated about two hours in September before deciding he murdered his wife.

By Jose Arballo Jr., SWRNN
Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Kelle Lee Jarka

A Murrieta man convicted of murdering his longtime wife and making the killing look like it was done by an intruder is scheduled to be sentenced Friday and faces a lifetime in prison with no chance of parole.

Kelle Lee Jarka, 41 at the time of his trial, was convicted by a jury that deliberated about two hours in September before deciding he murdered his wife, Isabelle, at the family’s home and that the killing was for financial gain.

Prosecutors successfully argued Jarka, who was having financial problems, wanted to collect $1.3 million in life insurance on a policy he had taken out on his wife of nearly 20 years.

During the trial, prosecutor Burke Strunsky described Jarka as a man so enamored with his upper-middle-class lifestyle and position within his congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, that he was willing to sacrifice the life of his loving wife to maintain it.

Jarka was teetering on financial ruin and social disgrace at the time of Isabelle’s death, the prosecutor said. His Tamarisk Street home was being foreclosed on, bills were piling up, Isabelle was talking about divorcing him and she’d told another church elder that Jarka had erred by keeping secret about a friend dying of AIDS.

Defense attorney Erin Kirkpatrick told jurors Kelle Jarka was a peaceful man and a loving husband who did not kill his wife. Kirkpatrick said the Jarka’s finances were unstable, but their fiscal picture was not dire. Jarka had just taken his wife to see a home under construction in the hills of DeLuz and announced he wanted to buy it for their family.

Despite the best efforts of Murrieta police, she said, there was no physical evidence linking her client to Isabelle’s brutal death.

Isabelle Jarka suffered almost a dozen blows to her head with a blunt object resulting in a fracture to her skull and injuries to her brain, Dr. Joseph Cohen testified. The doctor could not establish a time of death nor could he say with certainty what object delivered the fatal blows.

Given the verdict, the judge will have little leeway when sentencing Jarka, unless the defense can convince the court to toss out the jury’s decision or determine there are extenuating circumstances that would allow for a modification of the term. The hearing will allow the victim’s family and Jarka to address the court.

Since the verdict, a Web site supporting Jarka has been soliciting donations and trying to show that he was wrongly convicted. The site, which indicates is “dedicated to the Kelle Jarka and his defense against the false charges against him,” claims that police and prosecutors convicted the wrong man. It also accuses Murrieta police officers of lying during the trial and that investigators overlooked evidence because they had made of their minds that Kelle had committed the crimes.

The sentencing is scheduled to take place at the Southwest Justice Center near Murrieta.

Tags: Burke Strunsky, Erin Kirkpatrick, Isabelle Jarka, kelle lee jarka, Murrieta, murrieta police, southwest justice center, SWRNN

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 2:22 pm and is filed under Courts, Crime, Local News, News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

READER COMMENTS

27 comments

Comment by: Art Rod Posted: November 4, 2009, 5:09 pm

This is a sad story. People, just remember that Jehovah’s Witnesses are imperfect people just like everyone else. Please do not look at his and think of our God because this is something that is wrong and one person did it out of his imperfections and bad thinking. To bad that God’s name had to be put into this. I have noticed that whenever it is a Jehovah’s Witness it is most of the time brought out. I know that people look at us as examples and they are right, we should be, but there is always a bad apple in the pile as we all know. Art

Comment by: Disagree Posted: November 4, 2009, 10:25 pm

It is a really sad story that I agree. However in my opinion the reason the religion came up was the same reason it came up in the Simental molestation case that happened here in Murrieta and that is that in each case the elders tried to use the clergy penitent privilege not to testify against the defendants.

I really feel horrible for the victims family because they not only have to deal with the loss but they also have to deal with the religion aspect which I’m sure adds stress and pressure. I just hope they are finding a little peace knowing the defendant will most likely be put away for the rest of his life.

By the way, Gods name is not being defamed in these stories, it’s the defendants name that is.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are no worse or no better then any other religion full on imperfect people.

