Illinois Woman Charged with Murder After Allegedly Executing Co-Parent and Both His Parents

Jenna Strouble faces 9 murder counts for allegedly killing her co-parent and his parents in a premeditated shooting spree near Chicago.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 1, 2026, 6:21 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from KCRG

A Premeditated Ambush Disguised as a Romantic Gesture

The community of Crete, Illinois, is grappling with the details of a triple homicide that authorities describe as a cold and calculated execution. According to court documents filed in Will County, Jenna Strouble stands accused of fatally shooting 32 year old Jacob Lambert, with whom she shared two young children. Investigators report that Strouble lured Lambert into a vehicle under the guise of a casual drive on March 22. When they found a local nature preserve closed, she allegedly pulled over on a road in Sauk Village and offered Lambert a back massage using a handheld device. As he lay prone in the passenger seat, Strouble reportedly straddled him for twenty minutes before producing a suppressed firearm she had hidden beneath the seat.

The Chilling Final Moments of a Co-Parenting Relationship

In a disturbing admission to Will County sheriff’s deputies, Strouble allegedly described the precise mechanics of the first killing. She reportedly confessed to holding a Glock 19, equipped with a silencer, to the back of Lambert’s head for approximately eight minutes while continuing the massage. Eventually, she pulled the trigger, killing the father of her children instantly while he remained in a vulnerable, reclined position. The pair had been maintaining what was described as an occasional intimate relationship while navigating the complexities of co-parenting, a dynamic that investigators believe Strouble exploited to carry out the initial phase of her lethal plan.

A Second Targeted Attack at the Family Residence

The violence did not conclude with the death of Lambert. Strouble allegedly drove the vehicle, still containing the victim, to the home of his mother and stepfather. Upon arriving at the residence, she encountered Patrick Forde as he opened the front door. Without hesitation, she reportedly opened fire, killing both Patrick and his wife, Stacy Forde, by shooting them multiple times. The swift nature of the second attack suggests a focused determination to eliminate Lambert’s immediate family, transitioning from a stealthy assassination in a vehicle to a high volume shooting at a private residence within a very short timeframe.