MILWAUKEE, WI – A 12-year-old boy, identified as Jacarie Robinson, was found dead in his family home in Milwaukee, sparking a homicide investigation by local authorities. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office reported that the boy’s body was in a state of decomposition and showed signs of malnourishment.
The Milwaukee Police Department responded to a call on Tuesday evening, finding the boy unresponsive in a house on the city’s northwest side. The death was initially labeled as “suspicious” and no arrests have been made in connection to the case as of Friday morning.
The exact time of Jacarie’s death remains unclear. The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, mandated by state law to publicly announce child deaths and injuries due to suspected maltreatment, has initiated an investigation into the incident. The department has not indicated whether Jacarie’s family had any prior interactions with the child welfare system.
Jacarie, the youngest of ten siblings, was living with his father and two sisters at the time of his death, according to his uncle, D.C. Moye. Moye expressed shock and confusion over the incident, admitting that he and other relatives had not been as close to Jacarie and his immediate family as they should have been.
Described as a happy, quiet child who loved wrestling and TikTok videos, Jacarie’s death has left his family in mourning. A vigil and balloon release were held on Wednesday, where family members revealed that the large family had been separated and had not seen Jacarie for several months.
The owner of the property, Dylan Detert, stated that he had rented the house to a tenant but was unsure if it was occupied. D.C. Moye, however, confirmed that he had visited his brother, Jacarie’s father, at the house, with his last visit in late September. He noted that Jacarie seemed fine at the time, but he never entered the house during his visits.
In the aftermath of Jacarie’s death, it was discovered that the boy had not been attending school for some time, with his last known in-person attendance before the COVID-19 pandemic. Jacarie’s father has not been in contact with the family since the discovery of the boy’s body.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Milwaukee police or Crime Stoppers.