Inset: Wendy Tolbert (Chicago Police Department). Background: Wendy Tolbert’s home in Chicago, Illinois, that she allegedly set on fire with her kids inside (Chicago Fire Department).
A Chicago mother who allegedly believed her three children were “possessed by the devil” tried murdering them — killing one, age 4, after plunging a knife into the boy’s chest — before setting the family’s house on fire, local officials say.
Wendy Tolbert, 45, is accused of fatally stabbing her 4-year-old son, Jordan Wallace, on Friday morning at their home in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, according to local NBC affiliate WMAQ.
Prosecutors revealed details about the morning attack in court Sunday as Tolbert appeared on murder, attempted murder, arson and other charges.
According to WMAQ, Tolbert allegedly targeted her 10-year-old son first while he was playing video games with the 4-year-old victim, stabbing him in the right arm, prosecutors said. She allegedly set her sights on the 4-year-old next and stabbed him more than three dozen times before going after her 13-year-old daughter as she tried to call police and escape, per prosecutors.
After allegedly attacking her three children, cops say Tolbert sparked a blaze and went outside. Police and firefighters reported finding the kids inside the residence after receiving reports about the fire and responding.
“I got this child yelling for help out the basement window,” an officer could be heard saying in an emergency response call, according to ABC affiliate WLS. “We’re trying to get her out of the window. I do see blood.”
3651 Palmer. Medical call turned into 2-11 fire. One exposure at 3653 pic.twitter.com/QDhrrzosx1
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) July 4, 2025
Tolbert was found at the scene and taken into custody, with her allegedly telling investigators she went after her kids because they were “possessed by the devil,” according to WMAQ. She has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, six counts of felony aggravated arson, and multiple counts of aggravated battery.
“It was devastating,” neighbor Angie Perez told WLS.
“These lives are ruined,” she said. “There’s no happiness from here on for them.”
The post ‘Possessed by the devil’: Mother allegedly went berserk and stabbed her 3 kids — killing 4-year-old — because she thought they were evil, then set their house on fire first appeared on Law & Crime.
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Chris Perez
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://lawandcrime.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.