Comment by: Roberta Posted: November 5, 2009, 1:01 am

Jehovah’s Witnesses are intolerant bigoted fanatics.
Yes they assert the ‘right’ to go knocking on doors to the point of intrusion on private property but get resentful if their bogus dogmas are scrutinized in a public forum.
They are a religion of bigotry to the core.
The very inception of JWs was based on hate. They hate the world, they hate other religions, they hate everything about “this system of things.”

Comment by: Jesse Taylor Posted: November 5, 2009, 1:51 am

Cult apologists always strive to unload the thickest sugar coatings over the true horrors of their groups.Shoot-the-messengers and smear the credibility of critic victims while claiming to be themselves champions of tolerance and religious freedoms .

Comment by: Laura Hanson Posted: November 5, 2009, 2:41 am

[["During the trial, prosecutor Burke Strunsky described Jarka as a man so enamored with his upper-middle-class lifestyle and position within his congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, that he was willing to sacrifice the life of his loving wife to maintain it."]]

There is a lot of indebtedness in the Jehovah’s Witnesses *family* because the Watchtower is apocalyptic and JW members live for the “end of this system” to save them from debt so many have poor financial planning.

This is FACT! Please let this be a lesson for all.

Comment by: Gayle McCurdy Posted: November 5, 2009, 5:13 am

Wait a minute! You are wrong. Anytime, when there is a “preacher,” priest, minister or Sunday school teacher ” that kills someone, a pedofile, thief, adulterer there is plenty of news coverage about that. Jehovah’s Witnesses set themselves up publicly, criticize and are judgemental of all people, going to our doors preaching that everyone (including children) not their religion are soon going to be killed by their god. Then, JWs cry “religious intolerance” or persecution when exposed! “They who live in a glass house should not throw stones.”

Comment by: Vinny Posted: November 5, 2009, 7:48 am

Jehovah’s Witnesses are not God’s anything. False end of the world predictions too many times to count. They were WRONG about forbidding vaccinations, organ transplants, alternative for a combined 81 years! THEY ARE WRONG ON BLOOD TODAY AND FORCE MANY PEOPLE TO DIE INCLUDING LITTLE CHILDREN!!!

I COULD GO ON AND ON….

Vinny

Comment by: Ellen Posted: November 5, 2009, 7:57 am

@Art Rod: Hmmm, let me see if I can get this straight. You want everyone to remember that JWs are “imperfect people” then turn right around and brag how people look to JWs “as examples” and are “right” to do so.

Gee, I thought that JWs as well as all Christians are supposed to look to Jesus as the example to follow. So, you’re putting JWs on the same level as Jesus? Interesting.

“Bad apples?” Hmm, have you ever heard about a website called silentlambs.org? Didn’t think so. Well, it’s a website by an ex-elder protesting the rampant unchecked pedophilia in your organization. “A few bad apples” indeed.

Your organization is on the level of the Catholic Church when it comes to enabling pedophiles.

“Our God?” As in your (JWs) god? LOL! Isn’t “Jehovah” supposed to be everyone’s god? Also, very interesting.

Art here is a typical, programmed, brainwashed, slave to a cult.

And yes, they are a cult.

Comment by: Kathy Posted: November 5, 2009, 8:13 am

I went to this trial and was disappointed that the defense wasn’t thorough in defending this man.

Comment by: Ola Posted: November 5, 2009, 8:58 am

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that their Watchtower (Jehovah’s) organization is the only true Christian faith.

They believe that the truths of scripture were lost through a great apostasy centuries ago until God used JW founder Charles Russell to restore the Gospel.

Jehovah Witness share some doctrinal beliefs with Christianity,but many of their beliefs either completely contradict,or at least pervert Biblical truths.

Some of these are:
Only 144,000 go to heaven,two classes of Christians,Michael Archangel is Jesus,works based salvation by door to door ‘placement’ of Watchtower literature,ban on whole blood transfusions but permitted to use components as fractions..

Theologically,Jehovah’s Witnesses are a cult of Christianity. The oppressive organization does not represent historical, Biblical Christianity.
Sociologically, it is a destructive sect whose false teachings frequently result in spiritual and psychological abuse,as well as needless deaths.

