On March 15, 2024, six-year-old Remi Leland Stately was attacked by his mother, Jennifer Marie Stately, at their home on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota. Jennifer slashed Remi and his five-year-old brother Tristan with a knife or other sharp object, and then set fire to the residence. Remi died from blunt and sharp force injuries of the head, trunk, and extremities, while Tristan died from smoke inhalation. After the killings, Jennifer fled the scene with her surviving three-year-old son, prompting an AMBER Alert. She was located and arrested in Todd County, approximately 125 miles from the scene, after a motorist spotted her vehicle. Jennifer was indicted on federal charges including premeditated murder, murder in the course of child abuse, murder in the course of arson, arson, and felony child neglect.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The vital record (2024-MN-011703.pdf) states the Cause of Death as "Blunt And Sharp Force Injuries Of The Head, Trunk, And Extremities" and Injury Description as "Stabbed By Assailant(S)." The DOJ press release states Stately "slashed at Minor A and Minor B with a knife or other sharp object" and "fatally stabbed Minor A in the chest." The USA Today article corroborates this, stating one child "was stabbed in the chest."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The biological mother, Jennifer Marie Stately, was indicted for the murders. The DOJ press release states: "Jennifer Marie Stately, 35, attacked and killed Minor A and Minor B. Stately slashed at Minor A and Minor B with a knife or other sharp object and then set fire to the residence." The USA Today article identifies the victims as her children, and the USA Today article notes the children were "Born to (Jennifer) Stately and Brian Graves Jr."
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The DOJ press release states: "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." The USA Today article confirms "Stately was arrested on suspicion of child neglect and endangerment, malicious punishment, torture and assault" and was later indicted on federal charges including premeditated murder. She appeared in U.S. District Court and was ordered to remain in custody.
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details warrant researcher attention. First, this case occurred on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, placing it under federal jurisdiction; it was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office rather than state authorities. The DOJ press release quotes U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger: "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." Second, Remi's 5-year-old brother Tristan Collin Stately was also killed in the same incident — one child died from stab wounds and the other from smoke inhalation after the mother set fire to the residence. Third, the surviving 3-year-old sibling (Ethan) was found with signs of severe ongoing neglect: "the boy's teeth were rotten and he had open sores and lesions on his body" per the USA Today article, and hospital staff noted the wounds "were not a skin condition and could be from a burn caused by heat or chemicals" per the Star Tribune article. Fourth, the AMBER Alert system was credited with saving the surviving child's life, with BCA Superintendent Drew Evans stating: "This case is another example of how AMBER Alerts save lives."
These fields were populated by an AI model and may contain inaccuracies. Review the links and PDFs provided for verification before citing. Contact [email protected] to report any inaccuracies where corrections are needed.