The Misery Machine - The Case of Giovanni Jennings

Starting point is 00:00:00 Giovanni Jennings was born on October 17th, 2017 to mother Elena Jennings and had two siblings. He had big brown eyes, long eyelashes, and brown hair. His nickname was Chula, which in this case means cute or cool, and he was. Especially when he smiled so wide, the dimples on both of his cheeks were visible. His mother called him little man and said he was her handsome baby boy. In pictures from his early life, he was independent and maybe a little bit of headstrong. Before he could walk, he was already a performer, sticking his tongue out and making faces when his mom tried to take his picture. When he was walking, Elena posted a picture of him

Starting point is 00:00:41 carefully aiming the garden hose to spray water in his baby swimming pool. She wrote, On a hot day like this, little man is already filling up his pool without mama's help. He sure is too big for 10 months. His stepfather, Esteban Cabrera, said Giovanni was an amazing child who like to run and play. In a video Esteban posted online, he jiovani and his brother, asking them to say good morning to the camera. Though he seemed a little shy at first, Giovanni's face lit up when he said good morning, and both boys laughed when Esteban asked them to say the words taco, chimichanga, and chalupa. In that short, silly moment, all three of them were clearly happy. Say good morning. Good morning. Say good morning.

Starting point is 00:01:28 Say, good morning. Say taco. Say taco. Say Taco, Trudeau. Say, Jimmy Changa. Say Chalupa. Say, Chalupa. Say, chalupa. Say, Taka. Say, taco. Say, chalupa. Say, good morning. Not much has been made public about Giovanni's early life, but we've pieced together what we could find the best we could. Elena was around 18 years old when she got pregnant and seemed to excited for it. She posted online in June of 2017 about turning her life around and getting a job. She said, good things happen when you listen to family. I never wanted to listen to my family, especially to my brother. She admitted she grew up too fast trying to live that adult life way too soon. Didn't get me anywhere. Always wanted to live that adult life, but it didn't go too good.

Starting point is 00:02:21 Brother always tried being there for me, trying to help me out in so many ways, trying to get me out the bad life. I regret it. Now I'm in a situation where I need some. someone there for me that can help me out. I have that. Thankful for him because I really wouldn't be this far if I never, ever listened. My life is getting on track, finally, getting all my stuff together, forgetting about my past, forgetting about all the problems I had before, finally getting a job where I can earn money and save up and do good for myself, going to live the life I always wanted, and I can and will get there thanks to him. A few weeks later, she posted a picture of a sonogram. A few months later in October,

Starting point is 00:02:59 Giovanni was born. When he was little, Elena focused on being a good mother. She dressed him up in cute outfits, posted baby pictures, and often mentioned how much she loved him. She said that time seemed to be flying by and that she finally understood why people said their kids grew up too fast. Now, sometime in 2019, she gave birth to a second son. Pictures from 2020 showed Giovanni hugging his little brother and playing with him. Though she doesn't mention what she's been through,

Starting point is 00:03:29 her posts allude to hard times, and she is again committed to becoming a better person and straightening her life out. Sometime after that, she met Esteban Cabrera, and the two began a serious relationship. They moved into a house in southwest Detroit and lived together as a family. He treated Giovanni and his brother as his sons, and according to his post on social media, he loved them like his own flesh and blood. Now, sometime in 2022, he and Elena had a daughter together. But over time, they started arguing and their relationship grew strained. In March of 2024, 25-year-old Elena took all the kids and moved out. It's likely that she started her relationship with Daniel Giacchina around this time and her relationship with a 32-year-old quickly became serious.

