Three generations of women from one family have been charged with the abuse and torture death of a 7-year-old girl, prosecutors said. Jor'Dynn Duncan was terrorized for at least a year inside a Bayport home, where 50-year-old Emily Kelly, who had been given custody of the child, along with her mother and daughter allegedly abused the girl until her tiny body gave out, Suffolk County prosecutors said Wednesday, May 20.
Details of the Abuse
The helpless 7-year-old was tortured to death in a house and was so badly battered that she died with 90 stab wounds on her body, prosecutors said. Kelly is now charged with second-degree murder, while her mom, Barbara Renner, 75, and daughter, Elyssa Seymore, 24, are also charged in the prolonged child abuse.
“This was not an alleged single act of violence,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement. “It was months of alleged systematic cruelty and sadistic abuse, meticulously documented. 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.”
Background and CPS Involvement
Jor'Dynn, whose father is Kelly's fiancé, was placed in the home by Child Protective Services in December 2024, with the accused killer getting custody and guardianship in April 2025. Over the course of the year, the girl repeatedly missed 40 days of school, with Kelly and her family making up excuses ranging from illnesses and deaths in the family to made-up trips to Disneyworld.
On Dec. 29, police received a 911 call from the house claiming Jor'Dynn suffered cardiac arrest. The girl was rushed to NYU Langone Hospital in Suffolk County, where she was pronounced dead. Police launched an investigation after an autopsy revealed that the girl died as a result of a massive untreated infection from “sharp force injuries” dating to at least January 2025, with about 90 wounds on her body, according to prosecutors.
Charges and Bail
On Wednesday, May 20, 2026, Kelly was charged with murder, reckless endangerment, unlawful imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child, and ordered held on $5 million cash bail or a $10 million bond. Renner was charged with second-degree manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child, and is being held on $50,000 cash or a $500,000 bond. Seymore is charged with unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child, and was ordered held on $25,000 cash bail or a $250,000 bond, the DA's office said.
