A Mother's Love: The Case of Cheryl Silvonek Part 2

Detectives originally planned to charge Jamie Silvonek as a juvenile, but deleted text messages between the couple revealed a sinister and evil plan to make sure Cheryl Silvonek was out of their lives for good. 

Transcript

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With the help of forensic analysis. Detectives discovered Jamie and Caleb exchanged around 6,000 text messages throughout their short lived relationship. A majority of them were crude and sexually explicit. And most of the messages between the two were deleted before police got the phones. However, the data was not lost due to the forensic investigation. Caleb's phone carrier. Verizon kept text messages for a period of time while Jamie's iPhone still had the deleted messages on the phone's file system. When authorities retrieved the text messages, they were able to piece together the sinister premeditated plot that the couple had planned to make sure Cheryl was out of their lives for good you're listening to departed in Penn episode two, a mother's love the case of Cheryl Silvan Investigators claim in 2013, a then 13 year old, Jamie began a secret relationship with Caleb. A 20 year old soldier who was stationed at Fort Mead, Maryland. The couple first met at a self-help festival concert in October, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at their first meeting. Jamie lied to Caleb and told him she was 17 years old over the next couple of months, both Jamie and Caleb exchanged phone numbers and began texting each other. They would meet in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. When Jamie was visiting her grandmother, Peggy Lynn for the next four to five months, the text messages continued between Jamie and Caleb. They also continued to tweet messages to each other on Twitter on March 16th, 2015, Caleb went to Jamie's home for the first time and met Jamie's mother. Cheryl. It was at that first meeting that Cheryl learned that Caleb Barnes was 20 years old unsuccessfully. The couple tried to convince Cheryl that he was 17, but Cheryl wasn't buying it. She then instructed Caleb to leave and ordered Jamie and Caleb to end the relationship later that night, unknown to Jamie's parents, Cheryl and David Caleb came back to spend the night with Jamie in their basement. The following morning, Cheryl found the couple together in the basement and kicked Caleb out of the family home. Even though this event had occurred, Jamie's father David did not know about the couple nor the incident. Caleb then returned to Fort Mead, Maryland on Saturday, March 7th, 2015 on March 14th, 2015, Caleb left Fort Mead for Jamie's house with plans to see the breaking Benjamin concert with her that night in Scranton. On the day of the concert. Jamie began the text Caleb at 1:12 AM insisting that he lie about his age to her mother around the same time. Cheryl demanded to speak with Caleb on the phone and Jamie again, press the age issue with him. The following is a text message from Jamie to Caleb. Jamie, tell my mom, you mailed your birth certificate earlier last week from Argentina. So when it arrives, you can prove to her that you're 16. Say that your Facebook information regarding when you graduated high school and your age is fabricated. So on and so forth, she then adds Caleb. If she asks you about your age, say 16 and a half again. And the reason you said 20 is you're used to lying about it to fellow soldiers in the army to avoid harassment. So when you're in stressful scenarios, it just comes out. Tell them you're 16. It'll save so much. I need to regain my mother's trust by convincing her. You are really 16 after dating a million older men for essentially forever. She starts caring about the one I'm going to marry. Great. Caleb writes back. If she calls the cops, I'll lose my job. If I'm not welcome, just tell me Jamie writes. She needs to go Caleb right now. You don't understand. I want her gone. I'm serious. She's lying. Please do it. I'm gonna throw up. I can't stand her lying to you like this. I don't know what her problem is. She threatened to throw me out of the house. I want her gone. I just need you to be able to come over so we can do whatever necessary. Honestly. I just want her to shut her face and stop being fake. She just lied to you about my age. And now she's pulling this. She adds I'm gonna fix this. I feel like with my skills, I can convince her to give you another shot. This is really stressful for me right now. Just go with it and let me fix this. Caleb writes back, your mom must not be too smart. If you think this is going to work. Jamie writes, I would say highly gullible while Cheryl attempts to keep her daughter from going to the concert with Caleb text messages between Cheryl and Jamie showed the eighth grader pleading with her mom, stating reasons needing to go to the concert. Jamie writes, mom, if I can't go, I'm gonna have a mental breakdown. I need to go. And I need to be with my friends. I feel so desolate mother, after Caleb arrived at Jamie's home. Cheryl spoke with Caleb and tried to convince the 20 year old that her daughter was. In fact, 14 years old, Cheryl then showed Caleb's Jamie's passport, which caused Caleb to doubt Jamie's insistence that she was 17 later. Jamie pleads with Caleb via text message. Not to believe her