NY NY - Jacob Pritchett, 11, autistic, not seen several weeks, mother arrested, Brownsville/Brooklyn, Sept 2025

[ReDReq]

Brooklyn mom of missing 11-year-old autistic boy no longer has to face questions in court: judge

Jacqueline Pritchett is free for now of any legal obligations regarding the investigation into the disappearance of her son Jacob Pritchett.

www.nydailynews.com

This is so far only source about this ruling.... but woah.

 

[Stunned]

I don't even understand this. Is this some kind of standoff?

 

[dalsglen]

Brooklyn mom of missing 11-year-old autistic boy no longer has to face questions in court: judge

Jacqueline Pritchett is free for now of any legal obligations regarding the investigation into the disappearance of her son Jacob Pritchett.

www.nydailynews.com

This is so far only source about this ruling.... but woah.

Orsatti noted that nothing has changed since then, with Pritchett still providing no information about Jacob.
“It’s been three months,” Orsatti said Tuesday as Pritchett, her lawyers and ACS staffers appeared virutally in his court. “I don’t think at this point Family Court is the appropriate venue for this matter.”
The judge noted that if new information about Jacob is learned ACS can again ask the mother be held in contempt.

Are people expected to just shrug their shoulders and say oh well, nevermind?

It's mind boggling.

 

[bella263]

Brooklyn mom of missing 11-year-old autistic boy no longer has to face questions in court: judge

Jacqueline Pritchett is free for now of any legal obligations regarding the investigation into the disappearance of her son Jacob Pritchett.

www.nydailynews.com

This is so far only source about this ruling.... but woah.

Archived link here without paywall: https://archive.is/HbAsc

 

[Gemmie]

“I don’t think at this point Family Court is the appropriate venue for this matter.”

Are people expected to just shrug their shoulders and say oh well, nevermind?

It's mind boggling.

SBMFF

I don't think so to your question. I agree that Family Court doesn't seem to be the appropriate venue for this case, as I, and likely LE, believe Jacob is deceased. So I agree with that assessment after Googling to see exactly what a NY Family Court does.

The Family Court in New York handles different kinds of cases, including:

• Custody & Visitation: Deciding which parent or guardian a child will live with and how they will spend time with each parent.
• Child Abuse & Neglect: Ensuring children are safe and well-cared for; if not, the court will step in to protect them.
• Adoption: Legally making a child a permanent member of a new family.
• Child Support: Determining financial support for a child’s needs.
• Paternity: Establishing who a child’s biological father is.
• Juvenile Delinquency: Cases involving children under 18 who are accused of breaking the law.

Our job at the Children’s Law Center is to represent our child client – nobody else. The court will appoint us to your case.

Family Court

A guide from CLC on navigating family court if you’re a child or teen in New York City.

www.clcny.org

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So.... it's too late for "Child Abuse & Neglect" to ensure the child is safe and well cared for. Jacob is long gone. Adoption is out for the same reason, so what does that leave? A different court of law IMO, not Family Court. It's outside their realm IMO.

 

[ReDReq]

Yea... This case is really sad one, and I am not sure, how much solid evidence they actually have. Most likely not much to bring her forth to different court otherwise.

 

[HollyHunter9]

Brooklyn mom of missing 11-year-old autistic boy no longer has to face questions in court: judge

Jacqueline Pritchett is free for now of any legal obligations regarding the investigation into the disappearance of her son Jacob Pritchett.

www.nydailynews.com

This is so far only source about this ruling.... but woah.

I'm sorry what?? This is crazy! WTH.

This is eerily similar to melodee buzzard case but why is she not being investigated for suspected foul play?

 

[tlcya]

I'm sorry what?? This is crazy! WTH.

This is eerily similar to melodee buzzard case but why is she not being investigated for suspected foul play?

I tend to agree with the judge, Family court is NOT the appropriate venue to gain answers and justice for Jacob. I do not believe, cannot believe, this is the end of the investigation. This will be determined in big girl court and I have no doubt LE are NOT just shrugging and going home. JMO And while Melodee's case did not end well, Ashlee Buzzard will pay for what she has done. I have faith that Jacqueline will pay for whatever she has done to and with Jacob.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Often mental health can be restored, right?
There is some evidence in the case, as blood was reported being found (see posts #2 and #82 in this thread).
So hopefully something will break in this case.

Maybe they need to look into changing the law so that if a child goes missing and their legal guardian doesn't immediately report it, he/she can be criminally charged, period.

 

[Kittypoo]

Also

I'm sorry what?? This is crazy! WTH.

This is eerily similar to melodee buzzard case but why is she not being investigated for suspected foul play?

the Kyran Durnin case in Ireland. His mother was allowed to leave the country without accountability for her son’s whereabouts IMO

 

[HollyHunter9]

Also

the Kyran Durnin case in Ireland. His mother was allowed to leave the country without accountability for her son’s whereabouts IMO

Yes and that case infuriates me too. I do not understand how these people are just walking around free when their child is no where to be found without an explanation.

 

[HollyHunter9]

Often mental health can be restored, right?
There is some evidence in the case, as blood was reported being found (see posts #2 and #82 in this thread).
So hopefully something will break in this case.

Maybe they need to look into changing the law so that if a child goes missing and their legal guardian doesn't immediately report it, he/she can be criminally charged, period.

I agree. If your child is missing and you can't give a valid reason why and have not reported them missing then you should be held criminally responsible. Even if there's no evidence they harmed the child, at the very least it should be seen as neglect.

 

[TMich6811]

Yes I think a lot of the issue in these cases that we seem to be seeing at an increasing rate - there is no direct law to produce a child. So it leaves trying to find loopholes until something else is known

 

[ReDReq]

I was also wondering the blood evidence in general. Cadaver dogs, IIRC, are taught to differentiate between human and other animal remains (and blood), but not between whose blood is it. Also since it has been pointed out, that while the apartment was unkempt - there was strong smell of cleaning fluids. While not all products are effective to destroy DNA fully per se, I guess it could be thought that the blood smell trace could be potentially from her too? There is no question of her mental health status, but we don't know to what extend it potentially go. Also other issues like being clumsy or so, do not really come out. I suppose this makes the blood scent reasonable doubt, but not solid or proof of her doing something to him. at least in their home that is.

My mind is on rambling mode and gives out a lot of speculative narrations at this point.

 

[LovesPeace2]

There's still no update or anything on this youngster . Just sad jmvho

 

[imstilla.grandma]

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) — An 11-year-old autistic Brooklyn, New York, boy hasn’t been seen in almost a year, and six months after he was reported missing, his disappearance still baffles investigators trying to build a possible homicide case.

Jacob Pritchett was reported missing in October 2025, but the last confirmed sighting of the boy was in April of the same year by a property manager, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a press briefing Friday.
O
The mom’s sister also reported seeing Jacob in early 2025. The boy is still missing, and the search for his body is ongoing.

“Where is he now?” Kenny said.

Authorities were called to the Howard Avenue home on Oct. 1 to conduct a wellness check at the request of the Administration of Children’s Services. The boy’s mother, Jacqueline Pritchett, 50, was acting evasive and claiming she didn’t have a son, police said.

Autistic Brooklyn boy, 11, still missing: ‘Where is he now?’

Jacob Pritchett was reported missing in October 2025, but the last confirmed sighting of the boy was in April of the same year by a property manager.

www.newsnationnow.com

Police released a computer-generated image of Jacob Pritchett, 11.

Mom invokes Fifth Amendment amid search for missing Brooklyn boy: Report

Autistic 11-year-old Jacob Pritchett has been missing for months.

www.newsnationnow.com