A $10 million settlement has been reached with the family of Kenneka Jenkins, a 19-year-old who died in a freezer at an Illinois hotel six years ago.
Jenkins was at the hotel for a party in September of 2017, when according to NBC Chicago, a combination of alcohol and medication used for treating epilepsy and migraines reportedly made the young woman disoriented and led her into a walk-in commercial freezer, where she froze to death.
She was in the freezer for 21 hours before she was discovered, and her death was ruled an accident caused by hypothermia. According to the news outlet, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office determined that she died from hypothermia after being in the freezer for that extended time.
The lawsuit filed by Jenkins’ family in 2018 claimed negligence on the part of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rosemont, the hotel’s restaurant, and a security company for failure to secure the freezer or conduct a proper search following her disappearance. The suit initially sought $50 million in damages.
From the final settlement of $10 million, approximately $3.7 million will be awarded to Tereasa Martin, the victim’s mother, according to court records, the Chicago Tribune reported. $2.7 million will be distributed to Jenkins’ other family members, $3.5 million will be used for attorney fees, and $6,000 will be provided for funeral expenses.