Minnesota woman charged with murder, arson and neglect following death of 2 children
May 6—RED LAKE — A Red Lake woman has been charged with murder, arson and child neglect following the death of two children in Red Lake Nation in March.
According to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice, on March 15, 35-year-old Jennifer Marie Stately attacked and killed two children, slashing them with "a knife or other sharp object," and then setting the house on fire. One of the children was fatally stabbed in the chest, and the other one suffered non-fatal stab wounds but ultimately died from smoke inhalation due to the fire.
After setting the house on fire, Stately fled the scene in her vehicle with a third child. Around 9 p.m. that night,
an AMBER Alert was issued
for the child. Soon after the alert was issued, a motorist spotted Stately's vehicle and contacted law enforcement, the release said.
According to the original criminal complaint, at 9:24 p.m. that evening, the Todd County Sheriff's Office dispatch informed law enforcement that a vehicle that was the subject of an AMBER alert was located on U.S. Highway 71 in Todd County.
When law enforcement made contact with the vehicle, Stately and a 3-year-old boy secured in a child seat were found inside the vehicle.
"Upon seeing him in the vehicle, law enforcement immediately observed that (the child) had scabs covering his face and entire body," the complaint read. "Open sores covered roughly 95% of his face ... His cheeks were red and the sores appeared to be bleeding."
The child was taken to the Long Prairie Hospital where a full-body examination revealed that he had several open sores and lesions. He also had "rotten" teeth and was unable to eat due to sensitivity and pain in his mouth, the complaint read. Stately was arrested on suspicion of child neglect and endangerment, malicious punishment, torture and assault.
The indictment charges Stately with one count of premeditated murder, one count of murder in the course of committing child abuse, one count of murder in the course of committing arson, one count of arson, and one count of felony child neglect. Stately appeared on Monday, May 6, in U.S. District Court, where she was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings.
"This case is another example of how AMBER Alerts save lives. They get critical information out quickly to millions of Minnesotans willing to step up to help rescue a child in mortal danger," Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said in the release. "We are grateful to the Minnesotan who acted quickly and bravely in this case, and to all Minnesotans who join in the search when a child needs them most."
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Todd County Sheriff's Office, the Long Prairie Police Department and the Red Lake Police Department.
