Bloomington Police say the public should not make any assumptions after a body was found in Peru.
Multiple agencies were conducting a search for missing Illinois State Uniersity graduate student Jelani Day on Saturday morning in LaSalle-Peru when a body was discovered. No information has been released about the deceased person.
Officials say it could take days or weeks to identify the body and that authorities are investigating the situation.
FROM BPD PRESS RELEASE:
“Early Saturday morning, 9/4/2021, several police, fire, and rescue agencies including the Bloomington
Police Department were involved in an organized search in the LaSalle-Peru, Illinois area in an attempt to locate missing person, Jelani “JJ” Day.
At 9:47 a.m., a search team found an unidentified body just off the south bank of the Illinois River, east of Illinois Route 251 bridge. The LaSalle County’s Coroner’s office, the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office, the Bloomington Police
Department, and Illinois State Police Crime Scene Services were called to the scene where the deceased person was
located. The LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office began their investigation into the circumstances behind the unidentified
persons death.
At this time, the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office has not released the identification of the deceased
person nor released any other details about the identification of the deceased. LaSalle County Coroner’s Office did
however state that identification of the deceased person may take several days or several weeks.
We ask that people refrain from speculation as the investigation remains ongoing and could take considerable time.
The Bloomington Police Department is still seeking information on Jelani Day. Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Jelani Day is asked to contact the Bloomington Police Department Detective BPD Detective Paul Jonesat 309-434-2548 or at Pjones@cityblm.org.
Anyone with information regarding the unidentified deceased person is asked to contact LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Investigator McGrath at 815-481-0455.”