27-Year-Old Bronx Mother Hangs 6-Year-Old Daughter in Closet and Beats Her to Death in ‘House of Horrors’

A 27-year-old mother has been charged with the brutal murder of her 6-year-old daughter. According to the New York Post, Lynija Eason, a resident of East 165th Street in the Morrisania neighborhood, is accused of subjecting her daughter, Jelayah Eason Branch, to weeks of relentless abuse, culminating in her tragic death.

Police discovered Jelayah’s bruised and malnourished body on Sunday in the family’s squalid apartment. The Bronx District Attorney’s Office revealed that the child had been severely mistreated since March 1st, enduring physical abuse and neglect. Jelayah bore marks on her wrists, suggesting she had been restrained and hung in a closet where her mother allegedly beat her.

The city’s medical examiner ruled Jelayah’s death a result of multiple factors, including child abuse, positional asphyxia, blunt force injuries, and malnourishment. DA Darcel Clark detailed the gruesome nature of the crime in a press release, stating, “The little girl was allegedly hanged by her wrists and beaten by the defendant with a hard object. For weeks before she succumbed, Jelayah knew only pain and hunger, allegedly committed by her own mother.”

The case has elicited a strong response from authorities and the public alike, with many expressing outrage and sorrow over the child’s suffering. DA Clark vowed to ensure justice for Jelayah, noting that support services are being provided for her two surviving siblings.

Eason faces a litany of charges, including second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, second-degree manslaughter, and three counts of child endangerment. She is currently being held at the Rose M. Singer Center and is scheduled to appear in court again on June 26th, as ordered by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Brenda Rivera.