mother's claims about her true age after showing Jamie's passport. Shortly after Jamie texted him. The following, Jamie writes, I can't stand her lying to you like this. She is lying about my age. Caleb writes back. There is no way she could fake a passport. While Caleb was at the Sivan home, Jamie texted him again and said the following. I'm gonna go to the bathroom while you do it. Okay, I'll come right out. As soon as you're done, then she adds, well, why don't we just wait until we get in the car with her Caleb writes back fine. Jamie says that would be easier for you. I guess Cheryl relented over the concert, finally giving in and deciding a drive. Both Jamie and Caleb to the concert before they left Cheryl texts, David Salvan, who was still at work one last time. And she writes Jamie's friend got some tickets to the breaking Benjamin acoustic concert tonight in Scranton. I'm gonna take them up. We'll probably leave before you get home, eat the rest of the tuna casserole. Then a few minutes later, for reasons unknown. Since she was going to the concert that evening, Jamie texts, her dad, David, and says, Hey daddy, what time do you wanna get home from work? Maybe we can go to the gym. Perhaps her text was another manipulative way for Jamie to disguise herself as the ever so loving, caring daughter away for David not to suspect his daughter was dating an older man who was gonna murder his wife a few hours later with video surveillance as evidence, the three pass through the Lehigh valley, Pennsylvania turnpike Plaza in Cheryl's car at 5:56 PM. Text messages between Jamie and Caleb continued in the car during the ride to the concert. Jamie starts off the chain of text messages with Caleb. That investigators say are part of the murder plans. Caleb wrote next time. We're outta sight, Jamie. Okay, baby. I love you. We can do this. We'll just drive her car then. Right. Caleb wrote back. Know that leaves us as suspects. Jamie asks, then what will we do? Caleb wrote back, drive back and get my car. They arrive early to the concert venue where Cheryl leaves the car for a short time. And Jamie and Caleb take advantage of that time by having consensual sex in the backseat of Cheryl's SUV. When Cheryl came back to the vehicle, she noticed Jamie's pants were off, but did not say anything to either Jamie or Caleb. At that time after the concert had ended, Cheryl drove all three of them back to the Lehigh valley to Chris's family restaurant, approximately one and a half miles from the Slavonic home. Jamie and Caleb ate breakfast inside the diner. While Cheryl waited in the car, it was during this time when the two were alone eating in the restaurant, Jamie and Caleb agreed to do it. After they had left the restaurant, they proceeded to the Slavonic home and pulled into the driveway. This is where Caleb ambush, Cheryl and began a 20 to 30 minute violent vicious attack on her detectives say the defense wounds on Cheryl's hands told a tale of a woman who endured a great amount of pain and struggle in order to survive this attack. Even though she was under great duress, Cheryl was still able to use her foot to honk the horn of her car for help all the while Jamie, her daughter, who she loved dearly, sat in the backseat, ignoring her mother's cries for help. At one point, during the brutal attack, there was an actual negotiation period where Cheryl told Caleb, just take my daughter. If you wanna just take her during this negotiation period, Caleb and Cheryl stopped struggling, but eventually Caleb stabbed her in the throat. After Cheryl was killed. Caleb moved Cheryl's body over to the passenger seat of her SUV, then moved the car out of the driveway to the cul-de-sac outside of the home, both Caleb and Jamie then got into Caleb's car and drove to Walmart where they purchased items to cover up the crime and dispose of Cheryl's body. They then drove back to the Slavonic residence. Then Caleb and Jamie drove Cheryl's SUV three miles down the road to HAA road. They then drove back to the Slavonic residence where then Jamie and Caleb drove Cheryl's SUV three miles down the road to HAA road. Both Jamie and Caleb removed Cheryl's body from her SUV, dragged her into the woods and buried her body in a shallow grave by the pond. While Caleb was burying the body, they noticed a man walking with a flashlight and they hid until he was gone. Once the man left, they drove Cheryl's car about a mile away and attempted to submerge the car in the pond. After that, they walked a three mile walk back to the Slavonic home where they put their clothes in. The washer, went up to Jamie's room and had consensual sex. At the time of the killing. David Sivan said he was asleep in his soundproof room regarding the sounds of Cheryl honking on the car horn. He said, I was beating myself up in terms of not hearing that horn. I actually had my son lay on the horn while I was awake in my bedroom. And I could not hear the horn. David reportedly took a sleeping pill, which might have aided in him not being able to hear the sounds of the intermittent honking of Cheryl's car horn. Given the location of the three car garage on the far right of the home and the location of the master bedroom. It is highly believable that David did not hear the sounds of Cheryl honking her horn. Shortly after Jamie was arrested, her attorneys filed a motion