The tragic life and death of Phoebe Jonchuck

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The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, where 5 year old Phoebe Jonchuck was dropped to her death by her father John Jonchuck Jr. Photo by Zword97. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons

By Rob Lorei

Today we take a look at the life and death of Phoebe Jonchuck, the 5-year-old girl who was dropped off the side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge by her father  John Jonchuck Jr last January. Despite numerous calls to child welfare officials due to her father’s history of violence, drug use, and mental illness, Phoebe was allowed to remain in his care .On the anniversary of Phoebe’s death, the Tampa Bay Times released a special report on the horrific murder called “The long fall of Phoebe Jonchuck”, written by Pulitzer-prize winning features reporter Lane DeGregory. Today she joins us to talk about Phoebe’s story and the circumstances that lead to her death.

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