On a tragic Mother's Day evening in Charleston, South Carolina, 37-year-old Janet Jay Crouch, a white female, was fatally shot in her West Ashley home on Hollywood Drive. The incident occurred shortly after 8 p.m. on May 11, 2025, after Crouch and her young son had just finished dinner. A knock at the door preceded the violent encounter that would end her life.
Her middle school-aged son witnessed the horrific event and was later found by police hiding in a closet.
Crouch, a beloved mother, daughter, sister, and friend, was known for her vibrant and creative spirit. She worked as a stylist at Vanity Salon in Mount Pleasant, where her passion for beauty and her ability to make people feel confident left a lasting impression on her clients and colleagues. Her family and friends remember her as a fierce and devoted mother whose life revolved around her 12-year-old son.
The investigation into her death, which authorities did not believe to be a random act of violence, quickly led to arrests. Her ex-boyfriend, Jean Irene Lesperance, 36, of North Charleston, was charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. An accomplice, Jacinda Francesca Trader, 28, of Saint George, was also arrested and charged with murder.
Court documents revealed a history of domestic violence. In March 2023, Crouch had reported to the Mount Pleasant Police Department that she had been held captive for three days by a boyfriend, identified in some reports as John Lesar, who had physically assaulted her and threatened her with a pistol. He was arrested on charges of kidnapping and domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature. Friends of Crouch indicated that she felt unsupported by the solicitor's office in the prosecution of that case, feeling that no one believed her or was fighting for her. Her death has raised questions within the community about the handling of domestic violence cases.
