Illinois – An Illinois woman pIeaded guiIty last week to first-degree murder in the death of her chiId, 6-year-old Damiri, court records show. Prosecutors are recommending a sentence of up to forty five years in prison under a plea agreement that dropped several other counts, including charges related to dsmemberment, conspiracy and abuse of a corpse. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for next month.
Illinois authorities say the case began when family members reported the child missing in early Jan. 2022. Illinois authorities launched an investigation after the victim’s body was found days later in Indiana, wrapped in a trash bag and showing signs investigators said indicated an attempt to conceaI and alter the body after death. The County coroner’s office later reported the child had an extremely low core temperature and partially frozen internal organs, and ruled the cause of death hypothermia. Investigators also documented other injuries and signs of trauma.
The investigation included an autopsy, interviews with family members, forensic examinations of the body, and coordination between the Illinois authorities and other agencies. Prosecutors say detectives conducted multiple interviews with relatives and other people connected to the child’s last day, and reviewed physical evidence and medical findings before bringing charges. A grand jury ultimately returned a multi-count indictment charging the mother, 42-year-old J. Pery, and at least one of her children in connection with the death.
Prosecutors said evidence gathered during the investigation showed the child had been forced into a coId shower as punlshment the night before his death. They say the child vomited, became unresponsive and the family did not seek medical help. Prosecutors alleged that family members then transported his body to Indiana and left it near an abandoned house, where it was later found. Court documents and public statements from the County State’s Attorney described the killing as deliberate and called the conduct exceptionally brutal and heinous, which was a factor in the original indictment.
During the investigation and in court filings, relatives and other witnesses provided accounts that prosecutors relied on. Early reports said family members initially reported the child missing; later, some family members were charged with concealing the death and obstructing justice. Illinois authorities said an adult sibling and a juvenile sibling were among those who faced charges related to hiding the boy’s body and obstructing the investigation. Prosecutors also said evidence indicated attempts to burn parts of the body after death.
In plea proceedings, the mother admitted guilt to the single count of first-degree murder as part of a negotiated disposition that allowed prosecutors to drop other counts. Under the deal, the state recommended a term that could reach forty five years. The agreement narrows the trial issues and spares witnesses and victims’ family members a lengthy jury trial, while still leaving the court to impose a sentence within the statutory framework at the January hearing.
Public records and news reports show the case drew widespread attention because of the child’s age, the reported manner of punishment, and the subsequent handling of the body. Media coverage cites statements from the County State’s Attorney and law enforcement emphasizing the thoroughness of the multiagency investigation and the evidence developed before charges were filed.