Starting point is 00:04:18 Before they met, Daniel was going through difficult times of his own. In 2022, he pled guilty to selling illegal substances and intimidating a witness and he was sentenced to two years on parole. May of 2023, he was arrested for fleeing an officer while still on parole. And in late 2023, he had been living with a 74-year-old grandmother, Anne, when their house caught fire and burnt to the ground. From his comments, it seemed like he had a different girlfriend at this time, not Elena, and she and her kids were living with Anne as well. In early December, a few weeks before Christmas, the house fire left them all homeless. Anne posted the following message on GoFundMe asking for donations. Hey there, my name is Anne. I'm 74 and this devastates me. It's come to this, but me and my grandson's house burnt down about two weeks ago with no rental insurance, and we are having a very difficult time making ends meet and keeping the roof overhead, paying for room and board and a hotel until we could find somewhere to move.

Starting point is 00:05:16 We also have to support animals, one that was saved in the fire, that just had puppies right after the fire. We're asking for donations for help to keep a safe roof over our head. It's very cold. It's winter in Michigan, and we lost everything. Right now, our main priority is keeping a roof over our head. Any donations will be highly appreciated. God bless you all. I know everything happens for a reason. It will be a light at the end of this tunnel. I don't like asking for help, but please help us.

Starting point is 00:05:43 She said they had been able to get help for food and clothes, but no one was able to help with housing. She wasn't able to rent anywhere because her credit score was so low, so they all ended up in a motel. They were supposed to pay about 350 a week to stay there, but according to posts on the GoFundMe site, they had fallen behind on those payments as well. Donations did not pour in. In fact, they only raised a total of $275, not even enough to cover a week-long stay.

Starting point is 00:06:10 They asked the owner of the motel to work with them, but he seemed frustrated by the situation. One of the updates to the GoFundMe campaign, they posted pictures of a text conversation with him. It read, Hi, Daniel, I want to help you. I'm willing to be reasonable to help you out until you find a suitable alternative. I can't have late payments. It's not sustainable. Your grandmom says she has no money to pay, but that's not my fault. After all, I'm only able to provide guests with a roof over their head if they pay on time.

Starting point is 00:06:38 It's not a charitable housing. All I ask is timely payments, no complaints, especially about dog noise or about extra people living in the room, etc. Keeping the room clean following just basic rules that guests sign up for when they first check in. Happy to have you in our motel as long as there's no trouble in payments on time. especially if you find a suitable, reasonable alternative. The only reasonable precondition is payments need to be made on time and no complaints. Follow rules. One more complaint and I'll start to lose business over this and I can't have that.

Starting point is 00:07:09 I personally have zero issues with you. To start with, you should make your payments already. That's basic even before we get into other things. One more chance, I help you and you help me. The extra people in the room wouldn't be a problem for long. According to another update Daniel made on January 6, his girlfriend ended their relationship when she and her kids were able to find other housing. He seemed angry and frustrating the update, saying, and I'll try to read this as cohesively as I can. That's the beginning of this campaign.

Starting point is 00:07:39 It was a whole family. Two kids, me and my partner and my grandmother and her dogs, now that mine and my grandma's house burnt down that my girlfriend was living in with her, her kids, my girlfriend, torn apart our family, moved on. she has acquired her own house already because she has kids. I feel like we were just being used. Literally got messages of her throwing in my face. That's why I got a house and you don't. I don't know what you want for me now, but I lost a woman I loved and invested in along with those kids in the house fire.

Starting point is 00:08:08 And it's like she turned into somebody totally different just before this house fire. We were to get married, wanted kids, were starting businesses together, and had future plans to come to find out. I was just being let on. and played so our update is me and my grandma pretty much have had everything taken from us and are still asking help because right now we're so mentally messed up, I don't know what to do. Now, I'm sure you're well aware that homelessness is no joke.

