Detective: Someone knows what happened to Sema’j

JOLIET – As community members await any information on what happened to Sema’j Crosby, a Joliet Township toddler who was found dead on April 27 at her house, a Will County detective fielded questions on Thursday.

Det. R.J. Austin of the Will County Sheriff’s Office who has been the lead detective on Sema’j’s case since she went missing, met with the Justice for Sema’j Action Team on Thursday at St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Joliet. A member of the team, Dietra Jones, posted an 18-minute long video of Austin answering questions from about 20 people on Facebook.

“There was four women at that house the day Sema'j went missing,” Austin said in the video. “One, if not more, of those four grown women know exactly what happened to Sema'j and know how she got under that couch.”

The women Austin mentioned were Sheri Gordon, Sema'j's mother, Lakerisha Crosby, Sema'j's aunt, Darlene Crosby, Sema'j's grandmother, and Tamika Robinson, Darlene's friend. Austin said some media reports of all four women cooperating with police are false. All four women have attorneys who police have to go through.

“That's not what we've been told,” a voice is heard saying in the background of the video. “So I'm so glad you clarified that.”

Austin was then asked about polygraph tests that were given. He said a couple were given and there were a couple of polygraphs that were failed although he did not reveal who was administered those tests or who failed those tests. He also explained that polygraph tests are not admissible in court.

Austin also said while investigators don't know exactly what led to Sema'j being placed under the couch, investigators do know she had to have been placed there by someone. Tests showed that a baby Sema'j's age would not have the strength to lift up a couch like the one she was found under.

“I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that she did not get under that couch by herself,” Austin said.

What investigators still do not know with any certainty was whether or not Sema'j was placed under the couch before or after she died.

“That was the part that really angered me,” said LaToya Robinson, Sema'j's godmother. “During this whole thing I've just been hoping that she didn't suffer.”

Austin said he was their for the autopsy on Sema'j and he confirmed there is no cause of death determined yet by the coroner's office.

Complete toxicology reports are still not back yet, and Austin said he is unsure of why. He did say there were insect bites on her face and insects taken out of her ears and nose. Other than that, there were no external injuries on her body.

“The reason why I believe that it's taking so long is because with a case like this, you got to make it right,” Austin said. “When you rush, that's when accidents happen.”

Despite the unanswered questions, Robinson said she felt like Austin did what he could to keep them informed.

“I believed everything he said,” Robinson said. “He saw her when she was found and I believe he was hurt by that.”

Austin repeatedly said in the video that no one wanted answers and closure more than he did. While he had to be careful with his answers, he said the reason he felt he had to come out and talk to the group was because he knew they, like him, still had a lot of questions.

“I’m just as frustrated as you guys are,” Austin said. “I want answers.”