Suburban mom accused of killing ex, his parents after ‘hang out’ text, confession revealed in docs: report
Authorities have released new information involving the 30-year-old Indiana woman accused of gunning down the father of her children and his parents in an Illinois suburb earlier this month.
Jenna Strouble is charged with nine counts of first-degree murder stemming from the deaths of 32-year-old Jacob Lambert and his parents, Patrick and Stacy Forde, in Chicago on March 22, according to FOX 32.
According to newly released court documents, Strouble contacted Lambert on the day of the alleged murder asking him to "hang out," later admitting to investigators that she went to the meeting "with an intention" to harm him.
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Prosecutors allege Strouble drove to Plum Creek Nature Preserve, but pulled over along Burnham Road in Sauk Village upon learning the first location was closed and offered to give Lambert a back massage, FOX 32 reported.
Strouble then straddled Lambert as he laid on his stomach and massaged his back for about 20 minutes, court documents revealed, according to the outlet.
Strouble allegedly told investigators that when Lambert criticized her technique, she retrieved a Glock handgun hidden underneath the passenger seat and held it to the back of his head for several minutes before shooting him.
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Prosecutors said immediately following the shooting, Strouble drove to Lambert’s parents’ home in nearby Crete Township and attempted to use his keys to get inside before his father, Patrick Forde, came to the door, according to FOX 32.
As Patrick Forde opened the door, Strouble allegedly began shooting from the porch as she entered the home, ultimately striking him 17 times in the chest and abdomen.
As Stacy Forde came downstairs, Strouble allegedly shot her three times in the chest and abdomen, FOX 32 reported.
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Upon being asked if she came to Lambert’s parents’ home to finish her plan, Strouble allegedly told investigators, "Yeah, pretty much."
Immediately after the alleged murders, Strouble is accused of returning to her home in St. John, Indiana and calling her sister to admit to what she had done, with Strouble’s sister ultimately notifying police.
Deputies reportedly arrived at the Fordes' home around 2 a.m. on March 23 to find Patrick Forde’s lifeless body in the dining room and Stacy Forde lying on the stairs.
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Lambert’s body was located in a nearby cul-de-sac in the passenger seat of a 2014 Ford Fusion Titanium, still face down with the seat reclined.
As officers arrived at Strouble’s St. John home to take her into custody, prosecutors said Strouble came outside and handed them a loaded Glock 19 fitted with a suppressor, with investigators locating a vehicle registered to Lambert less than a block away, FOX 32 reported.
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Court documents revealed Strouble penned a note the night before the alleged killings providing the names of three of her children and asking others to care for them, according to the outlet.
Strouble allegedly admitted to purchasing the gun in December 2025 and buying the suppressor online for roughly $589.
Prosecutors pointed to Strouble’s complaints about Lambert’s parenting and tensions with his family as a possible motive for the alleged murders, with the pair occasionally maintaining an intimate relationship while co-parenting their two young children.
The mother reportedly admitted to not having a relationship with her children and spending little time with them, adding that she voluntarily handed custody over to Lambert and his family and only recently had them returned to her.
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Strouble also allegedly told investigators she considered killing her own parents because she did not feel her children would be safe under their care.
When investigators asked if she killed Lambert’s parents because she did not want them to take custody of their children, she allegedly replied, "that’s some of the reasons."
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Prosecutors pointed to an incident in which Strouble allegedly took her father’s rifle and stashed it under her bed, later telling him she thought about killing Lambert but did not have a plan, according to FOX 32.
Investigators also learned of Strouble’s past suicidal tendencies and medication for depression, including one incident in which she wanted to kill herself by jumping out of a window with her children, the outlet reported.
Strouble is set to appear in court Tuesday, where a judge will make a determination to keep her in custody until her trial.
If convicted, Strouble could face life in prison.
Fox News Digital was unable to immediately locate an attorney assigned to represent Strouble.