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Autopsy Shows SI Mom Killed Children, Committed Suicide
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 29, 2010
Modified Jul 29, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 29, 2010
Modified Jul 29, 2010
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The NYC Medical Examiner's Office said that the Staten Island mother, whose body was found with her four children's bodies after a fire, killed herself and that her 14-year-old son was killed. Leisa Jones's autopsy showed that she died of smoke inhalation while her son C.J. Romoy's death was ruled a homicide—his throat was slashed. Initially police thought that C.J., who was having trouble in school and was seen setting small fires, slashed the throats of his two sisters, set fire to the apartment (killing his baby brother and mother), and then slashed his own throat. But then other evidence, such as a charred note that had the words "am sorry" and pills found in C.J.'s and Jones's stomaches, plus statements from the boy's father, suggested Jones, who was struggling financially, may have been behind the murder-suicide.
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C.J. Romoy
fire
Leisa Jones
murder-suicide
staten island
tragedy
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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