The 12-year-old girl was found strangled Monday in a South Side alley. Her family, which reported her missing in mid-October, accused police of treating her as a runaway case rather than as a missing child. That's a charge Weis denies.
"Our detectives did a really good job... at least 20 interviews right away. We got a late start because it was about a day before we got notified that the child was missing. The most critical time following a child abduction is three hours," said Jody Weis, Chicago Police Superintendent
Jahmeshia's mother said she thought the girl was at her aunt's house for the night. Police say she had been dead for no more than a single day when she was found.