Comment by: Anne Observer Posted: November 5, 2009, 10:00 am

Art Rod: Please stop defending your religion because Jarka, a JW, did an evil act. No sensible person blames God or JWs of being bad because one Witness has done something wrong. Rather, because of the arrogance of Witness leaders, who say in their literature that the Witnesses are the best people on earth and everybody else is so evil that God will destory each and every one of them very soon, is why as you say “whenever it is a Jehovah’s Witness it is most of the time brought out.” JWs have a better-than-everyone-else attitude problem and that’s why many people gloat when a Witness is caught breaking the law, etc. JWs demean those not in their religion and disfellowship JW members if they make critical observations of their own religion’s harmful rules or deceiptful actions. JWs are very judgmental, but don’t like it if anyone judges them. But they bring it on themselves. JWs have just about worn out the word “imperfect” in defense of their members or leaders if they get caught doing something morally or ethically unacceptable. Perhaps, Art, you should look at Jarka as the greedy, vicious man that he is. He did the unthinkable and he just happened to belong to the Witness religon and use it for his own ends. That’s how everyone else who read this story viewed his actions. Maybe, if you Witnesses didn’t constantly brag about yourselves, you wouldn’t have to be on the defensive all the time. Anne

Comment by: Third Party Posted: November 5, 2009, 11:59 am

Anne Observer: Hilarious how you say that no sensible person blames JW because ONE JW has done something wrong – but in the same breath you throw all JWs in the same category of having “better than everyone else attitudes”. Obviously, you are not one of those sensible people of which you speak. Funny.

Comment by: Sean Posted: November 5, 2009, 12:51 pm

For all those dumping on Art Rod and by inference, all of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the reason that he posted his comments is obviously because we all care about God’s reputation and are sad to see someone associated with his name committing such a crime. The reason that the media publishes something so irrelevant is that it is unusual for Jehovah’s Witnesses to be involved in such a crime. If the man found guilty is such, it is DESPITE what he was taught, not because of it. Where I live people are murdered every day but no one ever reports on their religious beliefs. If someone does bring reproach on Jehovah by their conduct, we all take it personally. On the other hand although the true God, the creator is the God of all, he is certainly not worshipped as such. They more commonly use it in vain and even try to bury or obscure it. We are not trying to be better than other people, as some posts suggest, either. We are trying to please God and that SHOULD make us better than someone who does not benefit from his instruction. If some want to slander God’s name by using opportunities such as this they will always find an outlet to do so. However, it has nothing to do with the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It has to do with human imperfections and failings. Even the apostles were subject to them and were frequently criticized as “a divisive sect”. Then again, the same ones criticized Jesus despite his perfection. That spirit is still alive and well today but I prefer to stand with Art Rob to call for reasonableness and clear thinking, since we know better. And I, too, am sad to think of the family and friends affected by this.

Comment by: Tammy McCoy Posted: November 6, 2009, 6:38 am

ART, DISAGREE, SEAN: As a reporter who covered both the Simental and Jarka cases, I can tell you the fact that both men were JWs was not the issue per se.
It became a huge issue when the elders claimed the pentitent-clergy privilage to prevent their testimony.
That an elder had been at the Jarka home hours after Isabelle’s slaying,that was NEWS!
I had no agenda where the JWs were concerned.
My coverage would have been the same thing if these guys were Jewish, Catholic or worshippers of Elvis.

Comment by: Margaret Posted: November 6, 2009, 8:36 am

If guilty, it wasn’t due to the healthful Christian organizational function of Jehovah’s Witnesses, which parallels the original Christian Congregations more than any other today.

Comment by: Disagree Posted: November 6, 2009, 10:47 am

Thanks Tammy McCoy,
That’s exactly what I figured. I thought you did and excellent job reporting on each case. Don’t take it personal they are only doing what they are taught…defend, defend and play the persecuted card once something looks bad. All anyone has to do is google JW murders or molesters and they will see it’s not as rare as they would like to believe.

Again.. I think the main concern and thoughts should be on the victims and their families. Help them to heal and move forward stop worrying about looking bad. My prayers and thoughts are with the family of Isabelle as they go through another really hard day.

