Loved ones of 7-year-old girl who died after alleged torture say "no one had the chance to save her"

Loved ones of a 7-year-old girl allegedly murdered by her caretaker say they're haunted by how they learned of the little girl's death.

The child's godmother spoke exclusively with CBS News New York.

"We wish we knew"

The people who loved Jor'Dynn Duncan say there are memories they can't stop thinking about: Jor'Dynn's smile, her laugh and a voicemail left just days before she died.

Last Christmas, Jor'Dynn called her godmother, Alisha Case, to thank her for gifts Case had dropped off at the Bayport home where Jor'Dynn was staying with her incarcerated dad's girlfriend, Emily Kelly.

But Case said on that day, like so many before, Kelly kept her away from the 7-year-old.

"We wish we knew," Case said. "We had a feeling, but so much was hidden, and now we know."

On Dec. 29, Jor'Dynn died.

Case said Kelly sent her a text message on Dec. 30 reading, in part, "I have horrible news and I am beside myself right now. Yesterday at 3am Jordynn spiked a very high fever ... I gave her CPR and 911 was called they worked on her here and at the hospital but they were not able to revive her. They are doing an autopsy to determine what happened."

Investigators allege Kelly routinely tied up and tortured Jor'Dynn for a year, allegedly documenting the abuse with videos and text messages.

Prosecutors said the 7-year-old suffered close to 90 injuries, including internal stab wounds, and the cause of death was determined to be an untreated infection.

"She was all by herself"

In that final year, Case and other loved ones said Jor'Dynn was increasingly isolated, and they only saw her a handful of times.

"She was all by herself, and she had no voice," said Jeanette Case, Alisha Case's mom. 

Alisha Case said she was never able to have a private conversation with Jor'Dynn.

"[Kelly] never let Jor'Dynn be alone, looking back now," she said. "I really was reaching out, doing everything I could think of – meet at the library, meet at McDonald's, meet at my house, meet at your house."

Prosecutors allege Jor'Dynn missed 40 days of school, with Kelly providing excuses including illness and a trip to Disney World.

"It's 40 days. There's no excuse," Jeanette Case said. "There should be a home visit. There has to be a doctor visit ... We never had the chance to see her. No one had the chance to save her."

"We love her so much," Alisha Case said.

Kelly is now charged with second-degree murder. Kelly's mother, Barbara Renner, is charged with manslaughter, and her daughter, Elyssa Seymore, is charged with unlawful imprisonment. All three have pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors say said Jor'Dynn was placed in Kelly's home by Suffolk County Family and Children Services, but County Executive Ed Romaine disputes that, saying Jor'Dynn was placed in Kelly's home by a family court judge.

CBS News New York stopped by Jor'Dynn's biological mother's home, but we were unable to reach her.