MILWAUKEE, WI – A Milwaukee father will serve nearly half a century behind bars after the discovery of his 12-year-old son’s emaciated body in their home, a tragic scene described by a judge as the worst case she’s encountered in her career.
Romuan J. Moye, 45, was sentenced to 47 and a half years in prison for the gruesome death of his son, Jacarie Robinson. Court documents reveal Moye pleaded guilty to charges including first-degree reckless homicide, chronic neglect of a child, and failure to report the death of a child.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Laura Crivello, who presided over the case, stated it was the most shocking case she had seen in her 30-year career, comparing the offenses to something out of a horror movie.
Authorities arrested Moye in February, more than four months after Jacarie’s decomposed body was discovered by his brother. The boy’s condition was dire, weighing only 54 pounds and showing signs of severe neglect, including broken arms and ribs. His body was found covered in maggots, police reported.
Detectives received what they initially considered a minor tip from an outside source, which ultimately led them to apprehend Moye. Milwaukee Police Department’s Special Investigation Fugitive Apprehension Division acknowledged the significance of the lead and the public’s lingering questions regarding Moye’s prior evasion of capture.
Reports indicate that after Jacarie’s brother found his body, Moye disappeared from the scene. The following description depicts Moye’s parental behavior as disciplinary to the point of starvation, according to police interviews.
Responding to a “dead on entry” call on Oct. 10, officers described the apartment as overwhelmingly foul-smelling due to mold, feces, and decay, with garbage and rotting food strewn throughout. The state of the residence painted a stark picture of the environment Jacarie was subjected to.
Jacarie’s 22-year-old brother, who discovered the body, narrated his father’s increasingly abnormal behavior leading up to the discovery. Descriptions from the family pointed to Moye isolating Jacarie, who reportedly suffered due to allegations of misbehavior and food theft—a characterization echoed by his siblings.
Autopsy results revealed Jacarie had undergone immense suffering, noting his significant malnourishment and multiple untreated fractures. Authorities disclosed that while both arms and ribs sustained severe damage, the body’s overall state was alarmingly neglectful.
As Moye faces decades of imprisonment, the case has left a lasting mark on the community and authorities involved, highlighting severe neglect and prompting deeper reflections on child welfare safeguards.
