Man Bound Girlfriend's Toddler with Tape Before Deadly Beating: Cops

This one, they weren't standing around.

Uh, put her on this side.

This side?

Jennifer Kendrick is in handcuffs and she's going to jail after she's charged with allowing

her boyfriend to abuse her daughter.

Now Jerome Combs is charged with murdering that three-year-old beautiful little girl and

abusing two other children.

I'll take you through the horrific way that investigators say Little Paisley Brown died

and why this investigation is far from over.

I mentionut Levy and this is Crime Fix.

This case, the death of beautiful Little Paisley Brown is absolutely horrific and one of

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This little girl, three year old, Paisley Brown is dead.

Her family described her as fun, loving, energetic, a little girl with a big smile, but the

people who were supposed to love and protect Paisley, her own mother and her mother's

boyfriend allegedly failed her so badly.

And this is so really hard to hear what you're going to hear is horrific.

Investigators say her mother's boyfriend punched her in the chest, dropped her on the floor

and ran water over her face in the shower all while she was bound with a robe, tie and

painter's tape.

From February 19th, Sheriff's deputies in Marion County, Florida got the call that every

law enforcement officer dreads, a child was unresponsive at a home in Citra.

When they arrived, they found three year old Paisley Brown.

She was already gone.

And the man detective said was inside her mother's boyfriend, Jerome Cooms, deputies said he

was trying to leave investigators say bystanders pointed to Cooms and said, he was the one

who did it.

Within hours, Cooms was in cuffs, charged then with aggravated child abuse, but as investigators

soon discovered, the person they were looking for wasn't just the man accused in Paisley's

death.

It was also the one person Paisley should have been able to trust the most in this world,

her own mother, and to help us understand what happened here and what's happened since,

we're going to bring in Lieutenant Paul Bloom of the Marion County Sheriff's office in

just a little bit.

She actually spoke with him shortly after Paisley died before her mother was ever arrested.

The good wrenching, one of the good wrenching parts of this is that we were being told

by another juvenile that was in the home that they heard this attack taking place.

And they knew what it was.

They recognized the sound of this attack, according to their statement.

We're not looking at the finger pointing and blame where we're looking for the facts

of the case.

We're still investigating.

We want to find out anything we can, history, how long has this been going on in the

home?

And we want to know did the mom know about this or not?

What did she know?

Now, that was Lieutenant Bloom speaking with us shortly after Paisley's death.

Back then, he said they were still investigating what the mother knew.

Now we have answers.

On March 4, two weeks after Paisley died, Jennifer Kendrick was arrested.

She now faces two counts of child neglect plus a probation violation from a prior drug

case.

And Jerome Coombs, the medical examiner, ruled Paisley's death, the homicide.

So his charges were upgraded to second degree murder.

But it didn't stop there.

Investigators said the abuse in the home extended beyond Paisley.

On March 5, Coombs was charged with child abuse and aggravated child abuse for alleged crimes

against other children living under that roof.

Both of them are sitting in the Marion County jail and they're not going anywhere anytime

soon.

Right to view.

All right, in the car right over there.

Do you need any water or anything like that before we get there?

Oh, once we get to the jail, you'll be able to ask them, all right?

Yeah, they'll be able to get out of your phone.

All right, I'm going to walk these so they don't get any tighter on you.

Yes.

We're going to be able to make our vision, how it's going to work, you can get out of here.

Okay, that's an automatic.

I can't control that, all right?

I'm going to take you off.

I'm going to walk out of here.

Okay.

You try to just set it on my car when we get in there.

This one?

They're going standing around?

Uh-huh.

Put it on this side.

This side?

Do you have anything in your pocket set or in a poker stick?

No.

Okay.

I'm going to patch you down, all right?

You know my mother's place, my baby, it's her funeral Sunday.

Is there anything I missed?

No.

Okay.

Have I seen porn?

Those are the moments Jerome Cooms and Jennifer Kendrick were handcuffed and taken away.

So don't even attempt to understand what police say happened to this little girl.

Let's go back to the very beginning.

According to the Sheriff's Office, Jerome Cooms moved in with Jennifer Kendrick in January

2026.

According to investigators, he and Kendrick met on Facebook dating just a few months earlier.

By the time he moved in, he became the primary caregiver for all of Kendrick's children.

Lieutenant Bloom says that five children were living in that house and they ranged in age from one to nine and paisley was the youngest.

Three years old.

And according to court documents, Cooms had a system for what he called discipline.

According to the arrest affidavit, Cooms told investigators that paisley had developed a habit of reaching into her diaper and smearing feces.

His solution?

Detectives said Cooms told them he would bind her.

According to the affidavit, he would bind the child victim's hands together with a white robe tied belonging to Ms. Kendrick.

And when she figured out how to use her feet to remove the tie, the affidavit alleges he started to tape her legs together with blue painter's tape from her thighs to her ankles, leaving space in between.

That's how he told police paisley slept night after night.

Now fast forward to February 18th, 2026, the night before paisley died.

According to Kendrick's statement to investigators, she worked the late shift at five star pizza.

She got home after 10 p.m. and paisley was awake in good spirits.

The next morning, February 19th, Kendrick says she left around 915 a.m. and all of the kids were asleep.

Kendrick had errands to run, first the post office, then the DMV, then happy nails on each state road.

At 1029 that morning, she faced time cooms on that call.

She said she could hear paisley in the background yelling, I love you mommy.

At 1049, Kendrick texted cooms a photo of her nails. He didn't respond.

At 1058, nine minutes later, she said she faced time to him again.

When cooms told her paisley was unresponsive, the affidavit says that Kendrick responded saying, what the eff do you mean put her on the phone?

Cooms panned the camera to paisley.

According to the affidavit, Kendrick saw her daughter, quote, pale and limp.

Her eyes were somewhat but barely open and the area under her eyes appeared very dark and gray in color.

Now if you get that call, what do you do?

You call 911, wouldn't you think? Well, according to investigators Jennifer Kendrick did not call 911.

She did not rush home instead.

She said she finished getting her nails done. Then she left the nail salon and called her mother.

She called cooms again and then she drove home.

The affidavit notes that the call for service was received by MCSO at 1138 AM.

40 minutes after Ms Kendrick learned the child victim was unresponsive.

So what happened in those 40 minutes? What happened to paisley?

According to cooms' statement to investigators, here's how he tells it.

He said he woke up around 10 AM and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

He heard paisley calling for him from the playpen where she slept, still bound from the night before.

He claimed she appeared groggy, but investigators noted a problem with that story Kendrick had just spoken to cooms at 1029 and heard paisley in the background in good spirits.

The affidavit makes clear the child victim was still alive and not groggy when the defendant spoke to Ms Kendrick just before 1029 AM.

His actions after that initial call resulted in her death.

And so when confronted with discrepancy cooms reportedly made a key admission to detectives telling them, quote,

he messed up and is a terrible person. Here's what police say he admitted to doing.

He picked paisley up from the playpen. She was still bound. Her hands tied, her legs taped.

He said she was flailing and kicking and he dropped her. When she hit the ground, he told investigators she sounded as though she was gasping for air.

Then he admitted to popping her three times in the chest, but detectives told him popping wouldn't cause the injuries they saw on paisley's body.

So they brought in a doll and according to the affidavit cooms showed them the defendant demonstrated the way that he popped or struck the child victim with the back of his hand on the doll, primarily using his knuckles.

He explained how he dug his knuckles into the child victim's chest after every strike, after the third strike, the child victim appeared to stop breathing and he realized he took it too far.

Instead of calling 911, the affidavit states, the defendant removed the tape and wrist tie from the child victim and took her to the bathroom.

He turned on the bath and ran water over the child victim in an attempt to revive her. He then placed the child victim in a high chair and attempted to give her some juice, but she spit it up.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Kendrick was driving home. When she finally arrived, the affidavit says, she observed the child victim sitting in the high chair, limp. It was cold to the touch.

That's when she screamed, my baby is gone. Call 911.

Cooms finally made the 911 call. It was 1138 AM, 40 minutes after Jennifer Kendrick first learned paisley was unresponsive.

Paramedics rushed paisley to the hospital. She was pronounced dead at 12.32 p.m.

At the hospital, a detective documented obvious signs of outward trauma, namely bruising on her chest, possible ligature marks on the child victim's ankles and wrists.

Later during the autopsy pathologist found blunt force trauma not previously observed on the back of the child victim's head, only visible underneath the skin.

The medical examiner ruled her death a homicide. Now what about the mother? What did Jennifer Kendrick know?

A nine-year-old boy in the home told investigators that Cooms, who the children called Elmo, put him in handcuffs every day.

He described Cooms punching him in the stomach and chest, leaving bruises.

He demonstrated how Cooms would brace himself against a wall and stomp on him violently.

According to the affidavit, that same boy told investigators, according to juvenile victim, the defendant was aware and often present when this would take place on the day of the incident.

Juvenile victim was handcuffed behind his back. When the defendant arrived at the incident location, he asked to use the restroom at which time she removed the handcuffs.

And then there are the text messages. On January 6, 2026, more than a month before paisley died, detectives say that Kendrick texted Cooms,

Babe, I know you're raising him with me, but I need the popping with shoe calmed down some because I can't have the bruises on him if DCF pop up.

If you want a pop-em on top, they close or whatever, cool. Just no bruises.

The very next day, January 7, detective say she texted him again.

No more popping. His whole ear is bruised up so I can't let DCF see that stuff, Babe.

