Found Deceased IL - Semaj Crosby, 16 mos, Joliet Township, 25 April 2017

[ms_x_to_the_m]

Lengthy article, but a must read. Lots of information we haven't previously seen, including reports on the probation officer, for a male living in the home who a dcfs complaint against him, smelling marijuana in the house.

How the dcfs worker who visited the day Semaj was reported missing brought a vacuum cleaner and cleaning supplies to the home......

Additional info from the pastor and the head of dcfs. Too much to mention....

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-joliet-toddler-investigation-met-20170506-story.html

Excellent article. Thank you for posting it.

 

[Cubby]

'Governor's Watch': Rauner responsible for Joliet Toddlers death:

http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/war...t-Toddlers-Death-Lawmakers-Say-421505714.html


I knew reading the budget impass in msm was just a matter of time.

 

[Ontario Mom]

Arson is being investigated as the possible cause of a Joliet Township fire that destroyed the house where a toddler was found dead

East Joliet Fire Chief Robert Scholtes tells the Chicago Sun-Times said arson was "most likely" the cause of the fire, although it remained under investigation.

http://www.bnd.com/news/state/illinois/article149056929.html

 

[Indy Anna]

Anybody else find it strange that they let it burn to the ground like that?

Not really. Fire departments often use vacant, condemned homes to practice firefighting drills. Since the house was already burning and had been condemned, it was probably used for this purpose.

Thankfully, all evidence in Semaj's death had already been collected. But, I'm wondering if the person who killed Semaj and put her body under the couch also set the fire...maybe the first fire, too. Someone may have tried lighting a fire the first time using the candles from the vigil and then returned, when that didn't do much damage, with more supplies to start and maintain a fire, including an accelerant.

If the fires were caused by the party responsible for Semaj's death, I hope the fires only provide more evidence to identify and convict the person(s). They say that a killer often returns to the scene of the crime. I hope it's their undoing if it applies in this case.

 

[perfectingpink]

Remembering Semaj: Funeral for toddler ‘just heartbreaking’


http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/remembering-semaj-funeral-for-toddler-in-suspicious-death/

 

[MsFacetious]

I just hope that her family had gotten all of their important things out of there. Pictures, clothes, toys.... but I'm sure they had.

 

[NvrEndgStry]

[FONT=Crimson Text, Georgia, Cambria, Times New Roman, Times, serif]http://www.pjstar.com/news/20170506...ler-found-dead-burns-to-ground-in-joliet-area
There's this--[/FONT]

[FONT=Crimson Text, Georgia, Cambria, Times New Roman, Times, serif]"...David Stocking...He said his sister woke him up and he saw flames coming from the windows of the neighboring house. He also said he noticed some suspicious activity around the home last night. Four people appeared to be checking the house for access, he said."[/FONT]

[FONT=Crimson Text, Georgia, Cambria, Times New Roman, Times, serif]BUT WHAT ON EARTH IS THIS???!!???[/FONT]

[FONT=Crimson Text, Georgia, Cambria, Times New Roman, Times, serif]"Since the young girl’s death, firefighters had been hearing rumors that the house was going to burn down, Scholtes said. Another neighbor said he also heard the same rumor."[/FONT]

I'm reading this article wondering why they didn't place surveillance on the house if the fire chief (Robert Scholtes) had heard rumors that this was going to happen? Given the nature of this case (neglect, unsolved death, current investigation) and all that has transpired plus the FBI involvement- well, I'm perplexed. This doesn't make sense to me, why would he say this to the media?

 

[rashford17]

In response to your conjecture, could the Grandmother and Aunt actually have been the ones cycling these people through the house?

I have personally and unfortunately crossed paths with this family. I can say with a degree of certainty that it is the grandmother who is "cycling" people in and out.

I have witnessed the squalor, the abhorrent parenting (and grandparenting), as well as the cycle of hopping from house to house to hotel to house led by the grandmother first hand. Each place they move ends up in the same state.

I feel horrible for the children of this family and for Semaj.

The grandmother should be the prime suspect, if she isn't already. If I were a betting man, I would bet everything I had on her being the culprit.

 

[NvrEndgStry]

Since they say all evidence was already collected, and that makes sense, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say, this was an arson for insurance purposes. IMO

Here's my question though- the home is documented as being condemned. Wouldn't that void the insurance,then? I'm not familiar with rental properties. Also, I presume the property owner has several properties- why would they risk losing their business and going to prison. ** adding///most of the homes in that area are valued low. 40k roughly, that includes property value. There isn't much worth to collect if there was valid insurance.

It seems more likely to me that either it was straight vandalism *OR* someone who was involved in Semaj's death who was too dumb to comprehend that all the evidence had been taken from the property and that since the property was released back to the owner there was nothing that a fire was going to destroy. I mean, 40 visits from probation officers over the past year tells me there were some felons going in and out of that household. It seems most likely that criminals are being criminals IMO.

 

[cvaldez1975]

Another thought. Could she have ingested roach or rat poison?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Cubby]

I have personally and unfortunately crossed paths with this family. I can say with a degree of certainty that it is the grandmother who is "cycling" people in and out.

