Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Court records, Carthage man who killed his children violated 2014 protection order

Judge Stephen Carlton dismissed a petition for an order of child custody and order of child support against Tony Kernel, 55, Carthage, today.

There was no reason for the case to continue.

Kernel shot himself to death Friday, but not before killing his nine-year-old son Wesley and his seven-year-old daughter Timber, students at Steadley Elementary School in Carthage.

Though the residence for both Kernel and the children's mother, Brandy Corum, is shown as 5920 S. Stone Hill Loop No. 12, Carthage, in court documents, the same documents indicate that Kernel and Corum, who had lived together at two rural Carthage residences since about the time their son was born in 2006, were having difficulties.

The petition, which was filed November 24, asked for Kernel to pay child support and said that Kernel would be granted visitation. An amended parenting plan, which is sealed, was filed January 6, according to court records.

It was not the first time that problems surfaced between Kernel and Corum concerning their children. On March 12, 2014, at the request of Corum, Judge Carlton issued a full order of protection against Kernel, with the finding that "petitioner has proven allegations of domestic violence and/or stalking against respondent."

The protection order would have been good until March 12, 2015, except that Corum changed her mind.

After having her lawyer file the paperwork for the protection order, Corum returned to Carlton eight days later, without a lawyer, and asked that the order be dismissed.

"After court, we met on that following Friday with the kids and worked it out between us to where we would able to see the kids with me present. He is giving support on his own and agreed not to go for custody," Corum wrote.

Left unsaid was that in order for that meeting to take place, Kernel had to violate the protection order.

No comments: