JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — The death of 17-month-old Semaj Crosby has been ruled a homicide by the Will County coroner’s office.
The autopsy results released Friday by the coroner indicate the toddler was suffocated.
Semaj was found dead on April 27 in a Joliet Township home shortly after DCFS closed an investigation into whether she was being neglected.
The coroner’s office says its determination was based “on the unusual circumstances surrounding her disappearance and the subsequent discovery of her decomposing body under the coach in her home.” Those unusual circumstances also include the “suspicious fire” that burned down Sema’j’s home and the lack of cooperation from witnesses in the child’s death.
Spokesman Charles B. Pelkie said both the Will County state’s attorney’s office and the sheriff’s office are searching for answers to the question of what happened to Sema’j.
