Kenneka Jenkins, a young girl who was discovered in a Chicago hotel walk-in freezer in 2017, filed a wrongful death claim, and the case has now been settled.
Settlement Reached in Kenneka Jenkins Wrongful Death Case Found in Chicago Hotel
The settlement was made in August, according to Cook County court documents. However, it is not listed on the court calendar as the mother of Jenkins’ client’s solicitors. Tereasa Martin has asked that the agreement’s specifics remain secret from the general public.
Circuit Judge Thomas Cushing rejected the plea on Tuesday, October 3, but asked Jenkins’ mother’s lawyer to resubmit it. In the interim, the case’s status hearing is planned for the next week, and the trial is slated for October 16.
Jenkins, a 19-year-old from Rosemont, Illinois, was discovered dead in the Crowne Plaza Hotel on September 10, 2017. She was captured on surveillance video moving towards the freezer. She perished from hypothermia inside the hotel’s walk-in freezer while attending a party there, according to an autopsy report. On the ninth floor, there could be up to 30 additional individuals.
After Jenkins passed away, her mother became a vocal supporter of keeping the settlement’s terms private and hidden from the public. Jenkins’ mother is suing the hotel and the establishment’s security firm in the case. And the eatery that might have leased the area where her daughter’s body was discovered.
Negligence Claims in Kenneka Jenkins Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Defendants
The defendants are accused of negligence in the complaint. Alleging that when Jenkins was first reported missing, they all did not properly secure the walk-in freezer and perform a search.
The body of Kenneka Jenkins was found after around 24 hours, according to the lawsuit. Her family had also reported her missing to the hotel and to the police.
Jenkins’ final moments were entirely documented on film. The teenage girl was also seen on a hotel security camera leaving the space where a party she was attending had taken place. She was being tracked by cameras as she walked by herself through the Chicago hotel. She was found inside and was on her way to the kitchen area near the walk-in freezer when she strolled out of the picture.
Friends and family have various concerns regarding whether there was foul play in Kenneka Jenkins’ death. However, investigators have determined that her death was an accident.