to have her case argued in juvenile court. If found guilty as a juvenile, she could not be imprisoned beyond her 21st birthday. The district attorney filed an opposing motion requesting that Jamie B tried in an adult court where a guilty verdict would lead up to a sentence of 25 years to life on October 29th, 2015, eight months after Cheryl's murder at a pre-trial hearing an expert witness testified whether or not Jamie should be tried as an adult or a juvenile and put their expert witnesses on the stand testifying for the prosecution was psychiatrist Dr. John O'Brien, Dr. O'Brien portrayed Jamie as a highly intelligent manipulative and one who had presented herself as a victim. Also testifying for the prosecution were Jamie's teachers at Orfield middle school where she attended one of Jamie's teachers stated Jamie felt exempt from social values. They also described her as extremely mature manipulative and who could easily change faces depending upon who she was talking to and what she wanted. Jamie's friends described her as socially savvy, a psychological bully and last but not least a manipulator to support his diagnosis of Jamie, the prosecution psychiatrist, Dr. O'Brien highlighted among others. One particular text message sent by Jamie to Caleb on January 25th, 2015, a few months before Cheryl's murder the text message read you are the complete opposite. Caleb. I know you feel that your need and to control yourself suggests there is something wrong with you, but that is not your case. I'm up even more than you are. My mind is more up than you would ever know. You are you Caleb, you are different. You possess character traits that most people don't, but that's what makes you so appealing. Your personality is like mine. In the sense it is too much for some people to handle. For me, people can't handle me. I'm always too smart, too kind, too strong willed, too opinionated, too determined and too ambitious. It drives people away. Therefore, I need to sharpen my edges and smooth the rough parts of myself that were too much for others in hopes of being more lovable, but in the process of doing so, I realized I was rid myself of the things that made me, who I am. I have dark sides as well. People underestimate how cold, meticulous and calculating I can be. I hide parts of myself. So well, no one suspects. It. The prosecution also noted while Jamie was in prison, awaiting trial, she had been reprimanded by prison officials on September 15th, 2015, Jamie handed another female, inmate a note requesting this inmate, rewrite the note in her own handwriting and send it to her father with instructions, for him to send the note to Caleb Barnes. After the inmate received the note, she handed it over to correction officers. The note read my de-certification hearing is coming up soon and I need your help. I asked this of you as the only hope of us ever being together is if I get sent back to juvenile court after seven years, I plan to move wherever you are and we can be together. If the positions were reversed and you were the only one trying to be decertified, I would be on the stand at that hearing, taking the fall for you. Psychologist, Dr. Frank Dalio took the stand on behalf of the defendant. According to him, Jamie was highly intelligent, but extremely immature. When Caleb began flirting with her, Jamie didn't know how to handle his attention. According to Dr. Dalio Caleb's pursuit of Jamie was a big deal for a young 13 year old girl to be pursued by someone older. He testified that Jamie had been enamored of Caleb and was over the moon stating it was every girl's dream to be with someone older. Jamie simply was swept up by Caleb during her time of being incarcerated. Jamie and her father spoke frequently. And Jamie talked about committing suicide with her father. If Jamie's case was not sent to juvenile court, authorities were so concerned that the presiding judge judge Danto issued an order that David Silvan not have any contact visits with Jamie. This order came after a detective reported. He was concerned that David a licensed pharmacist could smuggle in prescription medication to his daughter on November 20th, 2015, judge Danto in a 37 page opinion outlining her rationale ruled that Jamie would be tried for murder solicitation as an adult. The judge noted that Jamie was a manipulator not manipulated in the killing of Cheryl. In addition, she noted that Jamie was the instigator and willing participant in the murder of her mother, Cheryl, who was standing in the way of continuing a sexual relationship between herself and her adult boyfriend, Kayla Barnes on February 11th, 2016, as part of her plea deal. Jamie pled guilty to all the charges against her first degree, murder, conspiracy abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. The judge sentenced her to 35 years to life in state prison. District attorney Jeffrey Dimig said the terms of the plea agreement were that Jamie pled guilty to all charges and be sentenced to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a minimum sentence of 35 years, the only concession the Commonwealth made was that Jamie be eligible for parole after serving 35 years at her sentencing. Jamie said that she owned up to the fact that she wanted it to happen and she pushed Caleb to do so. And afterwards, she helped him with the cleanup admitting