MARC ANTHONY BOOKAL - 4 yo (2009) - Newburgh NY

NEWBURGH — While the ground search for a missing 4-year-old boy has
ended, Newburgh city police said the investigation is continuing.Lt.
Charles Broe Sr. said Sunday’s announcement that the day-to-day grid
searches had ended had no impact on the investigation of the
disappearance of Marc Bookal, who has been missing since Dec. 14.“Nothing
could be further from the truth,” Broe said in an e-mail Monday. “A
number of City of Newburgh Police Department detectives and a group of
New York state police investigators from the Bureau of Criminal
Investigation are here every day, still actively working this case,
researching leads, talking to people.”Should their work lead to an area
that needs to be searched, it will be, Broe said.The
child went missing while under the care of his mother’s 30-year-old
boyfriend, Cory Byrd, who was reportedly watching the boy at their
Benkard Avenue home.Police searched the entire southeast
quadrant of the city — with Broadway as the northern border and South
Robinson Avenue as the western border — on foot, with dogs and by air.
The Hudson River was checked by boat and by divers.Byrd
has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child. He also was
charged with violating parole for a prior conviction on felony counts
of assault and criminal sale of a controlled substance.The
boy was last seen wearing a red long-sleeved shirt, white Nike sneakers
and gray sweatpants. He has a medium-length Afro hairstyle and skin
discolorations from a previous burn injury.A total of
$26,000 is offered for information leading to the child’s safe return.
Call the City of Newburgh police at 845-561-3131 or Crimestoppers at
866-313-8477.

CITY OF NEWBURGH — Cory Byrd has hired a new lawyer who says
there is more to the story than the public knows.
Chester-based attorney Gary Greenwald met with his new client for the first time on
Tuesday night at Orange County Jail. Byrd is the 30-year-old Newburgh
man who was taking care of 4-year-old Marc Bookal on Dec. 14. Marc
disappeared from his home at 11 Benkard Ave. and hasn't been seen
since, despite a massive police search that covered the entire
southeast corner of the city and into the Hudson River. Byrd is the
boyfriend of Marc's mother, Christina Bookal.
City police arrested Byrd, saying he allowed the little boy to wander away.
Byrd has remained in jail since on a charge of endangering the welfare
of a child and an alleged parole violation.
While police have never called Byrd a suspect in Marc's disappearance, public
opinion quickly focused on Byrd as the man responsible for an unknown
outcome that appeared darker each day. Media reports and observers
keyed on violent crimes in his past and his much-publicized refusal to
take a polygraph test.
"The people who are observing this case don't know the circumstances
of how that was asked
of him," Greenwald said of the polygraph test.
He declined to detail those circumstances in advance of his client's court
appearances but said people should keep an open mind until the facts
come out.
Byrd is due in Newburgh City Court
next week on the endangering charge. Greenwald said he's looking
forward to seeing any evidence prosecutors have. He also said he'll try
to get the process moving as quickly as possible.
"We are moving for quick dates, hearings, motions if necessary and a quick trial date," he said.
Greenwald takes over for Erik Indzonka of Orange County Legal Aid Society who initially represented Byrd.

NEWBURGH — Police have resumed the search for a 4-year-old Hudson Valley boy last seen Dec. 14.Newburgh
police called off the search for Marc Anthony Bookal earlier this week,
saying they covered the areas they wanted to check. But police
spokesman Lt. Charles Broe says a smaller search team began rechecking
some areas around the boy's apartment today based on new information.
Broe could not elaborate on the information.The boy lived
with his mother and her boyfriend. Police say the boyfriend, Cory Byrd,
was caring for Bookal when he disappeared from their apartment some 60
miles north of New York City.Byrd was jailed on charges
of endangering the welfare of a child and on a parole violation. Police
aren't calling Byrd a suspect.Broe says police will search again on Saturday.

