It was shortly after midnight in St. Petersburg, Florida, on the 8th of January, 2015, when a police officer was heading home down I-275 after finishing his shift. Moments later, a PT Cruiser sped past him at around 100mph. The officer tried to keep up with the car and pull it over. When they reached the Dick Misener Bridge on the approach to the Skyway, the car pulled over and the officer pulled up behind him. Nobody could have ever predicted what happened next.
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Audio Sources
“Phoebe Jonchuck’s mother speaks”
“RAW VIDEO: Interrogation of John Jonchuck Jr.”
“Phoebe Jonchuck laid to rest”
“St Pete officer recalls Pheobe Jonchuck’s murder”
“GUILTY! John Jonchuck convicted of first-degree murder in death of daughter Phoebe | 10News WTSP”
“RAW: Murder suspect John Jonchuck makes first appearance”
“Death of 5 year-old Phoebe Jonchuck: Crisis team, Cleveland Elementary School, St. Petersburg”
“Priest discusses meeting with John Jonchuck”
“911 call: Dad ‘nuts’ before girl thrown off bridge”
“Remembering Phoebe Jonchuck: The forever 5-year-old”
Sources:
ABC – 2 WSB, 8 January, 2015 – “Girl, 5, Dies After Dad Allegedly Threw Her Off Florida Bridge”
The Associated Press News Service, 8 January, 2015 – “Florida Girl Thrown from Bridge Hated Water”
ABC – 9 WFTV, 8 January. 2015 – “DCF to Make Changes After Man With Troubled Past Tosses Daughter, 5, From Bridge”
ABC – 6 WJBF, 8 January, 2015 – “Dad Throws 5 Year Old Off Bridge in St. Petersburg”
Hartford Examiner, 8 January, 2015 – “Girl Thrown from Bridge Dies”
NBC – 8 WFLA, 8 January, 2015 – “Lutz Lawyer Called Abuse Hotline”
NBC – 8 WFLA, 8 January, 2015 – “Slain Kindergartner’s Tampa Classmates Draw Pictures in Her Honor”
NBC – 8 WFLA, 8 January, 2015 – “No Bond for Tampa Man Accused of Throwing Daughter, 5, Off Bridge”
News & Politics Examiner, 8 January, 2015 – “Cop Watches Helplessly as Fla. Dad Throws 5 Year Old Daughter off 62 Foot Bridge”
Tampa Bay Times, 8 January, 2015 – “Parents’ Rocky Relationship Preceeded Girl’s Death”
Creative Loafing, 9 January, 2015 – “Phoebe Jonchuck Tragedy Points to Much Bigger Problem”
The Miami Herald, 9 January, 2015 – “Before Girl’s Death on Tampa Bay Bridge, a Family in Chaos”
ABC – 9 WFTV, 11 January, 2015 – “Mother of Man Accused of Throwing Daughter, 5, Off Bridge Speaks During Memorial”
NBC – 2 WCBD, 12 January, 2015 – “Tampa Funeral Home Pays for Funeral for Murdered Girl”
NBC – 8 WFLA, 14 January, 2015 – “Touching Gesture at Tampa Funeral of Murdered Girl”
NBC – 8 WFLA, 14 January, 2015 – “Tears, Grief at Visitation for Girl Thrown from St. Pete Bridge to Her Death”
Tampa Bay Times, 14 January, 2015 – “The Legacy of Phoebe”
The Tampa Tribune, 14 January, 2015 – “She Always Had a Smile on Her Face”
Tampa Bay Times, 15 January, 2015 – “Forgiveness A Main Point at Funeral”
The Ledger, 4 February, 2015 – “Hotline Refused Call a Week Before Death”
The Florida Times-Union, 9 February, 2015 – “Florida’s Child-Abuse Hotline Ignored Calls Before Girl Was Thrown Off Bridge”
The Bradenton Herald, 24 February, 2015 – “Florida DCF Suspends Worker Who Screened Phoebe Jonchuck Call Before She Was Thrown Off Bridge”
Tampa Bay Times, 30 April, 2015 – “Records Illuminate Erratic Days Before Phoebe Jonchuck’s Death”
Associated Press State Wire, 28 March, 2017 – “Trial Scheduled for Dad Accused of Dropping Girl Off Bridge”
NBC – 8 WFLA, 27 August, 2017 – “State Won’t Seek Death Penalty Against John Jonchuck”
Tampa Bay Times, 4 December, 2018 – “Jonchuck: Voices Coaxed Me to Kill”
Tampa Bay Times, 14 March, 2019 – “John Jonchuck Makes Appearance in court as Trial Looms”
Tampa Bay Times, 25 March, 2019 – “John Jonchuck Trial Begins With Competing Narratives Over Vengeance and Insanity”
Tampa Bay Times, 26 March, 2019 – “John Jonchuck’s Mother Testifies as Her Son Stands Trial for her Granddaughter’s Murder”
NBC – 8 WFLA, 27 March, 2019 – “State Rests Case Against John Jonchuck in Murder Trial”
Tampa Bay Times, 27 March, 2019 – “Prosecutors Rest After Quick Case”
NBC – 8 WFLA, 4 April, 2019 – “Defense Rests in John Jonchuck Murder Trial”
Associated Press, 15 April, 2019 – “Jurors Deliberate on Man Who Dropped Daughter Off Bridge”
ABC – 13 WVEC, 16 April, 2019 – “Florida Man Who Tossed Daughter Off Bridge Found Guilty of Murder”
Tampa Bay Times, 16 April, 2019 – “Jonchuck Fate in Jurors’ Hands”
