The Kenneka Jenkins Case: A Search for Truth

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 make sense if it was just an accident.

I chose to research this case because it shows how important it is to be careful about who you trust and where you go. Kenneka went to a party where she didn't really know the people hosting it, and her friends ended up leaving her behind. As someone who goes out with friends sometimes, this really scared me. You never know what could happen, and you need friends who will actually look out for you.

The Basic Facts

Who: Kenneka Jenkins, 19 years old from Chicago (Wikipedia, 2025)
When: September 2017 (Wikipedia, 2025)
Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois (Wikipedia, 2025)
What: Found dead inside a walk-in freezer after attending a party (Wikipedia, 2025)

Timeline: What Really Happened That Night

September 8, 2017

11:30 p.m. - Kenneka left home to hang out with friends (Wikipedia, 2025)

September 9, 2017

1:13 a.m. - Arrived at Crowne Plaza Hotel for party in Room 926 (Wikipedia, 2025)
1:30 a.m. - Last phone call with her sister (Wikipedia, 2025)
3:20 a.m. - Security cameras show her staggering near front desk (Wikipedia, 2025)
3:32 a.m. - Final footage shows her entering kitchen area (Wikipedia, 2025)
4:30 a.m. - Friends called her mom saying they couldn't find her (Wikipedia, 2025)
7:14 a.m. - Mom called police to report her missing (CBS News, 2023)

September 10, 2017

Kenneka's body found dead inside hotel freezer (Wikipedia, 2025)

October 6, 2017

Medical examiner ruled her death an accident (Wikipedia, 2025)

October 13, 2017

Police officially closed the case (Ebony, 2022)

2018

Family filed $50 million lawsuit against hotel (Wikipedia, 2025)

2023

Family received $10 million settlement (AP News, 2023; CBS News, 2023)

Looking Ahead

This timeline shows the basic facts of what happened to Kenneka Jenkins, but there's still so much more to explore about this case. The official story doesn't explain all the suspicious details that keep bothering me.

Next time, I'll be diving deeper into who Kenneka was as a person and the different theories about what really happened that night. I also want to look at how social media and the public reacted to this case, because that played a huge role in keeping her story alive.

Until then, I'll keep researching and asking the hard questions. Kenneka deserves the truth, and I'm not giving up on finding it.


Sources

  1. Wikipedia - Death of Kenneka Jenkins
  2. CBS News - "Kenneka Jenkins case: New details emerge from police reports" (October 16, 2017)
  3. CBS News - "Kenneka Jenkins' family to get $6.4 million in settlement over her death in Chicago area hotel freezer" (December 12, 2023)
  4. AP News - "Family of Kenneka Jenkins, who died in a hotel freezer, agrees to $10M settlement" (December 14, 2023)
  5. WUSF - "She died in a hotel's walk-in freezer. Her family will receive more than $6 million" (December 13, 2023)
  6. Ebony - "Update: 12 Involved 'in Some Way' in Kenneka Jenkins Case" (September 16, 2022)

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