Jason Karels, 36, who told his wife 'if I can't have them neither can you' before drowning their three kids to be sentenced to LIFE after conviction in heinous murders

A Chicago man who told his estranged wife ‘If I can´t have them neither can you’ before drowning their three children in a bathtub pleaded guilty but mentally ill on Friday to three counts of first-degree murder.

Jason Karels, 36, of Round Lake Beach, will be sentenced to life in the Illinois Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole following the plea.

Karels admitted drowning five-year-old Bryant, three-year-old Cassidy and two-year-old Gideon on June 13, 2022. 

Round Lake Beach police responded to a call for a welfare check and discovered the lifeless bodies of the kids in their father's home.

Police recovered a note at the home when they found the children dead that read: ‘If I can´t have them neither can you.’ 

The children were on a weekend visit at the time, and their mother had planned to pick them up for a doctor's visit.

Debra was in the process of gaining full custody of the siblings when their father murdered them. Prosecutors say he drowned them one by one.

Karels led police on a frenzied chase that ended in a crash on an Interstate 80 bridge in Joliet before his arrest.

The 36-year-old was briefly hospitalized after the crash. As first responders lifted him from the wreckage, he confessed that he was responsible for the deaths of all three children.

He also told police he had attempted to kill himself before fleeing. Officers found his blood inside the home.

Before entering into the plea agreement, the prosecutors and victim specialist conferred extensively with the family of the victims, the State Attorney’s Office said.

‘This case has devastated the Round Lake Beach community and beyond,’ Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said in a statement. He reaffirmed his office's commitment to providing support to the grieving family.

Round Lake Police Department issued its own statement reading, in part: ‘Our thoughts continue to be with the family and friends of the victims and the rest of our community affected by this senseless tragedy. While nothing can bring these wonderful children back, we hope this outcome will give the family and loved ones some closure.’

Community members have rallied around Debra Karels in the aftermath of her children’s death. A GoFundMe campaign organized by Round Lake Beach Community Action raised over $100,000.

‘On June 13, 2022, Debbie Karels went to the home of her estranged husband, Jason Karels, to pick up her children from his visitation with their three children,’ the campaign reads. ‘What she found instead was a horror unimaginable to all.

‘Jason Karels had murdered their children by drowning them one by one in the bathtub. He then fled the scene so that Debbie could find her children's lifeless bodies.’

Speaking to ABC7 Chicago last year, Debra said: 'I talked to the kids the night before. I said, "I love you so much. I can't wait to see you tomorrow." And the next day they're gone.

'He knew that nothing mattered to me more than those children. He took them away from me because he knew it would hurt me the most.'

Proceeds from the fundraiser will cover funeral expenses and ‘provide a level of financial stability’ for the stricken mother, who was left without a home or car in her name.

A sentencing hearing for Karels is scheduled for February 16.