JOLIET, Ill. — The body of a 1 1/2-year-old girl was found at a “deplorable” northern Illinois home that she and her mother shared with squatters after her mother reluctantly allowed detectives inside to search and a day after she reported her daughter missing, authorities said Thursday. The mother initially spoke to investigators, but later refused to answer questions on the advice of an attorney, he said. Ackerson said the mother still has the two other children but that they are no longer staying at her Joliet home. Until they found the child’s body, the sheriff’s department said investigators suspected that Semaj had probably wandered off and perhaps had hidden herself somewhere and fallen asleep. On Thursday, Ackerson said that deputies had made a “cursory” search of the residence on Tuesday and did not find the girl.

Source: National Post April 28, 2017 15:45 UTC