For more than two weeks protestors have been fighting to keep the case of Kenneka Jenkins — the 19-year-old woman whose body was found inside of a hotel freezer in early September— a public concern, staging demonstrations outside of the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare hotel where she lost her life.
Now, the teen’s mother, Tereasa Martin says it’s time for the protests to end.
In a Facebook video posted over the weekend, Martin thanked those who supported her efforts in getting justice, but voiced her disappointment towards organizers who she believes have been gaining financially off of the death of her daughter. Martin accuses planners of working with the hotel to profit off of her family’s suffering. During the six-minute clip, she also claims that some may have had ulterior motives in organizing rallies, and asks for forgiveness to any of those who were taken advantage of in the process.
“If you have been misled in any kind of way please forgive me,” Martin pleads. Although she affirms that she would like to see justice for her daughter, she insists that she does not want to see another child get hurt, misused, or abused.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, Jedidiah Brown, the main organizer of the protests, said that for his part, the only funds collected were going towards a “freedom fund” that helps with the cost of food, transportation and legal fees of protestors who are arrested during the demonstrations. Right now, there is approximately $2,000 left that will continues to go towards those expenditures. Although there seems to be a contentious relationship with Kenneka Jenkins’ family and those who are demanding justice for her, Martin told Facebook followers that she “felt a whole lot of love for the people who did mean it” and for her part, still wants to get to the bottom of her daughter’s untimely passing.
Funeral arrangements for Kenneka will take place on Saturday at noon at Salem Baptist Church in Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood located on the Far South Side.