Authorities investigating death of four-year-old Eldorado girl

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[An investigation is under way in the death of a 4-year-old girl from Eldorado.

Jessika Rena James, 4, address also listed in the obituary as Shawneetown, died 4:40 p.m. Monday at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis.

She was the daughter of Brandi James and Eli Nipper.

Jessika was taken to Ferrell Hospital Saturday for treatment of unspecified injuries, then transferred to Cardinal Glennon.

An autopsy was performed in St. Louis; no results are known yet. A pathology report has not yet been released. It can take two or three weeks for a pathology report to be finished and released to investigators. Pathology reports indicate what was, or wasn't, in a person's bloodstream.

State's Attorney Mike Henshaw confirmed an investigation is taking place, but emphasized the inquiry is in its early stages.

The Evansville Courier-Press reported Jessika was living with her mother and her boyfriend, Richard Turner, near Eldorado at the time of her death. Their home was damaged by fire late last month and the family moved in with relatives, according to the Courier-Press article.

A Department of Children and Family Services spokesman confirmed the agency is involved in the investigation.

"DCFS is investigating allegations of abuse and neglect against the mother and paramour (boyfriend) in this death," DCFS spokesman Jimmie Whitelow said. "In terms of prior contact, DCFS had a prior substantiated allegation of neglect against this mother in October 2007 and provided services to this family from October 2007 to November 2008."