Background: Indian symbols drawn on concrete slabs and a bouquet of flowers adorn the road sign at the entrance to the Red Lake Indian Reservation on Wednesday, March 23, 2005. (AP Photo/Morry Gash.) Inset: Todd County Jail booking photo of Jennifer Marie Stately.
A mother in Minnesota is facing charges after she allegedly stabbed one of her toddlers in the chest, left her second child to die in a fire she set and then fled with the last of her surviving children who was so badly neglected that police said when they found him, he had burns across 95% of his face and body and scabs lining the bottoms of his feet.
Jennifer Marie Stately, 35, is charged 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, according to a statement from the Justice Department.
She is now in federal custody following an initial appearance on Monday before a magistrate judge in Minnesota. Her lawyer did not immediately return a request for comment on Tuesday.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune disclosed the names of two of Stately’s children this week: Remi Stately, 6, died from stab wounds to the chest, and Tristan Stately, 5, died of smoke inhalation from the fire police said his mother set to their home in Blackduck, Minnesota. The surviving 3-year-old was not publicly identified. One online obituary for Remi Stately described him as a fun-loving little boy who enjoyed playing with his siblings and loved the movie “Toy Story” and the kid’s television show Bubble Guppies. Tristan Stately was described as an outgoing protector of his brothers despite being the middle child.
The children were survived by a large number of family members including their father, Brian Graves Jr.
Prosecutors say the violence erupted on March 15 at the Red Lake Indian Reservation. After the attacks on Remi and Tristan, prosecutors said Stately took off with her 3-year-old but was eventually apprehended thanks to an Amber Alert and an eagle-eyed motorist.
The missing children notification went out once police had discovered the fire on the reservation and within an hour, the Red Lake woman was spotted with the 3-year-old and arrested.
Court records show Stately has pleaded not guilty.
“This tragic case demonstrates the importance of close working relationships between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our state, federal and tribal law enforcement partners. Together, we are able to bring charges swiftly in cases such as this on behalf of the most vulnerable among us,” U.S. attorney Andrew Luger said Monday.
Stately’s federal indictment was made this week after local prosecutors in Todd County opted to dismiss an extensive number of existing state child abuse and neglect charges. They were dismissed so she could be charged federally and the Star Tribune reported that local officials had previously declined to say whether Stately had killed one of her sons in the house fire. Initially, prosecutors had questions about the timing of the fire and if it had been set only after an Amber Alert was issued.
The level of alleged neglect of Stately’s children was profound, court records show. The 3-year-old reeked of body odor because he had not been changed or washed in days. The sores covering his face were bleeding where they were not scabbed and the bottoms of his feet were so full of scabs that he could not stand because of the pain. The child’s teeth were also so rotted that he could not eat properly, prosecutors said.
If you or someone you know may be a victim of child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453).
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