Amanda Wallace

Case record: Amanda Wallace

People

• Amanda Wallace — mother of Joseph R. Wallace; defendant in Joseph’s murder; older sister Evelyn Walker testified; sister Evelyn Walker also testified; oldest sister Evelyn Walker commented on Joey’s death.
• Joseph R. Wallace — murdered child; described as a two-year-old boy in the case summary and as a 3-year-old son in sentencing and trial coverage; dates given as July 29, 1990 – April 19, 1993.
• Joshua — Joseph’s younger brother; later removed from Amanda’s care; described as 4 years old in later discussion; identity of his biological father was disputed/confusing; custody attempts by family members were described.
• Michael and Faye Callahan — foster parents in Park Ridge; took care of Joseph from October 1989 to late June 1990 and later foster cared for other children and adopted a state ward who was now 3 years old.
• Judge Michael B. Bolan — Cook County Circuit Court judge who presided over trial proceedings, ruled on fitness, set trial date, and imposed sentence.
• Jeanne Bischoff — prosecutor.
• Linus Kelecius — prosecutor.
• Jimmie L. Jones — defense lawyer.
• Patrick T. Murphy — Cook County Guardian; represented children and the elderly in court; criticized returning Joseph to his mother.
• Jess McDonald — director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
• Michelle Oberman — law professor at DePaul University; commented on frustrations about punishment and societal guilt.
• Dr. Clotiel J. Harris — psychologist who had known Amanda Wallace since she was 7.
• Dr. John Rohr — doctor whose comments were included in a state investigator’s report when Joseph was days old.
• Cook County State’s Attorney (Jack O’Malley) — quoted after sentencing.
• Judge Nancy Sidote Salyers — presided over child protection after the Juvenile Court split.
• Circuit Court Chief Judge Donald O’Connell — split Juvenile Court into two divisions and named Judge Nancy Sidote Salyers.
• Bruce Boyer — supervising attorney with Children and Family Justice Center of Northwestern University Law School.
• Djuana O’Connor — assistant public guardian; represented Joshua and commented on his behavior and personality.
• Faye Callahan — foster parent; quoted about “best interests of the child.”
• Evelyn Walker — Amanda’s older sister; testified for the defense.
• Bonnie Wallace — Amanda’s mother; testified for the prosecution.
• Ada Smith — Amanda’s great-aunt; discussed Amanda’s placement and continuing anger.
• John Casey — attorney serving on a committee investigating how courts handled the Wallace case.
• Cameron McWhirter and Andrew Gottesman — named for a ChicagoTribune.com piece.
• Louise Kiernan — named for a ChicagoTribune.com piece.
• Maurice Possley — named for a ChicagoTribune.com piece.
• Don Terry — named for a New York Times piece.
• Cook County Sheriff's SWAT team members — grabbed Amanda’s wrists and dragged her before the bench.
• Security guards — restrained Amanda during an incident at the Elgin Mental Health Center.
• Eric Harrison — identified as the man known as the father of Joseph; described as one year younger than Wallace and a patient at the mental health center; later filed complaints against his ex-girlfriend.
• Clifford Triplett — a 5-year-old boy named as being brought to a Chicago hospital malnourished; this was tied to police discovery of 19 children in inhumane conditions at a house on Keystone Avenue.

Timeline

• April 19, 1993 — Joseph R. Wallace was hanged by his mother with an electrical cord from a transom in their West Side apartment; his death became widely publicized.
• March 16, 1996 — Cook County Circuit Judge Michael Bolan ruled Amanda Wallace mentally competent to stand trial and set aside an earlier ruling of unfitness.
• March 30, 1996 — Criminal Court Judge Michael Bolan said Amanda Wallace would go on trial June 17 for first degree murder in the hanging of her 3-year-old son Joseph.
• July 25, 1996 — Amanda Wallace was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
• August 3, 1997 — Amanda Wallace strangled herself in her prison cell; she died Sunday, three days after strangling herself.

Background

Joseph R. Wallace was a two-year-old boy murdered by his mother in their Chicago, Illinois apartment, with widely described circumstances involving an electrical cord tied around his neck and kicked away support from a transom.

Amanda Wallace was known to be mentally ill, and she had a long history of psychotic behavior. The account included that she had repeatedly attempted suicide and harmed herself while being institutionalized and living in the community.

Amanda Wallace’s history was described as involving self-destructive behaviors and assaults, including swallowing glass and nails, stabbing herself with needles, setting fire to her bed, and attacking others with baseball bats. Her mother, Bonnie Wallace, described whipping Amanda. Amanda also faced institutional and foster placements and was described as having a documented history of violent and bizarre behavior, including setting fires and attacking a nurse.

