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If I Were the Detective: Key Area to Investigate Kenneka Jenkins Case

Yarely Alvarez Professor Palequene English 101 8 July 2025 If I Were the Detective: Key Area to Investigate Kenneka Jenkins Case Where I Would Start If I were investigating the Kenneka Jenkins case today, I would focus on three main areas that could provide real answers. These are the most important gaps that still need attention. Source of Topiramate Medication The biggest unanswered question is how Jenkins got topiramate in her system. She was never prescribed this epilepsy medication, but it was found at therapeutic levels during her autopsy (Fox13 Memphis). This drug, combined with alcohol, can speed up hypothermia. I would interview every person at the party to find out who brought prescription medications that night. Someone gave her this drug, either accidentally or on purpose, and that person needs to be identified. Fraudulent Credit Card Investigation Police found that the credit card used to book the hotel room was fraudulent and linked to a Chicago-area gang (NBC Chicago). T...
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Evidence Review and Research Reflection of Kenneka Jenkins Case

 Yarely Alvarez Professor Palenque English 101 01 July 2025 Evidence Review The physical evidence in the Kenneka Jenkins case tells a complicated story that has left many questions unanswered. Jenkins was found by a hotel worker lying face down on her side with one shoe off and no signs of trauma, except for a small cut on her foot (CBS News). This discovery occurred in the walk-in freezer of the Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel on September 10, 2017, nearly 24 hours after she went missing. The most important evidence came from the autopsy report. The autopsy found no illegal drugs in Jenkins' system, but her blood alcohol level was 0.112. Traces of topiramate, a drug used to treat epilepsy and migraine headaches, were found in her system, although she was never prescribed this medication (Essence). The medical examiner ruled her death accidental, caused by hypothermia with alcohol and topiramate as contributing factors. Surveillance footage provided key evidence about Jenkins...
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Investigative Gaps – What Remains Unanswered and Why That Matters

Yarely Alvarez Professor Palenque English 101 24 June 2025 Investigative Gaps – What Remains Unanswered and Why That Matters Blog Post 4: The Kenneka Jenkins Case Nearly eight years after 19-year-old Kenneka Jenkins was found dead in a hotel freezer, important questions about her death still don't have clear answers. While officials ruled her death accidental, several investigative gaps continue to fuel public concern and calls for reinvestigation. Key Unanswered Questions The most troubling gap involves the surveillance footage. The video clips released do not show Jenkins entering the walk-in freezer where her body was found (Fox13Memphis). This missing piece of evidence means we still don't know exactly how she got inside the freezer that killed her. The motion-activated camera in the kitchen area had not recorded anyone since August 30, 2017, until Jenkins' body was discovered (Chicago Tribune). Another major gap concerns the inconsistent witness statements. Police inte...
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Investigating Kenneka Jenkins: What We Know

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 Yarely Alvarez Professor Palenque English 101 10 June 2025 Who Was Kenneka Jenkins? Before all the conspiracy theories, Kenneka was just a normal 19 year old from Chicago's West Side. She had recently gotten a job at nursing home, which was a big deal for her family (Essence). Her mother described her as having "a bright smile and vibrant personality."  When Kenneka got that nursing home job, it showed she wanted to help people and build a better future. At 19, she was the same as many of us- she should been worried about normal teenage stuff, not becoming the center of a mystery. The Theories That Wont Die The official story is simple: Kenneka got drunk at the party, wandered into the hotel kitchen, got trapped in the freezer. and died accidentally. Police closed it as an accident (Ebony). But millions of people think something darker happened. Social media exploded with murder theories. One anonymous caller claimed that "one of Jenkins' associates was involved...
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The Kenneka Jenkins Case: Understanding the Victim and the Theories

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 Yarely Alvarez Professor Palenque English 101 3 June 2025 Victim Profile: Who Was Kenneka Jenkins? Kenneka Jenkins was a 19-year-old African American woman from Chicago's West Side who had her whole life ahead of her when tragedy struck in September 2017 (CBS News, 2023). She was described as someone with a bright smile and vibrant personality who was excited about starting a new chapter in her life. According to reports, she had just gotten a new job at a local nursing home and was celebrating this achievement the night she died (Essence, 2020). What makes Kenneka's story so heartbreaking is that she was just a regular teenager doing what many young people do – going out with friends to have fun. She borrowed her mother's car that Friday night and told her family she was hanging out with friends, though she didn't mention the hotel party specifically (Essence, 2020). This detail shows how quickly a normal night out can turn dangerous when you don't know all the de...
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The Kenneka Jenkins Case: A Search for Truth

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Yarely Alvarez Professor Palenque English 101 29 May 2025                                                                 Introduction: Why I Chose To Research This Case I'm still pretty new to blogging and research, and my last blog I talked about starting, now, a research on a cold case! When I first heard about Kenneka Jenkins, I knew I had to learn more about her story. Something about this case just didn't sit right with me, and the more I dug into it, the more convinced I became that we still don't have the whole truth. Kenneka Jenkins was only 19 years old when she died in September 2017 (Wikipedia, 2025). She was found dead inside a hotel freezer after going to a party with friends. The police said it was an accident, but I honestly believe she was murdered. There are too many strange things about this case that don't m...
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My First Time Blogging

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Hello World! Hi everyone! My name is Yarely, and this is my very first blog post. I am 18 years old, born and raised in Arizona. I am a girl who is currently trying to chase my dreams to become a pediatric physical therapist. I am also someone who is still learning new experiences and exploring new paths in life. Right now, I am a student at GCC, which is basically the beginning of adulthood in my life to reach my goal of my career, which, again, is to become a pediatric physical therapist. Anyway, my first assignment for my English class at GCC is to create this blog. This is definitely my first time doing anything like this! My Day Started Simple Today was my second day of English summer class at GCC. I woke up, got ready, and went to McDonald's for a sausage McMuffin with egg—it was delicious! I went straight to school and had a few minutes before class, so I was just chatting it up with my mom while eating breakfast. My mom drives me everywhere since I still can't drive a...
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