Prosecutors stated that Barbara Renner, her daughter Emily Kelly, and Kelly’s daughter Elyssa Seymore were arrested Wednesday for the alleged “horrific abuse and torture” of a 7-year-old child.
Paramedics were dispatched to a Bayport residence on December 29, 2025, at approximately 10:30 a.m., after being alerted that a child was unresponsive. The victim, Jor’Dynn Duncan, was transported to NYU Langone Hospital-Suffolk and pronounced dead from cardiac arrest.
Digital evidence recovered from the suspects’ cell phones and cloud services revealed months of alleged systematic cruelty, including physical injuries, prolonged restraint, and neglect of medical care since January 2025. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office documented 90 injuries on the child’s body at death, triggering an open homicide investigation.
Investigators determined that Duncan was the daughter of Kelly’s fiancé, who is incarcerated, and that Kelly had requested the child be placed in her care with Child Protective Services in December 2024. By April 2025, Kelly obtained full custody and guardianship of the girl. Texts allegedly included phrases such as: “You can’t hit her face. You gotta hit her body if you going to hit her. That’s another thing we gotta hide.”
The child was reportedly kept from school for a total of 40 days to conceal the abuse and injuries. Kelly was indicted on murder in the second degree, Renner on second-degree manslaughter, and Seymore on unlawful imprisonment in the first degree.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said: “This was not an alleged single act of violence. It was months of alleged systematic cruelty and sadistic abuse, meticulously documented. The child was allegedly left to die while these defendants watched her deteriorate.”
County Legislator Rebecca Sanin questioned how the child was placed with such unfit individuals and why school authorities did not intervene for 40 days over a year. Neighbors expressed shock at learning about the alleged abuse, with one neighbor stating: “The cutest little thing that you want to see in your life,” adding, “I never saw any marks on her face.” Relatives of the deceased child declined to comment on the case.