Starting point is 00:08:36 Maybe you or someone that you know has experienced it at some point. Now, many of us are living one paycheck from the street, and something like a house fire could be disastrous. The issue of homelessness is extremely important to us, and we like to support charities in our area that help with those in need. It's also important for us to work with sponsors that share that vision with us, and thankfully, we found that with Magic Minds. With so many distractions in the world,

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Starting point is 00:10:01 that gets you 48% off your first subscription or 20% off a one-time purchase with our code, Misery Machine 20 at checkout. Just visit magicmind.com slash misery machine to claim it today. Even better? The first 10 listeners to use our code get a free, Misery Machine T-shirt. Thanks and back to the episode. Eventually, Daniel and Ann were able to find housing in the Ackles Mobile Home Park on DeQuindra

Starting point is 00:10:27 Road in southeast Michigan. A month later, Elena and her three kids moved into the mobile home with Daniel and Anne. Not long after Giovanni started getting into trouble. Anne also told reporters that Giovanni was put in the corner when he misbehaved. When asked what he had done to deserve such punishment, this is what she said. He was being punished in the bedroom. How was he being punished? I was told that he was put in the corner. Why was this child being punished?

Starting point is 00:10:54 He was being real bad. I understand that he was being real bad to his brother. When I was home the one day, I heard hers reprimanding him, slapping him, you know, with the belt. Did you see anything that made you think he was in danger? No. In the bedroom, Elena shared with Daniel, a corner was set aside to discipline Giovanni, though, Many might use the word torture instead. In text messages, they referred to it as the corner.

Starting point is 00:11:25 This might not sound unusual. Plenty of parents asked their kids to take a time out when they are misbehaving and might ask them to sit in a corner. I had this done to me growing up, but this was much more serious than a simple timeout. Allegedly, the couple barricaded him in the corner, blocking off part of the room to trap him there. A black curtain covered the area so he couldn't see out.

Starting point is 00:11:46 Allegedly, Daniel bought a secure, camera and mounted it on the wall, pointed it at the corner so they could both monitor him through video on their phones. A typical timeout for six-year-old Giovanni would last about six minutes, one minute for each year of his age. Evidence shows that he spent much longer lengths of time confined to his pen. He even slept in there. He had no bed whatsoever and was forced to sleep on a wooden slat, only 11 inches wide and three feet long. During his confinement, he wasn't allowed to do anything. He was not even allowed to look out the window without further punishment,

Starting point is 00:12:24 and he wasn't safe when he was out of his pen either. When Elena went to work, she left Daniel in charge of the children. Orny Giovanni's four-year-old brother, Daniel had encouraged the young children to play with a BB gun and a ghost gun that he own. Those that don't know, a ghost gun is usually put together from a kit, so it isn't registered and doesn't have a serial number, but it can be just as deadly as a regular weapon. In this case, Daniel's gun was a fully,

Starting point is 00:12:48 functional 9mm with a laser scope. He also had over 100 rounds of live ammunition, and he encouraged the kids to play with it like it was a toy. Photos found at the home showed Daniel looking on as the children played with the gun and pointed it at each other. In one image, two of the kids pointed the gun at another child, and the light from the gun's laser scope can be seen illuminating his raised hand. When he wasn't encouraging violent play, Daniel was being violent himself. Giovanni's brother said Daniel shot him in the leg with a BB gun and even showed the interviewer the wound caused by the shot. He claimed his brother was shot too. Police collected video evidence to support a statement, and they found holes in the walls

Starting point is 00:13:27 near the corner, Giovanni's corner where he was punished, that still had BBs in them. Daniel also allegedly beat Giovanni on several occasions, in addition to confining him. These punishments were given to the six-year-old for things like having to go to the bathroom, trying to get a drink of water, and trying to get out of the corner. On July 26, Daniel caught Giovanni committing the crime of looking out the window. Angry that the boy wasn't standing in the corner with his face pressed against the wall, Daniel allegedly decided to make the preschooler stay in the corner by stapling him to the wall. Using a staple gun, Daniel fastened the shoulders of Giovanni's shirt to the wall,

Starting point is 00:14:08 wedging his head and face into the corner. Apparently proud of his handiwork, he texted Elena to tell her that he had solved the problem and included a picture of the boy hanging from the wall. They both reportedly thought the situation was funny. The next day on July 27th, Elena said Daniel punched Giovanni in the stomach three times, causing the boy to throw up. Over the next three days, he kept getting sicker and sicker.

