WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — The youngest of the six people charged in connection with a January kidnapping was in court on Monday, where she asked to remain in a general population unit, despite being previously isolated from other inmates due to her age.
The victim in the case identified Jessenialyz Jones, 18, as a main perpetrator of certain assaults, such as burning the victim with a hot blade, waterboarding her with hydrogen peroxide and striking her, according to the police affidavit.
Jones, a Massachusetts resident, pleaded not guilty to six felony charges, four for kidnapping and two for assault, at her arraignment on Jan. 26. The kidnapping charges were against two victims for bodily injury or fear and ransom. The other two charges were for aggravated assault and aggravated assault with a weapon.
The five other people alleged to have been involved in the kidnapping also remain in custody after pleading not guilty to charges. Public defenders representing all of the suspects are considering the possibility of coordinating their filing deadlines, as evidence and witnesses may be relevant to all six cases.
The charges stem from the kidnapping of a woman from Claremont in January. Police allege the suspects tortured and held the woman for ransom in Springfield, Vt., for three weeks before police rescued her.
On Jan. 25, Springfield Police followed a phone ping to 950 Randall Hill Road based on a report that a woman was being held there against her will. The woman’s captors accused her of stealing $8,000 from them and were contacting people on Facebook requesting payment, including her ex-boyfriend, who contacted police.
Police ordered all occupants outside and made five arrests, with one subsequent arrest the following week.
The victim, who also exited the residence, told police that on Jan. 1, she went to meet up with Nicole Palardy, 36, in Claremont to purchase cocaine, only to be driven against her will to Springfield, Vt., and allegedly held captive in a basement for weeks, according to the affidavit filed by police.
At one point, a second victim was restrained for a shorter period when the perpetrators believed she was possibly responsible for the stolen money.
The six people arrested remain in police custody as their cases move forward.
Jones was transferred from Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility in South Burlington to appear at Windsor County District Court on Monday.
Since her arraignment, there has been an ongoing discussion over what placement is most appropriate considering her age. The court noted that there is no secure facility in Vermont specifically for teenagers above 18.
At her first interest of justice hearing on Jan. 27, one day after her arraignment, the court decided to keep Jones in isolation at an adult facility, meaning that no contact would be made with adult inmates.
In deciding to place her at an adult facility, the court took into consideration the nature of alleged offenses, six violent felonies.
“Ms. Jones is alleged to have played a primary role in the restraint of the two kidnapping victims and is alleged to have inflicted significant pain and injury to each of the victims,” states the court order signed by Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Mann on Jan. 27.
Just days later, Kelly Green, Jones’ public defender, requested a reconsideration of the court’s isolation order and proceeded to file written affirmation from Jones herself. As a result, Mann granted the motion to lift the isolation order on Feb. 5.
In court, attorney Marshall Pahl, who attended Monday’s hearing on Green’s behalf, explained that isolation is actually more restrictive than solitary confinement for inmates who committed infractions, as they are typically able to socialize at times.
“If she was in disciplinary segregation, she would still have more contact with other inmates,” Pahl said to Mann in court Monday.
Following the hearing, he also noted there are risks involving lifting the restrictions.
“Young people in adult facilities are way more vulnerable to abuse and assault by adult inmates,” said Pahl.
Jones verbally confirmed to Mann on Monday that she is comfortable with her current placement in the Echo Unit at Chittenden, which houses adult offenders, most of whom have demonstrated positive, pro-social behavior, Jordan Pasha of the Vermont Department of Corrections wrote in a Jan. 29 letter to Green. Eliminating the restrictions allowed Jones to participate in activities.
Hearings will be set on a recurring basis as long as Jones remains incarcerated. While the next hearing had not been formally scheduled as of Monday, Mann told the parties it will be set for between 30 and 45 days.
A status hearing for Sheldon Stocker, 37, who was a tenant of the Springfield home where the victim was held, took place in Windsor County District Court on Wednesday.
Stocker, who is being held at Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield, Vt. without bail on two kidnapping charges of bodily injury or fear and ransom, did not attend the hearing, where Amy Davis, his defense attorney, agreed to file a felony scheduling order that would set pre-trial deadlines applicable to all parties in the case by the end of the week.
The defense counsel are trying to decide if they want to do a coordinated filing, prosecuting attorney Emily Zukauskas said Tuesday by email. She declined to comment on the cases.
“When a case involves multiple people and multiple attorneys, trial preparation sometimes moves slower than we would like,” Davis said Tuesday by email.
“Mr. Stocker maintains his innocence in these proceedings and looks forward to being home with his family, hopefully sooner rather than later,” Davis said Tuesday by email.
Damarcus Bonner, whom the victim described as a primary perpetrator, had a pre-trial conference scheduled for March 12 and jury selection for March 23, but both were cancelled.
Bonner, 30, of Hartford, Conn., is being held without bail on eight felony charges, including four kidnapping charges, two extortion charges, one aggravated assault charge and one heroin trafficking charge, plus a misdemeanor charge of possessing a firearm despite being prohibited to do so. Reached by email, Samuel Dworkin, Bonner’s public defense attorney, declined to comment on the case.
Tyron Harris, 27 of Holyoke, Mass., is being held without bail on seven charges, including four for kidnapping, two for extortion and one for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A weight of the evidence hearing, which determines bail conditions, for Harris is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. next Thursday at the Windsor County District Court.
Palardy, of Claremont, whom the victim accused of helping to orchestrate the kidnapping, is currently incarcerated with a $100,000 bail. She was arrested on Jan. 25 on a felony kidnapping charge of ransom and a felony accessory to kidnapping charge of bodily injury or fear. Daniel Maguire, her public defense attorney, did not respond to an email or phone message by deadline.
Jesse Emerson, 46 of Bellows Falls, Vt., who is accused of driving the victim across state lines from Claremont to Springfield, Vt., is facing one felony charge of accessory to kidnapping, bodily fear or injury.
His public defense attorney, William Vasiliou, did not respond to an email or phone message by deadline. Emerson is currently incarcerated with a $75,000 bail.
