Pair sentenced in 10-year-old boy’s ‘heinous’ death – Chicago Tribune

Leviticus “Levi” Kuchta’s younger life was lower quick by an ideal storm of occasions that left him dwelling together with his sister, prosecutors mentioned.

If their mom hadn’t been imprisoned for medication, or the grandma may have cared for him whereas her husband was dying, or if he was at school as an alternative of on-line studying in October 2020, it’s attainable he would nonetheless be alive, Deputy Prosecuting Legal professional Maureen Koonce mentioned.

The boy, 10, ended up dwelling together with his sister April (Kuchta) Wright, her spouse Rachel Wright and April’s 3-year-old baby in Merrillville.

Officers estimated he had been lifeless for a number of hours earlier than police had been referred to as Oct. 12, 2020 to the house on Fillmore Courtroom.

Levi, who had make-up overlaying puncture wounds on his face, was riddled with accidents in numerous levels of an infection and therapeutic to his head, fingers, arm, again, groin, leg and ankles, data mentioned.

Two of the accidents — a dislocated jaw and backbone — rendered him unable to stroll or discuss earlier than his demise, data mentioned.

His sister April was sentenced to a most 35 years Thursday in a plea deal. Rachel Wright was sentenced to 25 years Friday, probably the most allowed in her personal plea deal.

Rachel Wright, now 28, not solely stood by whereas the boy was abused, however admitted in courtroom paperwork she actively abused him, Koonce mentioned Friday.

Her protection lawyer John Cantrell mentioned Rachel regretted her function, however married a “monster”, i.e. April Kuchta, with a violent previous who killed the boy.

Throughout Rachel Wright’s three-hour sentencing listening to, prosecutors performed her 911 name, which they mentioned she allegedly made figuring out the boy was already lifeless.

Lake County Deputy Coroner Jaime Arteaga appeared affected as she checked out graphic photos of the boy, which weren’t proven in courtroom, and detailed his quite a few accidents.

He had clear indicators of rigor mortis by the point she and a associate arrived, she testified. Prosecutors additionally performed a jail name between April, her mom and Levi.

The Wrights had a household picture shoot someday earlier than Levi was discovered lifeless. Merrillville Police Det. Matthew Vasel testified the photographer mentioned solely the ladies and youthful baby had been within the photos. They claimed Levi stayed within the automobile with a “headache”.

Cantrell referred to as three witnesses — Rachel Wright’s stepfather, center faculty pal and mom.

Her mom Diane Maples mentioned she had seen the boy a few week earlier than his demise and hadn’t seen any of the accidents.

In cross-examination, Koonce confirmed her the quite a few graphic photos displaying the boy’s abuse. Did you see these, the prosecutors requested of a minimum of a half-dozen accidents. No, Maples responded every time.

Maples requested the decide for leniency, noting the youthful baby, now 5, wanted Wright. Koonce later accused her of mendacity on the stand to guard her daughter.

Youngster abuse circumstances had been “traditionally very troublesome to show,” Koonce mentioned. There have been usually no witnesses and the adults concerned may level fingers at one another to save lots of themselves, she mentioned. The case towards each girls was “totally circumstantial”.

She requested for a most 25 12 months sentence. Each girls had been simply as culpable within the boy’s demise, however his sister April had a worse felony historical past, she mentioned.

Cantrell countered that Rachel Wright didn’t get the identical profit from a typical couple charged in a toddler abuse case, as a result of she was a lady who seemed like a person, with a brief haircut.

A part of her plea deal required her to cooperate with prosecutors, he mentioned. When she flipped, April signed her personal deal simply over a month later.

Usually, in an abuse case, the husband will get a protracted sentence, the spouse flips and she or he will get a considerably quick sentence. That didn’t occur right here, he mentioned.

Years earlier, April Kuchta Wright was convicted at 17 of tying and sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy at knifepoint, data present.

She was the “monster”, he mentioned. Rachel was “delicate” and “motherly” who received caught up attempting to repair a “damaged” particular person, Cantrell mentioned.

Prosecutors couldn’t say for certain who truly killed the boy, he mentioned. He requested for 20 years, 15 within the Indiana Division of Corrections and 5 in Lake County Group Corrections.

Earlier within the listening to, he mentioned they broke up across the time the case began in 2020, he mentioned. Koonce countered jail home calls performed throughout their bail listening to confirmed they appeared to nonetheless be collectively.

The bail listening to was “a very long time in the past,” he mentioned. “Issues change.”

Rachel Wright apologized in courtroom for “not doing the suitable factor”, which she mentioned she would reside with for the remainder of her life.

Koonce retorted Cantrell’s portrayal, saying Rachel Wright admitted abusing the boy, not simply failing to name the police. Rachel couldn’t be used to testify as a result of she couldn’t inform the reality, the prosecutor mentioned.

It was “déjà vu” since April put the blame on Rachel at her sentencing the day earlier than, she mentioned.

“You killed Levi,” she mentioned, of Rachel, saying they had been equally accountable.

The couple instructed police Levi had fallen off his dust bike both Oct. 9 or 10 and had been claiming he had a headache and again ache, however he wished to experience it once more on Oct. 11, data mentioned. After he wrecked the bike a second time, they determined towards taking him to the physician, data mentioned, as a result of they mentioned Levi was afraid the physician would make him return to reside together with his grandmother.

A relative instructed police the grandmother had been attempting to get Levi again from the couple earlier than his demise, however April Wright instructed her the boy had COVID-19, data mentioned.

Throughout a cellphone name to his mom in jail, Levi instructed her, “I need to return to grandma’s home, and don’t inform them,” data mentioned. When she requested what occurred, he mentioned Rachel Wright had grounded him from his PlayStation and repeated, “I need to go dwelling.”

“His voice was very quiet, and he sounded scared,” courtroom data mentioned. “He instructed (his mom) that ‘Rachel received’t let me go dwelling.’ He then whispered, ‘Please don’t inform them I instructed you.’”

In a separate name Oct. 9, April Wright mentioned Levi “didn’t do his homework” and “received on her nerves,” courtroom data mentioned. Levi’s mom instructed her daughter that she may transfer Levi out if she couldn’t take care of him.

Neighbors instructed police Youngster Protecting Providers had been to the residence many instances over the previous few years, data mentioned.