No Charges to Issue in Greektown Garage Child Deaths Case

Published on January 28, 2026

Facts of the Case

On February 10, 2025, at 1:27 a.m., a then 29-year-old mother* parked her van in the Greektown Casino Parking Garage, located in the 550 block of Lafayette in Detroit. The van contained her children, a two-year-old daughter, Amillah, a nine-year-old son, Darnell, as well as her four-year-old and eight-year-old daughters. The woman’s mother was also in the van with her then 13-year-old son. The van was parked and the engine was running in inclement weather over night. It is alleged that the family was living in the van because they were without a permanent residence for an unknown period.

On the morning of February 10, 2025, the mother noticed that Darnell’s lips were blue and he was unresponsive. She called a female friend and told her that there was no gas in the van. The friend and a man arrived at the garage in a black sedan. The man approached the van with a gas can at approximately 11:46 a.m. At approximately 12:03 p.m., the black sedan returned and the man appeared to work on the engine. At approximately 12:13 p.m., the mother exited the van, pulled out Darnell, and dragged him into the back seat of the sedan. The man, woman, mother, and Darnell left the garage, and the mother and child were dropped off at Children’s Hospital. Despite medical intervention, he was pronounced deceased at 12:43 p.m.

After leaving the hospital the couple were called back to the van by the grandmother who discovered that Amillah was not breathing and her lips were blue. The couple transported the grandmother, Amillah, her 13-year-old son, and her four and eight-year-old granddaughters back to the hospital. Despite medical intervention, Amillah was pronounced deceased at the hospital at 12:28 p.m.

On March 5, 2025, an autopsy was performed by the Wayne County Medical Examiner on both children. The cause of death for both children was carbon monoxide toxicity, and the manner of death was determined to be accidental for both children. On March 12, 2025, a warrant request was presented to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for the mother of the two deceased children.

Review of Evidence

The review of evidence in connection with the warrant request was extensive and protracted by some issues with obtaining records. The evidence considered in the case includes but was not limited to the following items which were reviewed:

• Hours of surveillance video of the van in the Greektown Parking Garage for February 8, 9, and 10, 2025, because the mother had parked there for the days leading up to February 10, 2025.
• Interviews with Greektown Casino personnel
• Witness interviews
• Forensic interviews with surviving children
• Police interviews with the mother
• Interviews the mother gave to various news outlets
• Police interviews with the grandmother
• Phone records
• Photographs of the outside of the van as it was found in the parking garage
• Photos of the interior of the van documenting feces and urine van in the van along with bags of trash and children’s clothing scattered through the van on February 10, 2025. Also, found in the back of the van was a bong, rolling tray and a glass jar.
• Wayne County Medical Examiners Autopsy and Findings.
• Extensive medical, school, and other agency records for the children for 2024 and 2025.
• Reports after forensic testing of the van which took several months to accomplish to support the finding of accidental carbon monoxide toxicity. Note: The van was inoperable when seized by the Detroit Police Department. Once a new battery was placed in van, it was able to be turned on and tested, a carbon monoxide leak was detected within minutes in the van where the two children had been sleeping.

Charging Decision

After an extensive review of all the relevant evidence, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office has determined that there is insufficient evidence for charges to issue against the mother of the two deceased children.

“There were many public pronouncements by police and elected officials in this case. It is important to note that the warrant review was necessary in this case and solely within our purview. Those statements in some respects hampered our process. That being said, there will be no criminal charges in this case. However, we remain very concerned about the welfare of the remaining living children. While we, like many others, were heartened about the number of people and organizations that stepped in to help this family, we hope that those efforts will continue, and that those who are truly empowered to protect these children will continue to do so diligently,” said Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

*WCPO does not reveal the name of an uncharged defendant.

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