Dec. 05--The Cook County medical examiner's office officially ruled Friday that the toddler found dismembered in Garfield Park Lagoon over Labor Day weekend died in a homicide.
In early November, Chicago police said they had received DNA analysis matching the remains to Kyrian Knox, 2, who was reported missing from Rockford in mid-September. A spokeswoman said in a release that the medical examiner's office has not yet "officially" identified the remains, and the office was waiting for the DNA analysis report to make an identification.
Although the medical examiner's office ruled Kyrian's manner of death was homicide, the office did not determine a cause of death in the case, according to the release.
Kyrian was believed to be in the care of a family friend before he was reported missing, according to Rockford police. Officials said the child could have been missing since August.
The toddler's mother, Lanisha Knox, 24, had moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with a high school friend who also has a 2-year-old. Both women left their children in the care of the high school friend's father who lives in Rockford, official said.
Kyrian wasn't reported missing until almost two weeks after a foot of a toddler was found in the lagoon Sept. 5, and additional remains were found over the course of two days. The child's torso is still missing, officials said.
In mid-November, Chicago police said they were searching for a person of interest wanted for questioning in the disappearance of Kyrian. Later that month, police said the couple who were last with Kyrian, Kamel Harris and Danyelle Foggs, were refusing to cooperate in the investigation.
Officials have not called the two suspects and they have not been charged in connection with Kyrian's death, according to court records.
