Christina McNeil Wikipedia: What Really Happened to Barton McNeil’s Daughter?

Christina McNeil was a three-year-old girl who was found dead in her bed by her father, Barton McNeil, on June 16, 1998, in Bloomington, Illinois. Barton McNeil was convicted of murdering his daughter by suffocating her after sexually abusing her, and he was sentenced to 100 years in prison.
However, he has always maintained his innocence and claimed that his ex-girlfriend, Misook Nowlin, was the real killer. Nowlin was later convicted of another murder, and new evidence has emerged that could exonerate McNeil and implicate Nowlin in Christina’s death. Here is everything you need to know about McNeil’s wiki, biography, and what really happened to her.
Who was Christina McNeil?
McNeil was born on April 2, 1995, to Barton McNeil and Tina Griffin, who divorced when Christina was a baby. Christina lived with her mother, but she also spent time with her father at his apartment. She was described as a happy, smart, and beautiful child who loved books, animals, and playing with her friends. She attended a preschool program at the local YMCA and was looking forward to starting kindergarten in the fall of 1998.

Christina McNeil Wiki | BIO
Name | Christina McNeil |
---|---|
Born | April 2, 1995 |
Died | June 16, 1998 |
Cause of death | Asphyxiation (disputed) |
Father | Barton McNeil |
Mother | Tina Griffin |
Case | Convicted of murdering and sexually abusing Christina Sentenced to 100 years in prison; claims innocence and accuses his ex-girlfriend |
How did Christina die?
On the night of June 15, 1998, Barton McNeil picked up Christina from her mother’s house and took her to his apartment for an overnight visit. He had just broken up with his girlfriend, Misook Nowlin, who had a history of domestic violence and jealousy towards him. He said that Nowlin followed him out of the restaurant where they had dinner and tried to persuade him to reconcile with her, but he refused. He also said that Nowlin called him several times that night, but he ignored her calls.
The next morning, around 7 a.m., McNeil said he woke up on the couch and went to check on Christina in her bedroom. He said he found her lying on the bed, wrapped in a flower-patterned sheet, with her eyes open and her skin cold and gray. He said he tried to perform CPR on her, but it was too late. He called 911 and reported that his daughter was dying or dead. The paramedics arrived and confirmed that Christina was dead. They noticed some blood on her nose and mouth, but no signs of trauma or struggle. They also observed that the room was very hot and humid, and that there was a fan on the floor near the window.
The police initially suspected that Christina McNeil had died of natural causes, possibly related to her asthma or a seizure. They did not find any evidence of a break-in or an intruder at the apartment. They also did not take McNeil’s statement seriously when he suggested that Nowlin might have something to do with Christina’s death.
He said that he had seen some scratches on the window screen and some dirt on the windowsill, which could indicate that someone had climbed in and out of the window. He also said that he had noticed some of Nowlin’s hair on Christina’s pillowcase and sheet, which he had washed the day before. He said that Nowlin had a key to his apartment and knew his schedule, and that she had threatened him and Christina before.
However, the police dismissed McNeil’s claims as a diversion and focused on him as the prime suspect. They based their suspicion on the autopsy report, which concluded that Christina had died of asphyxiation and that she had been sexually abused before her death. The report found evidence of bruising, bleeding, and tearing in Christina’s genital and anal areas, as well as sperm cells in her rectum.
The report also noted that Christina McNeil had a high level of diphenhydramine, an antihistamine, in her blood, which could have been used to sedate her. The police believed that McNeil had molested and suffocated his daughter, and then staged the scene to look like an accident or a homicide by someone else.
McNeil was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated criminal sexual assault. He pleaded not guilty and opted for a bench trial, meaning that his fate would be decided by a judge, not a jury. His defense lawyer argued that the autopsy report was flawed and unreliable, and that the evidence of sexual abuse was inconclusive and could have been caused by other factors, such as infection, inflammation, or medical intervention.
The judge found McNeil guilty of both charges and sentenced him to 100 years in prison. McNeil appealed his conviction, but his appeals were denied by the higher courts. He maintained his innocence and continued to seek justice for himself and his daughter.
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Who is Misook Nowlin?
Misook Nowlin, also known as Misook Wang, is a Korean-American woman who was Barton McNeil’s ex-girlfriend at the time of Christina McNeil’s death. She was born in 1970 and moved to the United States when she was 12. She married Don Wang, a Chinese-American man, in 1992, and they had a daughter, Michelle, in 1994. However, their marriage was unhappy and abusive, and they separated in 1997. Nowlin then started dating McNeil, who was also separated from his wife.

Nowlin was a suspect in Christina’s death, but the police did not investigate her thoroughly or question her alibi. She claimed that she was at home with her daughter and her husband on the night of June 15, 1998, and that she had no contact with McNeil or Christina. She also denied having a key to McNeil’s apartment or knowing his schedule. She said that she had nothing to do with Christina’s death and that she was sorry for McNeil’s loss.
However, in 2011, Nowlin was arrested and charged with another murder, that of her mother-in-law, Linda Tyda. Tyda was a 70-year-old woman who lived in Crest Hill, near Chicago. She was strangled to death in a remote area near Bloomington on September 4, 2011. The police discovered that Nowlin had lured Tyda to Bloomington by pretending to hire her as a translator for a fictitious client.
What is the new evidence that could exonerate Barton and implicate Misook Nowlin?
Since his conviction, Barton McNeil has been fighting to prove his innocence and to expose Misook Nowlin as the real killer of his daughter. He has been supported by several organizations and individuals, such as the Illinois Innocence Project, the Exoneration Project, the Center on Wrongful Convictions, the FreeBart.org website, and the Snow Files podcast. They have uncovered new evidence that could cast doubt on McNeil’s guilt and point to Nowlin’s involvement in Christina’s death. Some of the new evidence includes:
New forensic analysis of the autopsy report, which challenges the conclusion that Christina was sexually abused and suffocated by her father. The analysis suggests that the injuries to Christina’s genital and anal areas could have been caused by other factors, such as infection, inflammation, or medical intervention, and that the sperm cells found in her rectum could have been transferred from her father’s underwear or bedding. The analysis also questions the reliability of the diphenhydramine test, which could have been affected by contamination or degradation.
New evidence of Misook Nowlin’s hair and DNA found on Christina McNeil’s pillowcase and sheet, which were washed by McNeil the day before Christina’s death. The evidence suggests that Nowlin had access to McNeil’s apartment and was in contact with Christina’s bedding on the night of her death. The evidence also contradicts Nowlin’s claim that she had no contact with McNeil or Christina that night, and that she did not have a key to McNeil’s apartment or know his schedule.
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Content Source:- Wikipedia.org