Crime & Safety
DCFS Investigated Abuse, Neglect Of Damari Perry Before His Death
After being born into foster care, the North Chicago boy and several siblings were returned to their mother, now charged with his murder.
WAUKEGAN, IL — The North Chicago mother charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 6-year-old son had previously lost custody of her children following a 2014 investigation into domestic violence.
Damari Perry, whose body was found Friday in an abandoned home in Northwest Indiana, was taken into Illinois Department of Children and Family Services custody shortly after his 2015 birth, joining four older siblings in foster care, according to a DCFS spokesperson.
But in 2017, a judge ordered that that Perry and the other children be returned to the custody of their mother, 38-year-old Jannie Perry.
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In May 2021, DCFS also looked into an allegation that Damari Perry's mother abused or neglected him. That probe closed the next month and determined the allegation to be unfounded, according to department spokesperson Bill McCaffery.
According to prosecutors, the boy was forced to stand in a cold shower as a form of punishment on Dec. 30 until he began vomiting and lost consciousness. Neither his mother nor his siblings sought medical attention.
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Instead, they concocted what prosecutors described as a "completely false" narrative that Damari Perry had gone missing after he was brought to a party in the Skokie area with an older sister and a mysterious figure known as "Chaos" or "Wacko."
His family reported him missing Jan. 5, claiming that he had last been seen the day before. Instead, his body had been dumped in an abandoned house in Gary, Indiana.
Earlier: Mom Charged With Murdering 6-Year-Old Damari Perry, Dumping Body
Damari Perry's oldest brother, 20-year-old Jeremiah Perry, has been charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm to a child under 12, concealing a homicidal death and obstructing justice.
He has been ordered jailed ahead of trial unless he posts $300,000 as the cash portion of his bond.
Another sibling, who is under 18, faces charges in juvenile court.
Their mother, Jannie Perry, has been hospitalized since shortly after her arrest with an unspecified medical issue. North Chicago police said she is due to be taken to bond court at the earliest opportunity. Four of her children are back in DCFS custody.
Update: Damari Perry's Mom Makes 1st Court Appearance After Murder Charge
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