The family of a 17-year-old Columbia girl who was stabbed to death last year has filed a wrongful death civil case against the ex-boyfriend accused of her murder, with his mother and brother also listed as co-defendants.

It is alleged that during the morning of June 27, 2013, Jordan Kuykendall, 21, stabbed to death his ex-girlfriend, Erin Schneider, at 237 South Riebeling Street in Columbia. Kuykendall has entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of first-degree murder and remains in custody at the Monroe County Jail in Waterloo awaiting trial.

On Sept. 22, Erin’s parents, Kenneth P. Schneider Jr. and Shelly A. Schneider, filed a four-count lawsuit against Jordan Kuykendall alleging wrongful death, and also alleging negligent entrusting and premises liability against Kuykendall’s mother, Rachel Munro, and brother, Justin Kuykendall.

The Schneiders seek in excess of $50,000 in damages on all counts.

Central to the civil case against Munro and Justin Kuykendall, according to the filing, are allegations that Jordan Kuykendall had a “history of mental problems and bizarre and menacing behavior”  of which both his brother and mother were “well aware” and yet they allowed him to “live reclusively in the basement.”

As principal owners of the residence, “Rachel and Justin knew or should have known that with the history of antisocial and bizarre behavior and the stress he was under from the breakdown of his relationship with Erin, entrusting the basement of this house to Jordan created a clear and present danger to others,” the filing states.

Schneider had an active emergency order of protection against Kuykendall that was set to expire on the afternoon of her death. A hearing was scheduled before a judge that day at the Monroe County Courthouse in Waterloo.

For the full story, read the Oct. 8 edition of the Republic-Times newspaper.