Starting point is 00:14:33 Later, Elena would tell police she knew he needed medical help, but she didn't take him to the hospital because she knew the doctors would see all of his injuries and she and Daniel would get into trouble. Now, at around 2.30 p.m. on July 30th, Elena finally called 911 because he had stopped breathing. When first responders arrived at the home on De Quindra Road, they found him unresponsive with cuts and bruises all over his body.

Starting point is 00:14:57 They were able to restart his breathing and rushed him to the nearest hospital. They transferred him, still clinging to life, to Children's Hospital of Michigan-Stillson Specialty Center. His stepfather Esteban was allowed to visit him there. He was horrified to see how badly the little boy had been hurt. He said, He was so unrecognizable. His head was almost double the size. His eyes were so swollen. He stayed at Giovanni's bedside that night and the next. Around midnight on July 31st, Giovanni died from his injuries.

Starting point is 00:15:29 In a post online, Esteban said, My heart is completely shattered right now. There's no words I have to try to explain the pain it feels to lose a child. My son died in my arms last night. His mom and her new boyfriend beat my six-year-old son to death. My heart is broken into a million pieces. How can someone do that to a child by his own mother? I hope you rot in hell. Elena told the police that when she went to work that morning, she had left Giovanni with someone else for the day. This babysitter must have done something to hurt the boy. Daniel told the police the same thing. Some news reports say the person they blamed was the biological father, but none revealed the name of the person who was accused. Officers tracked down and arrested the

Starting point is 00:16:14 suspect, but soon uncovered evidence that he hadn't been anywhere near the boy at the time he was injured, so he has not been named, understandably. Giovanni's younger brother helped police understand what really happened. He was interviewed at Carehouse. This is an organization that helps interview and provide therapy for child victims of CA. He told the interviewer what he had seen the last day he spent with his brother. He said, Chulo died all day, and Danny was there. Police soon cleared their first suspect of any wrongdoing and released him. As Elena and Daniel had conspired to mislead authorities, they were both arrested in charge with lying to a police officer. This is a felony crime with a sentence of up to two years in prison. Because of a previous felony conviction, Daniel was not allowed

Starting point is 00:16:59 to own guns or ammunition. So they also charged him with a felony possession of a weapon based on the items found in his home. Lina was questioned. again after her arrest and eventually admitted that she saw Daniel punch Giovanni in the stomach about three days before his death. These blows are likely what perforated his bowel, allowing intestinal contents to start leaking into his body, which can cause a massive infection and did in this case. Emergency surgery and antibiotics would have given him a chance at survival, but with no medical help, the infection spread unchecked. Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald said that investigators spent hundreds of hours going through the wealth of digital

Starting point is 00:17:36 evidence on the couple's cell phones, including pictures, videos, and text messages. She alleged that both Daniel and Elena watched video clips of Giovanni confined to the corner and that they both laughed at the image of the boy stapled to the wall. That and other evidence collected from her cell phone indicated that she was aware of what Daniel was doing to her son. The press conference about the murder, Prosecutor McDonald said, while that CA sometimes happened while she was at work, she was aware of it and approved of the physical assaults and at times, even encouraged Daniel to abuse Giovanni.

Starting point is 00:18:10 On August 9th, the couple were both charged with first-degree murder and first-degree CA. Both charges could result in a sentence of life in prison if convicted. They were both denied bail and are currently being held in the Oakland County Jail. Everyone working on the case has decades and decades of experience, but even so, prosecutor McDonald said that it was, and I'm quoting here, one of the worst cases we've ever seen. She said the evidence established a horrific pattern of abuse. The victim in this case is Giovanni Jennings, known by his family as Chulo.

