Damari Perry cause of death ruled hypothermia after boy’s mother Jannie Perry forced him to take ice cold shower as punishment. Hypothermia cited. Mom and siblings then disposed boy’s body in trash bag in Indiana alleyway.
A 6-year-old North Chicago boy found dead in an abandoned Indiana home last week showed evidence of hypothermia and had ‘partially frozen’ internal organs, and had been subjected to ongoing abuse according to a released coroner’s report.
Arrested in the death of Damari Perry, was the boy’s mother – Jannie M.Perry, 38, who is accused of killing her son, and disposing the boy’s body in an abandoned alley in Gary, Indiana.
The mother was charged with first-degree murder, concealment of a homicidal death, and obstructing justice.
Damari’s brother, Jeremiah Perry, 20, was also charged in the six year old’s death and booked with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm to a child under 12, concealing a homicidal death, and obstructing justice.
Additionally, a minor sibling was arrested and is in juvenile jail according to FOX32.
Family fabricated story of son’s disappearance
Damari was reported missing on Jan. 5 by Jannie in North Chicago.
He was found dead Friday night in an abandoned alley in the 700 block of Van Buren Street in Gary, Indiana.
At first, Jannie said he was last seen in Skokie with his 16-year-old sister at her friend’s home on Tuesday, Jan. 4 around 3 p.m.
The sister reportedly told cops that she fell asleep after having several drinks at the party and woke up to find the boy and the man who had driven her gone.
The family stated that Damari and his sister were driven to a party in Skokie by a Black woman, who was only known as “Monique,” and a Black man, who was known as “Wacko” or “Chaos.”
Jannie said her daughter was drinking, fell asleep and when she woke up her little brother was gone, and so was “Wacko.”
The sister then said she was driven back to her North Chicago home without her brother.
Forced to take cold ice shower as punishment
Damari was reported missing Wednesday, Jan. 5, just before 5 p.m. when the sister allegedly got home.
After further investigation into Damari’s disappearance, police determined that the story provided by the family was riddled with contradictions and false.
Investigators interviewed several witnesses – including several juveniles – which led them to Damari’s body, found near an abandoned home in Gary, Indiana, according to the Lake County State Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors believe Damari was ‘punished’ and killed on Dec. 29 because he did something to Jannie to which she believed he should be punished.
Damari was allegedly forced to take an ice cold shower in their home in North Chicago, and eventually started vomiting and passed out.
He was taken out of the cold water; no one called 911, and he died.
Prosecutors believe Jeremiah and Jannie talked about disposing the body, and decided to dump him in Gary.
According to the Lake County Coroner’s Office, Damari was found without clothing and wrapped in a plastic trash bag and partially charred in the alley in Gary.
Dr. Zhou Wang of the coroner’s office in their report ‘found scattered ecchymosis on the right leg, extremely cold core temperature, and partially frozen internal organs.’
Additionally, Dr. Wang said there was ‘postmortem thermal injury/charring over the body.’
Based on the findings, the coroner’s office said the pending cause of death is Hypothermia. The manner of death was determined to be homicide.
Dr. Wang also said that it appeared that the boy had been subjected to ongoing abuse leading up to his death.
History of ongoing abuse
A report via CBS Chicago cited the Department of Children and Family Services (DFCS) saying Damari’s mother losing custody of her son at the time of the boy’s birth in 2014 only to be put back with the mother and five other siblings in 2017 following a court order (see video above).
Jannie appeared in bond court Wednesday where a judge set bond at $5 million.
The mother’s next scheduled court date is Feb. 8.
More charges could be filed against the family as the investigation continues.
