In a harrowing turn of events, Lynija Eason Kumar, a 27-year-old mother from the Bronx, has been formally indicted for the murder and manslaughter of her own 6-year-old daughter.
The indictment comes following a distressing incident where the child, Jalayah Eason, was found deceased in their apartment located in NYCHA’s Forest Houses last year.
According to prosecutors, officers responding to the scene on May 26, 2023, discovered Jalayah’s lifeless body in the family’s 12th-floor apartment on E. 165th St. near Trinity Ave. in Morrisania.
Reports indicate that the child bore signs of both recent and past physical trauma, including bruises and scars.
Despite efforts by medical professionals at Lincoln Hospital, Jalayah could not be revived.
Subsequent investigations revealed a horrifying pattern of abuse inflicted upon the child by her own mother. Between March 1 and the day of her tragic demise, Kumar allegedly subjected Jalayah to unthinkable acts of violence, including hanging her in a closet and beating her with a blunt object.
The city’s medical examiner determined Jalayah’s cause of death to be a result of severe child abuse, including asphyxia, blunt force injuries, and malnourishment.
Disturbingly, Jalayah’s siblings, an 8-year-old boy, and a 3-year-old girl, were also found in the apartment, displaying signs of neglect and abuse.
Following Jalayah’s untimely passing, Eason Kumar was charged with endangering the welfare of her other two children, both of whom were placed in the care of the Administration for Children’s Services.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark expressed profound sorrow over the tragedy, stating:
“For weeks before she succumbed, Jalayah knew only pain and hunger, allegedly committed by her own mother.”
Clark reassured the public that justice would be pursued vigorously for Jalayah while also pointing out the importance of providing support and services to her surviving siblings, who endured what can only be described as a “house of horrors.”
