On December 4, 2025, in an open plea, Perry pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder.  

After the sentencing hearing, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart stated, “We must honor Damari by making sure this never happens again. One way we can do this is by being loud and clear: If you choose to harm a child, and that child dies as a result of your abuse, you will be charged with murder, we will seek to detain you while the case is pending, and then you will face imprisonment. This defendant’s cold and intentional actions to hurt a child has been answered with decades in prison. Our hearts and our efforts will always remain with those who loved and cared about Damari.” 

During the sentencing, Chief Steve Scheller, Chief Deputy Karen Levi, and Assistant State’s Attorney Russell Caskey called two detectives from the North Chicago Police Department to testify.  

Detectives testified that in January 2022, family members reported Damari missing to the North Chicago Police Department. As detectives began investigating Damari’s disappearance, they determined that the story that the family provided was fabricated. 

Detectives testified that after talking to witnesses it was revealed that on December 30, 2021, Damari grabbed food from the garbage which upset the defendant and other members of the household. As punishment, Damari was placed in a cold shower for extended period of time. At some point, Damari became unresponsive, and none of his relatives sought medical attention. Instead, the relatives drove Damari’s body to Indiana, burned it, and left him near an abandoned garage.  

Detectives further testified that one of the witnesses ultimately led them to the location of Damari’s body. 

There was a victim impact statement by Damari’s father, who described Damari as being a strong, sweet, and loving little boy who only wanted to be loved by those around him.  

Prosecutors argued that this crime was not a result of a mistake, but part a pattern of abuse by the defendant that Damari had endured. Through video evidence, prosecutors showed that Damari appeared to be malnourished and had a missing patch of hair. They also pointed to text messages in which the defendant referred to her son as “ugly” and expressed that she was “tired” of him.  

Prosecutors emphasized that Damari was an innocent, beautiful little boy who deserved justice, and argued that justice required a sentence that reflects the weight of the crime, which is the maximum of 45 years in prison.  

Sentencing laws allowed Judge Lombardo to sentence Perry to up to 45 years in prison to be served at 100%.