Death of Illinois child found in refrigerator ruled homicide

An Illinois coroner's jury has ruled an 8-year-old boy whose body was found inside an unplugged refrigerator in August died as a result of homicide. After hearing testimony from a police officer investigating the boy's death, the jury deliberated 30 minutes before issuing its decision, the Peoria Journal Star reported Thursday. The nude body of Marquail Johnson was found by a Peoria homeowner inside an older model refrigerator in his backyard Aug. 15. The boy's clothes were found in the refrigerator. An autopsy determined the boy died of suffocation. No signs of physical or sexual trauma were found. The boy had last been seen by his mother the night before while playing with his cousins in a vacant lot about a block from where his body was found. Peoria police Detective Amanda Chalus told the jury the refrigerator would not shut on its own, but could be pulled closed from the inside. She said it was unclear how the child ended up in the refrigerator and how long he had been inside. She said investigators had determined neighborhood children did not typically play in the home's backyard, which was surrounded by a chain link fence with no gate. The investigation continues.