John Jamelske seems to be your average senior citizen. That is until he is accused of kidnapping a young 16-year-old girl. However, after launching investigations on him, they realize that he has done a lot more than kidnap a girl. Meet John Jamelske, the monster who may soon walk free.
- Investigations were first launched on John Jamelske after a 16-year-old girl suddenly disappeared in October of 2002. He would later be arrested that same year.
- The kidnappings began in 1988 and only ended after Jamelske’s arrest in 2003.
- The first victim was a 14-year-old girl by the name of Kirsten, though her last name will remain anonymous. Kirsten was taken from her in 1988 and held captive for almost three years before her release in 1990.
- Kirsten was held in a concrete dungeon in Jamelske’s basement. The time, while she was kidnapped, was absolute hell, with Jamelske assaulting her sometimes daily.
- After being released, Jamelske intensely threatened the victim’s families.
- John Jamelske’s second victim was another 14-year-old girl by the name of Michelle. Michelle was taken four years after Kirsten’s release, in 1995, only being released in 1997. Her imprisonment would last about two years, and like Kirsten, she would not dare to tell a soul about the hell she had endured, for she feared for the safety of her family.
- The third of Jamelske’s victims was a 52-year-old woman named Tina, who would be kept captive for under a year. After being freed by Jamelske, Tina actually disregards Jamelske’s threats and informs the police of the situation she has undergone. However, Tina was unaware of where she had been kept, so authorities could not do anything.
- Like Tina, Jamelske’s fourth victim, a 26-year-old named Jennifer, would be kept for under a year and go to officials after being freed. However, the police would laugh at her instead of doing anything, and Jamelske would once again walk away free.
- Out of all the victims, 16-year-old Meikka was the cleverest. After disappearing in 2002, Meikka grew relatively close to her kidnapper; little did he know it was all a facade. After gaining Jamelske’s trust, Meikka would be allowed to go out on shopping trips and karaoke with Jamelske, and eventually, he would allow her to phone a church. Instead, she would call her sister and desperately inform her of the situation.
- Jamelske was arrested in 2003 and sentenced to 18 years in prison; however, in 2022, he was up for parole again.
- Though it is unlikely that a judge will grant Jamelske this, the possibility remains. Our legal system will always have flaws, but we don’t want one of them to potentially allow a monster like this to walk free one day. Criminals like this should get a life sentence at the very least, just to ensure that they are never able to harm anyone ever again.
The Victims, the Arrest, and the Parole
John Jamelske’s first victim was an anonymous 14-year-old girl, who will be referred to as Kirsten, but her last name will not be revealed. She was taken from her home in 1988 after Jamelske convinced her to join him in his car. However, things turned unexpectedly, and Kirsten soon realized she was in danger. That danger would last under three years, when Kirsten would be held against her will in Jamelske’s basement. These three years would prove to be torture for Kirsten, as she is forced to document every little detail of her life. When she ate, when she slept when she participated in daily hygiene, and when Jamelske would “visit” her. Finally, Kirsten’s torture ended when Jamelske finally released her in 1990. However, even now that she was free, Kirsten misery was not over yet. Despite having gone through hell for over two years, Kirsten was forced to keep quiet, for Jamelske had threatened to hurt her family if she ever told a soul. But Jamelske had not been satisfied; now that Kirsten was free, he would strike again.
The year was 1995, four years after Kirsten had been freed. But it appeared that Jamelske’s sickening hunger had not been quenched, and his actions would not cease. After four years of searching, he found his next victim: Michelle. Similar to Kirsten, Michelle was taken from her home after Jamelske had persuaded her to get into his car, where she would be drugged and only wake up hours later in Jamelske’s basement, completely unclothed. For several more years, 14-year-old Michelle would have to endure this torture, with Jamelske assaulting her daily and only allowing her to shower a few times a month; life was misery. Finally, in 1997, Jamelske grew tired of her and allowed her to walk free. But like Kirsten, he had threatened the lives of her family so intensely that she didn’t dare tell a soul, allowing the monster to once more escape free from punishment. And once again, it was only a matter of time before he kidnapped another poor victim.
The third and next of Jamelske’s victims was a 52-year-old woman known as Tina. He had abducted her off of the street in 1997. Luckily, Tina was able to be freed after under a year, and despite Jamelske too threatening her family she still went to the police. However, because Tina had been unaware of where she was being held, police were unable to match a face to the culprit, and nothing could be done. The next victim, a 26 year old by the name of Jennifer, would actually face a very similar story as Tina would. She would be kept in Jamelske’s concrete prison for under a year and would too go to the police after being free, however instead of doing anything, they would laugh in her face.
John Jamelske was a horrible monster of a human being. He had brought hell to multiple women for years on end, but unfortunately it didn’t look like anyone would be able to stop his horrible reign. That was until 16 year old under the alias of Meikka came along. She had been taken off of the street like all the other victims, but unlike the others, she was able to form a different sort of connection with Jamelske. Doing this allowed Jamelske to be comfortable enough to take her out, finally allowing the girl to escape. Jamelske would agree to let Meikka phone a church church however, she had other plans in mind. Instead of calling the church, Meikka quickly called her sister and informed her of the situation. Police promptly rushed to the scene and realized what had been there all along: Jamelske’s concrete bunker. Meikka was freed and returned to her family. Jamelske’s victims were able to get their closure, and Jamelske- then 66- was sentenced to 18 years in prison. It seemed as if everyone would get their happy ending, right? Wrong, life is never that simple, and this monster whom so many people worked so hard to put behind bars may soon walk free.
Despite being 66 at the time of his arrest, John Jamelske has served 18 years of jail time, and in 2022, he was up for parole again. Though it was denied, and he will likely not be freed, the opportunity for him to walk free remains. In my opinion, monsters who commit crimes such as Jamelske’s should be given a life sentence at the very least so that there is no chance for them ever to hurt someone again. Five women had to endure so many horrors thanks to Jamelske, and if someone like him is ever allowed to be free, five or, ten or a hundred more could suffer the same fate.
