When Larry Jones noticed a foul odor coming through a vent in his apartment, he chalked it up to dead mice and spoke to his landlord. But it was not until Wednesday, when U.S. marshals delivered an eviction notice next door, that Jones learned the real source of the stench. It was something way more crazy than a dead mouse. The smell came from the decomposing bodies of four young people.
Banita Jacks, 33, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and appeared in District of Columbia Superior Court. She did not speak during the hearing and superior Court Magistrate Judge Karen Howze ordered her held without bond.
When investigators came Jacks told a crazy story about children being possessed by demons. She said they began dying in their sleep, one by one, within a seven-day period, and added that she had not fed them for a substantial time before their deaths.
According to the police she said that the deaths occurred before a utility turned off her electricity, which prosecutors said was in September 2007, according to charging documents.
“I don’t think anyone in the city can remember a case involving this many young people who have died in such a tragic way,” Mayor Adrian Fenty said.
Medical examiner Dr Marie-Lydie Pierre-Louis said that Investigators believe the bodies had been there at least two weeks based on the insects that were found, but it was unclear exactly how and when the victims died. Authorities have said the children might have been dead since May.
“The charging documents identify the children as Brittany Jacks, 17; Tatianna Jacks, 11; N’Kiah Fogle, 6; and Aja Fogle, 5. Although autopsies are incomplete, the medical examiner’s office reported that there was evidence that Brittany had been stabbed, the charging documents state. There was evidence of binding on the necks of the Tatianna and N’Kiah, and evidence of blunt force injury to the head of Aja and binding on her neck, according to the documents.”
According to the documents: “Brittany’s body was partially covered by a white T-shirt. An object that appeared to be a steak knife lay nearby, and there was a dried maroon liquid around the body.”
“Somebody should have known that some people were not in school,” said Barry, the former mayor but school officials said the children believed to have been living in the home were not enrolled, though one had attended before withdrawing in 2006 as a fifth-grader.
Mindy Good, a spokeswoman for the D.C. Child and Family Services agency, said: “We made several attempts to make contact with these people. We were unable to have any face-to-face contact with them and on the last attempt (in early May), it appeared they were no longer living at the address.”
Area resident Rowand Simpkins said her neighbors tend to keep to themselves and that she never saw the woman or children. “It’s really a mystery,” she said of the youths’ deaths. “It’s a sad situation.”
Jacks could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
Tags: Breaking News, cool crazy stuff, Weird News
This is shocking
Yes that is sad and very sick!
What was on her mind … if there was anything
They are in some better place now lets hope
This is very sad. The women is obviously very mentally ill. I am sure we will find that this is a failure of mental health and social service systems. I would like to know the history, and how many people were aware this was a tragedy waiting to happen but did nothing.
One of my favorite quotes is (originally from Edmund Burke, but changed many times)
“For evil to prevail the only thing good people need to do is nothing” This was illness not evil, but the same principle applies.
By the way why is this listed under “cool crazy stuff”
Life – this women should be starved – hung and stabbed just like she did to her children.
Where’s the father or fathers of these kids?
Why to go child services….again.
How very sad
That crazy BITCH should have died before she had the chance to kill her children. Those poor kids! There are so many people in this world who would love to have children and she destroys hers. She should be made to have a hysterectomy and wait her turn on death row!!
Horrifying…. more and more, we are reading about mothers murdering their children – what the hell is going on???????
I beleive “an eye for an eye” that is SICK! Somebody had to know the kids had been missing? I mean Social Services went there and they just said “oh no one lives here anymore” and thats it?!?!?! Whoever let this slip through there hands should be punished just as well as her! And no “mental sickness b/s” NO mental ward! She needs to suffer just like them poor children!
May get life? What the hell is wrong with people? Everytime I read the news…someone has killed their children.
I cannot express the sadness and anger that I feel right now. Those poor babies…
I can only hope that someone in prison will beat her to DEATH!
She does not deserve to be here.
That is so sad, social services just gave up like that? I highly doubt it. There is more to it than that. Of course, they will not tell the real deal. Well I know the children are in a better place but I wish someone would have done something and saved those poor children. I am sure she will get sent to a mental institution and that will be that. Great justice system we have.