I have witnessed the squalor, the abhorrent parenting (and grandparenting), as well as the cycle of hopping from house to house to hotel to house led by the grandmother first hand. Each place they move ends up in the same state.

I feel horrible for the children of this family and for Semaj.

The grandmother should be the prime suspect, if she isn't already. If I were a betting man, I would bet everything I had on her being the culprit.

Welcome to WS rashford17! :welcome:

Would this be the same grandmother who made the calls to dcfs ? Upthread, in one of Anita Padilla's Facebook videos something is mentioned about the grandmother hitting Semaj near a tree.

If you know the family, you might want to consider becoming a verified case "insider". I will find and post the link about getting verified.

 

[Cubby]

Information on becoming verified:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...n-Process-for-Professional-or-Insider-Posters

 

[rashford17]

Welcome to WS rashford17! :welcome:

Would this be the same grandmother who made the calls to dcfs ? Upthread, in one of Anita Padilla's Facebook videos something is mentioned about the grandmother hitting Semaj near a tree.

If you know the family, you might want to consider becoming a verified case "insider". I will find and post the link about getting verified.

I saw the video and it brought chills to my spine and actually led me to join this thread.

I would think that the maternal grandmother called DCFS. The paternal gm likely wouldn't call because she would essentially be calling on herself.

I can only speak from the conditions and instances I witnessed years ago, but my immediate and gut instinct goes straight to DC being involved in a big way.

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[aivle]

There was a smaller fires the night of the vigil. It only burned a little of the front of the house. Supposively due to a candle catching fire to a balloon. I didn't buy the story.

Can anybody confirm if the Joliet Fire Department was at the house today putting out what is rumored to be the 2nd fire?
I'm not scanner savvy and don't see anything popping up on Google.
I'm not seeing anything other than some local's FB pics and videos.

 

[leelee114]

Just catching up on this. Don't forget that when we learned of the high number of calls to the house leading up to Semaj's death one of the calls was a fire which was suspected arson.

I wonder how much longer until the toxicology reports are in? I'm ready to see people in handcuffs. So horrifying to think the cleanest softest place Semaj laid her little head in over the past 6 months (at least) is in her coffin.

 

[DangleBerries]

The home was owned by former Minooka Mayor.

A letter sent to Briscoe on April 28 noted the trash, a broken stove, a lack of window screens, cracked drywall and a smoke alarm that needed a battery. If the repairs had not been performed within 21 days, Briscoe could've been penalized up to $500 daily.

On May 1, Briscoe and the inspector went through the property again and the non-working stove violation was removed from the list, according to land use records. By that point, candles left by mourners had caused fire damage to the front siding of the home.

Those repairs became a moot issue about 6 a.m. Saturday when another fire destroyed the structure. The state fire marshal is investigating to determine the cause and origin of that blaze.

Briscoe, who served as mayor of Minooka from 2005 to 2009, did not immediately return messages left asking for comment Monday. Jarrod Briscoe, who is also affiliated with the rental business, declined to comment.

http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2017/...orable-home-where-toddler-found-dead/afy5gqt/

 

[BIC]

Here's my question though- the home is documented as being condemned. Wouldn't that void the insurance,then? I'm not familiar with rental properties. Also, I presume the property owner has several properties- why would they risk losing their business and going to prison. ** adding///most of the homes in that area are valued low. 40k roughly, that includes property value. There isn't much worth to collect if there was valid insurance.

It seems more likely to me that either it was straight vandalism *OR* someone who was involved in Semaj's death who was too dumb to comprehend that all the evidence had been taken from the property and that since the property was released back to the owner there was nothing that a fire was going to destroy. I mean, 40 visits from probation officers over the past year tells me there were some felons going in and out of that household. It seems most likely that criminals are being criminals IMO.

Good points. You're probably right about the dumb criminals. IMO


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[DangleBerries]

An arson investigation canine unit appeared to hit on a scent near the front of the home near a bathtub. An investigator with the fire marshal's office said samples will be collected and tested. Results could take several weeks, he said.

A neighbor also reported seeing four people in a car stopped by the house Friday night, authorities said. One got out and walked around the home checking entryways. Scholtes said all of the doors and windows were locked Saturday morning.

Though Scholtes Monday could not say where the fire started, he said it definitely started inside the home.

When firefighters arrived Saturday, Scholtes said he observed fires in the attic and in a back bbedroom.

More here:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-joliet-toddler-arson-met-20170508-story.html

 

[Niner]

In the above post - re fire guy not saying "where" the fire started, I thought I read in an another article it started in the bedroom....

I believe I read the tox results should be in 3 to 5 weeks.

 

[CMAJustice]

I also have a theory on what happened to this poor little girl. These folks, based on what I'm learning about their lifestyle, characters, personalitiies and the filth they lived in, were most likely, drinking or drugging and thought it would be funny to play a trick on Sheri, the mother and hide the baby girl. But obviously, hiding her ended in killing her. Anyone else have any theories and has anyone else been checking out their fb profiles and those of many many who are all linked together. Very interesting.