Kenosha father charged in death of own children after Thanksgiving fire makes first court appearance
KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Kenosha father charged in the death of his three children after a fire broke out in his apartment on Thanksgiving made his first appearance in court Wednesday afternoon.
Joshua Kannin is facing three charges of neglect causing death from a fire in his unit near 43rd Ave, for Rylee, 10, Connor, 9, and Elena, 7.
Rylee, 10, Connor, 9, and Elena, 7
Investigators believe the fire began when two of the children went into the kitchen to make food.
Jourdan Feasby, the children’s mother who did not live at the apartment, told police that Kannin didn’t like to cook and described the eating situation there as “fend for yourself.”
Court documents reveal Kannin’s apartment was a cluttered mess with lots of items like napkins next to the stove.
Apartment building after fire
Kannin also told law enforcement he took down a smoke detector in the area so he could smoke cigarettes in his kitchen, deliberately breaking his apartment lease’s rules.
On May 20, a Kenosha court commissioner set Kannin’s signature bond at $500,000 dollars despite the prosecution asking for a cash bond.
Feasby, who came to the initial hearing and who was surrounded by family, told CBS 58 she was disappointed by that decision.
“Yeah, if my kids have to be in the ground then he should have to be in something too. Not just walking free and enjoying the fresh air. My kids don't do good to do that. I want to take him to the park. Can I? No,” Feasby told CBS 58’s Ellie Nakamoto-White.
And despite the pain she’s been forced to endure over the last six months, Feasby said she would continue fighting for her children.
“I'm their voice right now and that's what's gonna be happening is I'm gonna stand up for them. So, I wasn't not gonna be here,” Feasby said. “And I don't want them to lump it together and say like, oh, it's just, this one, it's three lives. It's three separate things. Treat them all differently. There's no price on that.”
Kannin and his lawyer decline to speak with CBS 58 after the hearing.
He’ll appear next in court for a preliminary hearing on June 4.