Sema'j Crosby Group Displeased With Will County Police

JOLIET, IL - About 30 people came to the Will County Courthouse on Thursday for a rally mobilized by the Justice for Sema'j Crosby Action Team. Lots of emotions, pain and frustration weighed on their minds. Back in April, the little girl's body was found underneath a couch at a filthy home in Preston Heights. That home burned down days later under suspicious circumstances. It's now been several months. Nobody has been arrested. The Justice for Sema'j Crosby Action Team is not pleased.

"Are we sending a message that lives in our community don't matter? Are we sending a message that children can be murdered and there is no investigation? Are we sending a message that botched investigations cannot get resolved?" declared Bishop Gregg L. Greer, president of Freedom First International based in Chicago.

"We want the sheriff's department to stand up. We want the police chief, every official on the ground, we want to hear what is going on? The community is entitled to be updated about this case. The family members who are standing with us need to know something. Tell them something. Let them know something.

"This is unacceptable. A 16-month-old child was murdered. I am going to say it very clearly again ... whose life cannot go unavenged. Got to have justice ya'll. Got to have justice, mayor. Got to have justice, folks, officials on the ground. Where is justice? Let's get an update. We got a week. We want a week because what we are going to do is come back again."

The Justice for Sema'j Action Team gave the Will County Sheriff's Department an ultimatum:

Conduct a press conference, issue a detailed news release or hold a public meeting with the Justice for Sema'j Action Team to provide an honest update about the investigation. The group remains puzzled by the fact that the autopsy results still remain a secret. But more importantly, the group wants to know why the Will County Sheriff's Department remains unable to make any arrests in this case.

The group also indicated it plans to step up its criticism of Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow in the coming days, if the criminal investigation remains at a standstill. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Afterward, Will County State's Attorney spokesman Chuck Pelkie emphasized that his colleagues as well as the Will County Sheriff's Department consider the Sema'j Crosby death investigation one of their absolute highest priorities. To suggest that the sheriff's department, Glasgow or his prosecutor's office are not doing enough is unfair criticism, Pelkie contended.

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"This case is a top priority for the sheriff's department, and it's the kind of case that keeps police officers up at night," Pelkie said. "A tremendous amount of resources are being directed to this case ... to find out what happened to that poor little girl."

Pelkie also pointed out how one of the lead investigators, Will County Sheriff's Detective R.J. Austin, participated in a question-and-answer session with the Justice for Semaj Action Team at St. John Missionary Baptist Church, back in early July. At that event, Austin identified four people who were refusing to cooperate with law enforcement: Sheri Gordon, the child's mother; Darlene Crosby, who is Sema'j's grandmother; Lakerisha Crosby, Sema'j's aunt; and Tamika Robinson, a friend of Darlene Crosby.

"The sheriff's department has been very forthcoming with information ... more so than with most open death cases," Pelkie said. "The reality is that there are individuals that have or who have information and these people need to step up to provide that information to law enforcement."

It's important to point out that two months have passed since Austin gave his update on the Sema'j Crosby investigation. Since then, perception continues to build around Joliet that the Will County Sheriff's Department is at a standstill and that Sema'j Crosby's death is a cold case.

Some people at Thursday's rally questioned why the sheriff's department has not moved forward with lesser criminal charges against the four adults refusing to cooperate, charges such as concealing a death or child neglect resulting in death.

Last month, in a totally unrelated Will County case, the Illinois State Police arrested two men charging them with concealing the death of Martha Sanchez, a 24-year-old Chicago woman who vanished on July 4. Her body was found a few days later in Wilmington Township along the Kankakee River.

In any event, Sema'j Crosby's godmother, Latoya Robinson attended Thursday's rally and asserted that the Will County Sheriff's Department is not being aggressive enough.

"I thought somebody would be arrested by now," she said. "I never thought it would take this long. There is no possible way that those people in that house can outsmart the police, some of Joliet's finest."

Pastor Joseph Pughsley, field director at Freedom First International in Chicago, said he was pleased with the tone of Thursday's rally and press conference, which also drew media coverage from several Chicago television stations.

"We are hoping within seven days to have a press conference, a press release or a town hall from folks handling the investigation," he said.

Bishop Greer stressed that it's high time for law enforcement around Will County and Joliet to make serious headway on the investigation. It's time for action.

"This family is grieving. This family needs results," Greer said.

Also on hand for Thursday's courthouse rally was Joliet activist Steve Broadway, who came on behalf of the SAFE organization, Safe Alliance for Families Everywhere.

"In memory of Sema'j we support the State's Attorney and their efforts. We want them to continue to be diligent and thorough in their continued investigation."

Broadway said that SAFE plans to hold a public event on October 17 at St. John's Baptist church with DCFS officials, who plan to be in attendance.

"Our goal is to try and ensure that DCFS's policies truly are protecting our children and that the policies and procedures are adhered to," Broadway said.

Images via Joliet Patch Editor John Ferak