State Senator Wants Answers About Death of Baby Semaj

JOLIET, IL — A Department of Children and Family Services caseworker visited the home of 1-year-old Semaj M.L. Crosby just before she disappeared last week, police said. A day and a half later, Will County deputies found the baby girl dead under a couch in her Preston Heights home. Now, state Sen. Pat McGuire wants to know how that happened.

McGuire, D-Joliet, has asked DCFS Director George Sheldon what is being done to investigate Semaj’s death, according to a press release.

“In responding to McGuire's questions, DCFS Director George Sheldon said the department will work quickly to investigate the case and release a quality assurance report detailing where and how the department might have erred,” the release said. “He also pledged transparency to the public in the matter.”

Semaj was playing with six to eight other children, at least one of whom was as old as 13, when she was last seen about 4 p.m. on April 25, police said. The children were supposed to go get ice cream, police said, but Semaj’s mother, Sheri Gordon, couldn’t get her car started.

The children then reportedly went to play in the yard. Semaj was not seen again until her body was found under the couch.

There were no signs of physical injury or trauma on Semaj’s corpse. Her cause of death will not be made official until the results of toxicological tests are returned.

A massive search effort was launched after Gordon called the police about two hours after Semaj vanished. Gordon initially agreed to speak with detectives in a trailer that was being used as a mobile command post, said Deputy Chief Rick Ackerson of the Will County Sheriff’s Department, but another woman tried to end the questioning.

"During the interview we did with the mother (a woman) was pounding on the outside of the trailer, telling her to stop," Ackerson said.

Ackerson said he does not know if the woman is related to Gordon. She has been identified only by a first name.

At any given time, there were more than 10 people not related to Gordon or her three children living in her Preston Heights home, said Ackerson, who identified them as "squatters."

He called the woman who banged on the side of the trailer a "relative, squatter, I don't know."

The DCFS caseworker who visited Semaj’s home on April 25 was there to investigate an abuse allegation, police said. Ackerson described the condition of the residence as “deplorable.” Still, the caseworker “found no reason to remove (Semaj) from her home,” according to McGuire’s release.

DCFS spokeswoman Veronica Resa has yet to respond to a call for comment.

Semaj M.L. Crosby | image via Will County Sheriff's Department