Ex-Girlfriend Who Snuck into Illinois from Indiana Charged with 9 Counts of Murder After Her Children’s Father and His Parents Found Dead: The Hit Lady

Photo of 30-year-old St. John, Indiana woman Jenna Strouble. Photo from ABC7Chicago.

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30-year-old St. John, Indiana woman Jenna Strouble is facing nine counts of murder, according to Will County police in Illinois. The charges come after the bodies of her children’s father and his family were found throughout the family’s property in Crete. Authorities quite literally thinks she’s the killer ex, and the crime scene was gruesome.

What Happened

At 2 am on Monday, March 23, Will County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a home in the 3400 block of East Norway Trail in Crete Township. A family member had made the call for a wellness check when attempts to reach the occupants failed.

When they got there, deputies searched the driveway, where they found an occupied vehicle. Further investigation revealed the vehicle was riddled with bullets and the person inside was dead. It was the body of 32-year-old Jacob Lambert. He had been ambushed. What the police found inside the home was even worse.

Near the front door, investigators found the bodies of Stacy and Patrick Forde, the parents of Jacob. They had likely heard the shots and were near the doorway when they too were ambushed. The following day, Tuesday, March 24, Jenna Strouble was taken into custody at her home in St. John, Indiana. She was charged with nine counts of first-degree murder on Wednesday, March 25, for actions straight out of a movie. The case against her is looking overwhelming.

The Evidence

After Jenna Strouble was taken into custody in St. John, authorities found a firearm. Ballistics testing confirmed it was the weapon used to kill at least one specific victim at the scene of the crime. The mountain of evidence gets bigger.

During interviews with detectives after the heartless murders, Strouble allegedly made incriminating statements that linked her to the murders. She couldn’t keep her story straight and wasn’t the genius hit woman she thought she was. She also had a familiar, if contentious, relationship with police. In January 2025, deputies were called to that same home for a domestic battery and a mental health intervention, and Strouble was involuntarily committed to a mental institution.

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Police also knew of the tumultuous relationship she had with Jacob and that they shared children. Connecting the dots was an easy job. Her defense might ultimately be the fact that she was involuntarily committed. However, that defense is likely to fail, considering the amount of planning she did to commit these senseless murders.

She is currently being held without bond. She is scheduled to appear in Will County court on Monday, March 30, at 9 a.m.

The Takeaway

Jenna Strouble is facing nine counts of murder for allegedly killing her children’s father and his parents. The three victims are Jacob Lambert (32) and Stacy (54) and Patrick Forde (55). Strouble is being held without bond in Will County. Her next court date is in Will County court on Monday, March 30, at 9 a.m. After committing these murders, she has effectively ended four lives and orphaned her own children.

Jermaine Reed, MFA is an educator and the Editor-in-Chief of TheReedersBlock. Take time to Subscribe. It helps promote independent journalism and the site. Follow him on TikTok, where he has over 9 million views and nearly 1 million likes. Help him get there.