Boyfriend Ordered Held On $5 Million Bail In Zion Toddler's Murder
(CBS) -- The boyfriend of five-month-old Joshua Summeries' mother is charged with the suffocation murder of the Zion child, who is the subject of a continuing search. WBBM's Bob Roberts has the latest.
Boyfriend Ordered Held On $5 Million Bail In Zion Toddler's Murder
Demetries Thorpe, 26, allegedly responded to Joshua's cries by going to his bedroom and holding his head over the infant's mouth for 10-15 seconds. Realizing the child was dead, State's Attorney Mike Nerheim says Thorpe allegedly placed the body in a backpack, dropped it out a window and put it in a garbage can nearby.
He told his girlfriend the boy had been abducted but when she asked why he didn't call 9-1-1, he ran.
"He went back to that garbage can, removed the backpack from the garbage can, went to another location where there was a dumpster and placed the backpack containing Joshua in the dumpster because he noticed there was a garbage truck nearby," said Nerheim.
Police have isolated a 30 foot by 30 foot area where the truck emptied, but they say they may have to dig eight feet deep. Bond is set at $5 million.
"It's a terrible situation up there and to say a needle in a haystack, it's actually even worse than that but we're gonna pull out all the stops and do everything humanly possible to keep that search going," said Zion Police Chief Wayne Brooks.
Clarence Summeries, the father of the Joshua, wanted no questions and wanted to voice no recriminations. He just wanted the people of Zion and the media to know that he appreciates all that has been said, written, and done.
"I just want to thank everyone, me and my wife, for the volunteers and everyone from the city of Zion for searching for my son Joshua Summeries and we really do appreciate it and thank you to everyone out there," said Clarence Summeries.
Police say baby Joshua's mother's was fully cooperative.
