Caretaker Accused of Killing, Dismembering Boy Found in Garfield Park Lagoon: Cops

CHICAGO, IL — Police have arrested a caretaker of Kyrian Knox, a 2-year-old boy whose remains were found in the Garfield Park lagoon in September of last year, and the man is expected to be charged in connection with the child's death, according to Chicago police.

Kamel Harris, 41, of the 400 block of Ford Street, Rockford, was arrested by police Monday night while he was being held in Winnebago County Jail on an unrelated burglary charge, the Rockford Register Star reports. He was charged late Tuesday night with first-degree murder, concealment of homicidal death and dismembering a body.

Kyrian had been missing since August of 2015 when his head, feet and hands were found in the lagoon Sept. 5 and 6 of that year. DNA from the remains were matched to a sample from Lanisha Knox, the boy's mother. Officials believe the boy's remains might have been in the water for about one or two weeks.

Lanisha Knox left Kyrian with Harris and his girlfriend in Rockford for two weeks in August while she moved from Rockford to Iowa. Harris is accused of making a false report to Rockford police Sept. 17, 2015, that Kyrian had gone missing, the Register Star reports.

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The arrest came about after Kyrian's blood was found on evidence recovered from Harris' car in November of 2015, the report stated. Harris, however, has told authorities that the child was never in the vehicle, the report added.

Police claim Harris killed Kyrian because the boy, who was lactose intolerant, wouldn't stop crying after drinking milk, according to the Chicago Tribune. Detectives believe the boy was killed in Rockford, and his body was taken to Chicago, the report added.

Despite that, Harris will be charged in Cook County because of the amount of evidence gathered in Chicago and the amount of work done by the Chicago Police Department in the investigation, according to the report.

More via the Rockford Register Star

UPDATED (8:47 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15)

Kamel Harris, 41 (photo via Chicago Police Department)

An artist’s sketch of the baby found in the Garfield Park lagoon in 2015 (left) and a photo of Kyrian Knox. (image via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)

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