A Milwaukee man, Romuan Moye, 45, has pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the tragic death of his 12-year-old son, Jacarie Robinson, in a case that has shocked the community with its brutality. Moye entered his guilty plea on Thursday to charges of first-degree reckless homicide, chronic neglect of a child resulting in bodily harm, and failure to report the death of a child, told The Mirror.
The details of Jacarie’s death are harrowing. Prosecutors revealed that Jacarie’s older brother discovered his decomposing body wrapped in a blanket on their living room couch last October. The home was described as being in filthy and squalid conditions, with an overwhelming stench of mold, feces, and decay. According to the criminal complaint, Jacarie had been malnourished and subjected to severe neglect and abuse.
Deputy District Attorney Matthew Torbenson, addressing the court, expressed the horror of the case: “He was confined to a living room by his own father, a person who is supposed to love him, care for him, raise him, keep him safe, provide for him, slowly tortured him and killed him.” Torbenson noted that the sight of Jacarie’s body was deeply disturbing not only to his brother but also to the Milwaukee Police Department officers who responded to the scene. “A sight that not only haunts the brother but, quite frankly, it haunts members of the Milwaukee Police Department that I met with who went into that house, who observed this,” Torbenson said.
Moye admitted that Jacarie died on October 3, 2023, yet the child’s body was not found until seven days later. The horrific circumstances surrounding Jacarie’s death left many, including Judge Laura Crivello, grappling with the enormity of the crime. During sentencing, Judge Crivello remarked, “I don’t understand this at all. It’s unconscionable. In my 30 years, the most vicious and aggravated thing I have ever seen. You are the highest level of dangerousness.” She sentenced Moye to over 47 years in prison.
Jacarie’s mother, Yalawn Robinson, also spoke in court, expressing her disbelief and sorrow over the suffering her son endured. “When I read Jacarie’s autopsy, I could not believe it,” she said.
In a letter read by his attorney, Moye expressed regret for his actions, though it did little to alleviate the pain felt by Jacarie’s family. “What I did to my youngest son was not my best at all, and it really hurts me that I could do something like that to my son,” the letter said.
With Moye now set to spend decades behind bars, Jacarie’s family is left to try to move forward from this unimaginable tragedy.