Story by Front Page Detective Staff
The mother of a deceased 7-year-old child has blamed Suffolk County and the Bayport-Blue Point School District for her daughter’s death, citing that they failed to protect her and placed her in the custody of an allegedly dangerous woman.
Jor’Dynn Duncan, 7, died in December 2025, months after she was placed in the custody of her father’s fiancée, Emily Kelly, 50. Duncan’s mother, Portia Duncan, alleges that Kelly tortured her daughter for a long time, but county officials and the school district ignored warning signs.
Portia Duncan Sues Suffolk County Officials Over Daughter’s Death
Duncan has filed a $250 million lawsuit against Suffolk County, its child welfare agencies, and the Bayport-Blue Point School District. The lawsuit alleges that Suffolk County failed to vet Kelly before placing Jor’Dynn in her care, and that Child Protection Services failed to monitor Jor’Dynn’s wellbeing.
Jor’Dynn was removed from Duncan’s custody because of the mother’s drug abuse and mental health issues. She could not be placed with her father, either, as he was in prison. In December 2024, Suffolk County Child Protective Services placed her in the care of her father’s fiancée, Kelly. In April 2025, Kelly was granted full custody and guardianship of the child.
On December 29, 2025, Kelly called 911 after finding Jor’Dynn unresponsive outside a bathroom. She was pronounced dead an hour later. An autopsy determined that she died of an infection caused by sharp force injuries. According to the medical examiner, the child had around 90 injuries on her body.
Kelly and Her Family Members Have Been Charged in Jor’Dynn’s Death
Kelly and two of her family members have been charged in Jor’Dynn’s death. Kelly is facing a second-degree murder charge. Her 75-year-old mother, Barbara Renner, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, while her 24-year-old daughter, Elyssa Seymore, is accused of first-degree unlawful imprisonment. The trio appeared in court in June 2026.
Duncan is seeking justice for her daughter and says she wishes her child had never been taken from her custody. “They need to do more protecting of our kids because there are no other hands she should have been in than mine. I might have been an addict, but I was … I was a damn good mother,” she said in an interview with CBS News.
Her legal team has described Kelly’s home as a ‘house of horrors.’ “[They] took her from the place where she never missed any school, was getting swimming lessons, and put her into a house of horrors and death,” attorney Lowanda Williams said. Duncan also regrets not being able to take care of her kid due to her addiction, as she said, “If I can turn back time, I would have done things so much different.”
Full Article & Source:
Girl, 7, dies after alleged abuse in dad’s fiancée’s custody; mother targets officials with $250 million lawsuit
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