EXCERPT: Marc Anthony Bookal disappeared from his family’s apartment in Newburgh, NY on December 14 when the front door was left open just before his mother’s boyfriend was going to take Marc to visit relatives. The live-in boyfriend Cory Byrd, 30, has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child which is a misdemeanor but authorities say at this time they do not have him listed as a person of interest in this case but he is still being held for the endangering charge plus a parole violation charge, which he is due to appear in court for this next week.
Last week on January 4th after a ground search covering the entire southeast quadrant of the city and an extensive search of the Hudson River and finding nothing they decided to call off the ground search.
However this ground search has been resumed Friday but by the end of the day they still came up with nothing by was expected to start again this morning. According to city police spokesman Lt. Charles Broe they developed new information which is why they reopened the search but he wouldn’t say what the new information was.
A team with city and state police including one trooper with a K-9 partner took to the block where little Marc lives and where he was last seen. They searched in vacant buildings and backyards in the block bounded by Liberty, Renwick and South Lander Streets and Benkard Ave. They also searched the Liberty Street School which has been vacant for a long time now.
Broe says the new search is focusing on the blocks nearest where little Marc lives. I am really curious as to what this new information was though causing them to start the search again.

NEWBURGH — City police and other agencies turned up no new clues
Saturday in the search for a 4-year-old boy missing since mid-December.A
dozen searchers, including K-9 units, combed the south side of the city
for Marc Anthony Bookal, Lt. Charles Broe of the city police said.Marc,
missing since Dec. 14, was living with his mother and her boyfriend in
an apartment on Benkard Avenue on the city's south side when he
disappeared.The city police called off the search early last week, but resumed it Saturday, based on new information, Broe said.He declined to specify what that information was.The
12 searchers on Saturday included members of the New York State Police
— both uniformed and K-9 units — and the Ramapo Search and Rescue K-9
Association.There will be no search Sunday and it is uncertain if it will begin again Monday, Broe said.Detectives working on the case will have input on that decision.Asked whether the city police think the boy is still alive, Broe said it is very possible."We have all heard cases where these kids are found months, years later," Broe said.The missing boy is black, 3 feet 6 inches tall, with brown hair and brown eyes, and weighs approximately 42 pounds, police said.Cory Byrd, 30, the boyfriend of Marc's mother, was watching the boy when he went missing.Police said Byrd last saw the child at home around 1 p.m. Dec. 14.A short while later, the front door was found open and the boy was gone.

CITY OF NEWBURGH — Cory Byrd's lawyer pressed a demand to see the evidence against his client in City Court Friday morning.
But the Orange County District Attorney's Office is opposing that request.
They're also considering whether to take the case to a grand jury.
Byrd was in charge of Marc Anthony Bookal when the 4-year-old boy
disappeared from his Benkard Avenue home a month ago. Byrd is the
boyfriend of Christina Bookal, Marc's mother.

Prosecutors say they'll explain Tuesday why they oppose releasing
evidence against Cory Byrd, shown leaving Newburgh City Court Friday,
who's charged with endangering the welfare of a child.


Byrdhas neither been charged nor named as a suspect in the disappearance,
but he was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a
misdemeanor, and violation of parole. But those charges were not
discussed in court Friday. Instead, the focus was on a document known
as a "demand to produce" filed by Byrd's lawyer, Gary Greenwald.
The document lists more than 31 items, including search warrants,
results of urine samples, even a copy of the arrest report.
Greenwald said although the district attorney's office has 90 days to decide
whether to go to the grand jury, that shouldn't stand in the way of his
seeing the evidence.
Executive Assistant District Attorney David Huey wouldn't comment on the reasons for
opposing the demand, but said they'll all be spelled out to the court
in writing Tuesday.
City Court Judge B. Harold Ramsey said he'll rule on the demand Jan. 25.
City police have said that the investigation into Marc Anthony Bookal's
disappearance is continuing.
But Christina Bookal, who remains convinced the boy is still alive, said
after attending Byrd's court appearance that she's not satisfied that
all possible steps are being taken. She continued to criticize police
for focusing on Byrd.
"I'm quite sure there are plenty of people who saw something," she said.
"My 4-year-old is out there somewhere. Bring my son home."

Waiting for the judges decision Feb 2nd

Suspect in Newburgh boy's disappearance being 'targeted," attorney says



Cory Byrd listens in Newburgh City Court on Monday as his lawyer, Gary
Greenwald, asks for items related to the case against his client.


