Prosecutors said 7-year-old Jor’Dynn Duncan had about 90 injuries when she died.
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — Three related Long Island women pleaded not guilty Tuesday in the death of 7-year-old Jor’Dynn Duncan, whose body showed about 90 injuries after months of alleged abuse, prosecutors said.
The case has drawn grief and anger in Suffolk County as prosecutors move forward with charges against Emily Kelly, 50, her mother, Barbara Renner, 75, and Kelly’s daughter, Elyssa Seymore, 24. Authorities said Jor’Dynn died Dec. 29 after an untreated infection tied to sharp force injuries.
Kelly, who was engaged to the child’s incarcerated father, had gained full custody and guardianship of Jor’Dynn in April 2025 after the child was placed in her care months earlier. Prosecutors said the abuse began by January 2025 and was documented on cellphone and cloud accounts. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said the case was not an alleged single act, but months of “systematic cruelty and sadistic abuse.”
Authorities said Kelly called 911 at about 10:30 a.m. Dec. 29 to report Jor’Dynn was in cardiac arrest. Paramedics found the child unconscious and took her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The medical examiner later found a massive untreated infection and about 90 injuries. Prosecutors said investigators also found evidence of restraint, untreated wounds and a lack of medical care.
Kelly faces second-degree murder, reckless endangerment, unlawful imprisonment and child endangerment charges. Renner is charged with second-degree manslaughter and child endangerment. Seymore is charged with unlawful imprisonment and child endangerment. Defense attorney John LoTurco said Kelly pleaded not guilty and “asserts her innocence.” Renner’s attorney has denied that Renner caused the child’s death.
Jor’Dynn’s family and supporters filled the courtroom Tuesday. Some cried and hugged during the hearing. Afterward, attorney Heather Palmore, who represents the child’s mother, said the family is reviewing whether any system failures played a role. A fight broke out outside the Riverhead courthouse after the hearing, and court officers moved in to break it up.
The judge ordered discovery to be turned over before the next court date, expected in early August. The defendants remain in the court process as prosecutors prepare evidence for the next stage of the case.
Author note: Last updated June 24, 2026.