Illinois 10-year-old found dead in garbage can; mother charged

(WQAD) – Police in Rock Island, Illinois said a 10-year-old boy had been dead in a garbage can for the last seven months, and his mother is now charged in the death.

Police found Zion Staples’ body last Wednesday at a home in Rock Island.

An autopsy showed his death is considered suspicious, but police have not released any other details.

Zion’s mother, 37-year-old Sushi Staples, is charged with obstructing justice, failure to report the death of a child under 13, and concealment of death.

A neighbor said she wants to know how it took months to find Zion and what tipped off the police.

“I had a dead raccoon in my backyard, and we put it in a garbage can, I mean, in a garbage bag and then put it in a garbage can. And I couldn’t even stand the smell waiting for garbage day,” the neighbor said. “So I can’t imagine, that with the wind directions, that nobody would smell that.”

The mother appeared in court last Friday. A judge set her bail at $500,000.

Her next hearing is set for Aug. 15.