Romuan J. Moye (Milwaukee Police) and Jacarie Robinson (WTVJ screenshot)
Authorities in Wisconsin are searching for a 45-year-old father after the decomposing body of his emaciated 12-year-old son was found inside his apartment with an array of suspicious injuries, including both of his arms and several of his ribs being recently broken.
A warrant for the arrest of Romuan J. Moye was issued Saturday in connection to the death of young Jacarie Robinson, authorities announced. Moye is facing one count each of chronic neglect of a child — consequence is death, chronic neglect of a child — consequence is bodily harm, chronic neglect of a child, and failure to report the death of a child.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers with the City of Milwaukee Police Department at about 6:15 p.m. on Oct. 10 responded to a “dead on entry” call at an apartment complex located in the 4100 block of N. Elmhurst Road. The caller told the emergency dispatcher that there was a deceased 12-year-old child located inside the residence in an “advanced state of decomposition.”
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders located the caller who identified himself as Moye’s 22-year-old son — identified in court documents as “JM.”
JM told police his three younger brothers — ages 17, 15, and 12 — typically all lived in the apartment with Moye, but noted that for the last few weeks, the 17 and 15-year-olds had both been staying with their mother while the youngest, “JR,” remained under Moye’s care.
According to police documents, JM said he’d visited his father a few days prior and noticed he was acting “abnormal” and “repeatedly taking deep breaths,” but told police he never entered the apartment. With his father continuing to act strange, JM told police he returned to the apartment again on Oct. 10 to check on Moye’s well-being and let himself in when Moye failed to answer the door.
“JM went into the residence and looked around but nobody was home. JM went back into the residence to look for some belongings that were important to the Defendant,” the affidavit states. “As JM entered the living room, JM noticed a foot protruding from covers on the living room floor. JM immediately yelled out because JM knew it was JR’s body. JM pulled the cover back and observed JR’s face in an advanced state of decomposition with maggots present.”
“I don’t even know how to f—ing feel right now,” a “lost” and “confused” JM told police after finding his younger brother “in a state of decay.”
JM explained to police that Moye a few years ago claimed to have been diagnosed with cancer and claimed that it had progressed in the last few months, saying he “does not have long to live.” This made JM want to spend more time with his father, but Moye was being “evasive” of late.
