HOWARD COUNTY — A Howard County jury has convicted a Lafayette man of battering his girlfriend’s son.
On April 25, the jury found Jeramie Jennings guilty of Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury (where person is under the age of 14) as well as Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Serious Injury and Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Bodily Injury.
It’s an update to a story WRTV Investigates first brought you in 2022 regarding a foster mother, Jean Dunn, who raised concerns about a proposed plea agreement.
Judge Lynn Murray rejected the plea agreement and reset the matter for trial, which took place last week and ended in a conviction on three criminal counts.
“After five years and nine days of constant prayers, we finally have justice for our amazing little boy,” said Dunn. “It was a long, difficult five years but I’ve always said that I wanted to tell him when he’s grown up that I fought for justice for him and we were able to hold his abusers accountable. There are so many innocent children that are being abused and if we don’t fight for them, who will?”
WRTV has agreed not to name the child but has been given permission to share photos of him.
Jean Dunn testified at the trial for Jeramie Jennings last week.
Jennings will be sentenced May 21 at 11 a.m.
Jean Dunn has been fostering children in Central Indiana for four years.
In spring 2020, Dunn took in a little boy who was allegedly abused by his biological mother, Jennifer Trueblood, and her boyfriend Jeramie Jennings.
Dunn says the little boy struggles to hear and walk as a result of his injuries.
Trueblood’s trial is scheduled for June 3.
The boy is now 5 years old and was adopted by an extended family member of Jean Dunn.
Prosecutors’ evidence includes a phone conversation between Trueblood and Jennings in which Jennings was heard yelling and cursing and asking Trueblood why she took the boy to the hospital if she knew they were going to x-ray him, court documents allege.
If the plea agreement had been approved by the judge in 2022, the two would have served three years of supervised probation with credit for time served.
“Someone did this to this little boy,” said Dunn. “He cardiac arrested twice. He had multiple brain surgeries. He had broken ribs, a broken wrist, and for this just to be swept away like it's nothing kills me.”
Under the now-rejected plea deal, if Trueblood and Jennings successfully complete their three years of probation, the charge would be expunged from their criminal history.
"Three years and you're going to take it off their record? Who is going to take away his injuries?” asked Dunn in 2022. “Nobody is going to help him walk in three years. It's so frustrating."
Most criminal cases in Indiana are resolved through plea agreements, rather than jury or bench trials.
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"I'm okay with the plea agreement, but there needs to be some jail time,” said Dunn in 2022. “It's like how do you get a slap on the wrist for this? I just feel like they're taking the easy road out. It's frustrating to me.”
Court documents say both Trueblood and Jennings denied abusing the little boy and there were other adults and children living in the home at the time.