Comment by: RJ Carranza Peña Posted: November 6, 2009, 1:27 pm

I wondered that all of you are focus in the religion that practice this man, today in advance say what is the religion of all the people that do all things wrong, and I can choose the right road, or all the others religion doesn´t have problems?

Comment by: Anne Principle Posted: November 6, 2009, 6:37 pm

@ Ellen: None of us need to read the website you mentioned to know that it is filled with exaggerations, half-truths, outright lies, misinformation, and slanderous statements, with just enough facts mixed in to make it seem legitimate. We’ve all heard the rantings of apostates before. If that is what you are using for your source of information, poor you. You really should be a bit more selective in your reference material.

Mr. Jarka’s despicable actions have nothing to do with his religion and EVERYTHING to do with his lack of morality.

Comment by: Kurt Posted: November 7, 2009, 6:04 pm

The murder in the Jarka family is tragic. Evidently, a jury found that Mr. Jarka did this horrible crime. While he did not have to be a Jehovah’s Witness to do the crime, it seems that his religion had an apparent role in what happened. That the elders would try to cover over what he did is shameful. That kind of policy has caused their religious corporation to lose millions of dollars in lawsuits over them hiding child molesters in the congregations. Another factor is that apparently a Jehovah’s Witness is taught to deny medical treatment to their children, even to the point of letting them die, in order to comply with the way their religious leaders interpret certain passages in the Bible. Another key doctrine that Jehovah’s Witnesses have is the literal slaughter of billions of people who are not in their religion at the end time Armageddon event. This is illustrated in graphic images in many of their publications, even children’s books. This kind of thinking could certainly desensitize a person to caring about the suffering and death of others.

Comment by: Ellen Posted: November 9, 2009, 3:51 am

@Anne Principal: “None of us need to read the website you mentioned to know that it is filled with exaggerations, half-truths, outright lies, misinformation, and slanderous statements, with just enough facts mixed in to make it seem legitimate. We’ve all heard the rantings of apostates before.”

So how do you know that website is filled with exaggerations, half-truths, and outright lies if you don’t listen to apostates? Hmmmm?

Or did you label the site as apostate without even clicking?

So, you consider a former elder who was so disgusted at the child molestation in the congregations and then over the way “the society” enabled it (i.e. two witnesses standard), an apostate because he finally blew the whistle?

That’s interesting. So, he should have just shut his mouth and towed the Watchtower line and allowed children to be molested and abused? That would have made him a good Christian?!

I need to be more selective in my reference material? I suppose that means reading only the cult propaganda written by your organization.

The only reason why you dismiss every contrary (to the JWs) website out there is because you’ve been told that any contrary information is wrong.

And you just took their word for it without checking for yourself.

Well, anyone who slavishly defends an organization that enables pedophiles, destroys familys, encourages the awful practice of shunning, is a sad, brainwashed rube.

The Watchtower loves to use the label of apostate as a weapon to intimidate people into silence.

Comment by: Anne Principle Posted: November 9, 2009, 9:21 am

@Ellen: As I mentioned, I have heard the rantings of apostates before. It very soon becomes apparent when you “hear” the mean-spirited comments that what is being said lacks credibility. Unfortunately, and very sadly, there have been those who claim to be Jehovah’s Witnesses (like Mr. Jarka) who have perpetrated horrid crimes against vulnerable people. This have given fodder to those who would tear down rather than build up.

It’s interesting you say that I just take “Watchtower’s” word for anything without checking. However, you would have me take the word of a supposed ex-elder without checking. How wrong you are…you have no idea what I do.

All of us, at some point, have to choose who and what to believe. I choose not to let myself be distracted and dismayed by the destructive charges brought againsts Jehovah’s Witnesses by people who have a personal agenda.

Oh, by the way, I lived in Nashville, Tennessee, a couple of years ago or so when the silent lambs organization had its national convention there. As reported by the local news media, about a dozen were in attendance. Hmmm.

I stand by my statement that you should be more selective of your reference material. And that doesn’t require that you read only material printed by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

May Isabelle Jarka’s family be strengthened by their friends and Jehovah God through this terribly difficult time.

Try to have a good day, everyone!