Starting point is 00:18:49 Chulo was six years old, and he died from blunt forced trauma to his abdomen and a perforated bowel after a lengthy period of confinement and abuse. The Wayne County Medical Examiner determined that the manner of death was homicide. Last week, my office filed charges against his mother, Elena Jennings, and her boyfriend, Daniel Giacchina, for lying to the police and additional charges against defendant Giacina for improperly possessing weapons and ammunition because he was already a convicted felon. But it was clear from the evidence that we saw that there was a pattern of abuse that led to Chullo's death. My office, in conjunction with the Madison Heights Police Department, has spent the last week performing an intensive review. of every piece of available evidence, including cell phone evidence, photos, and evidence that was seized in search warrants. Combined, we have spent over 100 hours reviewing extremely disturbing videos and photos, as well as text messages and Facebook chats, describing the horrific

Starting point is 00:19:52 things that happened to this six-year-old boy. Everyone standing up here, including myself, were a part of those 100 hours of review. His siblings were present for and witnessed much of that abuse and a complete review of the digital evidence continues. Chulow's four-year-old brother was interviewed at Carehouse. For those of you who don't know, Carehouse is a child advocacy center in Oakland County. My office has an experienced prosecutor dedicated to Carehouse and who attends forensic interviews there, and that's Lauren Benninger. I cannot express the importance of Carehouse and how fortunate we are in this county to have this highly qualified professional organization who interview and provide therapy for child victims. I also want to thank the Oakland

Starting point is 00:20:40 County Sheriff's Department who assisted in this investigation. As we carefully sifted through the evidence, what we found can only be described as horrific. The allegations are that Chulow was confined to a pen in the defendant's bedroom. He was beaten. He was bound to the wall by using a staple gun to his closed to the wall, which forced his face into a corner. He was badly injured, but he was not taken for medical treatment because his mother knew that a medical examination would reveal the abuse. And that information is all an allegation that is already in the public forum on the record in the square two. Based on that additional evidence today, my office amended the charges against the defendants to include murder and child abuse in the first degree.

Starting point is 00:21:29 At autopsy, it was found that Giovanni was malnourished and significantly underweight, and his belly was bruised, bloated, and distended. The medical examiner noted an apparent BB wound to his shin. An autopsy photo showed extensive bruising and cuts all over the front and back from his head all the way down his legs. According to Prosecutor McDonald's, they found injuries on his scalp, temples, lips, inner mouth, cheeks, forehead, chin, shoulders, forearms, fingers, thumbs, back, buttocks, inner thighs, knees, and shins. His cause of death was blunt-forced trauma to his abdomen and a perforated bowel

Starting point is 00:22:16 caused by that trauma. His death wasn't quick. It happened slowly and painfully, over the course of days, while his mother refused to take him to get help. His manner of death, was homicide. Elena's attorney, Jordan Zupka, released the following statement about his client. This is a devastating and complex case. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this tragedy. This time, we remind the public that Elena Jennings is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Starting point is 00:22:46 We trust the legal process to thoroughly examine all the evidence, and we ask that people allow the facts to be fully reviewed before drawing any conclusion. Out of respect for the investigation and privacy of those involved, we will not be making further comments at this time. At the start of her press conference, Prosecutor McDonald also reminded everyone that defendants are innocent until proven guilty and that all the allegations still have to be proven

Starting point is 00:23:09 in the court of law. She and her staff are committed to getting justice for Giovanni. She said, all children have a right to grow up in a home free of fear. This child and a sibling suffered unimaginable abuse and lived in fear every day. My office in the Madison Heights Police Department are committed to using every resource available to us to get justice for Chullo and hold the people responsible for this death accountable

Starting point is 00:23:32 and to seek punishment that reflects the horror of his death. When asked what the public could do to keep this from happening to other children, she said, we need to know and keep track of our children. We need to know and keep track of our children who are in public schools, and when they are taken out, we need to inquire about what happened to them. People around kids, whether you're a neighbor, a teacher, or a coach, just somebody in the grocery store line. If you see something that concerns you, you should absolutely report it to the child protective services or the police.

