Suspect In Will Co. Slayings Was Involuntarily Committed After Previous Domestic Battery Call: Sheriff

CRETE TOWNSHIP, IL — A 30-year-old woman charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of three family members at a Crete Township home had been involuntarily committed during a previous incident at the same home, the Will County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday.

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Jenna Strouble has been charged in the March 23 shooting deaths of her on-and-off romantic partner Jake Lambert, his mother Stacy Forde, 54, and her husband Patrick Forde, 55, police said.

Police have not shared a motive for the slayings but said early on that the incident was targeted and domestic in nature. Strouble and Lambert shared two children: a 3-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter.

At 2 a.m. Monday, sheriff's police were called for a welfare check at the home in the 3400 block of Norway Trail in Crete Township, police said. Deputies at the scene found the bodies of three adults: two men and one woman, now identified as Lambert, Stacy Forde and Patrick Forde.

Lambert was found dead in a car in the driveway, and his parents were found dead inside the home on the first floor, near the front door, the sheriff's office said. Strouble and Lambert's children were not present at the home at the time of the shootings, though the sheriff's office would not comment further on their location.

An arrest warrant was issued on Tuesday for Strouble, who had fled the scene to a home in St. John, Indiana, where she was later found and taken into custody. During an interview with detectives, Strouble made incriminating statements, the Will County Sheriff's Office said. Though a cause of death has not been disclosed by the Will County Coroner's Office, the sheriff's office said investigators recovered a gun and were able to determine it matched the one used in the homicides.

The Will County Sheriff's Office had responded to the address in January 2025 for a domestic battery and mental health crisis intervention, according to Public Information Officer Elizabeth Matthews.

Strouble was involuntarily committed for mental health treatment following that incident, Matthews said.

A Munster-based Christian group shared news of the family members' deaths Tuesday afternoon. The group said Jake Lambert was Stacy Forde's son, and Patrick Forde her husband. Stacy is also survived by another son, Lucas Polmen. Lambert is survived by his two children: 3-year-old Rhett and 4-year-old Ella.

"It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of a Faith member, part of our CR family, and friend, Stacy Oezer Forde, her husband, Patrick Forde and her son, Jake Lambert, who was also a part of our CR family, following a tragic situation in their home in Crete Township." Faith Church Celebrate Recovery Munster wrote on social media.

"... Please join me in prayer for Lucas, Rhett, and Ella—that God would surround them with His love, give them comfort, and provide a community of support during this unimaginable loss. Please pray for those at Faith Church Celebrate Recovery who knew this family, as we grieve together alongside the Celebrate Recovery community, trusting in God's presence to bring healing and peace to broken hearts."

Also on social media Tuesday, Stacy Forde's employer, Roeda, said she was "more than a co-worker to many of us.

"... she was like family to the Roeda’s and many of our colleagues," the company wrote. "She showed up to many family events, celebrations, and parties. She enjoyed life and loved a great concert.

"She was a wonderful woman who deeply valued her marriage, her children, her grandchildren, and her relationship with Christ. That foundation showed up in how she lived and how she showed love to others. There is a genuine void here. We are working hard to carry forward all the many ways that she helped keep this shop alive, but there is no replacing her. The impact on this company and its people is lasting.

"We ask that you keep her surviving son and her extended family in your prayers during this difficult time."

A 2021 GoFundMe for the family shows Patrick Forde suffered a massive heart attack at work and underwent surgery to remove two blockages. He was hospitalized in the ICU for two months before being released, according to the fundraiser.

Lincoln Oaks Golf Course Owner/Manager Mark Haines on Wednesday remembered Patrick as an avid golfer and employee. He worked at the front desk in the pro shop there, the post reads.

"Pat was loved at Lincoln Oaks and loved meeting people at front desk and playing employee golf on Tuesdays," Haines wrote. "He loved his family and adored his grandkids who I taught to call him Papa Sandbagger! His dog Murph was a frequent guest at the course. This tragedy is too brutal to describe in words."

Community members have planned a prayer vigil for the family members, to be held at the home on Norway Trail, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

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