Prosecutors: Woman gave on-and-off lover massage before killing him, then killed his parents near Crete, Illinois

Prosecutors have asked a judge to hold a woman in custody until trial on charges that she shot and killed the father of her children, his mother, and his stepfather, who were all found at a home in unincorporated Crete in Chicago's far south suburbs.

A hearing on Monday was rescheduled for Tuesday, and Jenna Strouble, 30, will be held in custody at least until a judge makes a decision at that time.

Strouble, of St. John, Indiana, was charged with nine counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 54-year-old Stacy Forde, 55-year-old Patrick Forde, and 32-year-old Jacob Lambert.

Prosecutors said she gave Lambert — with whom she had an on-and-off romantic relationship — a massage before killing him, and then drove away to his parents' house and killed them too.

At 2:01 a.m. Monday, March 23, Will County Sheriff's deputies were called to a home in the 3400 block of East Norway Trail in unincorporated Crete, after receiving a call from Strouble's sister. The sister said Strouble had told her that she herself had shot three people, prosecutors from the Will County State's Attorney's office said.

When deputies arrived at the Norway Trail residence, the door was open, and Patrick Forde was lying dead in the front dining room, prosecutors said. Stacy Forde was lying dead on the stairs directly in front of the door, prosecutors said.

Both had been shot multiple times, and several shell casings were found on the floor, prosecutors said.

Lambert was found lying dead in a black 2014 Ford Fusion Titanium in the cul-de-sac near the house, prosecutors said. He was face down in the passenger-side front seat with the seat reclined back, and also had been shot, prosecutors said,

Meanwhile, officers in St. John, Indiana, went to Strouble's home. She came out and handed the officers a bag with a loaded Glock 19 with a silencer, prosecutors said. A vehicle registered to Jacob Lambert was found nearby, and Strouble's two children and her own parents were in the home with her, prosecutors said.

Strouble was taken to the St. John Police Department, where Will County Sheriff's deputies came to talk to her, prosecutors said. She told them Jake Lambert was the father of two children, Stacy Forde was Jacob Forde's mother, and Patrick Forde was his stepfather, prosecutors said.

Strouble and Lambert had started dating in 2020, briefly lived together, and became the parents of children now ages 4 and 3, prosecutors said. They still maintained an occasional intimate relationship in addition to coparenting, prosecutors said.

On Sunday, March 22, Strouble asked Lambert if he wanted to hang out and go for a drive, prosecutors said. She came around 11 p.m. or 11:30 p.m. to pick him up, and they went to the Plum Creek Nature Preserve — which was closed, prosecutors said.

Strouble told investigators that she and Lambert did not communicate well and only engaged in small talk, prosecutors said. But when asked if the purpose of this drive was to improve that situation, Strouble said, "No, I went there with an intention, prosecutors said.

When asked if that intention was to go to Lambert's home and hurt him, Strouble nodded yes, prosecutors said.

Strouble said she pulled over on Burnham Road in Sauk Village, and told Lambert she had a surprise for him and was going to give him a back massage, prosecutors said. She said she brought a massage gun with her because Lambert complained that his back hurt and she did not do enough for him, prosecutors said.

Strouble asked Lambert to recline the seat back, take off his shirt and hat, and lie on his abdomen, prosecutors said. She straddled him and gave him a massage for 20 minutes, prosecutors said.

But while giving Lambert the massage, Strouble received the Glock pistol, which she had been storing under the passenger seat. Strouble held the gun to the back of Lambert's head for about eight minutes while giving him the massage, prosecutors said.

Strouble said she thought about putting down the gun and doing it all another time, but she went ahead and shot Lambert in the back of the head, prosecutors said.

After this, Strouble climbed off Lambert's body, smoked a cigarette, and drove to Lambert's parents' house, prosecutors said.

Strouble said she wasn't left with much blood on her shirt after killing Lambert, because "this was like a movie and there wasn't much blood," prosecutors said. She referred to the shirt as being of a brand called "God Inspires," prosecutors said.

Upon arriving at Lambert's parents' house in unincorporated Crete, Strouble smoked another cigarette while trying to get into the house with Lambert's keys, prosecutors said.

Pat Forde heard the noise and asked who was there. Strouble said it was she, and he asked her why she was there, to which she replied, "I don't know," prosecutors said. Pat Forde also asked Strouble if Lambert was with her, and she indicated that he was, prosecutors said.

Pat Forde opened the door, and Strouble told prosecutors at that point that she began shooting him right away — firing the gun from the front porch and continuing into the house, prosecutors said. Stacy Forde heard her husband scream and came downstairs, and Strouble shot her too, prosecutors said.

Strouble then called her sister, who works a night shift and lives out of state, because she wanted the sister to take care of her children, prosecutors said.

Strouble said she had purchased the gun at Sheepdog Armory in Crown Point in December, and had bought the silencer online. Investigators searched her bedroom and found two more silencers, spent shell casings, and ammunition, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Strouble did not provide much of a motive for killing Lambert and his parents other than generally not liking them. Specifically, she said she did not like the way Lambert spoke to the children, and that he had showered with a toddler, that people took naps with the children, that his parents were "overbearing," and that his mother was "snarky," prosecutors said.

She vaguely suggested she did not think the children were safe with Lambert or even with her own parents, prosecutors said. When asked, she said she had also considered killing her own parents, but didn't think she could go through with it, prosecutors said.

Strouble also said she did not have a connection with her own children and did not spend time with them, even though she was not employed. She said she voluntarily turned over the children to Lambert and his family, only getting them back recently, prosecutors said.

Deputies also were called to Strouble's home in January 2025 for domestic battery and a mental health intervention. Sheriff's officials said Strouble was involuntarily committed during that incident last year. 

A memorial continues to grow outside the home of Patrick and Stacy Forde.

Strouble is expected back in court at 9 a.m.