A 30-year-old woman from Indiana has been found and arrested on nine counts of first-degree m*rder.
Identified as Jenna Strouble, the St. John resident was detained in connection with a triple homicide that happened on Monday, March 23, in Crete Township, Illinois.
Strouble reportedly had an on-and-off relationship with one of the victims and even shared children.
“This ex-girlfriend needs to be in prison with no parole,” one user said about the tragedy on Facebook.
Jenna Strouble allegedly took the lives of her ex-boyfriend and his parents
Image credits: Will County Sheriff’s Office
Will County Sheriff Mike Kelley announced that local detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Strouble on March 24 after the three homicides were discovered a day earlier.
On March 23, at around 2 a.m., deputies were dispatched to conduct a welfare check at an East Norway Trail address after a call for assistance. When the authorities arrived, they found three adult bodies at the scene, with no sign of life in any of them.
Image credits: wgntv
The victims were later identified as Jacob Q. Lambert, 32, and his parents, Stacey Forde, 54, and Patrick Forde, 55. Jacob was found inside a car in the driveway while Stacey and Patrick were near the front door of the house.
According to an ABC7 Chicago report, Stacey and Patrick’s grandchildren lived in the same house, but they were not present during the homicides. It is not confirmed whether the kids in question were Strouble’s.
Investigators believed the homicides were premeditated after Strouble reportedly made incriminating statements during her interview. The police also recovered a firearm that matched the weapon used in the homicides, according to the forensic report.
Strouble is currently being held at the Lake County, Indiana jail and will be extradited to Illinois soon.
Autopsies were performed on Tuesday, March 24, and the final cause and manner of the victims’ demise will be determined after police and toxicology reports, the coroner’s office said.
The victims’ neighbors said the incident feels like a “horror story”
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The Will County Sheriff’s Office conducted its investigation at the crime scene all day Monday and spoke with the neighbors.
Some of them shared their experiences with ABC7 Chicago.
“All those lights, police knocking on doors, very scary, you don’t know what’s going on,” said Shayla Drosos.
Image credits: CBSChicago
“Numb, I feel like I’m in the middle of a horror story,” said Jennifer Brown, who said the Fordes were helping them install new flooring over the weekend. “They were just over here yesterday, all three of them. We were hanging out.”
Her husband, Jim Brown, said: “They were in our house yesterday, all three of them. Now, they are gone, and I’m not an emotional person. But something like that hits home.”
The victims had a pet dog who survived the incident. Friends and neighbors tried to help, but the animal would not let anyone near or leave the home.
Eventually, Will County Animal Protection Services was called, and they did what was needed.
The internet reacted to the homicides and Jenna Strouble’s arrest
Image credits: wgntv
Netizens were shocked over the incident and expressed their concern on social media.
“Women need to learn how to walk away,” one person said. “They did not deserve this.” Another wrote: “How sad this happened. No need for it at all.”
Image credits: CBSChicago
“How does someone know to call authorities for a welfare check at 2 AM unless they knew it was gonna happen?” one person wondered.
“Pray for the kids,” said one more. Another wrote, “I’m curious as to what triggered her.”
One chimed in: “And again I ask, are you still thinking about getting married?”
Image credits: wgntv
Many users wondered why Strouble was facing nine counts of first-degree m*rder when there were only three victims.
Multiple counts of the same charge are often used when multiple victims are involved, the act is repeated, to allow prosecutors to pursue different legal theories, or to prevent acquittal gaps to avoid case dismissals.
According to Illinois legislation, 720 ILCS 5/9-1 (from Ch. 38, par. 9-1) states that a person who commits a homicide would be charged with first-degree m*rder if the accused had the intention and knowledge that their actions would cause the demise of the intended victim.
It is punished by a minimum of 20 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
“Prison with no parole.” Netizens reacted to Jenna Strouble’s arrest after allegedly m*rdering her ex-boyfriend
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