‘If I Can’t Have Them, Neither Can You:’ Round Lake Beach Man's Letter

LAKE COUNTY, IL — Bail has been set at $10 million for a 35-year-old Round Lake Beach man accused of drowning his three young children in his bathtub.

The children were identified as Bryant Karels, 5, Cassidy Karels, 3, and Gideon Karels, 2.

During an initial court appearance for Jason Karels on Wednesday morning, prosecutors told the court how the father to the three children admitted to drowning them one at a time in a bathtub at his home. After they were dead, prosecutors say Karels left a note for his estranged wife that read, "If I can’t have them, neither can you."

Karels remains in custody at the Lake County Jail and faces three counts of first-degree murder charges in connection with the killings of his children. He appeared for his initial court appearance via Zoom, where a judge ordered him to have no contact with his estranged wife if he is released on bond.

During the hearing, prosecutors with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office provided more details regarding the deaths of the young children. According to prosecutors, the children’s mother dropped them off at Karels’ house in the 200 block of East Camden Avenue in Round Lake Beach over the weekend. The couple is separated, and the mother returned Monday to find her children dead inside the home, lying in a bed.

Karels told police he drowned each child one at a time before putting them in the bed. A note found in his home contained a line that read, "if I can’t have them, neither can you."

Karels was not in the home when his wife found the children and called 911. Authorities put out an alert for Karels' car, and he was later taken into custody after the vehicle he was driving plunged off a bridge on Interstate 80 in Joliet. Before driving off the bridge, he led state troopers on a chase through Cook County, police said.

Police said Tuesday that while he was being extricated from his vehicle, Karels told police he was responsible for the children's deaths in Round Lake Beach. Karels also said he attempted suicide "several times" after the children's deaths, and police found evidence inside the home that corroborated those statements, according to authorities.

At a news conference Tuesday, police said blood was found inside the home but did not belong to the children.

Prosecutors plan to file a motion this week requesting bond be revoked in the case, and Karels is expected in court for a preliminary hearing on July 13. The bond revocation hearing will be held on June 21.

If convicted on all counts, Karels would face mandatory life in prison.

Police said they are continuing to investigate and will release more information as the investigation continues.

A GoFundMe effort started by Lake County Board member Dick Barr has raised more than $54,000 toward a $100,000 goal as of Wednesday morning and will go to the family of the three children.

"This tragedy happened in my own neighborhood, and I need to make certain that this mother has everything she needs to not have to worry about money at this terrible time," Barr wrote on the GoFundMe.