Mother, Siblings Charged After Boy, Initially Reported Missing, Found Dead In Alley

The mother and the older siblings of a 6-year-old boy were charged in connection with the boy’s death, authorities said Sunday. The child’s body was found in an alley in Indiana after he was initially reported missing by the family.

In a statement, the office of Lake County State’s Attorney said Jannie M Perry, 38, has been charged with first-degree murder and concealing a homicide in connection with the death of her son, 6-year-old Damari Perry, NBC News reported. Jannie Perry has also been charged with obstruction of justice in Damari’s death.

A juvenile sibling of Damari, whose age and name have not been provided due to the suspect’s age, was also charged over the case. Charges against the juvenile sibling are unknown, while another elder brother, 20-year-old Jeremiah R Perry, was charged with aggravated battery on a child, obstructing justice and concealing a homicide, also related to Damari’s death. Jeremiah is being held on a $3 million bond.

Illinois prosecutors revealed in court Sunday that Jannie Perry said Damari had to be punished for an undisclosed reason on Dec. 29, WLS-TV reported. The child was forced into a cold shower for a long period before he vomited and became unresponsive, according to prosecutors. Lake County State Attorney’s Office spokesman Jim Newton said the family did not seek emergency help even as Damari became unresponsive.

Damari’s body was found Friday evening in an alley near a vacant home on Van Buren Street in Gary, Indiana. The family called authorities two days earlier to report Damari missing.

A news release from the prosecutor’s office revealed that while Damari’s family first told the North Chicago Police Department that the boy might have gone missing in Skokie, Illinois, “investigators quickly turned their focus to the boy’s home in North Chicago, after the family’s story was contradicted by evidence in Skokie,” CNN reported.

Dalvin Driver, Damari’s father, said he felt “like I lost a part of myself when I got the call,” adding that Damari, the youngest out of five children, “was just the life of me.”

While it is unclear at the time of writing if the suspects have secured legal counsel, the state’s Attorney said continuous investigation could result in additional charges. An autopsy on the boy’s remains is scheduled Monday to determine the true cause of death.