Mother ordered held on $700,000 bail in daughter's death

Infant was found dead in October

By Robert Mitchum | Tribune reporter

1:19 AM EDT, April 29, 2008

A mother who was charged over the weekend with first-degree murder in the October death of her infant daughter was ordered held in lieu of $700,000 bail Monday.

Chicean Crosby, 25, of the 7200 block of South Winchester Avenue wept at the hearing before Circuit Judge Raymond Myles at the Cook County Criminal Courts Building.

Crosby's daughter, also named Chicean, was found dead Oct. 13 by paramedics responding to a call that the child was unresponsive. After the child's death was ruled a homicide by the Cook County medical examiner's office on April 10, Crosby was arrested and charged on Saturday.

Though police said in October that the death did not appear to be the result of criminal activity, no cause of death was given by the medical examiner's office at the time pending further investigation.

After performing toxicology and blood tests, the child's death was determined to have been caused by dehydration, malnutrition and negligence by a Cook County medical examiner, said Assistant State's Atty. Stephanie Miller.

The child's body was dirty, dressed in soiled clothing and had a severe diaper rash. No formula or baby food was found in the home. Miller described the residence as "filthy and roach infested."

In December 2006, the baby had been found to be dehydrated and underweight when Crosby took her to a hospital, Miller said.

The state's child welfare agency was notified after Crosby tried to remove the baby from the hospital against medical advice in January 2007, she said.

The Department of Children and Family Services confirmed that the family had been contacted after allegations of neglect in February 2007.

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Another Crosby child was placed in foster care by DCFS after Chicean's death. The girl's death remains under investigation by the agency, said DCFS spokesman Jimmie Whitelow.

Assistant Public Defender Marijane Placek argued at the bail hearing that Crosby was trying "as hard as she possibly could" to raise the child, and disagreed with the charge of first-degree murder. She said that Crosby was "definitely quite upset about this."

rmitchum@tribune.com