Authorities said false excuses, including a Disney World trip, helped conceal alleged abuse.
BAYPORT, N.Y. — Jor’Dynn Duncan missed about 40 school days before her death, and prosecutors now say those absences helped hide months of alleged abuse by three women who were later indicted in the 7-year-old girl’s death.
The absences are one piece of a criminal case that began publicly with a May indictment but traces back to January 2025, according to prosecutors. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said Emily Kelly, Barbara Renner and Elyssa Seymore kept Jor’Dynn isolated while her injuries worsened. Kelly had custody of the child. Renner is Kelly’s mother. Seymore is Kelly’s daughter. Together, prosecutors said, the women represent three generations of one household now facing charges tied to the child’s care and confinement.
Investigators said the explanations given to the school changed over time. Kelly allegedly cited illnesses, deaths in the family and a planned trip to Walt Disney World as reasons Jor’Dynn was not in class. The Disney excuse stood out because prosecutors said there was no happy trip. Instead, they said, Jor’Dynn remained in the Bayport home while abuse continued. The Bayport-Blue Point school superintendent later said the district was heartbroken and profoundly saddened. Officials have not publicly released attendance letters, nurse records or any internal school review, and it remains unknown what school employees saw or suspected before the child died.
The attendance pattern came after a custody change. Prosecutors said Jor’Dynn was placed with Kelly in December 2024 at Kelly’s request. Kelly was described as the fiancée of Jor’Dynn’s father. By April 2025, Kelly had full custody and guardianship. County Executive Ed Romaine later disputed part of the placement account, saying in local reporting that a Family Court judge placed the child in Kelly’s home. That disagreement has not changed the criminal charges, but it points to a separate question still hanging over the case: who had authority to monitor the placement, and what checks were made during the months before Jor’Dynn died.
By the time the emergency call came, prosecutors said Jor’Dynn’s condition was severe. Kelly called 911 on Dec. 29, 2025, at about 10:30 a.m. and reported that the child was in cardiac arrest. Paramedics found Jor’Dynn unconscious and took her to NYU Langone Hospital-Suffolk. She was pronounced dead there. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled that she died from a massive untreated infection caused by sharp force injuries. Officials said about 90 injuries were documented on her body at death. Court filings described at least 90 recent injuries, at least 20 older injuries and scarring believed to have come from whipping with a cord.
The death triggered a homicide investigation that went beyond the medical findings. Suffolk County police detectives and prosecutors said they found photo and video evidence on Kelly’s phone and in cloud-based accounts. The material allegedly showed prolonged restraint, physical injuries and a failure to get medical care for those injuries. Prosecutors said the digital evidence began in January 2025, the same period when the absences from school began adding up. “The child was allegedly left to die while these defendants watched her deteriorate,” Tierney said. Authorities have not released the recordings, and the defense will have a chance to challenge the state’s evidence in court.
The indictment separates the defendants by charge and alleged conduct. Kelly, 50, of Bayport, was indicted on second-degree murder, reckless endangerment, unlawful imprisonment and child endangerment charges. Renner, 75, was indicted on second-degree manslaughter and child endangerment charges. Prosecutors said Renner was allegedly heard singing in the background of a video that showed Jor’Dynn struggling. Seymore, 24, was indicted on first-degree unlawful imprisonment and child endangerment charges. Prosecutors said Seymore and Kelly discussed alleged coverups of the child’s injuries. Seymore’s lawyer has denied the allegations and said Seymore is not charged with being involved in Jor’Dynn’s death.
Bail and possible prison terms also differ. Kelly was ordered held on $5 million cash bail and faces 25 years to life if convicted of the murder charge. Renner was ordered held on $50,000 cash bail and faces five to 15 years if convicted of manslaughter. Seymore was ordered held on $25,000 cash bail and faces up to four years if convicted of unlawful imprisonment. All three are presumed innocent unless convicted. Their next court date is scheduled for June 23 in Suffolk County. Prosecutors are expected to continue turning over evidence, including records from phones, cloud accounts, medical findings and school attendance.
For the community, the school record gives the case a painful public thread. A child missing from class is not always a sign of danger, but prosecutors said these absences were part of a plan to conceal abuse. The allegation places ordinary school routines beside the criminal case: attendance sheets, absence excuses, classroom empty seats and the question of who last saw Jor’Dynn outside the home. Authorities have not said when she was last seen in school or whether she had contact with teachers, nurses or social workers after June 2025. Those unknowns remain central to how the timeline is understood.
Family members have tried to keep Jor’Dynn’s life from being reduced to court filings. Loved ones described a girl remembered for her smile and laugh. A funeral fundraiser named her mother, Portia Duncan, her father, Derrick Dixon, her grandmother, Melinda Duncan, and other relatives and friends as people who cherished her. One local report said relatives were haunted by memories from the days before her death. Their grief now runs alongside the legal case, which uses the language of indictments, autopsy findings and alleged digital records to describe what prosecutors say happened inside the home.
The next formal step is the June 23 court appearance for Kelly, Renner and Seymore. Prosecutors have not announced any additional arrests. As of June 19, no public agency report had fully explained the custody decision, the school absence response or any prior warning signs.
Author note: Last updated June 19, 2026.