Two children found dead last year in Chatham home identified

Two children found dead in a Chatham home along with another sibling and their mother last year on the South Side have officially been identified by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

28-year-old Latoya Jackson was found dead in the home in the 8300 block of South Drexel along with her three sons on July 18, 2015, authorities said. She died from ligature strangulation and her death was ruled a homicide.

Her sons, 5-year-old Kantrell Williams; 10-year-old Kameron Simms; and 11-year-old Andrew Simms Jr. were all dead at the scene, authorities said.

The medical examiner’s office announced Tuesday that Andrew’s cause of death was probable inhalation of products of combustion from an incendiary house fire. Kameron’s cause of death was carbon monoxide toxicity and inhalation of productions of combustion. Kantrell’s cause of death was probable inhalation of productions of combustion, the medical examiner’s office previously revealed.

All their deaths were ruled homicides, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Relatives told the Sun-Times the family had not been seen for about a week before their bodies were discovered when police investigated a bad smell coming from the home.

Authorities said it was not possible to tell how long the bodies had been in the house, because of the heat and advanced state of decomposition.

There was evidence of a fire in the home, but it was contained to the inside of the building and had not spread or been reported, according to a Chicago Fire Department official.

Chicago Police said Tuesday that the investigation is ongoing and no one is in custody.