A tragic incident unfolded last week in Rock Island, Illinois, when a 10-year-old boy was discovered dead in a garbage can in his mother’s garage. The mother, 37-year-old Sushi Staples, is now facing charges related to the incident, as reported by multiple sources.
The Rock Island Police Department initiated an investigation into the suspicious death last Wednesday. The body of the boy, identified as Zion Staples, was found in a trash can at the residence, where it had reportedly been kept for seven months.
Authorities have charged Sushi Staples with several crimes, including concealment of a death, failure to report the death of a child under 13, and obstruction of justice. The boy’s body was hidden in a garbage bin inside the garage, as per the reports.
The autopsy of the boy was conducted by Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson in Rockford, Illinois. Preliminary results suggest that the circumstances surrounding the boy’s death are suspicious. However, due to the ongoing investigation, no further information has been released at this time.
An anonymous woman, whose tip led authorities to discover the body, revealed that she had contacted the Department of Children and Family Services multiple times in recent months due to Staples’ strange comments about her son. Her call to the department on July 25 prompted a welfare check, which ultimately led to the discovery of Zion’s body.
Sushi Staples appeared in court last Friday and is currently being held on a $500,000 bond. A preliminary hearing has been set for August 15. It remains unclear whether she has entered a plea, and attempts to reach her attorney have been unsuccessful.
The Rock Island Police Department is urging anyone with information related to this case to come forward.