she chose a man over her mother. Jamie admitted in court that Cheryl's death was her fault. Lastly, while appearing to become emotional and crying, Jamie called herself a monster as part of the plea deal that earned her a 35 year to life sentence. Jamie agreed to testify against Caleb in her testimony against Caleb. Jamie admitted helping Caleb murder her mother and dispose of her body. While on the stand, Jamie repeatedly said she wanted Cheryl dead. So she and Caleb could continue their relationship, which Cheryl did not approve of because of Caleb's age. Jamie said she pushed Caleb to do the killing and help him dispose of Cheryl's body. Jamie testified that Caleb reached for her mother's throat from the backseat of her sport utility vehicle. As Cheryl was parked in the driveway of their home after driving them to a breaking Benjamin concert in Scranton, she sat on the stand. He started to strangle her and then eventually he stabbed her. Jamie also added. I owned up to the fact that I wanted it to happen. I pushed Caleb to do so, and afterwards I helped him with the cleanup. I'm gonna say the same thing. Now. I didn't have any involvement in the physical act of stabbing. My mother. I believe everything I did is just as bad or worse than the physical act. I am guilty admitting she wanted Caleb to stab her mother. She cried, as she said she did. I realized that I had the right thing to do. That's taking accountability for my actions, something your client Caleb has yet to do when it was Caleb's defense team, time to present their case, they brought up evidence of Jamie repeatedly, lying to lawyers, police officers, and the district attorney. The defense also presented evidence from a phone call. Jamie made to her father, David, while in jail, in that phone call, Jamie had asked David what she could say to the prosecution's expert before her de-certification hearing certification hearing. When asked about this phone call, Jamie stated, I don't remember, but that sounds like something I would do. Lastly, the defense team then presented the letter that Jamie had written to Caleb wall in jail and tried to deliver it to him by another female. Inmate, the letter was admitted over the prosecution's objection. Caleb testified to the court and jury that he wasn't even in the car when Cheryl was killed. After the concert, Caleb got into his own car, which was parked on the street on Randy Lane, feeling tired after the concert and knowing he would need to drive two hours back to Fort Mead, Maryland. Caleb stated he took a nap in his silver Camaro. Caleb said that Jamie woke him up by banging on his car window. She had blood on her hands and face. It was then Jamie dragged him back to Cheryl's SUV. He said he was horrified to see Cheryl lying dead inside. Caleb said, Jamie told him that she was pregnant with his child. And that when Jamie told Cheryl, she went crazy and flipped out on her. Caleb said Jamie attacked and killed Cheryl with one of his knives, which he claim slipped out of his pocket into the backseat of Cheryl's car. Caleb said, at this point, I'm thinking I have a family to protect. He said adding that his later confession to police was part of his continued effort to protect his unborn child. He said, this girl just killed her mom, but she's having my baby. I can't let her go to prison. Despite the numerous defense wounds found on Cheryl Caleb's DNA was never found on Cheryl's body. When it was the prosecution's turn to examine Caleb, they showed the jury what they believed to be the murderer weapon in which Caleb testified. It was a knife that he had left at the Sylvans home the week before the killing, but he had never gotten it back from Jamie. When shown the knife in court, Caleb claimed it was a utility knife and not a knife for killing someone during his testimony. Caleb explained the text messages that prosecutors say show he and Jamie were plotting the killing. He told the jury that the text, which included phrases about not wanting to drive Cheryl's car because it would quote, leave us as suspects was just him. Sarcastically responding to his girlfriend's ongoing quote, joke about murdering her mother. He said, I thought she was joking. I hope she was joking. You don't wanna believe that someone you love is capable of that. He said, when it came for closing arguments, the prosecution claimed Caleb murdered Cheryl, because she had thrown him out of her house and threatened to report him to police for having sex with an underage girl, the prosecution then recreated Cheryl's murder for the jury, which was painful for Cheryl's family to watch in their demonstration. The prosecution showed how Caleb repeatedly punched and choked. Cheryl. They then stated when Caleb was unsuccessful in killing Cheryl this way, he pulls out his knife and stabs Cheryl in the neck by bearing it deeper and deeper into her neck. All the while she keeps pushing the knife away. Then the prosecution reminded the jury that around one hour afterwards, they buried Cheryl's body in a shallow grave. They went up to Jamie's house, up to her bedroom and had sex after a four day trial that featured mountains of forensic evidence and chilling testimony. The jury deliberated for four hours and on August 13th, 2016, Caleb was convicted by a jury of first degree murder conspiracy to first degree murder, abusing