A mother-of-two confessed to killing her ‘friends with benefits’ father of her children by tricking him into laying down for a car massage, prosecutors say. 

Jenna Strouble, 30, is accused of murdering her ex-boyfriend and ‘occasional intimate’ partner Jacob Lambert, 32, on March 22, before driving to his mother and stepmother’s home and fatally shooting them too. 

The alleged murder spree was discovered when police found Lambert, his mother Stacy Forde, 54, and his stepfather Patrick Forde, 55, dead at their comfortable home in the Chicago suburb of Crete Township, Illinois. 

According to new court documents, Strouble admitted to investigators that she gunned down the family, but ‘didn’t offer much of a motive’ besides a dislike for Lambert’s parenting style. 

She allegedly said she purchased a Glock-19 handgun months before the murders ‘solely for this plan’, before luring Lambert into her car by asking him ‘if he wanted to hang out and go for a drive.’ 

Strouble said they drove to Plum Creek Nature Preserve, but after realizing it was closed, she pulled over and told Lambert she ‘had a surprise for him’, court records first reported by Fox8 said. 

She said she told him she was ‘going to give him a back massage’ and pulled out an electric massage gun, leading Lambert to lay on his back while she straddled him and massaged him for around 20 minutes, prosecutors said. 

Strouble allegedly admitted to then pulling out the Glock and ‘holding it pointed to the back of his head for about eight minutes while massaging him’, before eventually pulling the trigger. 

Jenna Strouble, 30, allegedly confessed to shooting her baby daddy and ‘friends with benefits’ partner in the back of the head by tricking him into laying down for a car massage before then killing his mother and stepfather, prosecutors say 

Jake Lambert, 32, (right) the father of Strouble’s two children, was found dead near to the bodies of his mother Stacy Forde and his stepfather Patrick Forde (together left) 

After allegedly murdering her former partner and father of her two young children, who police said she described as being in an ‘occasional intimate relationship’ with, Strouble then drove to his parents’ home, cops said. 

Court documents say that Strouble then told investigators she walked up to their front door, and as soon as Lambert’s stepfather Patrick opened the door she ‘began shooting.’ 

Police were called to the home hours after the alleged slayings around 2am on March 23 for a welfare check, where Patrick and Stacy Forde were found with multiple gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene. 

Lambert was also found dead in the driveway of the home, and it is believed Strouble moved his body from his vehicle and dumped it near his mother and stepfather’s bodies at the property. 

Investigators later found Strouble’s vehicle, and images showed the car with a window appearing to be shot out. 

Strouble fled the scene before the bodies were discovered, and she was arrested hours later across the state line in St John, Indiana, and charged with their murders. 

Sources told WLS-TV that the couple’s young children were not at the home when the alleged murders unfolded.  

The three victims were found at their property in the Chicago suburb of Crete Township, Illinois, in the early hours of March 23 

Investigators later found Strauble’s vehicle, and images showed the car with a window appearing to be shot out

Police said Lambert, pictured with his children, was shot in the back of the head after Strouble tricked him into laying down in his car for a back massage 

After allegedly admitting to the multiple slayings, police said Strouble ‘didn’t provide much of a motive for the killings other than not liking the way Jake spoke to the children or that she feels his parents are overbearing’

Stacy Forde was described as a kind, loving mother and grandmother who ‘enjoyed life and loved a great concert’

After allegedly admitting to the multiple slayings, police said Strouble ‘didn’t provide much of a motive for the killings other than not liking the way Jake spoke to the children or that she feels his parents are overbearing.’

Strouble was in court on Monday to be arraigned, but asked to re-appear the next day because her attorney could not be present. 

She is facing nine counts of first-degree murder.  

‘Tragic events like this can be avoided for those wishing to seek help and assistance regarding domestic violence,’ the sheriff’s office said in a statement at the time. 

Stacy’s employer, Roeda, a Lynwood-based sign shop, paid tribute to her on social media, praising her work as the Director of Finance for almost 22 years.

‘She was more than a co-worker to many of us; she was like family to the Roedas and many of our colleagues. She showed up to many family events, celebrations, and parties. She enjoyed life and loved a great concert,’ her colleagues wrote.

Roeda said that Stacy loved her family, valued religion and left an everlasting impact on the company.

Her employer also asked the community to keep her surviving son and extended family in their thoughts and prayers.

Emily Conner, a family member, paid tribute to the three on social media, writing: ‘Our hearts are incredibly heavy, and there truly aren’t words for a loss like this.

‘Jake had just celebrated one year of sobriety, something we were so proud of and that meant so much,’ she continued.

‘Ella and Rhett are going to miss their Dad, Papa and Grandma more than words can express.’

Strouble allegedly said she purchased a Glock-19 handgun months before the murders ‘solely for this plan’, before luring Lambert into her car by asking him ‘if he wanted to hang out and go for a drive’

Strouble is now facing nine counts of first-degree murder for the alleged killing spree 

Property records indicate that the couple bought the home in 2020 for $295,900 and it is now valued at $414,000, according to Zillow. Police said all three victims were residents of the home.

Neighbors were left in shock after tragedy struck their community. Shayla Dross told local ABC affiliate, WLS-TV, that police were knocking on doors all day after the killings. 

Jennifer Brown added that she felt ‘numb’ after hearing the news. ‘I feel like I’m in the middle of a horror story. They were just over here yesterday, all three of them. And we were hanging out,’ she added.

Jim Brown told the outlet that he saw all three of the victims in the home the day before they were killed.

‘Now, they are gone, and I’m not an emotional person. But something like that hits home,’ he said.