CITY OF NEWBURGH — Cory Byrd's lawyer wants to see what prosecutors have on
his client, but that's going to have to wait until at least next week.
Byrd was in charge of 4-year-old Marc Bookal last month when the little boy
disappeared. He is the boyfriend of Marc's mother, Christina Bookal.
Byrd's attorney, Gary Greenwald, said he's asking for basic information,
including items seized during the execution of a search warrant, but he
believes prosecutors and police have focused on his client for far more
than the misdemeanor of endangering a child with which they've charged
Byrd."They certainly have targeted Cory Byrd," Greenwald said in the courthouse
lobby. And if they think they have evidence of something more serious,
Greenwald said he'd certainly like to see it.
Prosecutors had previously opposed releasing requested evidence because, they said,
the case was under consideration for a grand jury. On Monday, Senior
District Attorney Neal Haberman filed another application to protect
the information. It was filed ex parte, which means prosecutors would
like the reasons for their request to remain between them and the judge.
Greenwald called it an "ambush" and said Byrd is being prevented from defending himself.
Haberman responded, "I take exception that there's this inference that we've done something underhanded."
Newburgh City Court Judge B. Harold Ramsey will ultimately decide what is
released and when. He scheduled a Feb. 2 court date to announce his
decision.

CITY OF NEWBURGH - A City Court judge ordered
prosecutors to let Cory Byrd and his attorney see certain evidence
they’ve collected while investigating the disappearance of 4-year-old
Marc Bookal.
Byrd’s attorney, Gary Greenwald,
has argued his client had the right to know what prosecutors had so
that he could defend himself against a charge of endangering the
welfare of a child. Judge B. Harold Ramsey agreed, ordering the Orange
County District Attorney to turn over the info by Feb. 9.
The
order does not entitle Byrd to everything, however. Ramsey’s
instructions are tailored directly to the misdemeanor endangering
charge. That means evidence collected or search warrants that would
pertain to more serious charges – should prosecutors ever file them –
can remain confidential. Prosecutors had previously balked at turning
over any of what Greenwald requested, saying the case was under
consideration for Grand Jury.
Byrd
was arrested on Dec. 14 after reporting Marc missing. Byrd dates Marc’s
mother, Christina Bookal, and was watching the little boy that day.
Greenwald said Byrd allowed Marc to walk outside to visit his aunt next
door as Marc had done many times in the past. When Byrd went to check
on him, Greenwald said, he found that he’d never made it to his aunt’s
house and was missing.
Greenwald said Ramsey’s decision was “an enormous victory” for Byrd.
“This is America,” Greenwald said outside the courtroom. “He’s entitled to certain items under the law.”
Senior Assistant District Attorney Neal Haberman declined to comment on the decision.
Byrd’s
relatives came to court Tuesday for his appearance. His sister, Lisa
Byrd, said it’s been a horrible time for the family and they don’t
believe Byrd would have done anything to hurt Marc.
“I want people to know my brother is not a monster,” Lisa Byrd said.

GOSHEN — Orange County District Attorney Frank
Phillips said prosecutors will drop a misdemeanor charge against Corey
Byrd to protect their ability to charge him with a more serious crime
later.
Byrd is a "person of interest" in the
disappearance of 4-year-old Marc Bookal from his Benkard Avenue home in
Newburgh. Byrd was watching the little boy on Dec. 14, and told police
he let Marc walk to an aunt's house next door. Marc hasn't been seen
since, despite a massive search.
Phillips announced the decision the day before prosecutors were due to give Byrd
and his attorney, Gary Greenwald, evidence collected during the
investigation. Phillips said that would have hampered the investigation.
Byrd faced a maximum of a year in prison if convicted on the misdemeanor,
endangering the welfare of a child.
Phillips said that could have made it impossible to charge him with something
more serious because state law protects people from being tried twice
for the same crime. A court could have decided the act of endangering
was basically the same act as a more serious crime.
Phillips said the investigation indicates Marc might have been kidnapped or killed.
Greenwald
has said, since taking over Byrd's defense in early January, that he's
seen no evidence to support the endangering charge, much less something
worse.
"Unfortunately, it's sad that many people prejudged Mr. Byrd," Greenwald said.
He planned to visit Byrd Tuesday evening in Orange County Jail and tell him the news.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Neal Haberman is to file the motion to drop
the charges Wednesday in Newburgh City Court. Byrd will remain in jail
on a parole violation because he tested positive for marijuana.
Greenwald said they'll resolve that issue and bring Byrd home as soon as possible.
"This is a complete victory for Mr. Byrd," Greenwald said.

