Authorities say the house where a toddler was found dead has burned to the ground one day after her funeral. East Joliet Fire Chief Robert Scholtes says fire crews were called about 3 a.m. Saturday to the Joliet Township home where 16-month-old Semaj Crosby was found dead under a couch April 26.
Firefighters found flames and smoke in a back bedroom and let the structure burn because it had become a public nuisance. The home had been deemed uninhabitable.
A funeral for the girl was held Friday, Her disappearance had sparked a massive hunt involving volunteers, law enforcement officers and bloodhounds. The Will County Sheriff's Department said Thursday her death remains an ongoing criminal investigation.
Scholtes says arson was most likely the cause of the fire, although it remains under investigation. An arson investigator from the State Fire Marshall's Office will try to determine the cause and origin of the fire.
