Kenneka Jenkins' Death At Center Of MTV's 'True Life Crime'

ROSEMONT, IL — "Haunting questions remain," MTV's Nev Schulman says in a first look at the network's new "True Life Crime" docuseries premiering Wednesday. The inaugural episode dives into the September 2017 death of Chicago teen Kenneka Jenkins, who was found dead inside a walk-in freezer at a Rosemont hotel.

The disappearance and death of 19-year-old Jenkins "left more questions than answers," MTV said on Facebook.

In October 2017, Rosemont police determined that the death of Jenkins was accidental, reflecting and reinforcing the same conclusions drawn by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. The office ruled earlier that month that Jenkins' death was an accident, caused by hypothermia from exposure to cold.

The closing of the case, however, hasn't shut down questions over what happened to the teen from the time she attended a party Sept. 8 at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel & Conference Center in Rosemont to when her body was found inside the hotel freezer Sept. 10.

Catfish: The TV Show's Nev Schulman and MTV News correspondent Dometi Pongo "are on a mission to close this case once and for all," MTV wrote. "'True Life Crime' premieres Wednesday, January 8 at 9/8c on MTV."

Jenkins' family said police told them the teen was inebriated when she let herself into the freezer. The teen was reportedly at a party on the ninth floor of the hotel celebrating a new job, and investigators looked at a video shared on social media that reportedly showed Jenkins in the room before her disappearance.

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>>More Patch coverage on Jenkins' death investigation

An autopsy concluded that alcohol and a drug used to treat epilepsy and migraines were "significant contributing factors" in her death. There were no signs of trauma to Jenkins' body, authorities said. Dozens of photos, surveillance images and documents were released to the public to support authorities' findings.

In 2018, Patch reported that Jenkins' mother, Tereasa Martin, was calling for an independent investigation into what led to her daughter's death. The 19-year-old's family had also previously called for an FBI investigation.

The investigation of the death of Kenneka Jenkins left more questions than answers. @nevschulman and @dometi_ are on a mission to close this case once and for all. #TrueLifeCrime premieres Wednesday, January 8 at 9/8c on @MTV. Watch the first look here: https://t.co/Pph28Ir6Pa pic.twitter.com/HejT9mMIwK
— True Life (@MTVTrueLife) January 2, 2020