Current:Home > Contact-us12-year-old's 'decomposing' body found in Milwaukee home, homicide investigation underway-LoTradeCoin
12-year-old's 'decomposing' body found in Milwaukee home, homicide investigation underway
View Date:2025-01-15 01:37:18
Authorities in Milwaukee say they are investigating after finding the "decomposing" body of a malnourished 12-year-old boy inside his family's home this week.
The child's family identified the boy as Jacarie Robinson, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office says the death is being investigated as a homicide.
The Milwaukee Police Department reported on X that officers responded Tuesday at 6:10 p.m. to a home in the city's northwest side and found the child unresponsive.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The department initially labeled the death as "suspicious."
Boy convicted in fast-food slaying:12-year-old Texas boy convicted of using AR-style rifle to shoot, kill Sonic worker
No arrests have been made
Police reportedly found Jacarie's body inside the home and, as of Friday morning, had not announced any arrests in connection to his death.
It’s unclear when the boy died, according to the medical examiner’s office.
The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, required by state law to provide public notice of child deaths and injuries due to suspected maltreatment, has opened an investigation into the case.
The notification did not indicate Jacarie’s family had previous contact with the child welfare system.
Vermont trail killing:Tips pour into Vermont State Police following sketch related to trail homicide
Family members reeling from boy's death
D.C. Moye, an uncle of the boy, said Jacarie − the youngest of 10 children in his family − had been living with his father and two sisters in the home where he was found.
He said he "had no idea what could have gone wrong."
Moye and another relatives said there was a certain amount of distance between them, Jacarie and the rest of his immediate family.
“Not as close as I should have been, seeing the situation,” Moye said. “Was anything going on out of the ordinary that I should have known about, or any signs that I missed?”
Remembering Jacarie Robinson
Jacarie was described as a happy but quiet child who enjoyed wrestling and TikTok videos, according to his uncle and an aunt, Lauren Moye.
Other members of Jacarie’s family gathered for a vigil and balloon release Wednesday. Several family members told media there that the large family had been split up. They hadn’t seen Jacarie for several months and assumed things were fine.
The boy's aunt said she hadn’t seen Jacarie for years but he would sometimes message her on Facebook, asking what she was up to. When she answered and asked the same question back, Jacarie’s usual reply was “nothing.”
“My brother didn’t really tell me much about him,” she said.
Dylan Detert, who owns the property where Jacarie was found, said he rented the home to a tenant but that he wasn’t sure if someone was actually living there.
However, D.C. Moye said he periodically visited his brother − Jacarie’s father − at that home.
When was Jacarie last seen by other family members?
His most recent visit was in late September and said Jacarie appeared to be fine. D.C. Moye said he never went inside the home when he visited and would normally just speak with his brother outside.
In the days since the death, D.C. Moye said he has come to realize that Jacarie hadn't been in school for some time. The last he knew that Jacarie was attending school in person was before the COVID-19 pandemic.
D.C. and Lauren Moye said they have not heard from Jacarie’s father since the young boy's body was found.
“He’s not answering anyone’s calls,” Lauren Moye said.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund. Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12.
veryGood! (3113)
Related
- Jason Kelce Offers Up NSFW Explanation for Why Men Have Beards
- Maria Menounos Recalls Fearing She Wouldn't Get to Meet Her Baby After Cancer Diagnosis
- Striving to outrace polio: What's it like living with the disease
- Traffic Deaths Are At A 20-Year High. What Makes Roads Safe (Or Not)?
- Lou Donaldson, jazz saxophonist who blended many influences, dead at 98
- Family of woman shot through door in Florida calls for arrest
- Arctic Report Card: Lowest Sea Ice on Record, 2nd Warmest Year
- Gwyneth Paltrow’s Daughter Apple Martin Pokes Fun at Her Mom in Rare Footage
- Chicago Bears will ruin Caleb Williams if they're not careful | Opinion
- Amputation in a 31,000-year-old skeleton may be a sign of prehistoric medical advances
Ranking
- See Megan Fox, Machine Gun Kelly, Brian Austin Green and Sharna Burgess' Blended Family Photos
- Freddie Mercury memorabilia on display ahead of auction – including scribbled song lyrics expected to fetch more than $1 million
- Pence officially files paperwork to run for president, kicking off 2024 bid
- Hunger advocates want free school meals for all kids. It's tough sell in Congress
- 13 escaped monkeys still on the loose in South Carolina after 30 were recaptured
- The Truth About Queen Camilla's Life Before She Ended Up With King Charles III
- Nearly 8 million kids lost a parent or primary caregiver to the pandemic
- TikToker and Dad of 3 Bobby Moudy Dead by Suicide at Age 46
Recommendation
-
California Gov. Gavin Newsom will spend part of week in DC as he tries to Trump-proof state policies
-
States Begin to Comply with Clean Power Plan, Even While Planning to Sue
-
Alberta’s New Climate Plan: What You Need to Know
-
How to behave on an airplane during the beast of summer travel
-
Stock market today: Asian shares mostly decline, shrugging off Wall Street’s overnight rally
-
Crazy Rich Asians Star Henry Golding's Wife Liv Lo Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby No. 2
-
Freddie Mercury memorabilia on display ahead of auction – including scribbled song lyrics expected to fetch more than $1 million
-
Kids Face Rising Health Risks from Climate Change, Doctors Warn as Juliana Case Returns to Court