Three women from Long Island were arrested on Wednesday following a months-long campaign of systematic torture that resulted in the death of a 7-year-old girl, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.
The Victim and the Accused
Jor'Dynn Duncan spent the final year of her life under the care of 50-year-old Emily Kelly, the fiancée of the girl's father. In December 2024, Suffolk County Child Protective Services placed Jor'Dynn with Kelly because her father was incarcerated. Now, Kelly faces a slew of charges, the most serious being second-degree murder, after Jor'Dynn was taken from her Bayport home on December 29, 2025, suffering from approximately 90 sharp force injuries on her body, as determined by the medical examiner's office.
The autopsy revealed that the girl died from a massive untreated infection stemming from her numerous injuries. Prosecutors allege that Kelly, her 24-year-old daughter Elyssa Seymore, and her 75-year-old mother Barbara Renner all resided in the same Bayport house where the torture occurred. All three were named as co-defendants in a grand jury indictment. At their arraignment hearings, they pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Prosecutor's Statement
“This was not an alleged single act of violence. It was months of alleged systematic cruelty and sadistic abuse,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney. “The child was allegedly left to die while these defendants watched her deteriorate. No child should ever endure such horror, and we will seek justice for Jor'Dynn.”
Kelly, who obtained full custody of Jor'Dynn in April 2025, is portrayed by authorities as the ringleader of the abuse. To cover for Jor'Dynn missing approximately 40 days of school between January 2025 and June 2025, Kelly allegedly fabricated a series of excuses, including illnesses, deaths in the family, and even a trip to Disney World.
Evidence and Charges
Investigators recovered extensive photographic and video evidence of the prolonged abuse from Kelly's devices and cloud-based accounts. The abuse included prolonged restraint, physical injuries, and a lack of medical care, according to the district attorney's office.
On December 29, Kelly called 911 at around 10:30 a.m. to report that Jor'Dynn had gone into cardiac arrest. Paramedics were dispatched to Kelly's home, where they found Jor'Dynn unconscious. She was rushed to NYU Langone Hospital-Suffolk and was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Kelly faces the most serious charges. In addition to second-degree murder, which alone carries a penalty of 25 years to life, she has been charged with reckless endangerment, unlawful imprisonment, and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Kelly's attorney, John LoTurco, told Oxygen.com in a statement that Kelly denies the charges against her. LoTurco also suggested that the sharp force injuries described by prosecutors are the result of Jor'Dynn harming herself. “Jor'Dynn’s life was marked by significant hardship, including the loss of custody by her mother and the incarceration of her father,” he said. “Following her placement in foster care, she experienced profound psychological struggles, including self-harm, which we believe are relevant to the circumstances surrounding this tragic loss. Our firm is committed to representing Emily with the utmost dedication and vigor so that the truth is brought to light.”
Co-Defendants
Renner, Kelly's mother, was charged with one count of second-degree manslaughter and one count of endangering the welfare of a child. She faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Renner's attorney, Danielle Coysh, told Oxygen that her client suffers from dementia and was not the caregiver to Jor'Dynn.
Seymore, Kelly's daughter, was charged with one count of unlawful imprisonment and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She faces a maximum of four years in prison if convicted. Her attorney, Katherine Fernandez, said Seymore denies the allegations against her, adding that the charges of unlawful imprisonment stem from a three-day period in July 2025. Fernandez did not elaborate on what happened during those three days.
All three women are due in court on June 23.
