Teenager ‘Beat 71-Year-Old to Death’ after She Took Him in to Help Him Escape Life in a Troubled Home

A 17-year-old boy sent to live with his great-grandmother is accused of killing her Friday with help from his cousin.

Joda Cain was sent to live with Jacqueline Bell in an effort to escape problems he’d been having at home, instead he killed her with help from his cousin Micus Ward, 19, and stole her Lexus, officials charged.

The two murder suspects took cops on a high speed chase at speeds as high as 135MPH before they were apprehended. Cops pulling them over were initially unaware of the murder, only finding out after calling in the stolen car.

Ms Bell died of blunt force trauma, officials said. They have not yet specified a murder weapon.

Mr Cain’s mother sent him this summer to live with Bell because he was having problems back home in Kansas City, she told KSHB.

Jacqueline Bell

‘He needed to get away he was having issues, he was getting in trouble,’ the mother, who asked not to be identified, explained.

The young boy was thriving out west, even taking part in sports.

‘He was happy, he was happy,’ the devastated mother said between tears. ‘Everything was going good and he was back to playing football and everything was great for all I knew.’

Ms Bell spoiled the troubled teen, his mother told the station. Her generosity knew no limits, she even bought Mr Ward a plane ticket to come visit.

However, a series of pictures posted to Micus Ward’s Facebook page the night he arrived showed a completely different Jona Cain than the one described by his mother.

Clouds of smoke, alcohol, and a chilling picture of him pointing a gun with a wad of money in his mouth appear on the social media site.

Cops found his dead great-grandmother the next morning.

The two young men were caught a short time later in the dead woman’s car, pulled over after the high-speed chase for dangerous driving. Police discovered the woman was dead after reporting the car stolen. The two teens were immediately arrested.

Despite officials saying Mr Cain was involved in Ms Bell’s death, and being pulled over in her stolen car, his mother insists he didn’t do it.

‘He’s not that person,’ she told KSHB. ‘He’s really not. He’s not perfect, he’s spoiled rotten but my God he would never, never do that to her, he’d never do that to anybody.’

Mr Cain has been charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, attempt to elude, reckless driving and reckless endangering – if he is charged with murder it will be as an adult.

Mr Ward has been charged with criminal homicide and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, his bail has been set at $10,000.