Red Lake woman federally charged for deadly house fire, boy's abduction
RED LAKE, Minn. — A Red Lake woman has been federally charged for the abduction of a 3-year-old boy and a deadly house fire, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced Monday.
Jennifer Stately, 35, is facing multiple charges including murder, arson and child neglect for the death of two young children and the treatment of a 3-year-old boy.
Court documents say Stately attacked two children with a knife on March 15 before setting fire to the residence. One of the children died from a stab wound. The other suffered from multiple stab wounds but ultimately died from smoke inhalation.
Stately allegedly fled from the house in her vehicle with the 3-year-old boy.
An AMBER Alert was issued for the child that same evening. It was canceled nearly two hours later after authorities found Stately and the child inside a vehicle on Highway 71 in Todd County.
Police reported the child "had a very strong smell of body odor, as if he had not been washed or changed in a few days." He was taken to Long Praire Hospital for further evaluation. There, a body examination found multiple open sores and lesions. His face and legs appeared to be the worst, court documents say. Many of the child's teeth were also found to be rotten.
Charges against Stately were dropped in Todd County last week, as the alleged abuse occurred on the Red Lake Reservation, which is not in the state court jurisdiction.
According to Red Lake Nation, tribal courts "hear all misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor cases resulting from violations of the Tribal Code. Certain felony crimes are adjudicated in federal court."
Stately remains in custody.
Domestic Violence Resources: For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
