On the morning of April 14, 2024, officers responded to a home in the 1500 block of East Washington Street in Joliet, Illinois, where a 12-year-old girl was found unresponsive in a second-floor bedroom she shared with her mother, Colette Bancroft, age 35. The child had ingested an unknown amount of suspected heroin and fentanyl; officers administered Narcan and the child was transported first to Silver Cross Hospital, then to a children's hospital in Chicago. She was pronounced dead on April 17, 2024. Investigators found suspected heroin and fentanyl in Bancroft's purse in the shared bedroom. Bancroft was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and released on a notice to appear in court. The Cook County Medical Examiner ruled both the manner and cause of death as undetermined, and DCFS was notified of the incident.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Both news articles explicitly describe the child ingesting drugs and dying of an overdose. The ABC7 article states: "A 12-year-old girl died Wednesday in the south suburbs a few days after overdosing from suspected heroin and fentanyl." The Fox 32 article states: "police determined that the 12-year-old girl ingested an unknown amount of suspected heroin and fentanyl."
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)?
The Fox 32 article states: "It was determined that Bancroft and her daughter shared the bedroom where the victim was located and officers recovered suspected heroin and fentanyl from Bancroft's purse in the bedroom." The child had unsupervised access to dangerous illicit drugs stored in her mother's purse in their shared bedroom, which implies inappropriate supervision of a 12-year-old child around hazardous substances.
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
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?
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?
The Fox 32 article states: "Bancroft and her daughter shared the bedroom where the victim was located and officers recovered suspected heroin and fentanyl from Bancroft's purse in the bedroom." The biological mother, Colette Bancroft, possessed the heroin and fentanyl that the child ingested, and they shared the bedroom where the drugs were accessible. While she was not directly charged with causing the death, her possession of the drugs in the shared bedroom was the proximate means by which the child was exposed to the fatal substances.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
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?
Both news articles report that suspected heroin and fentanyl were found in the mother's purse. The ABC7 article states: "Suspected heroin and fentanyl was also found in Bancroft's purse in the bedroom." She was arrested for possession of a controlled substance. While the text does not explicitly state she was a user, possession of heroin and fentanyl in one's personal purse strongly implies personal substance use.
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the sources. First, the Cook County Medical Examiner ruled both the manner of death as "Undetermined" and the primary cause as "UNDETERMINED," despite the news articles clearly describing the child's ingestion of suspected heroin and fentanyl and characterizing the death as an overdose. This discrepancy suggests the ME may not have been able to confirm the cause of death through official pathology/toxicology, or that the circumstances (accidental ingestion vs. intentional) remained unclear. Second, the Fox 32 article notes that "Others inside the home called 911," indicating additional individuals were present in the home beyond the mother and daughter, though their identities and roles are not discussed. Third, the mother was only charged with possession of a controlled substance — not with any charge related to the child's death — and was released on a notice to appear, despite the drugs in her purse apparently being the source of the child's fatal exposure. The Fox 32 article notes: "The case remains under active investigation." Additionally, the two news articles conflict on which hospital the child was transferred to — ABC7 says "Comer Children's Hospital" while Fox 32 says "Ann and Robert Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago" — which are two entirely different institutions.
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