3 Bayport women arrested in connection with torture, death of 7-year-old child in their care

A Bayport woman, her mother and her daughter have been indicted in the killing of a 7-year-old girl who prosecutors said suffered "prolonged torture" and had more than 90 wounds on her body at the time of her death late last year, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Jor’Dynn Duncan had been living with her father's fiancee, Emily Kelly, who was granted legal custody of the girl, when she died last year, authorities said.

Kelly, 50, has been indicted on charges of second-degree murder, unlawful imprisonment, reckless endangerment and other counts in connection with Jor'Dynn's death.

Kelly’s mother, Barbara Renner, 75, was indicted on a charge of second-degree manslaughter and a misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a child. Elyssa Seymore, 24, Kelly’s daughter, was indicted on a charge of first-degree unlawful imprisonment and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

"This was not an alleged single act of violence. It was months of alleged systematic cruelty and sadistic abuse, meticulously documented," Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said in a statement. "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." 

Kelly's attorney, John LoTurco, in a statement to Newsday after his client’s arraignment, said Jor'Dynn's death was a "tragic accident."

"The facts will demonstrate that Emily deeply cared for Jor’Dynn and treated her as her own daughter. The evidence will show that this was a tragic accident, not the result of any malicious intent. Emily acted with love and compassion at all times.

"Jor’Dynn’s life was marked by significant hardship, including the loss of custody by her mother and the incarceration of her father," LoTurco said. "Following her placement in foster care, she experienced profound psychological struggles, including self-harm, which we believe are relevant to the circumstances surrounding this tragic loss." 

Prosecutors allege the claims of self-harm are untrue.

According to prosecutors, on Dec. 29 at approximately 10:30 a.m., Kelly called 911 to report that Jor'Dynn was in cardiac arrest.

Responding paramedics found her unconscious on the floor outside a bathroom in the three-bedroom home and took her to NYU Langone Hospital in Patchogue. She was pronounced dead at the hospital an hour later.

"From the moment [first responders] got there, Jor’Dynn Duncan never regained consciousness, never breathed a breath on her own," Assistant District Attorney Dena Rizopoulos said in court Wednesday.

As a 911 operator asked Kelly and Renner to perform CPR on the girl to save her life, Kelly complained to the operator about behavioral issues with the child, saying she often vomited and ate feces, Rizopoulos said.

An autopsy later revealed significant injuries to the girl’s body. She suffered nine sharp-forced wounds to her backside and a perforated colon from additional internal sharp-force wounds that led to a "massive infection" that caused her death, prosecutors said. The girl had at least 90 injuries on her body suffered in the final 48 hours of her life, and 20 older injuries, including some that suggested she had been whipped by a folded cord in the past, prosecutors said.

Rizopoulos said a monthslong investigation by police showed the child had been abused for almost the entirety of Kelly’s custody. The prosecutor said the girl was placed with Kelly by Child Protective Services on Dec. 24, 2024, and she gained full custody in April 2025.

The alleged abuse started as early as Jan. 7, 2025, and became more severe by May, when she started to miss significant chunks of school, prosecutors allege.

When officials with the Bayport-Blue Point School District, where Jor’Dynn had been enrolled to attend second grade, contacted the family with concerns, Kelly offered different explanations for her absences, prosecutors said.

She had illnesses, they reported at times, a death in the family another. Once Kelly said they took a trip to Disney World.

Prosecutors said none of those claims were true.

Instead, they said Jor’Dynn was being beaten as Kelly and her co-defendants sought ways to cover up the abuse.

One series of text messages showed Kelly and Seymore discussed purchasing makeup to cover up scars on the child’s body, Assistant District Attorney Melissa Grier, who is prosecuting the case with Rizopoulos, told the judge.

In other messages, Seymore expressed concern for her own infant son, who also lived in the home, over the long-term effects he might have for witnessing the alleged abuse.

Staff at Jor’Dynn’s elementary school told investigators they saw a different version of the child than what Kelly had reported.

"Jor'Dynn was described as a child that lit up the room," Rizopoulos said of the school’s comments to police. "Smart. Intelligent. Kind. And very well-behaved."

School officials said issues with toileting, vomiting and self-harm that Kelly alleged to police were not detected at school, the prosecutor said. A meeting with school officials that Kelly told Jor’Dynn’s father took place due to the girl’s behavior also never occurred, Rizopoulos said administrators told police.

