1 year later, few answers in case of teen found dead in city tow lot

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Wednesday, June 5, marked one year since the body of a 17-year-old Milwaukee boy was found in the backseat of a car that had been taken to a city tow lot.

James Stokes was a passenger in a car that crashed June 1, 2023. His body was not discovered for four days.

We've been tracking this case for the past 12 months, trying to get answers on why Stokes' body was not found earlier, how he died, and if that death could have been prevented.

Now, MPD is acknowledging department policy was violated, but there are still unanswered questions.

William Sulton, an attorney for the family of James Stokes, told us Wednesday, "Investigations should simply not take 12 months."

A full year has gone by and Stokes' family still doesn't know how the teen died. After a crash on June 1, 2023, near 91st and Fond du Lac, a teen driver was arrested for driving a stolen car. The car was towed away.

At the time, James' family thought he was missing.

On June 6, 2023, his mother, Kina King, told us, "He would have lived if they would have just searched and looked back there. He probably was moaning."

Four days after the crash, a city tow lot employee discovered James' body in the back of the car.

His family -and Sulton- believe James would have lived had police officers on the scene noticed him in the car.

Sulton said the crash was survivable, adding, "There is absolutely no evidence that James passed away from any sort of car accident or any sort of intoxicant."

For months, authorities would not share information. Instead, we were told the case was still under investigation.

Then five months after James died, the Medical Examiner's office released the final cause of death: undetermined.

Sulton said it doesn't make a potential case any more challenging. "We believe the ME's determination was motivated by, again, potential liability against the city here."

Sulton said the District Attorney's office has allowed them to review some information, including some body cam video.

But he said video is still missing that shows when the car was admitted to the tow lot.

This week, MPD told us multiple officers were interviewed after an allegation someone violated department policy for searching a vehicle prior to a tow.

MPD said "the investigation did find that one member did violate department policy." But MPD did not share its findings, the officer's violation, or any disciplinary measures taken.

In the meantime, James Stokes' family continues to struggle without answers.

Sulton said, "They are still grieving the loss of their son."

But William Sulton said Stokes' family is in a position to file a lawsuit and will make that decision in time.