The pursuit of a better life often leads Filipinos to professional roles abroad, with many finding success in countries like Canada and the United States.

Canada has embraced foreign workers, especially professionals, though recent public sentiment suggests growing pressure to slow immigration.

For US Army Private James Calhoun and his wife, Courtney, their journey led them far from their working-class roots in Cleveland, Ohio, to an assignment in South Korea.

James, driven by the need for better income and benefits for his growing family, joined the US Army.

In 2017, already a father to Ziden, he was deployed to Pyeongtaek, South Korea, assigned to the 61st Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Company.

Courtney supported her husband’s career, and the family settled into a life provided by the US government overseas, a common scenario for military families.

Despite the distance from their families, the Calhouns were picture-perfect on social media, sharing milestones of their two sons, Ziden and the youngest, Noah, who was born in South Korea.

Noah, in particular, was adored for his affectionate nature, bringing joy to their remote life.

However, in 2021, their perfect family portraits became haunting memories as friends and family gathered to mourn the three-year-old Noah.

Initial assumptions that Noah’s sudden de@th was due to illness were shattered two months later by a horrific revelation: Noah had been fatally assaulted by his babysitter.

The assailant was identified as 30-year-old Jamaica Eblacas, a Filipina who was working near the US military base.

The news shocked the small community and drew limited international coverage, largely overshadowed by the ongoing pandemic.

The Unstable Mind

Initial speculation online, fueled by ignorance, suggested that Jamaica might have been romantically involved with James and acted out of revenge against Courtney—theories that proved utterly baseless.

The truth, revealed during the trial in November and December 2021 in the Pyeongtaek branch of the Suwon District Court, was far more tragic and complex.

Jamaica Eblacas stood before a panel of three judges and admitted that she had caused the de@th of Army Private James Calhoun’s son.

Her lack of emotion in the courtroom devastated Noah’s parents, who sat in disbelief, clad in black.

The key to understanding the tragedy lay in the testimony of Jamaica’s ex-husband, a South Korean man named Kang Sokpill, whom she had married in 2013.

Kang, testifying for the defense in an attempt to mitigate her sentence, described a rapid, frightening change in Jamaica’s personality following the birth of their daughter, Lizzy, in 2014.

Jamaica, once cheerful, kind, and energetic, became overwhelmed by postpartum depression (PPD).

Unlike in the Philippines, where family support is immediate, Jamaica was isolated, juggling childcare and her role as a wife without a local support system.

Kang admitted that while he tried to help, his 10-day paternity leave was insufficient, and South Korean culture did not normalize seeking mental health experts, often opting for physical care routines instead.

The situation became critical after Jamaica returned from a brief, necessary trip home to the Philippines. She abruptly informed Kang that she wanted a divorce, claiming she was seeing signs of surveillance.

Kang revealed to the court that Jamaica’s mental state steadily deteriorated: she developed delusions that people were watching her and that CCTV cameras were installed throughout their apartment.

She began hearing voices and seeing figures, claiming ghosts were entering through the windows.

Fearing for their daughter Lizzy’s safety, Kang secretly moved the child to his sister’s care in Seoul and later filed for divorce in February 2021, clarifying that he was driven by fear, not a lack of love.

Despite their separation, Kang stated that Jamaica had never physically harmed their daughter.

The Delusion and The Assault

Because Jamaica was never properly diagnosed or treated, her cyclical behavior continued. She would swing from periods of her former, cheerful self—the side the Calhouns and her friends knew—to moments of extreme delusion.

It was the “cheerful” Jamaica who was hired as a trusted babysitter for the Calhoun children, having often socialized with the military couple at a bar near the base.

On the night of Tuesday, September 5, 2021, James and Courtney hired Jamaica to watch 7-year-old Ziden and 3-year-old Noah while they attended a party. They felt completely secure, as Jamaica’s apartment was only a short walk from the event venue.

The couple kissed their sons goodbye and left for the party, trusting Jamaica to care for the children as if they were her own.

However, later that evening, Jamaica experienced a severe break from reality. She testified that she saw 3-year-old Noah transform into a demon right before her eyes.

In her delusional state, Jamaica believed that although she could not save his physical body, she could save his soul and prevent him from harming others.

As a religious person, she believed she needed to physically assault Noah to ensure his soul went to heaven.

She admitted to severely injuring Noah, convinced that she was battling a demonic entity. Ziden, the older brother, watched in horror, crying but unable to intervene, certain he would be next.

After the fatal assault, Jamaica, profusely sweating and feeling intensely hot, stripped off her clothes.

Completely unclothed, she walked past Ziden and left the apartment to wander the streets. Ziden, realizing she was gone, quickly ran out and found a resident, telling them his younger brother looked “de@d.”

Police arrived to find a scene of trauma and confirmed Noah’s tragic passing. Jamaica was apprehended later, unclothed and incoherently screaming, appearing to be attempting an exorcism—screaming at unseen demons, even while in custody.

The Pinay’s defense attorney argued that her history of PPD had progressed into full-blown schizophrenia, evidenced by her severe hallucinations and delusions.

However, the case faced a major hurdle: Jamaica repeatedly refused to undergo a proper psychiatric evaluation, despite her attorney’s urgent pleas.

The Sentence and The Appeal

In court, the judge, noting Jamaica’s lack of visible remorse, delivered the sentence: five years imprisonment.

The judge ruled that although Jamaica clearly suffered from severe mental health issues, her refusal to be assessed meant the defense could not definitively prove she was “mentally unfit” at the time of the crime.

The judge determined that Jamaica still retained sufficient mental capacity to understand the moral and legal wrongfulness of her actions.

Jamaica’s attorney immediately announced an appeal, hoping to overturn the sentence by finally proving her condition.

The tragic story of the Calhoun family, who had found a seemingly perfect life abroad, was brutally shattered by a devastating mental health crisis left undiagnosed and untreated.

Noah’s parents, James and Courtney, continue to mourn their son, frequently posting tributes and poems dedicated to his memory.

The case stands as a profound testament to the dire consequences of neglecting mental health issues, particularly PPD, in isolating environments overseas.