This so sad and tragic and shows that the mental health, school and the welfare system is no functioning. There has to be a better way to identify women who are prone to this type of madness. I should say parents becasue aman just threw 4 of his own children into a river. So this is not a woman’s problem its a parent problem as well as a societal one. One would think the neighbors would have wondered after not seeing the woman or her children in a few days regardless as whether she was a loner or not. Now days neighbors don’t want ot get involved everyone is all about “ME” and forget “YOU”. I think her guilt will be more than enough punishment for her, that is fi she the capacity to feel guilt or remorse.
no one cares about poor kids where have u guys been? this country would be happy if all poor people of any color,old people without money gays without money and any woman over a size 10 would just dissappear.oh and u can actually go back to ronald reagans era if you do not understand why this crazy heffa wasnt locked up in the first place. he cut funding for hospitalization for poor crazy people. almost half of our homeless and imprisoned in the loony part of prison are people who should have been supervised in a strict manner.God bless amerikkkaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Perhaps the End Times are nearer? Read Revelation….in the Bible…or perhaps there are poisons the accumulate in the bloodstreams of some people…things like cummulative food additives, or metal poisonings that are cumulative and affect brain function…like murcury poisoning…and yes, thee are FAR more incidents like murders of women and children taking place nowdays…perhaps it is due to the craziness that accumulates between people who are in overcrowded conditions…after all, two generations ago,when we all lived harder , healthier, more solitary lives, this type of mental illenss was not so prevelant…maybe we just need simple time to be with ourselves and THINK witnout the interference of unending people pressure…ir would drive anyone crazy.
I agree with You Guys …. no living creature deserves this kind of fate… especially Kids…
And Virginia this belongs to Crazy Stuff Part..;)
This woman is severely mentally ill! Have you ever smelled a decomposing body?…well I have(my neighbor died in the basement apartment and wasnt found for days). It’s the worse smell you’ll ever encounter in life. In order for her to live with that smell…times 4, for about 6 months is extremely certifiable. She deserves her crazy papers!!!
Very Sad, just goes to show the TIME we are living in.
Who are we to label her? This lady has a name, she should not be called Crazy Lady, People say oh kill her, do this to her, well what’s in your HOUSE??? This WORLD we live in is CRUEL If we was’nt there, WE DO’NT REALLY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED???
if not for the eviction how much longer would they have gone undetected and im sorry i have never smelled a dead body im sure it dont smell like a dead rat
Where was child protection services. Shameeeeeeeeee on them they was in that appartment the whole time!!! I think child services needs to be charged as well as the mother!!!!!!!!1
Omg that is the most horrible news ive read since Andrea Yates. This story had me crying so bad! I hope she burns in hell. Those poor babies.
I cant believe what this world is coming to. What kind of people are actually alive. That could have been one of your neighbors! This world is crazy!
Very sad. It has been going on for quite a long time. The system is overwhelmed with cases. A lot of children are being abbuised and worse. Some case workers have been with the system soo long that they do when they want to. Well if this will get these paid people to see it takes more than a letter if they don’t get the correct form in order to send out that check. Kids do not see food or clothing.Parents and children should been seen at least twice a year. Case workers would go out and visit often back in the day. It should happen again.Let them come to them if the case load is too much.
This happened in my area. The mayor has fired six people who should have handled this tragedy differently.
Had they listened to the social worker from the oldest girl’s school those kids would be alive today and the mother would not have been in court.
As it is, I don’t see her as mentally ill. I see her as a conniving, self-serving, evil person.
She knew enough about what she was doing to keep it a secret, that tells me she knew what she was doing was wrong.
Andrea Yates called 911 right after she killed her kids, so I see no comparison in the two women.
To much Hollywood, not enought Jesus. When I was a child I used to sleep with the Bible. I was always Afraid that the vampires, would come in and get me. Assure your children from a young age that these things are only make believe. We can have a lot more safer world. And happier children.
Tim The Heart Lawson
This lady was obviously obsessed with the wrong images, in her mind