Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Las Vegas mother faces charge in infant’s death

Updated Saturday, March 10, 2018 | 1:38 p.m.

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Raelene Jemison

Metro Police have arrested the second parent of a 10-month-old girl whose January death, they allege, was caused by physical abuse.

Police on Thursday arrested Raelene Jemison, 36, on a count of second-degree murder..

In Late January, Eric Chu was arrested in Chicago, days after his daughter, Jordyn, was hospitalized in grave condition. The 31-year-old has since been extradited to Las Vegas where he is facing a murder charge, police said.

His arrest report details a pattern of alleged abuse against Jordyn and her twin brother. In the report, Jemison had described Chu as “very aggressive,” noting that he’d been rough on the children, and would get frustrated when they cried.

She said that he’d also beat her, and that she was afraid of him.

Last summer, when the children were 3-months-old, Chu grew frustrated to the point that he’d said “I see why parents kill their kids,” according to the report. He was arrested that day, police said, for possessing a gun after a domestic violence conviction.

Officers and medics on Jan. 23 responded to the family’s west valley apartment at 9225 W. Charleston Blvd, near Rampart Boulevard, and rushed Jordyn to the hospital, police said. She died the next day.

Jemison told investigators that the children had no marks on them when she’d changed their diapers before going to work that day, police said.

But a medical examination had showed that Jordyn had multiple skull fractures and signs of old and new brain bleeding, police said. Her tiny body had red marks on her head, leg and inner groin, according to the report. The boy had marks around his neck and other marks and bruises on his face.

It wasn’t immediately clear what in the investigation made Jemison a suspect in her daughter’s death.

In September, Clark County Child Protective Services received a report alleging neglect in the family’s household. The allegation was later found to be “unsubstantiated” after an investigation, records show.

Clarification: A Clark County School District spokeswoman said Friday that Jemison was a teacher at area elementary school. However, she was no longer with the district when the incident occurred. The story has been updated to reflect the new information..