When investigators confronted Kendrick with this evidence, the affidavit states, the defendant admitted that she did not protect her children, her lack of intervention, despite knowing what the co-defendant was doing played a role in the death of victim paisley Brown.

This one, they weren't standing around.

Put her on this side.

Those are the moments we showed you earlier, Jerome Cooms and Jennifer Kendrick, they were handcuffed and they were taken away and as we mentioned, the charges against Cooms didn't stop with paisley.

What you just heard about the alleged abuse of that nine-year-old boy, that's what led to the additional charges filed against him on March 5, child abuse and aggravated child abuse.

It's worth looking at the images that both of these people projected to the world.

On Facebook, Jerome Cooms seemed to fancy himself as something of a digital creator he posted videos with captions about God, religion, his wife.

Jennifer Kendrick's Facebook paints a troubling picture just two months before paisley died on December 12, 2025, she posted.

Right now, I just need some deep condolences whenever I'm in a better state of mind, I will let everyone know what's wrong, but right now this is hard for me to handle.

And then on December 28, just weeks before Cooms moved in, she wrote, I really can't just wait to walk into a new fresh year with the man who healed me from all the past trauma, who doesn't just love me but loves my kids too.

That man, the one she said healed her trauma and loved her kids, is now charged with murdering her three-year-old daughter, paisley.

And a man who says he's paisley's biological father seemed to be trying to warn others about the mother of his children way before this occurred.

Back in October of 2025, four months before paisley died, he posted to Facebook.

As a concerned parent, I am reaching out for assistance in locating my children, who have been denied access to me by their mother, Jennifer Kendrick, since June.

Despite my efforts, I have only seen them a handful of times since then. As their primary caregiver, since birth, I have been significantly impacted by our separation having lost everything.

He claimed two of his children were in a different town while his four-year-old son was being cared for by others as Kendrick, in his words, engaged in illicit activities, his plea at the time.

If anyone encounters Jennifer Kendrick or sees my children, please notify me, what steps can I take to resolve this situation?

Now that question hanging in the air, his daughter is gone, and her mother and her mother's boyfriend sit in jail.

He has set up a GoFundMe to cover funeral expenses, the cost of clothing and hygiene items for paisley siblings, and to help secure housing for his family.

In this case, it's sparking a bigger conversation.

There's a petition calling for change, the Paisley Brown Child Protection and Accountability Act, it would require mandatory background checks on any adult with access to children in the reunification process, and automatic safety plans when a partner has a history of violence.

So I'd like to bring in Lieutenant Paul Bloom of the Marion County Sheriff's Office to talk about these upgraded charges and also Paisley Brown's mother now facing charges in this case.

So Lieutenant Bloom, thanks so much for coming back on. I know that when we talked a couple of weeks ago, the investigation was still ongoing, so bring me up to speed on what you all found.

This recent developments here in the last, we're really overnight, just been a continuation of this case in February 19th.

We first learned of the horrific murder of this child, our detectives began investigating and speaking with all the witnesses, and we may have mentioned before, but there were five children and ages ready for one to nine that are in his house at various times.

I know there's been a lot of, you know, patients since the run, then, you know, we want this, people out folks that, hey, want this mother arrested, why should I be arrested?

But also justice has to run, run its course. I realize the patients has run a thing, but justice has to run its course, and our detectives had the unindiviable job of interviewing children about the most horrific event in their lives and extracting that information from them and the counselors and all the work with them.

It did a great job, but it takes a little bit, we piece it together. And last night, the mother was arrested at Miss Kendrick. She's charged with the child neglect, and we're not stopping there.

The investigation is continuing. We were talking to additional victims. In fact, Mr. Coombs, it was charged with homicide. We received a report back from the coroner's office indicating that the death was a result of homicide.

And so he was charged with that. And then he additionally received more charges for other victims, other child victims, and besides the pavel that was murdered, that he murdered.

And he has some additional charges placed on him as well. So both of them, the goodness is both they were sitting in in our jail today with no bond that they're not getting out and the children are safe.

We're working with these kids and providing any and all resources to them to to keep them safe and make sure that they're not faced with this again.

How did you uncover the abuse, the alleged abuse of the other children? Was it because they revealed it in these interviews and, you know, were witnesses to what happened to Paisley?

That's just it. And getting a young child to talk about something that's so scary, so frightening and nightmare-ish is not something that happens quickly.

So as the days go on, and it's true with a lot of victims, they remember more after the incident has happened. And so with patients and speaking with these children and finding out through or we have licensed counselors and conductives interviews.

You know, we get this information and the mother, Ms. Kendrick, she did not deny she, she admitted her involvement in this and was charged accordingly.

So I think with, with real, real positivity, I believe from all my heart is going to be more charges coming forward as we speak with more victims and get deeper into this case.

More charges against Jennifer Kendrick.