Amanda Wallace was described as a ward of the state since age 7, spending most of her formative years in mental institutions and foster homes. It was also stated that Amanda’s pregnant mother had mutilated her womb in a longer retrospective narrative that was tied to the way policymakers later described the “slow-motion” disaster.

The offence

Amanda killed Joseph in their home by tying an electrical cord around his neck, attaching it to the crank of a door transom, waving goodbye as he waved goodbye, and kicking out the chair under the boy’s feet.

The case coverage described the death as a hanging by an electrical cord.

Investigation

An investigation touched off by Joseph’s death led to the firing of three DCFS workers, reforms in DCFS, and the removal of Joshua from Wallace’s care.

Another investigation referenced in later narrative described that within a year police discovered 19 children living in inhumane conditions at the house on Keystone Avenue, and that a 5-year-old boy named Clifford Triplett was brought to a Chicago hospital malnourished and weighing but 18 pounds.

Arrest / custodial proceedings and fitness for trial

For more than six months Amanda Wallace had been telling authorities she was not mentally ill and wanted out of the Elgin Mental Health Center to stand trial.

Although psychiatrists had declared her mentally unfit for trial a year earlier, she convinced state medical experts that she was competent. On March 16, 1996, Cook County Circuit Judge Michael Bolan granted the request to stand trial, setting aside the prior unfit ruling.

At the fitness hearing, Amanda used language referring to Illinois Supreme Court rule 402 and asked for a “402 conference.” Judge Bolan declared, "Let's get on with the trial," and later said, "I'm satisfied, having heard the evidence and listened to the experts, that the defendant is fit."

Amanda requested an off-the-record discussion; it was described that Jones was heard to protest his client’s position, saying there were "several defenses" he planned to explore.

Bolan ordered Jones to file by March 29 any pretrial motions addressing issues such as a potential insanity defense or suppression of Wallace’s admissions to police immediately after she was arrested.

Trial

On June 17, Amanda Wallace was to go on trial for first degree murder in the hanging of her 3-year-old son, Joseph.

Closing arguments included prosecutor statements and characterization of violence and mental state.

• Jeanne Bischoff said Ms. Wallace had had a history of violence and was "evil personified," adding, "No-one has mastered the abuse excuse better than Amanda Wallace."
• Bischoff said, "If this woman is crazy, she is crazy like a fox."
• Jimmie L. Jones presented “three cardboard boxes” containing some of Ms. Wallace’s records from mental hospitals, and said: "It's time Amanda Wallace received some compassion."

Sentencing

On July 25, 1996, Judge Michael B. Bolan sentenced Amanda Wallace to life in prison without parole. The account stated that the death penalty could have been imposed but was not.

At sentencing, Judge Bolan said: "sentencing Ms. Wallace to death might be the most merciful thing for the defendant but that it would not help society." He sentenced Ms. Wallace to life in prison without parole.

As she was escorted out of the courtroom, Amanda Wallace looked up at the judge and said: "Thank you, Your Honor."

Jack O’Malley, the Cook County State's Attorney, said: "I'm not disappointed. The judge seems to be saying that this is not a situation where you send a message of deterrence to others. We are relieved that this woman will spend the rest of her life in prison and not hurt anyone else."

The account also included: "Judge Bolan listened to closing arguments" before imposing the sentence.

Appeals

No appeal proceedings were described.

Outcome

Amanda Wallace was sentenced to life in prison without parole on July 25, 1996.

Amanda Wallace later strangled herself in her prison cell on August 3, 1997.

Aftermath / impact on child welfare system

Joseph’s death led to described large changes in the Illinois child welfare system and the Cook County juvenile court. The narrative included that:

• Social workers and administrators responsible for protecting Joseph were dismissed.
• New laws were enacted reversing emphasis on reuniting families and instead requiring the child welfare system to consider first the best interests of the child.
• Foster parents were given an increased role in determining when it was safe to return a child to a troubled parent.
• The Cook County Juvenile Court system was described as having its judge count increased after a building opened in January 1994; the number of judges hearing abuse and neglect cases increased to 14, and another judge was added.
• Circuit Court Chief Judge Donald O’Connell split Juvenile Court into two divisions—juvenile justice and child protection—and named Judge Nancy Sidote Salyers to preside over child protection.
• The juvenile court made dents in clearing up backlogs and devoted three courts to terminating abusive parents' rights, and fixed problems coordinating cases.
• It described that the Cook County Board budgeted $4 million to buy a computer system to replace one from 1974.
• Hearing officers hired to ease judges’ workloads were helping determine whether children should be returned home or put up for adoption.
• The account described that some legal and practical limitations and staff shortages persisted, including a protest where one-third of assistant public defenders called in sick.

