Cook County Public Guardian accuses DCFS of withholding information in death of Round Lake Beach child

ROUND LAKE BEACH, Ill. - The Cook County Public Guardian is calling out the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services for withholding information in the case of 8-year-old Markell Pierce, who was found dead in his home.

What we know:

Pierce’s mother and her boyfriend are facing criminal charges for alleged long-term mental and physical abuse. A preliminary autopsy indicated the child showed signs of malnourishment.

DCFS has said the family was not receiving services and that state law and confidentiality rules prevent them from releasing further details during the ongoing investigation.

Charles Golbert of the Cook County Public Guardian said that explanation is "unacceptable and untrue." He pointed out that Illinois law allows DCFS to release information when a child has died, been critically injured, or when parents face criminal charges, all of which apply in this case.

RELATED: Daycare director in Round Lake Beach says she warned DCFS before 8-year-old’s death

Golbert said it is unclear whether DCFS ever had prior involvement with the family because the agency has refused to answer questions, despite past cases where DCFS has provided timelines after high-profile child deaths, including AJ Freund, Ja’hir Gibbons, and Navin Jones.

"After pressure, they have, in fact, released timelines in other cases and those timelines often showed failures on their part," Golbert said.

Fox Chicago has also reached out to the Lake County State's Attorney's Office and the Governor’s office, which oversees DCFS, to see if additional information can be released about the case.