TomTerrific0420 wrote:GOSHEN — Orange County District Attorney Frank
Phillips said prosecutors will drop a misdemeanor charge against Corey
Byrd to protect their ability to charge him with a more serious crime
later.
Byrd is a "person of interest" in the
disappearance of 4-year-old Marc Bookal from his Benkard Avenue home in
Newburgh. Byrd was watching the little boy on Dec. 14, and told police
he let Marc walk to an aunt's house next door. Marc hasn't been seen
since, despite a massive search.
Phillips announced the decision the day before prosecutors were due to give Byrd
and his attorney, Gary Greenwald, evidence collected during the
investigation. Phillips said that would have hampered the investigation.
Byrd faced a maximum of a year in prison if convicted on the misdemeanor,
endangering the welfare of a child.
Phillips said that could have made it impossible to charge him with something
more serious because state law protects people from being tried twice
for the same crime. A court could have decided the act of endangering
was basically the same act as a more serious crime.
Phillips said the investigation indicates Marc might have been kidnapped or killed.
Greenwald
has said, since taking over Byrd's defense in early January, that he's
seen no evidence to support the endangering charge, much less something
worse.
"Unfortunately, it's sad that many people prejudged Mr. Byrd," Greenwald said.
He planned to visit Byrd Tuesday evening in Orange County Jail and tell him the news.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Neal Haberman is to file the motion to drop
the charges Wednesday in Newburgh City Court. Byrd will remain in jail
on a parole violation because he tested positive for marijuana.
Greenwald said they'll resolve that issue and bring Byrd home as soon as possible.
"This is a complete victory for Mr. Byrd," Greenwald said.

and we still have no FF clue where this little boy is... Im hacked.

Newburgh police say they've found the remains of a small body in a
wooded city lot just hours after renewing the search for a 4-year-old
boy who went missing last year.Newburgh police Lt. Charles Broe
says investigators are trying to identify the victim and cause of death.Police
searching for Marc Anthony Bookal found the remains shortly after 11
a.m. Wednesday. The boy disappeared Dec. 14 from his mother's apartment
in Newburgh, 60 miles north of New York City. He'd been left in the care
of her boyfriend, 30-year-old Cory Byrd.Byrd was initially
charged with endangering the welfare of a child after he said the boy
wandered off, but prosecutors later dropped the charge.Police
never named Byrd as a suspect in the disappearance. He's now in state
prison for a parole violation.

Police in Newburgh have found human remains of a young
child and they believe they are that of Marc Bookal, the
4-year-old Newburgh boy, who disappeared last December.
Police Chief Eric Paolilli said the body was found by a State
Police cadaver search team in a wooded area of the city.
The boy's mother, Christine Bookal, has been notified that the
body is likely that of her son.Police told her the body was
found inside a large book bag. "It looks like one of his," she said.
For now, she said she is waiting for forensics to make a
determination.
Police had planned on searching the city Wednesday now that the
warmer weather has broken.
The chief said the body was found in an area that had been
searched extensively, although he would not say if they believe the body
had been moved there from another location.
The investigation is continuing.
The boy was reported missing on December 14, 2009, triggering a
massive search of the City of Newburgh, its waterfront and the Hudson River.
Police turned up no evidence about the boy’s whereabouts.
The search was later suspended.
The boyfriend of the boy’s mother, Corey Byrd, has been charged
with endangering the welfare of a child because he was reported
to be the last one with young Marc when he disappeared, but that
charge was dropped.
He remains incarcerated on a parole violation. Mrs. Bookal said
she spoke to him about two weeks ago.

Oh this is so sad. It certainly sounds like him Tom. LE must have had a reason to be searching that far away. Perhaps Byrds phone pings?

Marc Anthony Bookal, 4, of Newburgh, has been
missing since Monday, Dec. 14, 2009.



He was only 4 years old, and vanished last December. Police searched
for months, and found nothing.

Police reopened their search for Marc Bookal on Wednesday -- and found
his body in a wooded area.

The little boy's father spoke shortly after learning of Wednesday's
discovery. The child's remains were found in a wooded area just three
blocks away from the boy's house. The scenario was eerily similar to his
father's premonition.

"(It's) the worst day of my life. Other than when my son went missing,
this is the worst day of my life," Yul Bookal said. "When he went
missing I had a dream I saw him in a black bag and somebody had thrown
him over a hill. That's what I dreamt."

Newburgh police confirmed the body had been "purposefully hidden."

"It was certainly in a manner that was concealed and not easily seen,"
Lt. Charles Broe said.

Three previous searches here had turned up nothing. Police said nothing
specific led them to search again Wednesday, but the change in seasons
may have made the difference.