Starting point is 00:24:02 Unfortunately, as we all know too well, justice moves very slowly sometimes. As such, there is no trial date set as of yet. It will be months, potentially years, where Giovanni gets the justice he deserves. Neighbors in the small Ackles Mobile Home Park are shocked by a crime that happened right under their noses. Next-door neighbor Jolene Zedlowski said she couldn't understand it. She said, Oh, that's heartbreaking. And to know that there was torture, that boy was tortured.

Starting point is 00:24:36 That's unfathom. How can a mother do that to their kid? She said that Daniel's grandmother, Anne, had told her about a beating Elena had given Giovanni after he got out of the shower. I was devastated. It was heartbreaking. It really was. Jolene Sittlowski was horrified to hear about the last days of a little boy's life after he'd been struck multiple times with what may have been a belt.

Starting point is 00:25:02 And I guess she took it too far when she battled his butt. Then Tuesday afternoon, someone in the home called 911 to report the six-year-old boy not breathing. I guess woke up and was throwing up something brown and then he just passed out, fell to the ground. After he got out the shower, she took him in the bedroom and paddled his but she could see the welts on him. Oh, you could see him over his legs, his arms, his butt cheeks, the belt, you know, impression, the buckle. There have been no public memorials or vigils arranged for Giovanni, but an obituary

Starting point is 00:25:40 was released by the R.C. Alex and Son's funeral home, listing David Reyes is his father. David has made no public statement about his loss, though he may make an impact. statement at trial. According to the obituary, the family had a private service for him on August 14th, 2024. Giovanni's stepfather Esteban is devastated by his death. In the months after she left, Elena often wouldn't let him see the children, not even his biological daughter. But when he did see them, he knew something was wrong. A member of our misery machine community found one of his posts in the comment section of a Fox News article about the crime. In it, Esteban said he tried to get help by contacting the authorities, but they wouldn't get involved.

Starting point is 00:26:26 He said, I contacted CPS three months ago alleging medical neglect and child neglect. They didn't do anything, and now my son is dead three months later. He couldn't save Giovanni, but he is committed to keeping the other two children safe. He now has custody of the daughter he shared with Elena and wants to stay in Giovanni's brother's life. In August 1st, he posted the following update about the situation online. I appreciate all the support from each and every one of you. There is a lot of information that I still haven't gotten yet. The information I have received is completely devastating and is extremely graphic.

Starting point is 00:27:03 As of right now, I have custody of my biological daughter. But unfortunately, due to my ongoing legal status here in the United States, Giovanni's brother has been placed in foster care. Currently, his uncle is about to be assisted by child protective services and is likely going to be placed in his care. But as of right now, he is not with me. He will have visitations with his sister, my daughter, twice a week, so he is not completely gone. I'll be creating a GoFund Me in the next few days if anyone would like to help towards his funeral. Unfortunately, his mother still has legal rights over his body, and I don't know if I'll be able to have a ceremony with his ashes present. His body is still being examined due to the extreme nature of this case.

Starting point is 00:27:40 I will also be making a GoFund me for any who would like to help towards any expenses for my son and my daughter. Thank you once again. Now we have searched GoFundMe, but as of the date of this recording, Giovanni's campaign has not been posted. If you have found it, please put it below. We can put it in the pin comment and we want to make a donation ourselves to it. So please, if you find it, let us know immediately. There are many people who love Giovanni, but not all of them were always allowed to be part of his life once the relationship with his mother Elena changed. Some of the family left behind in the wake of his loss are searching for ways to grieve.

Starting point is 00:28:20 His grandmother, Carrie Nieto, posted her goodbye message on his online tribute page. She said, Hello, I'm the grandma of Chula, which he called me Mimi. I'm already lost of words of this happening to you. I've been through everything with you grandson since birth. RIP, my precious grandson. You will be forever in my heart. I love you.

Starting point is 00:28:43 I know you're in heaven. Now. Until I see you again, love Mimi.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Giovanni Jennings

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