Death of 10-month-old foster child ruled a homicide
Chicago Sun-Times (IL)
Author: Dave Newbart; The Chicago Sun-Times
The death of a 10-month-old foster child was ruled a homicide Thursday by the Cook County medical examiner.
A spokeswoman for the office said the boy, Walter Jackson, died of "multiple injuries due to assault."
Chicago Police said they were still investigating the case and had made no arrests as of Thursday evening. The boy was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn on Sunday after suffering head trauma. He died Tuesday morning.
Police spokesman Robert Cargie said the boy's foster mother told police she came home from work and found the boy "unresponsive.'' She had left the boy in the care of a "family friend,'' Cargie said.
A source close to the case said the boy had been watched previously by the woman's brother, but at the time of the incident was possibly being watched by her boyfriend.
The boy had been in the care of the foster mother since he was born cocaine-exposed in October.
'EVERYTHING WAS GOING FINE'The mother was certified through Volunteers of America of Illinois. Spokeswoman Annmarie Doran said the woman's home on the 6100 block of South Campbell was visited every month by the agency, including once within the past three weeks.
"Everything was going along fine until the recent incident,'' Doran said. "Up until this time we've been pleased with her work.''
Doran said her agency was assisting the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services in its "death by abuse'' investigation, which continued Thursday.
"We are very sorry and very saddened by the loss,'' Doran said.