a corpse tampering with evidence and other charges. Although Jamie had agreed to testify against Caleb in exchange for a lighter sentence. She was not present. When the verdict was read on September 19th, 2016, Caleb was sentenced to life in prison without parole plus an additional 22 to 44 years for the other charges. Caleb's parents, Greg and Carla Barnes left the courtroom in tears and declined to answer questions. Since the day of Cheryl's murder. David Salvan said the day Cheryl was killed was the worst day of his life. And since then life has been hell on earth. David said he struggles with post traumatic stress disorder and had to resign from his job as a pharmacist regarding Cheryl. David had said, he realized at the time he took her for granted stating losing Cheryl is much more than being without a wife and friend. The loss of Cheryl is like the loss of my life. She can never be replaced. David stated that Cheryl was trying to protect himself as well as Jamie David said that Cheryl was the rock of their marriage. And Cheryl did what most mothers would do protecting David as well as Jamie. He also said he wished it would have been himself and not Cheryl, but as he continues to grieve, David said he hopes the higher court will appeal the lower court decision regarding Jamie being tried as a juvenile instead of an adult David hopes and pray. She gets another chance. He said, Cheryl would want that. Peggy Lynn Cheryl's mother still goes to the family's home during the week. But when she walks inside, she endures the fresh pain of her daughter's absence. Peggy said that friends who know Jamie don't recognize her as the smirking Teris that she has portrayed out to be in 2018, Jamie had written a number of blogs found on the juvenile justice information exchange website, feeling hopeful with the new political climate at the time Jamie had hoped her essays would help her in filing an appeal of her sentence. Her writings are thoughtful, well written, hardly articulate a far cry from a murderous teenager. Most of her writings are her viewpoint as a prisoner ranging from topics as having hope while serving a life sentence, medical treatment for inmates and forming friendships behind bars. But what hasn't changed is Jamie's viewpoint of herself in her essays. She portrays herself as a then 14 year old who sat handcuffed shackled next to her attorney in court with a 100,000 volt electric bandit locked to her calf. Jamie stated in her blogs that her petite barely aged 14 frame was incapable of monstrous violence in October, 2021. Jamie was in court again this time asking for her prior conviction to be thrown out and that she get a new trial in juvenile court. Even though at the time of her filing, she was 20 years old at the time of this podcast. Jamie is now represented by the juvenile law center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her attorneys are arguing that the plea agreement details are not valid. They also say Jamie had bad prior legal representation. Jamie now says her guilty plea was involuntary. Jamie's new legal team says that her former attorney met with the judge and prosecutors and an off the record meeting where the judge said she wouldn't accept a plea deal with anything less than 35 years. Judge Danto the judge who presided over Jamie's first trial has said that nothing inappropriate happened at that meeting. And she denied a motion to rescue herself. Jamie's case is largely built on the premise that Jamie had psychological issues that made her vulnerable to Kayla Barnes. They also add that Jamie was abused and manipulated by Kayla Barnes and forced to kill her mother who disapproved of the age gap between the two, her attorneys detailed an alleged child abuse report that indicated that Jamie had bruising on her neck, buttocks and legs. A few days after her mother's death, allegedly her legal team had a forensic psychologist testify that Jamie's brain wasn't fully developed at the time of the murder and that she had a nonverbal communication disability that affected her relationship with others around her. Also in the appeal, some of the text messages between Caleb and Jamie were referenced including ones where Caleb allegedly told her do what I tell you. And as my property you are subject to my authority was Jamie, a shy teenager under the spell of a much older man who took advantage of a young insecure teenager, who was excited that someone much older than her found her attractive and his equal, or is this just another ploy of a savvy sophisticated manipulative. Now young woman who sat in the backseat of her mother's car while her mother was brutally tortured and murdered for a period of 20 to 30 minutes, the sheer confusion and mental anguish, Cheryl must have felt knowing that she was fighting for her life and her daughter who she doted on, sat in the backseat and did nothing and watched her mother take her last breath. Not at any time. Did Jamie dial 9 1, 1 for help, nor did she run in the house and ask her dad for help. She was an orchestrator of this murder and hopefully the courts will rule against her. And that will leave Jamie Silvan behind bars for a very long time. This concludes this episode of departed in Penn. I'm your host, Andrea Judeck. Thank you for listening tune in next week for more true crime talk without the valley girl Squaw.