NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Attorneys for Janee Pedesclaux, a New Orleans mother accused of stabbing her two children, killing three-year-old Paris Roberts, appeared in court Thursday (Aug. 11).
Attorneys asked and a judge granted to defer the scheduled Gwen’s Law hearing in favor of a mental competency evaluation. The state will evaluate Pedesclaux on Friday to determine her competency to stand trial. The family has also requested an independent exam.
Pedesclaux will be held without bond until then.
A competency hearing will be held on Aug. 24. and a Gwen’s Law hearing will be scheduled after that.
If Pedesclaux is found incompetent to stand trial, she will be held at the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System (ELMHS) in the city of Jackson, Louisiana in East Feliciana Parish until she is found competent to stand trial.
Police say Pedesclaux, 31, fatally stabbed Paris and seriously wounded her two-year-old son, Jay’Ceon Roberts, in her Law Street home on Sun., Aug. 7.
The mother initially appeared in court Tuesday but had her bond hearing delayed after a judge invoked Gwen’s Law, which prevents people accused of domestic violence from having bail set until arguments can be heard.
The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office says Paris died of multiple sharp trauma injuries to her neck. Jay’Ceon remains hospitalized in critical condition. Arrest records say both children had their necks slashed.
According to law enforcement, Pedesclaux posted a chilling video to social media after allegedly committing the act. In the video, she is seen wearing a blood-stained white tank top saying her children are dead and she plans to take her own life. Court documents state she also FaceTimed the children’s father, Jermaine Roberts, multiple times during the ordeal, showing him his bloodied children.
Roberts reportedly rushed to the scene and broke out a window to make entrance into the home and retrieve the two small children.
A doorbell camera from a neighbor shows Roberts rushing down the street with Jay’Ceon in his arms and Paris following close behind. In the video, Paris stumbles and gets back to her feet, briskly jogging behind her father as he rushed them to the hospital.
Paris later died from her injuries.
In a statement, Pedesclaux’s family says the lack of mental health services and the toxic mix of social media has added to the problems their family and our communities face.
Pedesclaux lived next door to the Law Street Missionary Baptist Church, where Pastor Johnny Arvie says he had just finished his sermon when it all unfolded. He says he was shocked and heartbroken.
“If she would have reached out. This is what our church building is for. This is what our church family is for,” Pastor Arvie says. “I was hurt. I was sad and confused. As a minister, we get confused too. Confused about how it happened and why it happened.”
Court documents show Pedesclaux and Roberts were in the middle of a custody battle. Roberts claims Pedesclaux was not letting him see the children and that she was not stable nor providing a healthy environment for the kids.
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