An Indiana woman has been charged with killing a man and his parents at their home in Crete Township.
Jenna Strouble, 30, of St. John, Indiana was arrested and charged with nine counts of first-degree murder on Tuesday, the Will County Sheriff’s Office said.
Strouble is accused of killing Jacob Q. Lambert, 32, and his parents Stacy J. Forde, 54, and Patrick J. Forde, 55, in their home in the 3400 block of E. Norway Trail in unincorporated Crete Township early Monday morning.
All three victims were shot to death in what the police have described as an act of domestic violence. Full details of the autopsies and toxicology reports are pending, the Will County Coroner’s Office said on Tuesday.
Strouble and Lambert had an on and off again romantic relationship and they share children, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office called the incident “targeted” and said that “during the detectives’ interviews, Strouble gave incriminating statements, following the homicides.”
Investigators also recovered a firearm and determined it matched the ones used in the homicides, the sheriff’s office said.
Will County sheriff’s deputies went to the Crete Township home at about 2 a.m. Monday when they were asked to perform a wellness check by “a concerned family member.”
When they arrived, deputies found the bodies of Lambert and Stacy and Patrick Forde. All three were residents of the house, the sheriff’s office said.
Lambert was found dead in a car in the driveway, while his parents were found inside the home on the first floor, near the front door, the sheriff’s office said.
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Earlier reports said the suspect was seen fleeing the home before police arrived. Police said their investigation shows Strouble fled the scene to her home in St. John, Indiana, where local police took her into custody later on Monday.
“The Will County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the St. John Police Department and the Lake County, Indiana Sheriff’s Office for their quick response and full assistance during this investigation and for their commitment in bringing justice to this case,” Will County Sheriff Mike Kelly said in a statement.
Strouble is currently being held at the Lake County, Indiana jail and will remain in their custody until she can be extradited back to Illinois to be charged in Will County court, the sheriff’s office said.
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Neighbors of the family said on Monday they were shocked by the violence in their neighborhood, and remembered the family as “very nice” and “tight-knit.”
“They’re a very, very nice family,” said a neighbor who declined to give her name and spoke to Shaw Local while walking her dog.
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“She always welcomed y’all all the time, and the dad was very nice. My heart goes out to that family, especially the oldest son and his kids,” she said. “They were just with their grandbabies and their dog outside, literally, just with them outside.”
The neighbor called the homeowners “a very good couple” and said they enjoyed spending time with their grandchildren.
“You don’t really hear of anything like this here,” said Donna Russo, a Crete resident from a neighboring subdivision.
“It’s a nice neighborhood,” she said. “Everyone knows each other, so it’s just sad to hear about this.”
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