"It was entirely possible that decomposition had been slowed, that
cadaver dogs did not pick up on that," Newburgh Police Chief Eric
Paolilli said.

Marc's mother, Christina Bookal, declined an interview Wednesday. But
the mailbox on her home still bears the name of the man police most want
to talk to, Cory Byrd, her boyfriend. A store surveillance tape
obtained by CBS 2 HD showed him being the last person to be seen with
the boy. He's in jail now on a parole violation and refuses to talk.

Investigators are hoping the same conditions that initially hampered
their search -- cold weather -- will have preserved this child's remains
enough for the medical examiner to get evidence they need to move
forward with this case.

An autopsy is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday.

A missing child case in Orange County appears to have come to a
tragic conclusion.

While Newburgh police have found the body of 4-year-old Marc Bookal,
missing since December, they have yet to make any arrests in his
disappearance.


Stuffed animals, photos and personal notes are neatly set up
outside the apartment where Marc once lived. The crime scene is a wooded
area just three blocks from the home.

Police found the remains under a wood pile. Lieutenant Charles Broe says
detectives had already searched these woods on three separate
occasions, but he speculates the warm weather might have made the
difference during their fourth visit.

Without going into details, Newburgh police would only say that the body
had been "purposefully hidden."

"It was certainly in a manner that was concealed and not easily seen,"
said Broe.

"It was entirely possible that the decomposition process had been slowed
to such an extent that the cadaver dogs did not pick up on that," said
Newburgh Police Chief Eric Paolilli.

The boy's mother, Christina Bookal, isn't talking. And neither is her
boyfriend, Cory Bird, who's locked up on an unrelated parole violation.

He isn't a suspect, but as seen in surveillance video,
Byrd was the last person seen with the boy.

"I just want the law to do what they have to do," said the boy's father,
Yul Bookal. "Hopefully somebody will get convicted for the murder of my
son."

The results of the boy's autopsy are due Thursday afternoon.
Investigators are looking to confirm that the remains belong to Marc
Bookal, and, more importantly, a cause of death.

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=12207136

Police said an autopsy on a small body found in a wooded city lot
failed to show the cause of death or confirm it’s the 4-year-old boy who
disappeared last December.

Newburgh police Lt. Charles Broe said
Thursday that DNA tests will be done to positively identify the remains
believed to be Marc Bookal.

The boy disappeared Dec. 14 from his
mother’s apartment in Newburgh, but an extensive search at the time was
fruitless. The search was resumed on Wednesday and a police dog found
the remains.

Earlier in the day, Newburgh Police Chief Eric
Paolilli said that given the fact that there have been no other missing
children in Newburgh in recent months, it is likely the body found in a
wooded area Wednesday is that of Marc Bookal.

Details of the
investigation, including how long the body was in the woods and cause of
death, have not been disclosed.

The body was found in a vinyl
book bag by a state police cadaver dog in an area the police had
extensively searched during the intensive investigation for weeks after
the boy disappeared.

The child had been left in the care of
Christine Bookal’s boyfriend, 30-year-old Corey Byrd. He was initially
charged with endangering the welfare of a child after he said the boy
wandered off, but prosecutors later dropped the charge. He is being held
on a parole violation.

Im very distraught over this. Cannot believe all the time he was so close... Im ready for justice...

The remains of a child found inside a
garbage bag along the side of a road in March are that of a missing
4-year-old Newburgh boy, police confirmed Friday.

A cadaver dog found a small body hidden in a wooded city lot on March 24
after police renewed the search for Marc Anthony Bookal, who
disappeared on Dec. 14.


The area was searched extensively after Bookal vanished from his
mother's nearby apartment in Newburgh, 60 miles north of New York City,
but the police dog didn't pick up a scent until the 24th.

Police did not release details about how the boy was killed, but said he
was murdered.

The boy had been left in the care of Christine Bookal's boyfriend,
30-year-old Cory Byrd. He was initially charged with endangering the
welfare of a child after he said the boy wandered off, but prosecutors
later dropped the charge. Charges against Byrd will reportedly now be
upgraded to murder.

Byrd is currently in state prison on a parole violation.

