Woman accused of fatally shooting father of her 2 children amid surprise massage — and then turning gun on his parents

A 30-year-old woman is accused of fatally shooting the father of her two children amid a surprise massage — and then turning the gun on the victim’s parents late last month in suburban Chicago.

Jenna Strouble of St. John, Indiana, is charged with first-degree murder of 32-year-old Jacob Lambert, his 54-year-old mother, Stacy Forde, and his 55-year-old stepfather, Patrick Forde, the Chicago Tribune reported. Strouble faces nine murder counts in connection with the killings, WFLD-TV reported.

‘[Strouble] didn’t provide much of a motive for the killings other than not liking the way Jake speaks to the children or that she feels his parents are overbearing.’

Strouble and Lambert began dating in 2020 and lived together for a short time, the Tribune said, citing prosecutors.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office described the pair as having had an “on/off relationship,” the paper said, adding that they have two children — a 4-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son.

Court documents indicate Strouble asked Lambert to “hang out” on March 22, WFLD said, adding that Strouble told investigators she planned the get-together “with an intention” to harm Lambert.

Strouble picked up Lambert around 11 to 11:30 p.m., WFLD said, adding that prosecutors said she pulled over along Burnham Road in Sauk Village, Illinois. The location is about 20 minutes across the border from her Indiana home.

Strouble then told Lambert she had a surprise for him — a back massage, the station said, adding that the pair still had an occasional intimate relationship.

The Tribune, citing prosecutors, reported that the massage was with a massage gun.

Strouble asked Lambert to recline the seat, remove his shirt and hat, and lie on his abdomen, prosecutors said, according to WBBM-TV, adding that she straddled him and gave him a massage for 20 minutes.

During that time, Strouble allegedly retrieved a Glock handgun she hid under the passenger seat, WFLD said.

The Tribune, citing prosecutors, said Strouble aimed the gun at Lambert for what she estimated was several minutes before shooting him in the head.

Prosecutors said Strouble then lit a cigarette, WMAQ-TV reported.

Strouble said she wasn’t left with much blood on her shirt after killing Lambert because “this was like a movie, and there wasn’t much blood,” prosecutors said, according to WBBM, which added that Strouble said her shirt was the “God Inspires” brand.

The Tribune, citing prosecutors, said Strouble soon drove back to the house in the 3400 block of East Norway Trail in unincorporated Crete where Lambert lived with his parents and tried to unlock the door. WFLD said she used Lambert’s keys to attempt the unlocking; WBBM, citing prosecutors, said Strouble smoked another cigarette at the time.

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Pat Forde heard the noise and asked who was there. Strouble said it was she, and he asked her why she was there, to which she replied, “I don’t know,” prosecutors said. Pat Forde also asked Strouble if Lambert was with her, and she indicated that he was, prosecutors said.

Pat Forde opened the door, and Strouble told prosecutors at that point that she began shooting him right away — firing the gun from the front porch and continuing into the house, prosecutors said. Stacy Forde heard her husband scream and came downstairs, and Strouble shot her too, prosecutors said.

WFLD said Strouble shot Pat Forde 17 times in the chest and abdomen and Stacy Forde three times, also in the chest and abdomen.

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After the shootings, prosecutors said Strouble returned to her home in Indiana and called her sister to tell her what happened, WFLD said, adding that her sister then called police.

Deputies around 2 a.m. March 23 found the front door open at the Forde’s home, WFLD said, adding that Patrick Forde was lying in the dining room area and Stacy Forde was on the stairs near the front door. WFLD said spent shell casings were scattered near both victims and the entryway.

Lambert was found in a 2014 Ford Fusion Titanium in a nearby cul-de-sac, still in the passenger seat, face down with the seat reclined, WFLD reported.

Prosecutors said when officers in St. John, Indiana, went to Strouble’s home, she came out and handed them a bag with a loaded Glock 19 with a silencer, WBBM noted, adding that a vehicle registered to Lambert was found nearby, and Strouble’s two children and her own parents were in the home with her.

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She later told investigators she bought the gun in December 2025 in Crown Point and purchased the suppressor online for about $589, according to prosecutors.

According to court documents, Strouble wrote a note the night before the killings asking others to care for her children. She provided three names. She also told her sister over the phone that she wanted her to look after the kids.

“[Strouble] didn’t provide much of a motive for the killings other than not liking the way Jake speaks to the children or that she feels his parents are overbearing,” court documents read, according to WMAQ. “She didn’t like the fact that Jacob showered with a toddler, that people took naps with children, that Stacy was snarky, or that rules seemed to change in their home.”

Prosecutors added that Strouble also told investigators she had considered killing her own parents, as she didn’t feel her children were safe with them or Lambert, WFLD reported.

When asked if killing Lambert’s parents was part of a plan because she didn’t want them to have custody of the children, Strouble allegedly said, “That’s some of the reasons,” WFLD added.

Strouble also allegedly told investigators she didn’t have a connection with her children and didn’t spend time with them, even though she doesn’t work and voluntarily turned them over to Lambert and his family, only recently getting them back, WFLD noted.

What’s more, investigators learned of an incident in which Strouble reportedly took her father’s rifle, which he later found under her bed, WFLD said, adding that she allegedly told her father she thought about killing Lambert but didn’t have a plan.

Prosecutors also said Strouble admitted having past suicidal tendencies, and investigators learned about one prior incident in which she allegedly wanted to commit suicide by jumping out of a window with her children, WFLD said, adding that she also took medications for depression.

Strouble initially was expected to appear in the Will County Courthouse at 9 a.m. Tuesday, but her court date was pushed back, officials told WLS-TV Monday evening.

If convicted, Strouble faces natural life in prison, WFLD reported.

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