Over the past eight years, Tereasa Martin has lived with unimaginable grief following the death of her daughter, Kenneka Jenkins. Kenneka’s lifeless body was discovered inside a hotel’s walk-in freezer, a tragedy that sparked national outrage, intense media scrutiny, a high-profile lawsuit, and ultimately a $10 million settlement that placed the family in the public eye.

Now, with the media attention largely faded and nearly two years after settling the case, Martin has broken her silence. She is making explosive new claims about what she says really happened behind closed doors, alleging that she was misled and pressured into accepting the settlement and effectively silenced from speaking publicly about her daughter’s death.

“I still don’t know what happened to my child’s life,” Martin wrote in a Facebook post on November 21 that quickly drew widespread attention. “Her clothes, her shoes, her cell phone, her hair — the list goes on. I was promised lies, and once this case was over, it felt like I was forced to NEVER talk about my child again.”

Kenneka Jenkins, 19, was found dead on September 10, 2017, inside a walk-in freezer at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare hotel in Rosemont, Illinois. The Chicago teenager had been attending a party with friends in a ninth-floor hotel room the night before. Surveillance footage later showed her wandering alone into restricted areas of the hotel — spaces that Martin and others believe should have been locked or secured to prevent access.

The Cook County Medical Examiner ultimately ruled Kenneka’s death an accident, citing hypothermia and cold exposure as the cause, with alcohol intoxication listed as a contributing factor. However, the investigation left many unanswered questions. Rosemont police later acknowledged that their investigation was incomplete, fueling the family’s suspicion of foul play — particularly since Kenneka’s body was found more than 24 hours after her family had reported her missing and alerted both police and hotel staff.

In December 2018, Martin and Kenneka’s siblings filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against the hotel and other parties, accusing them of negligence. The case was settled in 2023 for $10 million, bringing an official end to the legal battle — or so it seemed.

In her recent Facebook post, Martin claims the settlement was not voluntary. She alleges that her family was coerced into agreeing to the terms under extreme pressure. “They forced us into rooms for hours and would not let us leave until we said what they wanted us to say,” she wrote. “They made us accept what they decided to give us.” She further claimed that she was compelled to record a video statement after being held for hours — an incident that reportedly occurred on one of her daughter’s birthdays.

Martin acknowledged that speaking out now could have serious legal consequences. “I might be back in court,” she wrote. “I may get sued because I was tricked. But they WILL get me answers. I want my child’s clothes, her cell phone, and everything that belonged to her when she died.”

Not everyone, however, is convinced by Martin’s renewed claims. Some prominent figures in her community have openly challenged her account. Former family ally and Chicago activist Jedidiah Brown issued a harsh public rebuke, accusing Martin of spreading falsehoods. In a profanity-laced post, he claimed that silence was never a condition of the settlement and accused her of “giving up justice for temporary pleasure,” adding that he was prepared to reveal information he had kept private for years.

Despite the criticism, Martin continues to receive strong support from many who believe she is finally reclaiming her voice. For her, this moment represents a turning point after years of silence. “I’ve stayed quiet long enough,” she wrote. “At this point, I’m simply speaking my truth — respectfully, clearly, and without naming anyone.”