Family of Woman Found in Hotel Speaks Out

Memphis, Tn - For the first time tonight, Sony Millbrook's sister is speaking out about the battle she waged to look inside her sister's hotel room. The room where Millbrook's body was found under the bed. Linda James says, she pleaded to get into the room ever since Millbrook disappeared at the end of January.

James says her sister was staying at the Budget Lodge on East Brooks Road for about a week, with her five children and her boyfriend, LaKeith Moody. He is the father to four of the children. And James says, she believes he's also responsible for her sister's death.

Ever since her baby sister disappeared January 27th, Linda James has fought a battle at the Budget Lodge.

"I begged. I didn't raise my voice. But I begged. I begged that front desk staff to please go check the room and they refused," James said.

Had the employees checked Sony Millbrook's room, had they allowed James to go inside, had investigators searched the room... James believes the body of her 28-year-old sister would have been found way before March 15th. That's a month and a half after she was reported missing.

"As far as I know, my sister could've been living and just suffered," James said.

Memphis police say the room was rented out at least five times before an employee noticed a strong odor.

"If the housekeeper was in there cleaning the rooms, why didn't they check underneath the beds?" James asked.

James has questions even the Police Department is asking itself.

"Did we do something wrong? Did we miss something? Is this an opportunity to learn and grow? We owe it to this family," Deputy Chief Joe Scott said.

James says officers showed-up at the Budget Lodge twice when she asked for help getting medicine and clothes for Millbrook's five children. But they never followed through.

"I don't want to see anyone lose their job. But I don't want anybody to go through what I've gone through with my family," James said.

Now there's an internal investigation. And, really no comfort for James, in knowing she was right in the fight to find her sister.

"I did not win. I lost. I lost my baby sister and my sister's kids lost their mother. And can't [anybody] give my sister back," James said.

The Lodge's management asked us to leave and had no comment on this story. Right now, police say Millbrook's boyfriend, Lakeith Moody, is only a person of interest. He's being held in Mason, Tennessee on a federal gun charge. James and her family say, their next fight is for justice.