[DiamondSmiles]

Randa Morris
addictinginfo.com

APRIL 22, 2015

Photos taken by police on the night that 20 year old Jessica Mejia was killed show that the young woman was in the back of the vehicle, when police arrived on the scene.

According to The Chicago Tribune, which was given access to the photos, pictures taken while she was inside the vehicle show that Jessica Mejia was dressed in a pair of jeans and a white tee-shirt when she died. Subsequent images of the young woman, taken by Sheriff’s deputies in Cook County, Illinois, however, are the subject of a pending lawsuit.

According to The Chicago Tribune, photos provided to them by the family attorney show that police removed Jessica Mejia’s body from the vehicle. They then proceeded to undress her at the scene. Jessica’s naked body was laid out on a tarp. Police then photographed her naked corpse, which they manipulated into various poses.

The accident that took the young woman’s life occurred on New Year’s Eve, 2009.

Shortly after, her family filed a lawsuit against the Cook County Sheriff’s Department. Jessica Mejia’s mother says she filed the suit to restore her daughter’s name.

According to the young woman’s mother, the officers who removed Jessica Mejia’s clothing at the scene of the accident ,created a false impression of what happened that night. Christian Mejia told The Chicago Tribune, that,

“People think my daughter died from having sex, not from somebody being drunk and killing her. Because they took these photos, by the time everybody else got to the scene, all the ambulances and everybody else, she was partially naked because they made her naked… So the rumors, and the allegations … they made it believable.”

In December of 2010, a spokesman with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office denied that the pictures existed. Department spokesman Steve Patterson called the family’s claims, “bizarre,” saying,

“There were multiple independent witnesses on the scene that night and crime scene photographs taken which would have prevented the scenario described from happening. We’re sorry for the family’s loss.”

This story certainly is bizarre, but the Sheriff’s department is no longer disputing the fact that the photos exist. Instead, they now claim that it was, “medically necessary,” for deputies to remove Jessica Mejia’s clothing and take nude photographs, as her dead body lay on the ground, sprawled out on a tarp. That claim seems beyond bizarre.

Don Perry, one of the family’s attorneys, said in a statement to The Chicago Tribune,

“This was a young lady that just died and was treated with less dignity than a deer carcass you find on the side of the road.”

The driver, her then boyfriend, Nicholas Sord, pictured below, pleaded guilty to drunk driving and was sentenced to 56 months in jail.

The trial is scheduled to begin next Monday.

The only people legally permitted to have taken pictures would have been the coroner upon his or her examination of the body.

Pretty girl, but, she looks a lot older than 20, not that she should have died and had her body abused.

[TheVrist]

First responders be it police, emt, fire, are usually trained to start cutting cloths off.

If she was DoA, and the driver cited for DUI-then a full scale vehicular homicide needed to start taking place. That means documenting every injury even a small scratch, before the body is moved to the morgue.

These documents have to be made at the scene so that the defense can't argue injuries being done post removal.

Aside from all that, Chicago police are lacking in quality. So it' isn't uncommon for them to do their duty in poor taste. Most are poorly qualified, under paid, and for most part heartless and crooked.

[DiamondSmiles]

Originally Posted by TheVrist ↗

First responders be it police, emt, fire, are usually trained to start cutting cloths off.

If she was DoA, and the driver cited for DUI-then a full scale vehicular homicide needed to start taking place. That means documenting every injury even a small scratch, before the body is moved to the morgue.

These documents have to be made at the scene so that the defense can't argue injuries being done post removal.

Aside from all that, Chicago police are lacking in quality. So it' isn't uncommon for them to do their duty in poor taste. Most are poorly qualified, under paid, and for most part heartless and crooked.

Even if the person is obviously dead

I see you answered that. Thank you for clarifying. The police did change their story, at least once, that is documented.

It seems mean. She was an attractive woman. The posing and taking photos was uncalled for though.

[winvens]

Just ?

