Suvechha Sarkar
Jarrell Todd Cuyler was a 7-year-old cheerful kid with his whole life ahead of him. However, it came to an abrupt halt in July 1998 when he was brutally killed in Windsor, Connecticut. His untimely demise left his family and the community completely distraught. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Twisted Love: The Hand That Rocks The Cradle’ delves deeper into the investigation of the case and how it uncovered a trail of love, betrayal, and the consequences of jealousy. It also provides interviews with his loved ones and the officials who worked tirelessly to serve justice.
Jarrell Cuyler Met His Demise Shortly After Rushed to the Hospital
Tammi and Arnold Cuyler were filled with immeasurable joy when they welcomed their son, Jarrell Todd Cuyler, into the world on October 26, 1990. He began growing up in a loving household, surrounded by the love of his parents. Jarrell was excited when he became a big brother to his sister, Lindsey, on July 22, 1995. Unfortunately, his parents’ relationship began to deteriorate, leading to their divorce around 1997. Shortly after, Jarrell and Lindsey moved in with their mother at their new residence on Lovell Avenue in Windsor, Connecticut. Moreover, Tammi welcomed her infant nephew, Daniel Henderson, into her life. According to Tammi, she used to dance around the kitchen with Jarrell whenever she got the chance. Life was moving forward at a steady pace for Jarrell until July 9, 1998.
Jarrell and Lindsey’s room was on the second floor, while Daniel was sleeping in a crib in Tammi’s bedroom downstairs. However, due to a storm on the night of July 8, Jarrell and Lindsey cuddled up in the bed with their mother. In the early hours of July 9, Tammi suddenly heard a noise outside her room, and she reportedly went out to investigate. According to reports, she was then pinned down on the floor by a masked man, while another masked individual rushed to the second floor. A short while later, the second masked individual came down and entered Tammi’s bedroom, where Tammi said she had heard Lindsey whimper and Jarrell’s voice. When Tammi struggled to escape, she pulled off one glove and a Casio G-Shock watch from the person who was pinning her down.
Reports state that Tammi was then released, and the masked individuals fled the scene. When she rushed to her bedroom, she found Lindsey bleeding with a deep cut above her wrist, and Danny was unharmed. However, she was shocked when she turned over Jarrell and discovered him unresponsive, bleeding from a deep cut in his neck. He reportedly also had a wound on his wrist. Tammi promptly called 911 around 2:39 am, and Jarrell was rushed to Hartford Hospital, where he passed away minutes later. Back at home, detectives uncovered blood on the mattress, corridor, and stairway, alongside a soda bottle filled with gasoline on the nightstand of Tammi’s bedroom. The autopsy revealed that Jarrell had a compression of the neck due to a ligature. His cause of death was determined to be a combination of sharp force trauma to the neck and strangulation.
A Love Triangle in the Family Led Detectives Straight to the Truth
During the 911 call, Tammi had reportedly explained that two masked men had broken into her home. Once the investigation began, officials ruled out Tammi’s ex-husband, Arnold, as a suspect since he was at home during that time when Tammi called. Authorities initially considered the possibility that the homicide might be linked to a Jamaican gang because a similar gasoline-filled soda bottle was found at a crime scene related to the gang in a nearby town. Tammi informed the police that shortly before July 9, 1998, she had broken up with a man named Benjamin, who allegedly had ties with a Jamaican gang. However, he was also eliminated as a suspect since his alibi checked out. According to court records, officials then focused on Tammi’s cousin, Chasity C. West.
Reports state that investigators learned from Tammi and her family members that Chasity began helping babysit Jarrell around 1992. According to official records, rumors about an affair between Chasity and Arnold began circulating by October 1994. They reportedly started their relationship in 1995, while Arnold was already married. Tammi’s family members stated that following Tammi and Arnold’s divorce, Chasity wanted him to move away with her, but he refused to do so since his children were in Windsor. Meanwhile, detectives extracted DNA from the G-Shock watch found at the scene. As per police records, that was when Alexis Grajales contacted the police. He turned out to be the boyfriend of Chasity’s cousin. When Alexis was questioned, he claimed that he had sold the watch to a man at a gas station on July 9.
Alexis later confessed that Chasity recruited him and gave him $4,000 to break into Tammi’s home. According to investigative reports, he insisted that he agreed to go because Chasity had allegedly told him there were no children present at the house that night. The phone records revealed that Chasity had called Alexis several times in the early hours of July 9. When she was finally brought in for interrogation, she initially denied having any involvement. However, it wasn’t long before she reportedly confessed that she killed Jarrell. Alexis and Chasity were ultimately arrested in July 1998. Chasity was charged with first-degree burglary, felony murder, murder, capital felony, two counts of risk of injury to a child, attempt to commit murder, and first-degree assault. On the other hand, Alexis faced the charges of felony murder, first-degree burglary, and first-degree kidnapping.
While Chasity is Incarcerated at a State Prison Facility, Alexis Appears to be Out of Prison Today
Alexis entered into a plea agreement on July 27, 1998. Under the agreement, he pleaded guilty to all his charges and provided truthful testimony for the prosecution in exchange for a sentence of not more than 25 years. Ultimately, he received a reduced sentence, serving six years in prison. On the other hand, Chasity faced a jury trial, which began in July 2001. During the trial, the prosecution presented DNA evidence before the court, which was found in her car and matched Jarrell’s. They reportedly had Alexis as their star witness, who testified against her. The prosecution claimed that Chasity wanted to remove Tammi’s children as obstacles to marrying Arnold and moving away.
On the other hand, the defense admitted that Chasity made the plan to burglarize Tammi’s home, but claimed that she did not personally enter the house. They also presented alibi testimony, claiming that she was at home between 2 am and 2:30 am. Besides that, the defense alleged that Alexis was biased and untruthful. Ultimately, the jury found her guilty of all charges, including capital felony, on July 13, 2001. Although the prosecution initially recommended the death penalty, the court sentenced Chasity to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for capital felony, plus an additional term of 70 years for the other charges on September 27, 2001.
Chasity had appealed her judgment to the Connecticut Supreme Court on several grounds, such as her statements to the police were not voluntary, and she should have been allowed to present evidence showing Alexis had motives for lying. Furthermore, Chasity argued that there was insufficient evidence for a conviction, and the forensic evidence recovered from her car shouldn’t have been admitted. The Court eventually affirmed her conviction and sentence on July 26, 2005. Chasity is currently serving her time at York Correctional Institution in Niantic, Connecticut. As of writing, it appears that Alexis has been released from prison and is seemingly living a quiet life away from the spotlight.
