Tereasa Martin, the mother of the late 19-year-old Kenneka Jenkins, visited WGCI's Chicago Morning Takeover to discuss her daughter's mysterious death that has garnered national attention.
In September, Jenkins was found dead in a walk-in freezer at a Rosemont hotel after accidentally separating from her friends who she went to a party with at the same hotel. Hours after she went missing, her friends called her mom at 4:34am on Saturday to inform her that they've been looking for Jenkins with no luck. Soon afterward, Jenkins' family would arrive and assist with the search.
It wasn't until 12:25am on Sunday that her dead body was discovered. Since this sad discovery, the teen's family has been trying to figure out how exactly she ended up in the freezer. Authorities told the family that she accidentally locked herself in it. But, the freezer has two doors that have releases on both of them, so no one can remain locked inside.
It's like the family has been pulling teeth to learn the circumstances around Jenkins' passing. Cops were also very hesitant to release any videos that show the teen walking in the freezer. Moreover, authorities first told Jenkins' family that cops found her body. But, Martin revealed that when she read news reports about her child, she learned that a hotel employee found her, instead.
The Rosemont police have since closed the case, citing no evidence indicates any foul play. “Our detective reported no signs of foul play throughout the whole investigation,” Police Chief Donald Stephens III said in a statement. “There is no evidence that Ms. Jenkins was forced to drink alcohol or consume any narcotics while at the hotel.”
“While there were many theories, rumors and much speculation floating around social media regarding the death of Ms. Jenkins, none were supported with facts,” Stephens added. “While all leads and theories were investigated by our department, what we have reported throughout the investigation and again, today, are facts.”
Now, Jenkins' mother is speaking out about her daughter's suspicious death. In her interview with Chicago Morning Takeover, Martin recalled how authorities have given her conflicting stories, how her family has been treated as if they are criminals who are guilty of committing the crime, how she wants the case to be investigated by the FBI and more.
Watch the interview above.