Prosecutors hope to soon indict a Houston woman accused of dropping her infant daughter off of a Galveston hotel balcony last month — but obtaining and reviewing large amounts of evidence in the case has stalled proceedings.
The state has 90 days from the arrest of a person accused of a felony to indict them. If 30-year-old Channel Yonko is not indicted by Jan. 23 next year, she could potentially be released on a personal recognizance bond.
A probable cause affidavit asserts that the infant, 17-month-old Hannah Yonko, could be seen on video falling to the ground from the third-floor balcony of The Beach Front Palms Hotel in Galveston on Oct. 23. The infant may have also been stabbed several times, according to the affidavit.
Channel Yonko, Hannah’s mother, was charged with capital murder in connection to her death. The woman is being held without bond in the Galveston County Jail.
Yonko made her first court appearance on Tuesday when Judge Patricia Grady of the 212th District Court said she doesn’t want to wait a year to see the case go to trial.
“The state claims they are still going over the evidence,” Margaret Hindman, Yonko’s defense attorney said. “It has not been presented to a grand jury yet.”
Yonko’s next status conference is scheduled for Jan. 23.
Prosecutors haven’t definitively said if they plan to pursue the death penalty against Yonko yet. Hindman, who is still waiting to receive evidence related to Yonko’s case, said it’s too early to speculate if Yonko could see the death penalty — which is generally carried as the most severe punishment under the state’s law.
“I don’t anticipate a death penalty as part of the indictment,” Hindman said. “It doesn’t look that way as of yet.”
Hindman said the state is still collecting evidence related to Yonko’s case every day — but has yet to divulge those records. Attorneys still have no autopsy for Hannah Yonko, she said.
“I don’t even have a fourth of the evidence that the state has yet, so I am waiting on that,” Hindman said. “I’m anticipating receiving several terabytes of evidence in the next two weeks.”
As for the next status conference in January, the state may or may not make an offer, and may or may not have certain evidence back, Hindman said.
“Nothing pivotal will happen,” she said.
Prior to the infant’s death, Channel and Hannah Yonko had traveled to Galveston from Houston to see Mercedes Yonko, Channel’s sister.
Following her arrest, Channel Yonko was taken to the police department for questioning, where she refused to give police her name and said that she wanted to speak to a lawyer.
Child Protective Services launched an investigation into the incident. Melissa Lanford, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, said Yonko has a prior history with CPS.
“This is a horrible crime,” Galveston Police Chief Doug Balli said after the incident. “All children deserve to feel safe when around loved ones, especially with their own mother.”
