Chicago Couple Face Murder Charges After Death of Granddaughter

A couple has been charged with murder after the death of the man's granddaughter who was allegedly physically abused before she died, according to local law enforcement.

Jada Moore, who was just 5 years old, was found unresponsive by the the Park Forest Police Department (PFPD) who responded to her home in the Chicago suburb of Park Forest, Illinois, late on Friday night. Officers began CPR on the little girl who was rushed to the hospital, but medics were unable to save her and she died on Saturday morning. Her grandfather Klent Elwoods, 62, and his wife Lisa Jones, 57, are now both facing first-degree murder charges and are due to appear in bond court at the Markham Courthouse on Monday, according to the police department.

The PFPD claim that the couple each admitted to physically abusing Moore, who allegedly showed signs of suffering from previous incidents of abuse. Newsweek has reached out to PFPD by email for further information and comment.

The distressing case comes after experts warned how widespread child abuse is across the United States, with a study published last July suggesting that school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic may have allowed some cases to slip under the radar.

"To protect children, we need to better understand why so many are maltreated—13 percent according to one study and 4 in 10 according to another[...] Early detection is crucial because it leads to quicker intervention and that can result in providing a child with a safe, permanent home," Maria Fitzpatrick—a professor of economics and public policy at Cornell University who authored the study called "Beyond Reading, Writing and Arithmetic: The Role of Teachers and Schools in Reporting Child Maltreatment"—said in a news release.

In a Sunday statement on its Facebook page, the PFPD wrote in part: "It is with heavy hearts that we share the death of Jada Moore, a five-year-old girl from Park Forest...The child's grandfather, Klent Elwoods (62 years old), called 911, admitted to abusing Jada, and told dispatchers she was unresponsive...Jada exhibited signs of recent physical abuse as well as older indicators. Park Forest Detectives interviewed Elwoods and Jones who both admitted to physically abusing Jada...The men and women of the Park Forest Police Department wish to express their deepest sympathy to Jada's family and friends and grieve the tragic loss of this child's life."

Meanwhile, detectives presented all their evidence to the Cook County state's attorney office, who approved the charge of first-degree murder against the couple on Sunday.

Tragically, it is not the first time that grandparents have been accused of killing their grandchildren.

Back in February, a 72-year-old North Carolina woman was accused of beating her 8-year-old granddaughter to death. Last March, a grandfather in Montana was sentenced to 100 years in prison for murdering his 12-year-old grandson, who was found dead with blunt force trauma in February 2020.