Six-year-old Giovanni “Chulo” Jennings has tragically died after enduring a brief life filled with unimaginable torture and abuse. His mother, Elana Jennings, 25, and her boyfriend, Daniel Giacchina, have been charged by Madison Heights, Michigan police with first-degree murder, child abuse, and lying to a police officer in connection with his death.
Giovanni’s four-year-old brother is helping police piece together the horrifying pattern of abuse that led to the child’s death. The young boy reportedly suffered severe beatings, was shot with a BB gun, and, in a particularly shocking act of cruelty, was stapled to a wall. His death was ultimately caused by a ruptured bowel.
The couple allegedly recorded videos of Giovanni as he attempted to escape from a small area where he was forced to sleep on a narrow wooden plank, only three feet long and 11 inches wide. They reportedly watched these videos for their own amusement.
In an attempt to evade responsibility, the couple tried to blame Giovanni’s biological father for his death. However, the four-year-old brother contradicted their story, telling authorities, “Chulo died all day and Danny was there.”
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald described the abuse as “horrific.” At a press conference, she revealed the autopsy findings, noting that Giovanni’s body was covered in bruises and lacerations, including injuries to his scalp, temples, lips, and various other parts of his body.
McDonald explained that Giacchina repeatedly abused Giovanni, sometimes while Jennings was at work. However, Jennings was fully aware of the abuse, often approving of and even encouraging the assaults.
In the days leading up to Giovanni’s death, he was punished by having his head wedged into a corner and his clothes stapled to the wall by Giacchina for “looking out the window in the pen area.” Giacchina allegedly sent a text to Jennings afterward, stating he had “solved the problem,” accompanied by a photo of Giovanni suspended from the wall.
A search of the home uncovered a staple gun, a BB gun, a 9mm ghost gun, and bullet holes in the walls, according to McDonald. Giovanni ultimately died after being repeatedly punched in the stomach. He began vomiting and eventually stopped breathing on July 30, leading his mother to call 911.