Person of interest sought in case of child found dismembered in lagoon

CHICAGO (STMW) - Chicago Police are searching for a person of interest wanted for questioning in connection with the death of a child found dismembered in the Garfield Park lagoon in September.

The person of interest was not identified.

The child has been identified as 2-year-old Kyrian Knox of Rockford after DNA samples taken from the body parts matched the missing Rockford boy’s mother, authorities announced last week.

Rockford investigators contacted Chicago Police in mid-September to see if there might be a match. DNA samples from Kyrian’s mother, Lanisha Knox, were provided to both Rockford and Chicago police for testing, Rockford authorities said.

Kyrian was believed to have been last seen in mid-August, Rockford police previously said. The boy had been staying with a family friend just before he disappeared. Investigators don’t believe the child was abducted.

An unidentified child’s foot was discovered Sept. 5 in the Garfield Park lagoon, sparking a search that led to retrieval of hands and a head. Investigators had estimated the child to be 2-3 years old and African-American.

Cause and manner of death have yet to be determined, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. All of the body parts were decomposed, and no torso or legs were found.