Couple first ‘laughed’ at videos and pictures of son being ‘bound to the wall using a staple gun,’ then beat him to death

August 11, 2024 Sharon Banks

A Michigan mother and her boyfriend have been arrested and charged with the brutal torture and murder of her 6-year-old son, who was confined in a makeshift pen, stapled to the wall and shot multiple times with a BB gun.

25-year-old Elaina Rose Jennings and 32-year-old Daniel John Giacchina face charges of first-degree murder, child abuse and lying to a police officer in connection with the death of young Giovanni “Chulo” Jennings, authorities said.

Giacchina also faces additional charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Emergency services were called to the family’s home in the Ackels mobile home community in Madison Heights on July 30, after Jennings reported that her son was not breathing, according to a news release from the Oakland County District Attorney’s Office. Upon arrival, first responders found Chulo unresponsive, suffering from multiple injuries.

He was initially taken to Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital before being transferred to Children’s Hospital of Michigan Stilson Specialty Center, where he succumbed to his injuries on July 31.

Authorities revealed that Chulo had been subjected to severe and regular abuse by both Jennings and Giacchina. They claimed the couple conspired to deceive investigators, falsely stating that someone else was responsible for Chulo’s injuries when, in fact, he was left in Giacchina’s care.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald described the case as one of the most horrific her office had ever encountered. She stated that after a thorough examination of the evidence, it was clear that Chulo had been “confined, beaten, and even bound to a wall with a staple gun.”

Despite his serious injuries, he was not taken for medical treatment because his mother feared the abuse would be discovered.

During a press conference, McDonald detailed the extreme conditions Chulo endured. The child was forced to sleep on a wooden slat within a pen measuring only 3 feet long and 11 inches wide.

His body bore evidence of extensive bruising, lacerations and abrasions from his head to his shins, including his fingers.

Photographs taken during the autopsy showed that Chulo had been severely beaten. His death was ruled a homicide, with the cause being blunt force trauma to his abdomen and a perforated bowel resulting from prolonged confinement and abuse.

“Investigators also uncovered damning evidence on the couple’s electronic devices, including videos and pictures showing the boy being shot with a BB gun and stapled to the wall,” McDonald said.

McDonald added that “the couple laughed about these incidents, with Giacchina referring to the staple gun as a solution to ‘the problem’ before beating the young boy to death.””

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Both Jennings and Giacchina are being held without bond and are scheduled to appear in court again on August 21, 2024.