The parents and friends of Marc Bookal were finally able to hold a
funeral for the four-year-old Saturday, four months after his
disappearance.
Police believe the child was murdered before Christmas, but the remains
weren't discovered until after the weather warmed and snow melted.
The murdered boy's father choked on his own grief under the ceiling fans
at House of Refuge Church in Newburgh. The long-delayed funeral of
young Marc Bookal drew hundreds of mourners, each of whom lived through
grim months of searching for the missing boy and not knowing.
But there is no doubt now. The child is dead, and it is impossibly
difficult to say goodbye. "I'll miss you, son," father Yul Bookal said.
Yul Bookal was led away, to a place only a few seats from his ex-wife
and the boy's mother, Christina. That her live-in boyfriend is suspected
in the boy's death only darkens the web of grief and suspicion.
The boyfriend, Cory Byrd, was seen with Marc in the last image anyone's
seen of the boy – a surveillance video taken days before Christmas. Byrd
claims the child vanished, but it's his past record of child abuse and
reluctance to cooperate with police that's making them skeptical.
The mourners remember what was lost – a child who seemed to have an
inner light.
"Marc would just come, whether he would hug, he would hug on you, lay on
you, kiss you," Bishop Jeffrey Woody said. "He would so something to
help you make it through. An angel."
Although Marc vanished on December 14, his body wasn't discovered until
last month, in a black bag hidden near trees a few blocks from his home.
It's an incomprehensible crime.
"What could a little four-year-old boy have done to make you kill him?"
Yul Bookal said. "I'm trying to make sense out of it, but it makes no
sense."
On Tuesday, a tree will be planted in Marc's memory at the pre-school he
attended, as Newburgh tries to forget the terrible winter of his
disappearance and murder, and remember instead the warmer seasons that
precede and follow.
The investigation into the details of Marc Bookal's death is ongoing.
Cory Byrd is currently in prison on a parole violation. So far, no one
has been charged with the young boy's murder.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact the City
of Newburgh Police Department at 569-7509, or Lt. Patrick Arnold at
569-7508.

It seems like it is taking forever for there to be an arrest in this case....where is justice?!

I hope there is some resolution in this case.....Marc, you have not been forgotten, buddy

By Doyle Murphy
Times Herald-Record
Published: 2:00 AM - 06/16/10
GOSHEN — Christina Bookal admitted to a judge she should never have left her children in the care of her boyfriend, Cory Byrd.
Bookal's 4-year-old son, Marc Bookal, disappeared in December while Byrd was supposed to be looking after him. Police found Marc's lifeless body three months later, hidden in a book bag under a pile of brush down the hill from his home. Prosecutors and police have described Byrd as a "person of interest" in Marc's killing.
On Tuesday, Christina Bookal appeared in front of Family Court Judge Debra Kiedaisch to answer charges of neglect in regard to Marc and her other three children.
Marc's father, Yul Bookal, was also in the courtroom to seek custody of his 6-year-old son who lives with Christina Bookal in her Benkard Avenue home.
Christina Bookal sat next to her attorney, Geoffrey Chanin, and answered a quiet "Yes" when Kiedaisch asked whether she wanted to make any admissions. She admitted she left her children alone with Byrd even though she knew he had a violent history, including a conviction of reckless endangerment for hurting her oldest son in 1998. Byrd was also convicted of viciously beating and slashing the face of an 18-year-old in 2002.
In exchange for her admission, Kiedaisch granted Christina Bookal an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, meaning the case could be dismissed if she complies with a long list of conditions during the next 12 months. The conditions include completing a parenting class and regular in-home visits from caseworkers.
Her children will continue to live with her unless she violates those conditions. If that happens, the kids could be put into foster care.
Byrd was also set to face charges, but he's in prison on a parole violation and wasn't brought to court. The charges against him were dismissed but could be re-filed later.
After court on Tuesday, Yul Bookal said he thought the kids should have been taken away long before Marc disappeared. Now, he wants the court to give him custody of Marc's 6-year-old brother. Kiedaisch scheduled an August court date on that issue, giving Yul Bookal time to find an attorney.
"Hopefully, they'll do the right thing," Yul Bookal said.
Christina Bookal's eyes were still rimmed red from tears when she left court. She declined to say much about the case other than she was happy her children would remain with her.


~~ I read this and thought how crazy this is- why would they allow this "mom" to keep her other kids, when she stood by and allowed her son to be in the care of a man she KNEW had a violent history with not only Marc but also other children?! She allowed her son to be murdered in my opinion-it is NOT SAFE for her to have custody of any child, because she has proven she does not have sufficient judgement to protect them!!~~