On March 15, 2024, Jennifer Marie Stately, alone with her children at their home on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, assaulted her two older sons and attacked them with a knife. Six-year-old Remi Leland Stately died of blunt and sharp force injuries (fatally stabbed), while his 5-year-old brother died of carbon monoxide poisoning after Stately set the home ablaze using gasoline and lighter fluid at multiple exit points. Stately fled the scene with a surviving 3-year-old child and was apprehended in Todd County following a statewide AMBER Alert. She pursued an insanity defense that the jury rejected, and was found guilty of five counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson. Remi's manner of death was ruled a homicide.
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 death certificate (2024-MN-011703.pdf) lists cause of death as "Blunt And Sharp Force Injuries Of The Head, Trunk, And Extremities" with injury description "Stabbed By Assailant(S)." The guilty-verdict press release states the mother "attacked them with a knife" and "fatally stabbed her older son."
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 guilty-verdict press release states Jennifer Marie Stately, the mother, "attacked and killed two of her young children" and "fatally stabbed her older son before setting the home on fire." The USA Today article identifies the boys as her children, born to 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 mother was arrested, charged, and convicted. The press release notes Stately "was apprehended and booked in the Todd County Jail" and "the jury returned guilty verdicts on all six counts."
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?
The guilty-verdict press release states "At trial, Stately pursued the affirmative defense of insanity. The jury rejected that defense," which references the mental health of the caregiver.
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 emerge: this was a federal prosecution in Indian Country (Red Lake Nation) tried before U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim, the defendant raised and the jury rejected an affirmative insanity defense, and a statewide AMBER Alert led to the mother's apprehension ~125-150 miles away. A surviving 3-year-old sibling (Ethan/Minor C) was found with "visible signs of child neglect," "rotten teeth" and "open sores and lesions," leading to separate abuse/neglect/torture charges in Todd County that were later dismissed when the case moved to federal jurisdiction. ATF Certified Fire Investigators determined gasoline and lighter fluid were used to set three separate fires at both exit points.
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.