Attendance records show Jor’Dynn missed approximately 40 days of school between January and June 2025, Rizopoulos said.

Bayport-Blue Point Superintendent of Schools Timothy Hearney said in a statement that the district "remains heartbroken and profoundly saddened by the tragic death of Jor’Dynn Duncan, a beloved second grader."

"Our thoughts remain with all those affected by this unimaginable loss, including the student’s family, classmates, teachers, and the entire Bayport-Blue Point community," Hearney said. "We remain committed to providing all necessary support to our students and staff members as we continue to navigate this difficult period." 

Hearney said the district will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.

Prosecutors said recorded jail calls between Kelly and the child’s father uncovered in the investigation show she repeatedly complained about the girl’s behavior and reported taking her for psychiatric treatment at NYU-Langone one week before her death over a "psychotic break."

But Rizopoulos said investigators uncovered that the day the girl died was the first time she had ever been treated at NYU-Langone, and there is no evidence she was taken for medical treatment with any other health care providers in 2025.

Despite this, Kelly told Jor’Dynn’s father she regularly saw a therapist.

"A therapist it turned out did not exist," Rizopoulos alleged.

Kelly also intervened to stop Bayport-Blue Point from providing counseling the district had arranged to help the girl transition to the school, Rizopoulos said.

The prosecutor said the investigation revealed much of the alleged abuse occurred in the bathroom of the family’s home, where the child was often restrained. Some of the evidence includes video of the abuse taken by search warrant from Kelly’s phone, prosecutors said.

Four of those videos were from between 6:15 and 6:25 p.m. on Dec. 28, 2025, the evening before the child’s death, Rizopoulos said. The prosecutor alleged the videos show the child was already in poor health 16 hours before Kelly called 911, when "no medical intervention" could have saved her.

In the videos allegedly recorded by Kelly, Renner can be seen talking and singing to the child while also "admonishing her," prosecutors said.

"Jor’Dynn’s coloring appears off, her skin is muddled, her face is swollen, her eyes are shut," Rizopoulos said. "She can be heard moaning."

In one of the videos, Renner approaches a nude Jor’Dynn from behind as the child struggles to cover herself with a towel, the prosecutor said.

Prosecutors allege Renner was fully aware of the abuse but made statements suggesting otherwise to police and CPS.

Rizopoulos described another video showing severe abuse that appeared to leave her eyes swollen and marks on her forehead consistent with chemical burns.

In another series of text messages between Kelly and Seymore on that same date in July, the daughter questions how Jor'Dynn will be able to attend school in September given her visible facial injuries, prosecutors said. She advises her mother to hit the girl on her body, instead of the face, Rizopoulos said. 

"That's another thing you gotta hide," Seymore allegedly wrote to Kelly. "She looks crazy, like every day it's worse."

Seymore's defense attorney, Katherine Fernandez, of Uniondale, told the judge she sees potential issues with how her client was charged with unlawful imprisonment. She said she has not seen evidence her client ever restrained the girl.

"I'm not so sure they will be able to prove she was an active participant," Fernandez told Collins.

Fernandez said Seymore has no prior arrests. Kelly has only a DWI arrest in Southold Town, according to LoTurco, who said his client's father was a decorated officer in the Nassau County Police Department.

Danielle Coysh, of Central Islip, who is representing Renner, said her client also has never been arrested. She said Renner suffers from dementia.

"I'm very interested at this point to see what evidence the people have and to evaluate that in light of my client," Coysh said, calling the allegations "tragic."

In an online obituary posted by Raynor & D'Andrea Funeral Homes in Bayport that handled her services, Jor'Dynn was remembered as "beautiful, brilliant, bright."

 Jor'Dynn was born on March 22, 2018, to Portia Duncan and Derrick Dixon and had 13 siblings. One of her older brothers preceded her in death.

"Jor’Dynn Rose Duncan was a radiant light whose joy, confidence, and sparkle filled every space she entered," the obituary read. "From the moment she arrived, she danced through life with sass, rhythm, and a smile that could melt hearts. She loved music, movement, laughter, and being surrounded by love. A true girl’s girl, Jor’Dynn lived boldly, joyfully, and unapologetically — leaving behind memories that will forever shine."

Her services were held in February.

"True to her name, Jor’Dynn Rose was grace and beauty in full bloom," the obituary said. "Though her time on this earth was far too short, her impact was mighty. She taught those around her how to love deeper, laugh louder, and appreciate every moment. Her spirit remains woven into the hearts of all who knew her."