A mother in Minnesota is facing many charges after a string of horrible events that killed two of her children and left the other severely neglected and hurt.
There are several charges against 35-year-old Jennifer Marie Stately by the Justice Department. These include murder with intent, murder while abusing a child, arson, and criminal child neglect.
The terrible events happened on March 15 at the Red Lake Indian Reservation. Stately is accused of stabbing one of her babies, Remi Stately, in the chest, killing him too soon.
Police say that her second child, Tristan Stately, died from breathing in smoke after she set fire to their home in Blackduck, Minnesota.
The 3-year-old boy who was found alive, whose name has not been made public, had been severely neglected and had burns that covered 95% of his face and body. The bottoms of his feet were also painfully blistered.
The kids’ lack of care is very upsetting. Court records show that the 3-year-old had bad breath from not washing his hands and sores and rotting teeth that he couldn’t eat properly.
After her children were attacked, Stately ran away with the baby who was still alive, but she was caught thanks to an Amber Alert and alert citizens.
Her arrest brought her before a magistrate judge in Minnesota, and she is now in federal custody while she waits for more court hearings. Stately has said she is not guilty of the charges against her.
There are many family members who will miss the children, including their father, Brian Graves Jr., who must now deal with his terrible loss and the unbearable actions of their mother.
The case against Stately has moved from local to federal control. Prosecutors in Todd County have dropped the state charges of child abuse and neglect in favor of federal claims.
The seriousness of the crimes warrants this decision, which guarantees the pursuit of justice at the highest level.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger stressed how important it is for federal, state, and tribal law enforcement to work together to quickly handle cases involving the most defenseless people in society.
Stately’s federal charge shows how important it is to work together to hold people responsible for such horrible crimes. As the legal process goes on, the community tries to understand the terrible tragedy and mourns the deaths of two young lives. At the same time, they rally around the child who survived, knowing that his or her road to recovery will be long.
People should be careful and step in to protect children from harm and make sure they are healthy. This story is a good reminder of that.
Missouri Mom Chopped her Own Son and Pet Dog; Insanity Plea Rejected in Court