Rock Island mother interrogated by police after a tip saying her son was dead, left in trash can
By: -----
Police body camera footage is revealing details in a case of a woman who hid the body of her 10-year-old son in a Rock Island garbage can last summer.
The clips include an initial short visit to the home of Sushi Staples, followed by nearly 4 hours of searching the house and interrogation of Staples after a search warrant was obtained overnight.
Rock Island police first come to the home in the 1700 block of 20 1/2 Ave. during the evening of July 25, 2023. The officer tells Staples that "Some lady called DCFS and kind of made some claims that you had a child that accidentally shot themselves." She denies that and blames the call on her ex-husband's girlfriend.
The officer said, "They made some allegation that you had a son, and he shot himself, and he's in your basement." Staples replies, "Sir, come on now, look where I live."
The officer asks, "Can I look in your basement real quick, and I'll get out of here?"
Staples replies, "No, you need a search warrant to do that. I'm sorry, I'm not about to have my rights violated because someone makes erroneous allegations like this."
The interaction lasted a little more than five minutes, with Staples saying "I'm here. I ain't got nothing to hide," as the officers turned to leave.
Multiple officers returned to the home the following evening around 6 p.m. on July 26, with a search warrant for the property.
Staples' four children were home at the time and were watched upstairs by an officer. Police did a sweep of the property, first checking the basement, following the tip they received that a body was in the basement. The initial search didn't reveal anything in the basement.
Staples was directed to sit down at the kitchen table to talk with detectives.
Officer: Do you know why we're here?
Staples: No, I don't, I don't know why you're here. Because I'm really scared because my kids are upstairs, and I don't know what's going on. Can I call my family to tell them, to (get) somebody to come...?
Officer: You're not under arrest or anything like that. Ok, that's why I'm sitting here talking to you.
Staples: I'm scared to death right cause I don't know what's going on.
Officer: So the reason we're here (is) because we're investigating a call that we had. Ok, the officers came out and talked to you last night, correct? Ok. Um, we have to handle that real seriously because the allegations are that you have a son and that he's deceased, and he's here in this house. So that's where we're at right now. Do you have a son named Zion?
Staples: No, I don't.
Officer: You've never had a son named Zion.
Staples: No.
Officer: Are you claiming benefits for a kid named Zion?
Staples: No, I haven't gotten any benefits for anyone. I just recently went through a situation where a young lady stole my identity, and she falsely filed my taxes and my information and stuff like that. And I've been working with the FBI, I've been working with the IRS. There's been a lot of things popping up.
Officer: Have you had any interactions with DCFS of Chicago?
Staples: I did. False calls that were made.
Officer: One of the calls from 2021, DCFS came out to your residence in Chicago and there was a Zion Staples there. (Staples shakes her head 'No.') Along with your four daughters and then another young boy.
Staples: We had kids in the neighborhood come over. Some of those kids that were implicated were not, in fact, our children, they were there attending a party.
Officer: So you're saying there was a kid in your apartment that was not your kid named Zion.
Staples: I didn't say his name was Zion. No.
Officer 2: Somewhere here we've got to clear this up with the Zion Staples and, listen to me, benefits being put in his name that you're receiving from.
Staples: I haven't received any benefits.
Officer 2: And then also involved in this.
Staples: I haven't received any benefits. That's what I'm telling you. If someone has stolen my identity, I have proof of that.
As Staples was first talking to detectives, officers were searching the property for any evidence of the boy.
The detective asked if they were going to find anything in the home that would have Zion's name on it like a birth certificate or a Social Security card, to which Staples says "nope" in response.
Following that question, 16 minutes later, an officer walks into the kitchen carrying a birth certificate that belonged to her son, Zion.
Officer: Birth certificate?
Staples: What is that?
Officer: A birth certificate, for Zion Staples.
Staples: That's not mine.
Officer(s): (reading the birth certificate) Sushi Staples, child of. It was found in your room, along with a Social Security card. We need to get this figured out. Stop. Lying. (pause) It's over. Where's that kid?
Staples then continues to deny the child's existence, claiming that she paid someone to make fraudulent documents so she could claim government benefits for the additional child.
A little over an hour after officers arrived at the home, an officer placed Staples under arrest for admitting to fraud. Staples expressed embarrassment at being handcuffed as she was going to be escorted outside the house to a police car.
Body camera footage shows officers removing items and then dragging a circular metal trash can out of an inside corner of the garage around 9:30 p.m. A crime scene technician takes photos as they remove the trash can and its lid. No evidence of a body is shown on the body camera footage obtained by the FOIA request, but court documents show that is where the body was recovered.
Staples remained in custody of the Rock Island County Jail after her arrest on July 26, 2023.
Rock Island County coroner Brian Gustafson confirmed that an autopsy revealed that the boy died of a gunshot wound, likely in December 2022.
Staples was initially charged with concealment of a death, obstruction of justice, and failure to report the death of a child.
Staples later pled guilty to endangering the life of a child on Jan. 4, 2024. In exchange, prosecutors dropped three additional charges against her, including obstruction of justice, failure to report the death of a child, and concealment of a death.
On Feb. 16, she was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for time served. According to Illinois state inmate records, Staples was released from Logan Correctional Center on July 25, with parole anticipated to continue until Jan. 25, 2025.