Streamwood man Jalonie Jenkins charged with murder in stabbing deaths of his two sisters
A man stood charged with murder Wednesday in the stabbing deaths of his two sisters last week in Streamwood, Illinois.
Jalonie Jenkins, 25, was arrested Sunday night in Downers Grove. Police had been searching for him since the bodies of his sisters — 21-year-old Janiya Jenkins and 10-year-old Eyani Jones — were found in a home in the 1600 block of McKool Avenue last Wednesday night.
Jalonie Jenkins has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, but was unable to appear because he was hospitalized at Ascension St. Alexius Medical Center after his arrest.
His next court hearing has been scheduled for Friday in Rolling Meadows.
Officials have said he stabbed and killed his two sisters in front of other children.
A neighbor, whose daughter was a close friend of Jones, said her daughter was on the phone with the victims when she heard a commotion from inside the home. She said the last thing her daughter heard was Janiya Jenkins saying, "Don't kill the kids."
The neighbor said shortly after, two other kids who were inside the home came over to say their two sisters were dead.
Police found Jalonie Jenkins' vehicle in Redmond Park in Bensenville as they searched a retention pond.
On Wednesday, neighbors closest to the murder scene mourned the sudden tragedy. Bouquet of flowers were left soaked as it rained on Wednesday, and handwritten messages were barely legible as they also got wet. Still, neighbors kept up the memorial the slain sisters.
Jalynn Perez pains to look out her window and see it because she heard the commotion.
"Every time I look out the window, I just look at the house, and I just remember, and I just think, like, what was going through the people in the house. Just like, the situation in the house. It hurts my stomach," she said.
CBS News Chicago Legal Analyst Irv Miller said the case will be handled with extra sensitivity because of the age of the young victims and potential witnesses.
"It frankly has an effect not only on the investigating officers, the first responders, but also the prosecutor is on the case," Miller said. "This case will get super extra attention because of the serious and horrific facts in and of the case itself."
Miller said the case is not likely to go to trial anytime soon.
"Murder cases don't typically go to trial until two or three years," he said. "When you have young children, that is certainly a consideration in the back of everybody's mind. You want to accommodate them because of their young age. But I think it's more a function of practicalities of the criminal justice system."
There remain many questions about what happened leading up to the murders. CBS News Chicago has reached out to the Streamwood Police Department, but has not heard back.
Some of those details could be brought to light at Jenkins' detention hearing on Friday, but that too may be postponed if Jenkins is still in the hospital.
