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Friday September 29, 2000
Coroner's Jury Rules
Homicide in
2-year-old's death
as reported in
Iroquois County's Times-Republic
By SHERRY WATERS
Reporter
A Champaign County Coroner's jury ruled yesterday
morning that two-year-old Kloie Van Holven's death
was caused by homicide.
According to information from Champaign County Coroner
Roger Swaney's office, the inquest was conducted at 11:10 a.m.
Thursday.
Testimony was provided by Iroquois County Lt. Randy Eimen.
Eimen testified to the extent of Kloie's injuries as listed in the
pathologists report, the coroner's office said.
The jury deliberated for a brief time and returned with its verdict.
Kevin Ziebart, 30, Watseka, has been charged with the toddler's
murder. Ziebart had been babysitting the child at her home before
he brought her to Iroquois Memorial Hospital about 9 a.m. on
Aug. 29. At the hospital, Ziebart reported Kloie had been injured
in a fall from a slide in Legion Park in Watseka.
The baby was transported to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana,
and she died there later that night.
Ziebart was arrested for the child's murder on Aug. 30. He was
first placed under $3 million bond, but bond was revoked in court
proceedings last week.
In Iroquois County Court last week, Assistant State's Attorney Bill
Donohue reported that an autopsy had revealed the baby had
died from injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome. Donohue
said the child's injuries included a lacerated liver, damaged kidneys
and adrenal gland and brain hemorrhage. She had experienced
bleeding in both eyes and received severe abdominal blows. Clumps
of hair were also missing from her head and there was several bruises
found on her body.
"The child died from swelling of the brain which caused her spinal
cord to be disconnected," Donohue said. He told the court the
medical evidence indicates the baby had experienced a severe beating.
Ziebart is scheduled to go on trial for murder on Nov. 6. Pretrial
proceedings are scheduled for 1:30 PM. Oct.11.
***UPDATE***
Friday March 20, 2001
Depositions discussed
in Ziebart murder trial
as reported in
Iroquois County's Times-Republic
By SHERRY WATERS
Reporter
Special Prosecutor Ed Parkinson and Defense Attorney Jamie Boyd,
along with accused murderer
Kevin Ziebart, appeared in
Circuit Judge Gordon Lustfeldt's courtroom yesterday to discuss
the
deposition process.
Ziebart is accused of murdering two-year-old Kloie
Van Hoveln.
The coroner's report reveled that Kloie's injuries
were consistent with injuries sustained in shaken
baby
syndrome. Ziebart was involved in a relationship with
Kloie's mother, and he was babysitting the child
at the time she was injured. He brought
her to the hospital in a semi-conscious state
and said she had fallen from playground equipment
at Legion Park.
Following Kloie's death at Carle Foundation Hospital
in Urbana, Ziebart was arrested and charged with
murder. He has been held since his arrest.
Boyd told Lustfeldt that he wanted to begin
by securing depositions from the medical personnel
connected with the case.
Lustfeldt said the supreme
court has ruled attorneys must show good cause
to take depositions, and noted that he had
not allowed everyone on the state's list
to be deposed.
Boyd told the judge he had absolutely no idea
what the Supreme Court meant when it determined
depositions could only be taken by showing "good cause".
Boyd said he was sure the doctor wouldn't
talk to the defense-period. " I don't think
the mother of the victim will talk to us
voluntarily. I hope to take her deposition
as well. If she won't talk to me, I doubt
her friends will talk to me," Boyd said.
Boyd said there are several issues surrounding the
events that transpired at the hospital which
may have led to the treatment given. He said
of the seven or eight medical people he
wanted to talk to, they were all "treaters"
not experts. Boyd said none of the treaters
he wants deposed are local, either. "Good
luck getting their depositions without a
court order," Boyd said.
Lusfeldt said he was also concerned about having
to pay witnesses to testify. He said payment is
the norm with some types of testimony.
"I'll have to see how much they want and if I
feel it's unreasonable, I'll enter an order,
and they'll do as I say," he said.
Lustfeldt asked Parsinson and Boyd to get together
and decide who would be deposed and who would
testify, get dates for it to happen, and find
out the price they'll charge.
Boyd said he'd try to find out when the
doctors were available and try his best
to limit the traveling to one to two trips.
Lustfeldt said the depositions would be
limited to three hours.
"There are seven or eight people," Boyd said,
"nursed, treaters and a pathogist. The main
one is Dr. Davidson in Champaign."
Lustfeldt again voiced concern about the
fact Ziebart's right to a speedy trial was
not kicking in because of all the other factors.
"Are you aware of that, Mr. Ziebart?" Lustfeldt
asked, and Ziebart answered in the affirmative.
Attorneys will be back in court on May 4.
"Is there anything else, Mr Boyd?" Lustfeldt
asked. Boyd said there was not.
"Is there anything else, Mr Parkinson?" Lustfeldt
asked. "No, just that today is Kloie's third
bithday," Parkinson noted.
Please keep Kloie's family and friends
in your prayers.
 
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