Chicago Mother Charged After Stabbing Three Children and Setting Home on Fire on July 4 in Logan Square Tragedy

A horrifying tragedy unfolded on the morning of July 4, 2025, in Logan Square, where Wendy Tolbert, a 46-year-old Chicago mother, allegedly stabbed her three children—killing her 4-year-old son, critically injuring her daughter, and injuring her son—before setting their home on fire. The case has now resurfaced in headlines following a weekend court hearing where prosecutors revealed devastating new details about the attack that shook the city.

Tolbert is facing 14 felony charges, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated arson, and aggravated battery to a child. According to the Chicago Police Department, the incident occurred inside an apartment in the 3600 block of W. Palmer Street, where the mother allegedly unleashed a violent attack on her children and then ignited a fire that spread through the building.

Her youngest child, Jordan Wallace, just 4 years old, was stabbed 36 times in the chest, back, and face, according to prosecutors. He was rushed to Stroger Hospital but died from his injuries. His 10-year-old brother was stabbed in the arm, and his 13-year-old sister was stabbed multiple times in the face, neck, chest, and back. She remains hospitalized in critical condition and is currently intubated after undergoing multiple surgeries.

Court documents reveal that at around 9:00 a.m., the 10-year-old was playing video games in the living room while Jordan was sleeping beside him. Their sister was in her basement bedroom. Tolbert allegedly approached the boy from behind and stabbed him in the arm. As he tried to flee, Jordan woke up and attempted to follow, but was stabbed by Tolbert, who then kicked him down the stairs and continued attacking him with the knife.

The surviving children managed to speak through the basement wall and devised a desperate plan to escape. The 13-year-old called 911 at 9:01 a.m., telling dispatchers her mother was trying to kill her. She called again one minute later. As Tolbert pounded on the bedroom door, the siblings attempted to defend themselves. That’s when Tolbert allegedly stabbed her daughter repeatedly in the face and upper body.

By 9:20 a.m., officers arrived and heard the 10-year-old calling from an open basement window. They saw Tolbert holding a knife in one hand and a burning paper towel in the other. As police placed her in custody, smoke began pouring out of the windows, and alarms sounded. Within minutes, the structure was engulfed in flames.

Officers smashed windows to reach the children. They rescued the 10-year-old, who was pulled out of a basement window, and then retrieved the 13-year-old, who was unconscious, and Jordan, who was gravely injured. Nearby residents also suffered from the fire; a 31-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, along with three Chicago police officers who responded to the scene.

Tolbert was taken into custody and admitted during police interviews that she stabbed her children, claiming they were “possessed by the devil.” She also said she was suffering from schizophrenia and had been diagnosed with cancer, though officials reported no visible injuries on her body.

An investigation by fire marshals found that the fire originated on the first floor, where accelerants were discovered in three separate locations. A K9 Unit helped locate evidence including lighter fluid and a bottle of rubbing alcohol, indicating the fire was deliberately set.

The blaze also spread to the neighboring building, forcing multiple residents to evacuate and leaving several tenants displaced.

The community remains in shock, grappling with the sheer brutality of the attack and mourning the loss of Jordan Wallace. As the legal process unfolds, the tragedy has reignited public concern over mental health support, child safety, and domestic violence intervention in vulnerable families.