Zion Staples

Zion Staples was a 10-year-old boy from Rock Island, Illinois, whose life ended tragically on approximately December 21, 2022. On that day, Zion and his siblings were left unsupervised at home while their mother was at work. According to reports from the other children, a handgun had been stored high in a closet inside a locked room. One of Zion's siblings, who had a key, entered the room to get hot chocolate but left the door unlocked, allowing Zion to gain access. The children later stated that Zion was playing with the gun when he accidentally shot himself in the head.

After being called and informed of the shooting by one of her other children, Zion's mother, Sushi Staples, did not call 911. Instead, she began a months-long effort to conceal her son's death. She initially hid his body in the basement of their home in the 1700 block of 20 ½ Avenue. To mask the odor of decomposition, she placed dryer sheets in vents throughout the house and garage. She later moved Zion's body into a metal garbage can in the garage and continued to collect government benefits issued for him.

The secret was kept for about eight months. On July 26, 2023, police conducted a welfare check at the home following a tip. There, they discovered Zion’s decomposing body inside the garbage can. He was wearing only a pair of Spiderman pajama pants. When first questioned by officers, Sushi Staples denied having a son named Zion and claimed his birth certificate was fraudulent.

The Rock Island County Coroner’s Office determined that Zion died from a gunshot wound to the head. However, the coroner stated that due to the long period of time that had passed, it might never be possible to know for certain who fired the weapon. Investigators also learned that Zion and his siblings were not enrolled in school.

Sushi Staples, who was 37 at the time of her arrest, was taken into custody and charged with concealment of a death, obstruction of justice, and failure to report the death of a child. She was held at the Rock Island County Jail on a $500,000 bond. In January 2024, Sushi Staples pleaded guilty to a charge of endangering the life or health of a child. The following month, in February 2024, she was sentenced to two years in prison.