It was also described that changes did not fully address staffing and funding issues and that some scholars criticized how societal guilt was addressed.

Other details

Victim and family

• Joseph Wallace had a younger brother, Joshua.
• The narrative described Joshua’s situation as complicated by attempts by family members to win custody and confusion over the identity of his biological father.
• Joshua’s foster care situation was described as including behavioral problems and statements that he twice told people his mother hanged his brother.
• Joshua lived with a foster family in Oak Park.

Competency and trial procedures

• The murder charge carried a maximum penalty of the death penalty, and the Cook County state's attorney’s office had a policy forbidding plea negotiations in capital cases.

Amanda Wallace’s personal history and family

Amanda Wallace was described as having been born July 24, 1965, on Chicago’s West Side. She was described as the second child and first daughter of Oliver Barnes and Bonnie Wallace. Her father was shot to death on Aug. 23, 1968; circumstances were described as unclear.

Her brother Henry died in a house fire that began accidentally. Amanda’s brother Paul said he started the blaze while playing with matches. The family moved to the Madden Park housing development in the 3800 block of South Ellis Avenue and later moved to the Roseland community at West 107th Street and South LaSalle Street.

Relatives described Amanda as a bright student at Van Vlissingen Elementary School, developing serious mental problems and anti-social behavior, picking schoolyard fights, then stealing and vandalism, and starting to set fires.

Amanda’s mother was described as working as a coach cleaner for the Chicago & North Western Railway.

Relatives described Amanda receiving custody by DCFS at an early age and being transferred to a foster home on the South Side, staying about two months before moving in with Smith, her second foster parent. Smith described that within four months Amanda set two fires, with the second started after Amanda dropped burning scrap paper after opening a closet door.

The account described that she entered residency programs at Chapin Hall and the Chicago Read Mental Health Center. It also described that she told family members she was physically abused in institutions and often tried to escape; once she climbed through a window but fell and hurt her head.

Her final institution in Chicago was the Henry Horner Children's Center, and it described that by the time she left she was swallowing glass and mutilating herself.

Incidents mentioned

• June 26, 1989: security guards restrained the 23-year-old Amanda Wallace at the Acute Treatment Center of the Elgin Mental Health Center; she was about to become a mother.
• Thirty-four days later, Joseph Wayne Wallace was born (birth details described as Joseph Wayne Wallace born 34 days after June 26, 1989).
• Ward One: it was described that Amanda attacked a nurse, breaking her elbow, after badgering her and being rejected by the nurse.
• April 19, 1993: Joseph’s death occurred.
• It was described that while in the Elgin Mental Health Center she tried to strangle herself with a jail undershirt; the judge dismissed the incident.
• It was also described that she was escorted out of the courtroom, and she pushed back her chair and began walking toward the jail lockup; Judge Bolan ordered her to stop; SWAT members grabbed her wrists and dragged her before the bench.
  • Amanda said: "I'm not listening."
  • Judge Bolan replied: "Yes, you are,"
  • Amanda said: "You're not my God," and she told the judge: "I did not do this."
  • When the judge said: "You hung Joey," Amanda struggled and told the judge again: "I did not do this."
  • The judge ordered guards to take her to a holding cell.

Custody and placement history

• Joseph was described as being taken by DCFS when born in July 1989; an identification number X0439003 was stated in the narrative.
• Joseph lived in an Oak Lawn foster home from August until late October 1989.
• A DCFS child welfare expert recommended that Joseph remain in DCFS custody and be placed in long-term foster home in September.
• Joseph was transferred to Michael and Faye Callahan in Park Ridge from October 1989 to late June 1990.

Criminal allegations and other court dates mentioned

• It was described that from 1987 until 1992 Elgin police compiled 68 reports involving Wallace.
• It was described that on another 28 occasions she made unsubstantiated or vague accusations against landlords and neighbors.
• In April 1988, Wallace pleaded guilty to damaging state property after she destroyed a room at the mental institution.
• In December 1989, Wallace pleaded guilty to smashing store windows in downtown Elgin; it said Wallace told police she wanted to get arrested.
• In that year, she also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery in the attack on the nurse.

Pregnancy-related and conception details as given

• The narrative stated Joseph was conceived with a man known as Eric Harrison, described as one year younger than Wallace and also a patient at the mental health center.
• Harrison later filed two complaints against his ex-girlfriend with Elgin police: one in August 1989 for battery, stating he visited Wallace to talk about their child and that she flew into a rage, pounding him to the ground, kicking him, and knocking him unconscious by smashing his head into a brick wall.
• Officials were described as unable to locate him.