The Unsolved Death of Kenneka Jenkins: A Deep Dive into the Rosemont Hotel Freezer Case

The Disappearance and Discovery

• 💔 19-year-old Kenneka Jenkins went missing after attending a party at the Crown Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel in September 2017.
• 🥶 She was found deceased hours later in a freezer in an unused kitchen, an event ultimately ruled an accident.
• ❓ Her family, however, maintains that the circumstances surrounding her death are suspicious and that foul play was involved.

Conflicting Accounts and Initial Investigation

• 📱 Kenneka was last heard from via text at 1:30 a.m. Her friends claimed she left her keys and phone in the party room and went back for them, after which she disappeared.
• 🚗 Friends, who were in possession of Kenneka's phone and her mother's car, contacted her mother around 4:30 a.m. to report her missing.
• 🗣️ Kenneka's mother, Teresa Martin, expressed doubts about the friends' story, particularly their claim that Kenneka had only one drink, as she did not handle alcohol well.
• ⏳ Teresa Martin's initial attempts to get hotel staff to review security footage were met with resistance, as a missing person's report was required.

Security Footage and Autopsy Findings

• 🚶‍♂️ Security footage eventually showed Kenneka stumbling through the hotel lobby and lower levels, appearing heavily intoxicated.
• 🧊 She was last seen walking towards an unused kitchen area containing a walk-in freezer, though the cameras did not capture her entering it.
• 🌡️ The freezer temperature was as low as 8°F, and the autopsy determined her cause of death was hypothermia.
• 🧪 Significant contributing factors included alcohol (BAC of .12) and the prescription drug Topiramate, which can enhance the effects of alcohol and cause impairment.
• 🚫 No evidence of sexual assault, struggle, or other wounds was found, leading police to initially suspect an accident.

Family's Doubts and Legal Action

• 🔒 Kenneka's sister argued that the heavy freezer doors would have been difficult for an intoxicated person to open and close.
• 📹 The family believed that if police had taken their concerns more seriously and reviewed footage sooner, Kenneka might have been found alive.
• ⚖️ In December 2018, the family filed a $50 million lawsuit against the hotel, alleging negligence in securing the freezer and managing the party.
• 💰 In August 2023, the family reached a $10 million settlement with the hotel, with Teresa Martin receiving $3.7 million.

Lingering Questions and Theories

• ❓ Despite the official ruling of an accident, speculation persists about whether Kenneka was murdered or if foul play was involved.
• 📹 The motion-activated kitchen camera, which did not capture her entering the freezer, remains a point of discussion.
• 🤝 The settlement with the hotel, while providing some closure, does not definitively answer the questions surrounding the exact circumstances of Kenneka's death.