That's correct, you know, she's, she's a, this child, the details of this child being tied up and, you know, I say punished, they say punished.

She was, she was complicit with, you know, in the, in the, in the propaganda, but David confirms that she knew this was happening. She's responsible. And at, at some point, someone asked me, you know, what's, why would this happen?

I said, what is priorities? You know, her priorities and selfishness led to this. You're sure to want you to come apparent.

Any priorities that you had or old, your new priority is your child and you are responsible completely for their safety, well-being and happiness.

So she abandoned that and she's been charged accordingly and she is right where she needs to be.

What were her priorities? Because the last time we spoke, you said that she wasn't working outside the home.

So she, she may have had a little job, we don't know.

She, the date that has happened, she was in the city getting her nails done and get to call that her child is unresponsive.

Most parents, that's the worst news you ever would get. You would be calling 911 multiple people would be calling 911.

But we received no 911 call. Not more than 40 minutes later, she drives home.

And then somebody else asked them, have you called 911 and then they finally found 911.

Would that have saved this child's life? We don't know. Don't know that. But what has been the right thing to do? Absolutely.

She failed in that sense. And so when you ask about her priorities, I think her priorities are herself very selfish to place your children into a position where you know a piece of time.

You know a piece was happening. And you didn't deny that, which you allow that to continue.

And that's, that's where her priorities lie.

What is her relationship with Jerry own com combs? I mean, it's, I know he was quote unquote babysitting.

If you want to call it that, these kids, but I mean, is there more to the relationship?

Yeah, I believe this is her boyfriend. And they're, they're living there to help them together. And these children.

People have asked about a relationship, but we can't rebuild a relationship to either one of them in that just based on the charges, but in part time trying to protect the children.

But I can tell you the children were familiar with that home. This is where these children live and study. Yes, he was, he was her boyfriend.

He was her boyfriend. They were a couple.

You know, this is just horrific. And it seems to me that I'm just a flabbergasted. I'm at a loss, you know, I had they been together a really long time because you know your priority should be as we talked about earlier.

This health and safety of your child, but you know she's out getting her nails done. She's doing whatever and not even returning home when she finds out her child's unresponsive.

That's right. Yeah, it takes her a while to respond back to her house when you're, when you're told that information.

And it's, it is shocking. You're right. This is, this is something that even, even those of us in the business doing this kind of work every day.

It doesn't, it doesn't, it's not well received. You know, it just shocks us. These detectives are working in this case. It's kept them up at nights.

And again, it's, I just think of the unimaginable and the unenviable position that they had to be into, speak with these, these child victims and have been recount such horrible things and learn of this.

So it's, it is. It's, it's, it's something that we like to think that it doesn't happen in our society. Nobody wants to think that, but the unfortunate truth is this does.

But right now with his new charges and additional charges and the mother being arrested.

Haley's, you know, small voice is starting to be heard, I think with justice for her. So we look for that to continue. And in the main, I guess the main thing here is that these children are, are now safe.

They've only experienced a new life that is not just clouded with abuse and violence and threats. And, and so they don't learn about a whole different world that exists out there is our hope.

It's just absolutely awful, really horrific. Are there any family members of Paisley's that you all have been in touch with? I mean, have they been trying to get in touch with her? I'd seen an interview.

I think with like a former stepfather of hers.

We have been in contact with with no one family members. And we are working with Department of Children's families here in Florida.

I know we were being asked what were the children now we cannot disclose that other than that we relinquish them through the, to the care of Department of Children's families.

And they're going to speak with family members and find the most suitable location for these children to enjoy a happy life that they deserve and get as far away as we can from that, from that type of abuse of relationships.

Let's, let's hope that they are in really good environments now. Obviously, they are not in the environment they were in before.

Obviously, this will go in front of a grand jury at some point.

And they're both now in your jail.

When do you think other charges could be filed against Jennifer Kendrick?

For me to put a time on it, it's kind of difficult. I know just from the time of the incident today, it's been a little bit, but.

And again, we're dealing with with children victims. So a little slower extraction that information, but.

It could be in the coming days, it could be in the coming weeks, but I would, I feel very good.

Very strongly that, that based on what we're already learning that she does stand a good chance to.

More charges, well deserved charges.

Well, Lieutenant Paul Bloom will keep an eye on it. Thank you so much. We really appreciate your time for talking about such a really awful, awful case.

Alright, we appreciate you getting that out there.

Now, detectives say Jennifer Kendrick and Jerome Cooms were living together as a couple, but as you heard earlier, Cooms hadn't lived with Jennifer Kendrick's children very long, only since January.

Much ordered that Jennifer Kendrick be held without bail and that she have no contact with her remaining children.

Jerome Cooms is also being held without bail, both are in the Marianne County jail.

And that's it for this episode of Crime Fix. I'm Angie Nellieby. Thanks so much for being with me. I'll see you back here next time.