On October 23, 2017, paramedics responded to a distress call from an apartment in Chicago's Grand Crossing neighborhood. There, they found 5-month-old African American female infant Janylah Jackson unresponsive. Despite emergency efforts, she was pronounced dead at Comer Children's Hospital at 6:54 p.m. An autopsy revealed that Janylah had suffered multiple injuries, including blunt trauma to her head, neck, torso, and extremities. These injuries were consistent with abusive trauma and were determined to have occurred within hours of her death. The medical examiner ruled her death a homicide.
At the time of the incident, Janylah had been left in the care of her father, 21-year-old Dangelo Jackson, while her mother was at work. During police interviews, Dangelo provided multiple, inconsistent explanations for his daughter's injuries, including claims that he had accidentally dropped her or fallen on her. However, these accounts did not align with the medical findings, which indicated that significant force was necessary to cause such injuries. Prosecutors noted that the trauma was indicative of non-accidental harm, including signs of shaking.
Following the investigation, Dangelo Jackson was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He was held without bail and later sentenced to 18 years in prison for aggravated battery to a child under 13 causing bodily harm.
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services initiated an investigation into the case. According to reports, there had been no prior contact between DCFS and the family before Janylah's death.
