Five years on from the death of his 17-month-old daughter, grieving father James Crosby has been awarded $6.5 million in a settlement with the Department of Children and Family Services.
The case of little Sema’j Crosby has made continual headlines for the past five years, though no one has ever been charged with a crime. The toddler was found dead in her mother’s filthy home, under a couch without legs.
Now, her father James has won a victory in court, though he insists no amount of money will bring his little girl back, and so is in essence meaningless.
According to reports, Sema’j was first reported missing in 2017, when her father grew worried about her welfare.
The toddler had been in the sole care of her mother, Sheri Gordon, and living in Joliet Township, Illinois. At the time of Sema’j’s death, her mother’s home was part of an ongoing Intact Family Services case “designed to ensure the safety and well-being of children without the need for protective custody by providing families with needed in-home services.”
Caseworkers had been regularly visiting the abode to check the conditions and ensure the well being of the children living there. In fact, as per sources, there had been 41 visits to the home in the seven months leading up to Sema’j’s death, following reports that children were being neglected and adults were using drugs inside the residence.
On the day before the 17-month-old’s body was discovered, a caseworker had visited the home and made note of how dirty it was. They reportedly told the mother to clean it up in time for the next visit, though James Crosby’s lawsuit alleges nothing was done.
One day later, the caseworker returned to find the home once again the scene of filth and carnage.
It was three hours later that Sema’j was reported missing, and not long after that, a thorough search revealed the horrifying truth.
James’ lawsuit said that the Will County Sheriff’s Office began searching the home around 11 p.m. on April 26. Officers were reportedly forced to wear hazmat suits before entering the property due to “filthy, unsafe, and unsanitary conditions.”
A mere two hours into the search, a child’s body was found hidden beneath a couch without legs. Officers ultimately pronounced the child dead 1:27 a.m..
Sema’j’s cause of death was ruled by a coroner to be “homicide by smothering” (or asphyxia). Now the question remains: who is responsible?
To date, no one has been charged in Sema’j’s death, and the case is still considered open by the Will County Sheriff’s Office. For dad James, the blame lies with the girl’s mother and the DFCS.
Tragically, police were unable to even fully process the scene, as it was burned to the ground in a suspected case of arson shortly after Sema’j’s body was found.
The Black Atlanta Star say that the fire destroyed “any evidence that might have led up to the arrest of a murder suspect.”
Such a sad story. I really hope that the person directly responsible for Sema’j’s murder is found and brought to justice swiftly.
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