Family of teen who died in Rosemont hotel freezer to receive $6 million settlement

Relatives of a 19-year-old woman who died after becoming locked inside a freezer at a Rosemont hotel will receive more than $6 million in a wrongful death settlement.

The agreement was made public Tuesday morning as the case was set to go to trial, and it appeared recent efforts to reach a settlement had broken down.

Kenneka Jenkins of Chicago was found dead on Sept. 10, 2017, inside a walk-in freezer in an unused kitchen at the Crowne Plaza hotel, a day after attending a party there. Her death was ruled an accident caused by hypothermia by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Still, her death spurred a rash of conspiracy theories on social media and her funeral drew a crowd of more than 1,000 people.

Jenkins’ mother, Tereasa Martin, sued the hotel, a security company and a restaurant at the hotel, seeking more than $50 million.

The total settlement amounts to $10 million, with about $3.5 million going to attorney fees and costs for Martin’s lawyers. It includes more than $6,000 as payment for Jenkins’ funeral.

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