[Azimuth]

The drunk driver (and ex-boyfriend) was sentenced to 56 months in prison, not 96.

[Oswald2001]

The family should be facing why they raised a daughter to be driving around with a drunken boyfriend at the wheel.

Anything else is a red herring or a dash for a cash settlement.

Or both.

[Azimuth]

Originally Posted by diamondsmiles ↗

Randa Morris
addictinginfo.com

APRIL 22, 2015

Photos taken by police on the night that 20 year old Jessica Mejia was killed show that the young woman was in the back of the vehicle, when police arrived on the scene.

According to The Chicago Tribune, which was given access to the photos, pictures taken while she was inside the vehicle show that Jessica Mejia was dressed in a pair of jeans and a white tee-shirt when she died. Subsequent images of the young woman, taken by Sheriff’s deputies in Cook County, Illinois, however, are the subject of a pending lawsuit.

According to The Chicago Tribune, photos provided to them by the family attorney show that police removed Jessica Mejia’s body from the vehicle. They then proceeded to undress her at the scene. Jessica’s naked body was laid out on a tarp. Police then photographed her naked corpse, which they manipulated into various poses.

The accident that took the young woman’s life occurred on New Year’s Eve, 2009.

Shortly after, her family filed a lawsuit against the Cook County Sheriff’s Department. Jessica Mejia’s mother says she filed the suit to restore her daughter’s name.

According to the young woman’s mother, the officers who removed Jessica Mejia’s clothing at the scene of the accident ,created a false impression of what happened that night. Christian Mejia told The Chicago Tribune, that,

“People think my daughter died from having sex, not from somebody being drunk and killing her. Because they took these photos, by the time everybody else got to the scene, all the ambulances and everybody else, she was partially naked because they made her naked… So the rumors, and the allegations … they made it believable.”

In December of 2010, a spokesman with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office denied that the pictures existed. Department spokesman Steve Patterson called the family’s claims, “bizarre,” saying,

“There were multiple independent witnesses on the scene that night and crime scene photographs taken which would have prevented the scenario described from happening. We’re sorry for the family’s loss.”

This story certainly is bizarre, but the Sheriff’s department is no longer disputing the fact that the photos exist. Instead, they now claim that it was, “medically necessary,” for deputies to remove Jessica Mejia’s clothing and take nude photographs, as her dead body lay on the ground, sprawled out on a tarp. That claim seems beyond bizarre.

Don Perry, one of the family’s attorneys, said in a statement to The Chicago Tribune,

“This was a young lady that just died and was treated with less dignity than a deer carcass you find on the side of the road.”

The driver, her then boyfriend, Nicholas Sord, pictured below, pleaded guilty to drunk driving and was sentenced to 96 months in jail.

The trial is scheduled to begin next Monday.

The only people legally permitted to have taken pictures would have been the coroner upon his or her examination of the body.

Pretty girl, but, she looks a lot older than 20, not that she should have died and had her body abused.

That part didn't make sense to me, so I read around about the case and found:

Christina Mejia, Jessica’s mother, said that the sheriff’s office didn’t serve the public the night her daughter was killed and is suing to clear up allegations that the girl was killed because she was straddling Sord at the time of the accident.


So maybe they took her top off to photograph the fact that there were no markings on her back? I'm sure it was to get evidence, like Vrist said.

[Kelseecat65]

Interesting. I wouldn't put anything past the Chicago PD.

[loveneverdies]

I agree it is quite interesting..

Either way, a young girl lost her life because of a stupid decision by her boyfriend. Not to mention he killed other people as well it seems like, right?

But in my opinion, this just drags the hurt/pain/trauma, etc.. out for the family even longer. What is money going to solve?

[Oswald2001]

Originally Posted by loveneverdies ↗

Either way, a young girl lost her life because of a stupid decision by her boyfriend. Not to mention he killed other people as well it seems like, right?

It was her stupid decision to drive around with a drunk at the wheel that got her killed.