Mackenzi’s story: Her foster care journey and the investigation into her death

On May 11, 2024, Fairview Heights Police officers respond to 6 Patricia Drive and found Mackenzi Felmlee, 18, wounded and unresponsive. She was later pronounced dead at Memorial Hospital in Belleville.

An autopsy determined the cause of death is a pulmonary embolism due to blood clots, allegedly from constricting plastic bags placed on her legs. Mackenzi, who had been declared a ward of the state and placed in foster care, weighed 90 pounds at death, down from 130. Police and hospital staff observed evidence of trauma, dehydration, and injuries in several healing stages.

In June of this year, a police investigation supported by cell phone evidence and witness testimony led to a St. Clair County grand jury indicting Shameka S. Williams, 46, and Cornelia M. Reid, 64. Charges include first-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, multiple counts of battery, intimidation, and unlawful restraint. Both are detained pending trial.

Williams was Mackenzi’s foster mother, placed in charge of the girls’ care in 2019. Reid is Williams’ mother and herself a former foster care provider.

Revelations about Mackenzi’s early life and the circumstances surrounding her death have shocked the metro-east and brought added scrutiny on the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services. The Belleville News-Democrat has been tracking the case since the arrests of Williams and Reid were announced.

Here’s a look back at Mackenzi’s early life and a timeline summary of what has transpired since her death.

Background

July 13, 2005: Mackenzi Rose Felmlee is born to Bonnie Felmlee and Rasul Sykes; she has three sisters.

2015–2017: While her mother serves a prison term, Mackenzi and her sisters are left in the care of Dennis Pickens in Vandalia, Illinois. Pickens is granted formal guardianship in January 2017.

August 2018: Bonnie Felmlee discovers allegedly explicit photos of Mackenzi on Pickens’s phone. Pickens is later charged with child pornography and predatory sexual assault against Mackenzi.

May 2019: DCFS takes custody of Mackenzi and her siblings following Pickens’s indictment. The sisters are separated and sent to different foster homes.

Foster Home Placement and Educational Decline

April 2020: Mackenzi is placed in the Fairview Heights foster home of Shameka Williams under the supervision of Lutheran Child and Family Services (LCFS).

2020–2021: Mackenzi’s school performance begins to slide after initially average grades at Belleville East High School. She becomes truant and later enrolls in night GED classes, failing most due to lack of completed work.

Troubled Foster Care and Reports of Abuse

2022: Another foster girl, D.E., joins Williams’ home and later reports conditions worsening over time, alleging food and hygiene deprivation and frequent beatings by Williams.

June 7, 2022 to May 17, 2023: Caseworker Kurtavia White is assigned to Mackenzi. White later is revealed to have a troubling history, including arrests and multiple orders of protection filed against her. An affidavit says White was copying and pasting home visit notes, rather than properly documenting visits. DCFS declines to comment on the hiring or her handling of the case.

Escalating Abuse and Video Evidence

Cellphone video footage presented as evidence at Williams’ and Reid’s pretrial detention hearings document a timeline of alleged abuse:

May 15, 2023: Mackenzi is recorded facing a wall and repeating, “I am somebody.”

May 31, 2023: Mackenzi is forced to repeat, “I am a doof, I hate myself.”

June 1, 2023: Mackenzi is struck multiple times and made to repeat, “It is not good to manipulate.”

July 16, 2023: Video shows Mackenzi crying for real food; she is fed only prescribed liquid shakes (recorded by foster family).

August 15, 2023: Text messages from Williams’ phone reference physical discipline.

November 2023: Mackenzi is denied water as punishment for inability to control her bodily functions.

March 3, 2024: Video/photos show her forced to wear soiled underwear over her face; Reid is visible and audible in these clips.

May 1–2, 2024: Photos show Mackenzi with severe injuries (bleeding, abrasions, bruises), reportedly caused by Reid with a “whooping stick.”

May 3, 2024: Mackenzi begs not to be hurt; Williams texts concerns about being blamed for injuries.

May 11, 2024: Videos show Mackenzi at the bottom of the stairs, in distress, with injuries to her legs. Williams is seen handling her, mocking her distress. Mackenzie later died at Memorial Hospital.

Systematic breakdowns and response

June–July 2025

• An annual report by the DCFS Office of Inspector General shows a caseworker, not White, visited the home two days prior to Mackenzi’s death. DCFS policies required three visits a month for foster youth.
• Foster and former foster children reported prior abuse by both Williams and Reid. Previous DCFS complaints were reportedly deemed “unfounded.”
• DCFS has not released the required timeline or report on Mackenzi’s death, despite state law mandating such after a ward’s death or injury. Officials cite “ongoing criminal investigation” as the reason for withholding details. Representatives of the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s office, however, said they have no issues with DCFS releasing the timeline.
• Public officials and advocates express frustration at lack of transparency and accountability from DCFS and its contractors.
• The history of the caseworker, system breakdowns, and specifics of documented abuse become points of public scrutiny.

Current Status

• Williams and Reid remain in jail, awaiting trial on murder and related charges.
• DCFS and LCFS remain under scrutiny for their actions and oversight in Mackenzi’s case.
• No comprehensive DCFS case report on Mackenzi’s death has been released as of July 31, 2025, despite ongoing calls for accountability.

An AI tool assisted with compiling and summarizing the takeaways in this story. All information was compiled exclusively from the original reporting done by BND and its partners with Capitol News Illinois. It has been edited by BND journalists.

This story was originally published August 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM.