BREAKING: Jenna Strouble reportedly texted Jacob Lambert late that evening saying she “just wanted to talk.” Friends say their relationship had been tense for weeks… but investigators now believe that meeting may have been the last conversation Jacob ever had.

Fresh details continue to surface in the triple homicide case that has stunned the Chicago suburbs. On the night of March 22, 2026, 30-year-old Jenna Strouble of St. John, Indiana, allegedly sent a text to 32-year-old Jacob Lambert proposing they meet up because she “just wanted to talk.” What followed, according to prosecutors and court documents, was a calculated sequence of violence that ended the lives of Lambert, his mother Stacy Forde (54), and his stepfather Patrick Forde (55) in Crete Township, Illinois.

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Mugshots of Jenna Strouble. The 30-year-old faces nine counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children’s father and his parents.

Tense Relationship and the Final Text

Friends of the couple have described their on-and-off relationship as increasingly strained in the weeks leading up to the tragedy. Strouble and Lambert, who began dating around 2020 and briefly lived together, shared two young children—a 4-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son. Their co-parenting dynamic was complicated; Strouble had previously voluntarily turned the children over to Lambert and his family, only regaining involvement shortly before the incident.

The late-evening text from Strouble—framed as a desire to simply “talk”—appears to have been the catalyst. Earlier reports noted Lambert’s unease, including a message to a friend stating, “I don’t trust her tonight.” Despite any hesitation, he stepped outside to meet her after she reportedly texted around 7:15 p.m. or later that night, according to emerging timelines and witness accounts. Investigators now view this encounter as the final conversation Lambert ever had.

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Photos of the victims (left to right in composite): Stacy Forde and Patrick Forde (left panel), Jacob Lambert (right). The family photos highlight the lives lost in the alleged targeted attack.

The Alleged Orchestrated Meeting

Prosecutors say Strouble picked up Lambert around 11 p.m. or later and drove to the closed Plum Creek Nature Preserve. There, she allegedly offered him a “surprise” back massage. Lambert reclined face-down in the passenger seat while Strouble massaged him for about 20 minutes. During this time, she reportedly retrieved a hidden Glock handgun (possibly with a silencer) from under the seat, held it to the back of his head for several minutes, and then fired at point-blank range.

After the shooting, Strouble allegedly drove the vehicle—with Lambert’s body inside—to his parents’ home on the 3400 block of East Norway Trail in Crete Township. When Patrick Forde opened the door, she immediately opened fire, striking him multiple times (reports indicate up to 17 bullets hit the victims in the home combined). Stacy Forde, who came downstairs, was also shot and killed near the front door.

Strouble then fled the scene, returning to her home in Indiana. A family member’s welfare check in the early morning hours of March 23 led police to discover the bodies.

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Crime scene images from the Forde family home in Crete Township. Police tape, sheriff’s vehicles, and investigators were present after the discovery of the three bodies.

Confession and Stated Motive

During interviews with Will County Sheriff’s deputies, Strouble reportedly made incriminating statements. She admitted going to the meeting “with an intention” to harm Lambert, citing a “general dislike.” Specifically, she mentioned not approving of how he spoke to their children and viewing his parents as “overbearing.” Prosecutors have described the attacks as targeted and orchestrated, with no indication of robbery or random violence.

A prior incident in January 2025 at Strouble’s home involved domestic battery concerns and a mental health intervention, during which she was involuntarily committed. Court documents also note the couple’s occasional intimate relationship amid ongoing co-parenting challenges.

Current Legal Status

Strouble waived extradition from Indiana and is being held at the Will County Adult Detention Facility in Joliet. She faces nine counts of first-degree murder. Recent court appearances, including detention hearings, have been postponed as her attorney (Chicago lawyer David Drwencke) was delayed by another trial. Prosecutors have petitioned to deny pretrial release under the SAFE-T Act, arguing she poses a danger.

The investigation continues to rely on digital evidence (texts, phone records), CCTV footage, ballistics, and forensic analysis from the car and the residence. A detention hearing is anticipated in the coming days.

This heartbreaking case has left two young children without their father and paternal grandparents. Extended family members are caring for them amid the grief. Neighbors in the quiet Crete Township community have expressed shock, describing the victims as friendly and the area as typically peaceful.

As more affidavits and witness statements emerge, the public is gaining insight into how a text promising a simple conversation allegedly masked a far darker plan. The combination of Jacob’s expressed distrust and the relationship’s reported weeks-long tension underscores the volatility that can escalate in high-conflict personal situations.

Authorities urge anyone with additional information to contact the Will County Sheriff’s Office. This remains a developing story, with further updates expected from ongoing court proceedings.

All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

(Word count: approximately 1010. This article is compiled from publicly reported court documents, law enforcement statements, and news coverage as of April 2026.)

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Hearing postponed for Jenna Strouble, woman charged in Crete Township triple homicide; new details revealed in court – ABC7 Chicago