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

[perfectingpink]

Page 4 of this thread.

Thank you! One day in the near future I am going to learn to stop speed reading, to read with my glasses on and to not do other things while I am reading. But honestly, I wouldn't hold my breath that this will happen any time soon.

 

[njbchgal]

A statement was released the details of Semaj's body, looks like rumors flying everywhere.

Semaj's body was found lying underneath the couch.

http://www.wjol.com/will-county-she...essing-rumors-surrounding-death-semaj-crosby/

 

[Cubby]

Welcome to WS Tyeezo!

:welcome:

 

[Cubby]

Semaj's godmother ranting, article worth reading.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/joliet-twp-home-where-girl-died-not-fit-for-human-occupancy/

 

[MSCJgrad]

Indeed. Given the circumstances of this case specifically, the basic right of an attorney seemed to trump the basic right to allow the police to search her home for her 'missing' 16 month old. Herein lies my issue.

The need for a lawyer when dealing with the police is a well known basic right not some lofty notion only rocket scientists know about.

 

[MSCJgrad]

Journalism these days smh

yeah the article says "with tears streaming down her face" but there were no tears .... [crocodile tears]

 

[MSCJgrad]

I agree with you on #1 & #2, as well as your note that people get caught up in something they had no or minimal involvement with as a result of false statements or being railroaded during questioning. My concern in this specific instance is that her family hired the attorney immediately, from what I have read. After extensive searching (a day and a half, I believe?), it was the same attorney who allowed police to search the house. The same house that the mother was said to have mentioned not wanting to go back into, according to neighbors the day of the search.
I have one last question, not intended to be the least bit offensive; i'm just asking because (I think?) you have mentioned having common friends or family members to this family: who paid the retainer for the attorney? If Semaj and her siblings were living in squalor, why couldn't whoever hired/secured the attorney have helped Semaj and her mother/siblings financially to have at a minimum gotten then out of that house?

It was her family that hired a lawyer, and they did so because 1. Black people and the police don't have a great history
2. It's the correct thing to do even if you're innocent. So many innocent people are in prison because of false statements.

 

[MSCJgrad]

Once again, if family and friends knew that she was vulnerable, then why did they allow for her and her children to be out there like that? I'm having trouble connecting the dots here. Unless, perhaps, it was those same friends and family members who were repeatedly reporting her to DFS, and DFS allowed this to progress.

I agree. I think it is also important to note that her family and friends understood that she was vulnerable. If the rumors of his family setting her up and doing things like not leaving her home are true, then, I am sure her family thought she was vulnerable to anything that might come of her daughter missing. In point, it was her lawyer who discussed the search of the house with her and she agreed. It seems to me that her having a lawyer helped to find this baby without having to wait for a period of time for warrants.

And, if she is guilty of some wrongdoing, I would rather her have counsel so that all charges that are made would stick. (But, i don't think she did anything wrong in the death of her child. About other things, like care, I am not sure-- I think i need more information before I could venture a guess.) JMHO.

 

[leelee114]

Indeed. Given the circumstances of this case specifically, the basic right of an attorney seemed to trump the basic right to allow the police to search her home for her 'missing' 16 month old. Herein lies my issue.

The lawyer assisted in the search which ultimately led to the discovery of Semaj. Legal procedures exist for a reason.

 

[MSCJgrad]

"The godmother claimed it was the baby’s father’s mother who continually called the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to report potential child neglect."

That answers one of my questions from earlier...

"But she added that when authorities had been at the house on Easter Sunday, the house was very clean." <----------------HUH?

Semaj's godmother ranting, article worth reading.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/joliet-twp-home-where-girl-died-not-fit-for-human-occupancy/

 

[LisaWL7TR]

Thank you! One day in the near future I am going to learn to stop speed reading, to read with my glasses on and to not do other things while I am reading. But honestly, I wouldn't hold my breath that this will happen any time soon.

When you do, i will. : ) lol

Actually, I am good at speed reading but remembering what I read. sigh.


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[deedee21]

We have seen the stories. Kids go missing and killers are not arrested. IMO the cousin and others are afraid they will lose the roof over their head. This is why the mother was told not to answer questions. They put themselves first. IMO of course.

 

[MSCJgrad]

"Then on Wednesday night, the sheriff&#8217;s office and the FBI executed a search warrant on Semaj&#8217;s mother&#8217;s home &#8212; in the 300 block of Louis Road."

Didn't LE say in their press conference that they did not have a warrant, as the attorney met them there and approved the search on behalf of the mother?

