Zha'riyah Robinson, a 5-year-old girl from Kenosha, Wisconsin, was brutally sexually assaulted (oral, vaginal, and rectal rape) on August 22, 2023, by then-15-year-old Dakari S.D. Childress, who was briefly watching her at a home in Kenosha. Less than three months later, on November 16, 2023, Zha'riyah became unresponsive at a local urgent care in Surprise, Arizona, was transported to a hospital in critical condition, and subsequently died. An autopsy conducted on November 18, 2023 did not find any obvious signs of new trauma, but the full medical examiner's report remained pending. The Surprise Police Department's investigation is still open, and ADA Alexandra Smathers described the death as "suspicious." A sexual assault nurse consulted by the publication suggested the death could be linked to the rape, noting that a rectal tear could cause a slow and terrible death under certain circumstances.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Document 1 states the child was "brutally sexually assaulted" and describes the rape as "oral, vaginal, and rectal." A nurse told KCE that "A rectal tear could cause a slow and terrible death under certain circumstances." While the injuries resulted from sexual assault rather than typical blunt force examples, the violent nature of the attack inflicted severe physical injuries on the child, including a rectal tear.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Both documents explicitly describe sexual abuse. Document 1 states: "We know she was brutally sexually assaulted on August 22, 2023" and "her rape, which was oral, vaginal, and rectal." Document 2 similarly states: "He was then alleged to have brutally raped her in every possible way." The accused, Dakari S.D. Childress, was charged with "First Degree Sexual Assault" of the 5-year-old victim.
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Document 1 states: "According to the criminal complaint, then-15-year-old Dakari S.D. Childress was briefly watching Zha'riyah at a home in Kenosha. He was then alleged to have brutally raped her in every possible way." Childress was acting as a babysitter when he sexually assaulted the child. A nurse told KCE "the death could be linked to her rape, which was oral, vaginal, and rectal. A rectal tear could cause a slow and terrible death under certain circumstances." The ADA also called the death "suspicious." While the connection between the assault and the death nearly three months later is not confirmed, the potential link is explicitly raised in the text, making the babysitter's involvement in the death ambiguous but plausible.
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable systemic and procedural issues are described. Document 1 reports that Commissioner Michel set a no-cash bail for Childress despite the charge of First Degree Sexual Assault of a 5-year-old, and that ADA Smathers initially agreed, telling the family there was "no basis" to ask for higher bail. It was only after the family and the publication pushed back that Smathers made a motion to increase bail. Document 2 describes the defense attorney's attempt to seal court records, which was denied by Judge Milisauskas. Additionally, the Kenosha Public Defender's Office discovered a conflict of interest, leaving the defendant without counsel and the case "in limbo." The accused was 15 at the time of the assault and was initially charged as a juvenile before being waived to adult court. The death investigation in Arizona remains open and the full medical examiner's report is still pending months after the child's death, with the ADA characterizing the death as "suspicious" and a sexual assault nurse suggesting the death could be linked to injuries from the rape.
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