The mysterious death of Kenneka Jenkins, 19, who was found dead in the freezer of a suburban hotel, sparked a national outcry and questions about the circumstances surrounding her death.
She sent her final text message to her sister at 1.30am on Saturday September 9.
After her mother, Tereasa Martin, demanded hotel staff search for her daughter, Jenkins body was found in the hotel freezer of Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel & Conference Center in Rosemont, Illinois.
Cook County medical examiner’s office determined the cause of Kenneka Jenkins’ death at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Sept. 10, 2017, the Chicago Tribune reported.The 19-year-old died from hypothermia due to exposure in the hotel’s walk-in freezer, according to the results released Friday. The freezer Jenkins was found in was capable of getting to a temperature of 8 degrees, the medical examiner's office noted.
In addition to freezing exposure, alcohol intoxication and the use of topiramate, a drug known for treating epilepsy and migraines were “contributing factors.” Her family said Jenkins had not been prescribed topiramate, but the level of the drug was within therapuetic range.
The office also found mucosal erosions, a type of lesion, that indicated Jenkins had suffered from hypothermia and an abrasion on her right ankle. The autopsy results showed her brain was swollen, but that finding does not indicate a specific cause of death, according to the autopsy.
Her blood alcohol level was 0.112, higher than the legal limit of 0.08 for legally driving. The alcohol and the drug can enhance each other, the office said.
Jenkins’ mother was convinced that the delay in investigating her daughter’s death could have made a difference.
On Oct. 20, 2017, police confirmed the Jenkins case was closed and released graphic postmortem photos of Kenneka Jenkins, which a lawyer for Jenkins’ mother said ‘raise more questions.’
According to Rosemont police reports, the 19-year-old was found on her side, face down, with her left arm underneath her, her right shoe off and a small cut on her right foot.
The photographs show that Jenkins was still wearing the jeans and jean jacket shown in surveillance videos of her walking through the hotel before her death, but the shirt beneath her jacket “was pulled up exposing her breasts,” a police report said.
On Sept. 15, 2017, police released Crown Plaza hotel footage of Jenkins apparently staggering through the hotel hallways, stumbling into a stairwell and, lastly, wandering into the hotel’s kitchen. The video footage, pieced together by the Chicago Tribune, can be found here.
The video clips released do not show Jenkins entering the walk-in freezer where her body was found. However, the security video appears to be captured by a motion-activated camera, which did not display anyone coming into the area until her body was found.
The clips were obviously edited, shuffled, and released to the public in a way that only added confusion. Watch the video below to see proof someone followed her into the kitchen.
The very moment it should have become very clear of a cover up, was this very moment...
Andrew Holmes LIED!! Tereasa Martin wasnt even allowed to view the clips before they were edited much less give her approval for him to view them..
Kenneka Jenkins’ funeral drew thousands of mourners from across the country.
The video clips released do not show Jenkins entering the walk-in freezer where her body was found. However, the security video appears to be captured by a motion-activated camera, which did not display anyone coming into the area until her body was found.
The clips were obviously edited, shuffled, and released to the public in a way that only added confusion. Watch the video below to see proof someone followed her into the kitchen.
Kenneka Jenkins’ funeral drew thousands of mourners from across the country.
The family of Kenneka Jenkins has filed a lawsuit claiming that the Crown Plaza Hotel and employees of the hotel are responsible for her death.
Teresa Martin is asking for $50 million in compensation, according to an AJC report. The lawsuit makes claims that hotel staff knew Jenkins was missing prior to her entering the hotel’s freezer. Furthermore, the hotel officials did not properly block off the under construction area to guests. Martin’s attorney Geoffrey Fieger also said in a press conference that a a hotel employee could have mistakenly locked Jenkins in the freezer after she entered it.