Three Women Arrested in Connection to Child’s Death

An elderly woman, along with her 50-year-old daughter and 24-year-old granddaughter, was arrested on Wednesday. They are accused of the alleged “horrific abuse and torture” of a seven-year-old girl.

Emergency services responded to an unresponsive child report at a home in Bayport on December 29, 2025. Tragically, Jordyn Duncan was later pronounced dead at a local hospital due to cardiac arrest.

Prosecutors have linked Barbara Renner, her daughter Emily Kelly, and Kelly’s daughter Elissa Seymour to what they describe as “prolonged torture, abuse, and brutal murder” of the innocent child.

The Suffolk County Coroner’s Office identified 90 distinct injuries on Jordyn’s body upon her death, prompting a murder investigation.

Authorities revealed that Jordyn was Kelly’s fiancé’s daughter, who was incarcerated at the time. Kelly had requested Child Protective Services to take custody of her child in December 2024, and by April 2025, she secured full custody.

Digital evidence obtained from Kelly’s phone allegedly shows a timeline of abuse starting in January 2025, which included physical harm, extended restraint, and neglect of medical care.

One troubling message supposedly read, “Don’t hit her in the face. If you’re going to hit her, you have to hit her in the body. That’s another thing we have to hide.”

To further conceal the abuse, the girl was kept out of school for a total of 40 days.

The charges against Kelly include several counts of second-degree murder, while Renner faces second-degree manslaughter charges, and Seymour is charged with first-degree false imprisonment.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney stated, “This isn’t just one act of violence. It was a meticulous and documented series of months filled with systematic brutality. No child should endure such horror. We will pursue justice for Jordyn.”

Officials are now calling for greater accountability from agencies responsible for monitoring such situations.

County Councilor Rebecca Sanin questioned, “How could this child have been placed with someone so abusive? How did the school not notice or ask questions for 40 days?”

Neighbors expressed their shock upon learning about the severe abuse faced by the child. Tim Lowe remarked, “She was the cutest thing you could imagine. I never saw any marks on her face.”

Family members of the child have not spoken to the press regarding the incident.