The Mysterious Death of Kenneka Jenkins at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare. Kenneka Jenkins Case: Unanswered Questions of a Chicago Hotel Freezer Tragedy (2017).
Chilling Hotel Mystery: Teen Found Dead in Freezer
The family of Kenneka Jenkins, the 19-year-old woman who died in an Illinois hotel freezer in 2017, has agreed to a $10 million legal settlement.
Jenkins was found dead inside the walk-in freezer of the Crowne Plaza Chicago-O’Hare Hotel in September 2017, a day after attending a party there, PEOPLE previously reported.
Her body was not found for more than 21 hours, the Associated Press and the Sun-Times reported.
After reviewing the evidence, authorities said there was no reason to suspect foul play and her death was ruled an accident caused by hypothermia brought about by “ethanol and topiramate intoxication” and “cold exposure in a walk-in freezer,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times and CNN. The teenager took medication for migraines and epilepsy, which made her disoriented, per NBC News.
Following her daughter’s death, Tereasa Martin sued the hotel, the restaurant that managed the space where the teen’s body was found and a security company for over $50 million, per the Sun-Times and CNN.
The AP reported that the December 2018 suit alleged the defendants were negligent because they didn’t conduct a valid search or secure the freezer following her initial disappearance.
After attending a party at the hotel, her friends told Martin that her daughter was missing around 4 a.m., according to the AP. But per the lawsuit, that surveillance footage allegedly wasn’t reviewed until police arrived at the hotel.
The lawsuit also claimed that if hotel staff had monitored the security cameras, Jenkins’ life would have been “saved,” according to the Sun-Times.
Now, five years later, the settlement agreement was released Tuesday just as a lawsuit was set to go to trial, according to the paper. CNN reported that none of the defendants admitted to any wrongdoing.
PEOPLE has reached out to IHG Hotels & Resorts and Martin’s attorneys for comments.
According to the Sun-Times, Martin will now receive about $3.7 million, while other family members will get $1.5 million and $1.2 million. The settlement also includes about $3.5 million for attorney fees and over $6,000 for the 19-year-old’s funeral.
