Coroner: Sema'j Crosby Died Of Homicide

JOLIET, IL - Just one day after The Justice For Sema'j Crosby Action Team held another peaceful rally in downtown Joliet, a high-ranking Will County elected official issued a rare written press release, revealing for the first time, the cause and manner of Sema'j L. Crosby's mysterious death back in April. Will County Coroner Patrick K. O'Neil announced on Friday afternoon that the cause of the 17-month-old toddler's death is being classified as asphyxia. Sema'j was pronounced dead at 1:27 a.m. on April 27 inside her Preston Heights residence, 309 Louis Road, in Joliet Township. The manner of her death is homicide, O'Neil stated.

"Additionally, based on the unusual circumstances surrounding her disappearance and the subsequent discovery of her decomposing body under the couch in her own home, the multiple previous contacts by the (Illinois) Department of Children and Family Services, the suspicious fire at the residence and lack of cooperation from the witnesses, the manner of death of this 17-month-old Sema'j L. Crosby is currently classified as homicide," O'Neil stated in his press release.

At 5 p.m. Friday, the Will County State's Attorney's Office issued a statement regarding the status of the ongoing Sema'j Crosby investigation.

"The investigation into the death of Sema'j Crosby is the highest priority for both the Will County State's Attorney's Office and the Will County Sheriff's Department. All available resources are being deployed in this investigation. The tragic death of this little girl has had a profound impact on all of the prosecutors and investigators in this case."

The statement went on to explain that the sheriff's department has met with and provided as much information as is legally permissible to the Justice for Sema'j Action Team, but there are legitimate reasons for keeping some information secret in nature.

"It is common for law enforcement agencies to withhold some information from the public to protect the integrity of the investigation," the statement from Glasgow's office noted. "This is necessary to ensure that any defendant who is identified is appropriately charged and receives a fair trial under the law.

"Local law enforcement is committed to this case and will take every step possible to find answers and bring justice for Sema'j."

The timing of Coroner O'Neil's announcement of the cause and manner of death came on the heels of Thursday's rally held outside the office of Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow by the justice action team. At that event, Bishop Gregg L. Greer of Chicago-based Freedom First International called for the appointment of an outside special prosecutor and an outside law enforcement agency, instead of the Will County Sheriff's Department, which is led by elected officeholder Sheriff Mike Kelley. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Greer and others at the rally have complained that the sheriff's department should be in a position to start arresting people, even on lesser criminal charges, in connection with Sema'j's death. The group was also asking for more public information to be released regarding the status of the Will County Sheriff's Department investigation, given that more than two months had passed since the last meaningful update came from Sheriff's Detective R.J. Austin. A week earlier, the same group held a rally in front of the Will County Courthouse.

Late Friday afternoon, Joliet Patch spoke with Bishop Greer on the phone. He was asked for his reaction to the news Sema'j apparently died from being suffocated.

"It's very disappointing," he said, "but we've always already said that we felt that this death was a homicide."

Greer believes the release of the cause and manner of Sema'j's death should only motivate the Will County Sheriff's Department police to work even harder, to make sure the people responsible for killing Sema'j, hiding her body, subsequently burning down her house under the cover of darkness, or hindering the ongoing investigation, will start being taken into custody and no longer remain in the community at large.

Back in July, Sheriff's Detective Austin announced at a community forum held at a Joliet church that four women in particular have chosen to not cooperate with Will County law enforcement in the little girl's death. Austin identified them as Sema'j's mother, Sheri Gordon; Darlene Crosby, who is Sema'j's grandmother; Lakerisha Crosby, Sema'j's aunt; and Tamika Robinson, a friend of Darlene Crosby.

"Unfortunately, this is a very, very, very, sensitive case. However, that being said, there are four women out there," Austin said back in July. "Somebody knows what happened ... I want justice for Sema'j. I want justice. I want closure. I want for one of them four grown women to come up to me, whether it was an accident or whether it may be a crime they tried to hush."

Based on Friday's developments, it's now evident Will County law enforcement officials and prosecutors do not consider the death of Sema'j Crosby to be accidental.

Greer's reaction?

"We want this investigation to go forward and not be stalled," he told Joliet Patch. "We've always said that the public officials on the ground need to do more than what they are doing."

When asked if Friday's turn of events will prompt law enforcement to arrest the people suspected of being involved in Sema'j's death, Bishop Greer replied, "We at least hope that would be the case."

File images via Patch