Comment by: John F Posted: November 10, 2009, 10:26 am

So let me get this straight.

Jarko didn’t commit premeditated murder. It was due to an accident, because he was just…. “imperfect”.

So that means, he as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses will be saved when God destroys us all non-believer JW’s horribly at Armageddon, who didn’t kill our wives for money.

Wow, that’s some powerful Voodoo the JW’s have going for them.
Bad person who becomes a JW = Saved from destruction
Good person who is a Non-JW = Destroyed horribly with our children

Makes sense to someone, somewhere I guess

Comment by: Anne Principle Posted: November 10, 2009, 1:13 pm

@ John F:
I can’t imagine that your statement makes sense to anyone anywhere.

Are you quoting someone? Or did you just make up those assertions? Where on earth would you get the (false) idea that Jehovah’s Witnesses are automatically “saved”, or that they believe they are???? That’s not a Bible teaching, and it IS NOT a belief of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

NONE of us, including you, John F, is qualified to say who will be “saved”.

A jury of his peers has found Mr. Jarka guilty of a horrible crime. His eternal future, along with the future of all of the rest of us, lies in the hands on the One qualified to judge perfectly: Jehovah God. After all the nastiness I’ve seen spewed here on this forum, I am very thankful to be convinced of that.

Comment by: Anthony Posted: November 10, 2009, 4:11 pm

The Awake September 8, 1997 page 6 says,

” There is nothing wrong with trying to refute the teachings and practices of a religious group that a person may feel is wrong.”

So why is there a double standard, in that the “apostate” label is quickly put on anyone that feels certain teachings and practices of the Watchtower and Jehovahs Witnesses are wrong and they thus refute them?

Comment by: Anne Principle Posted: November 10, 2009, 4:30 pm

@ Anthony:

No double standard at all. “Refuting” with slander, misquotes, half-truths, and outright lies isn’t refuting; it’s slanderous, misleading, and dishonest. If you disagree with the teachings and practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and want to refute those things, that’s fine. Prove your point from the Holy Bible. If you have to resort to lying, slander, and rabble-rousing to try to “refute” then your position is weak at best.

Comment by: Mary Posted: November 18, 2009, 7:34 am

@ Anne Principle:

Unfortunately Anne, Jehovah’s Witnesses are not allowed to refute any teachings by the Governing Body, even if you can prove using the bible, that they are wrong. The second anyone does that, it’s viewed as “lying” or “telling half-truths”, blah, blah, blah.

I had a very interesting conversation with someone at Brooklyn Bethel a couple of months ago about the blood doctrine. He could not refute ANYTHING I said and was obviously annoyed that he had no answers. His final comment was to “wait on Jehovah and if any ‘new light’ needs to be shed on this matter, he’ll bring it through the F&DS Class.” Meanwhile, how many thousands of Witnesses have died because of this erroneous doctrine?

As for Kelle Jarka—-the guy is obviously a creep and a greedy one at that. The problem that so many people have with Witnesses, is that they are notorious for pointing out the faults of everyone else, they tell everyone (through their literature) that ONLY Jehovah’s Witnesses are ‘true Christians’ and will make it through the Big A (which has been ‘right around the corner now for 140 years), and everyone else is going to be destroyed at Armageddon and end up as bird food. They self-righteously claim that they have a moral superiority to everyone else on the planet and look down their noses at everyone else.

So it shouldn’t be a big surprise when they get a taste of their own medicine.

Comment by: Guy Richards Posted: November 20, 2009, 7:26 am

This sad and tragic event illustrates the double standards that permeate the Watchtower organization. Many of us devoted years of service to this organization. But when we questioned certain aspects of its teachings, we
were ostracized and excommunicated. The Watchtower perceives any questions or doubts about its own authority as “apostasy.” As a result, it has lost some of its brightest and most talented members.

I would strongly recommend the book “Crisis of
Conscience” by Raymond Franz. He, being a former
member of the Governing Body, has lovingly and kindly treated the subject without rancor or revenge. It gives an insight into the inner workings of the Watchtower organization and its decision making power that effects millions of its member throughout the world. And he does it without the bitterness of some ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses or the naivite of current members.