Mom Charged With Murdering 6-Year-Old Damari Perry, Dumping Body

WAUKEGAN, IL — Authorities said a North Chicago boy was murdered by his mother on his sixth birthday when she punished him by forcing him into a cold shower. She and two of her other children have also been charged in connection with the cover-up of his death.

Damari Perry vomited and lost consciousness prior to his Dec. 30 death, but his family never called 911 or sought medical attention, according to prosecutors.

Perry was reported missing on Jan. 5, nearly a week after his death. At the time, his mother and 16-year-old sister reported that he had last been seen at a party in the Skokie area the previous day, according to police and prosecutors.

But detectives discovered evidence that contradicted the family's account and shifted their focus to the family's home, according to the Lake County State's Attorney's Office.

State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said that story was "completely false." It turned out no Skokie residents were involved in the incident.

As witnesses from outside Illinois were identified, FBI agents took the lead in the search for the missing boy. And after getting further information from witnesses, authorities found Perry's body in an abandoned house in Gary, Indiana, late Friday night.

Related: Details Emerge In Disappearance Of 6-Year-Old North Chicago Boy

North Chicago Police Chief Lazaro Perez said no information was yet being released regarding when Perry's body was taken to Indiana. The coroner's office in Lake County, Indiana, was scheduled to conduct an autopsy Monday to determine the boy's cause of death.

Jannie Perry, 38, the boy's mother, has been charged with first-degree murder, concealment of a homicidal death and obstructing justice. She was taken to a local hospital with an unspecified medical issue before she could be booked or appear at an initial court appearance, which has yet to be scheduled.

Jeremiah Perry, 20, has been charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm to a child under 12, concealing a homicidal death and obstructing justice. He was ordered held ahead of trial, unless he posts the $300,000 cash portion of his bail, and is due back in court Tuesday.

Another sibling who is under 18 faces unspecified charges in juvenile court in Lake County. Authorities are restricted from publicly disclosing whether that person is the boy's 16-year-old sister.

Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart praised the work of the FBI, North Chicago Police Department and staff at the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center.

“Prosecutors, investigators, and victim support professionals worked late into the night and into the early morning to make sure we understood this tragic crime now, because of their rigorous and detailed investigation, we will be able to bring Damari's killers to justice in a courtroom,” Rinehart said in a statement.

Related: Missing 6-Year-Old North Chicago Boy Found Dead; 3 In Custody

Dalvin Driver, Damari Perry's father, told WLS he wished he had been able to spend more time with his youngest child.

"He was just the life of me, man," Driver said. "He could walk in the room and everybody loved him."

Rinehart said additional charges are possible once autopsy results are available. Other members of the family who are under age 18 have been placed in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services.

Damari Perry's aunt, Delonya Driver, told WGN the news of the discovery of the boy's body was devastating.

“We was just praying and hoping for the best that he would be returned safely to us,” she said. “It’s so shocking.”

Family members have started an online fundraiser to cover the cost of funeral expenses.

Update: DCFS Investigated Abuse, Neglect Of Damari Perry Before His Death