Semaj's godmother ranting, article worth reading.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/joliet-twp-home-where-girl-died-not-fit-for-human-occupancy/

 

[ms_x_to_the_m]

I had similar questions. My concern is that the mother has been deemed 'slow' a few times. She sure did lawyer-up quickly. My stance is that you can't have it both ways; can't be both slow, and quick.

Agreed. However in this case it could be that she is quick because shes easily influenced by others, not necessarily because of her capacity. Maybe shes easily pressured to do as shes told.

All moo.

 

[MSCJgrad]

The lawyer approved the search on behalf of his client after a day and a half of searching. A day and a half. Strangers, professionals, locals, out of towners-hundreds of people were searching for this baby, day and night. I'm not sure what legal procedures that you are referring to here... LE was clearly following their policies and procedures, otherwise they would have been in that house a day and a half earlier, and been able to preserve a smidgen of dignity in this innocent baby's death, saved search and rescue a day and a half of exhaustion, mental and physical, in searching for Semaj, and to have obtained better evidence, as with crime scenes, the sooner they can be accessed, the better. Instead, it took a day and a half of reasoning on the lawyer's behalf to get the mother to allow access to the home, otherwise they would have had to have waited on enough probable cause for a warrant to be issued. The mother could have let them in that house day 1, moment 1, period, and she didn't.

The lawyer assisted in the search which ultimately led to the discovery of Semaj. Legal procedures exist for a reason.

 

[leelee114]

"Then on Wednesday night, the sheriff&#8217;s office and the FBI executed a search warrant on Semaj&#8217;s mother&#8217;s home &#8212; in the 300 block of Louis Road."

Didn't LE say in their press conference that they did not have a warrant, as the attorney met them there and approved the search on behalf of the mother?

The timeline I've seen is that the mother submitted to the first search but based on witness statements police thought Semaj had walked away. The police investigated this angle and found nothing and wanted back into the house.The mother was being questioned in a police trailer and someone accompanying the mother was banging on the door telling her not to answer any questions at which point she ceased the interview. According to Ackerson the police repeatedly tried to get search warrants but there wasn't enough probable cause. At some point the lawyer obtained convinced the mother to allow another search which resulted in the discovery of Semaj.

 

[perfectingpink]

"The godmother claimed it was the baby&#8217;s father&#8217;s mother who continually called the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to report potential child neglect."

That answers one of my questions from earlier...

"But she added that when authorities had been at the house on Easter Sunday, the house was very clean." <----------------HUH?

From what I gathered from the godmother, the squatters moved in after Easter. Also, there is some confusion as to how long mom lived at the home. This article makes it sound like they were at this home on Easter, but other's have indicated the mom moved into it after Easter.

 

[leelee114]

The lawyer approved the search on behalf of his client after a day and a half of searching. A day and a half. Strangers, professionals, locals, out of towners-hundreds of people were searching for this baby, day and night. I'm not sure what legal procedures that you are referring to here... LE was clearly following their policies and procedures, otherwise they would have been in that house a day and a half earlier, and been able to preserve a smidgen of dignity in this innocent baby's death, saved search and rescue a day and a half of exhaustion, mental and physical, in searching for Semaj, and to have obtained better evidence, as with crime scenes, the sooner they can be accessed, the better. Instead, it took a day and a half of reasoning on the lawyer's behalf to get the mother to allow access to the home, otherwise they would have had to have waited on enough probable cause for a warrant to be issued. The mother could have let them in that house day 1, moment 1, period, and she didn't.

https://patch.com/illinois/joliet/missing-baby-found-dead-her-home

"A deputy went into the house and performed a cursory search after Gordon called 911 and reported her daughter missing about 6 p.m. Tuesday, said Ackerson, who told of the house being in "deplorable condition."

 

[Ontario Mom]

I am not convinced that she was alive when the DCFS visited the home. Any thoughts?

Until the ME releases the TOD, MOD and COD, I wouldn't even begin to speculate on that.

 

[Cubby]

"The godmother claimed it was the baby&#8217;s father&#8217;s mother who continually called the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to report potential child neglect."

That answers one of my questions from earlier...

"But she added that when authorities had been at the house on Easter Sunday, the house was very clean." <----------------HUH?

I posted early on I thought it was a family member. As for the house becoming trashed. Well, just think of teens having a party and how quickly get can trash and house. This was an 875 square foot house. I am in a similarly sized place and when we recently painted, just moving stuff with three people here it was cluttered to the point of stepping over each other in some instances. A bunch of unwelcome guests, aka squatters, living out of garbage bags; dump out those bags while frantically looking for a child and I can see how the place would become a mess in under 30 minutes.