Found Deceased IL - Jake Cefolia, 49, jogging, car found, SVP of United Airlines, Chicago, 6 Aug 2020

[swedeheart]

Missing United executive's remains found hanging by a belt from a tree in nature preserve | Daily Mail Online

 

[Cubby]

Now that Jake has been located, I wonder if we will learn why Elmhurst PD was investigating him.

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

Now that Jake has been located, I wonder if we will learn why Elmhurst PD was investigating him.

I almost wonder whether the investigation was a reason why there was no pleas from the family, etc. to start with. Part of me thinks it had something to do with the divorce, and he knew suicide was going to be the better way out because he could have lost everything he was planning to (likely) leave to his kids.

 

[rambutan]

Now that Jake located, I recalled this video and how the psychic noted he was not at eye level!

Wouldn't most dead people not be at eye level? We could say the same thing if he was found on the ground.

 

[Seattle1]

Wouldn't most dead people not be at eye level? We could say the same thing if he was found on the ground.

Clever. I believe it's long understood that searches typically tend to look on the ground. His remains were located in a thick canopy of trees.

 

[Seattle1]

Now that Jake has been located, I wonder if we will learn why Elmhurst PD was investigating him.

I think the only thing investigators would confirm was that it was not a criminal matter.

 

[JerseyGirl]

What Happened to Jake Cefolia? How the United Exec's Disappearance Unfolded

 

[Colorado303]

Perhaps not...but it brings to mind Leanne Bearden.

Of course, the body has yet to be identified, but since I've been in the "self-harm, in the preserve, just not found" camp since day 1, I would be very surprised if it was NOT him.

I've read and learned so much from our fellow Websleuthers about how dogs are not infallible, and bloodhounds are usually not cadaver dogs. I've read about how quickly humans and human-made things like clothing fades, gets grown over, and basically camouflaged quickly by nature. How bodies have been missed by experienced searchers, only to be found by coincidence feet away months later by hunters or workers. Even in urban environments bodies are missed.

Although it's a nice fantasy to think of Jake enjoying a margarita on some secluded beach, I hope it is him so his family can start moving towards some semblance of closure.

I was staunchly in the “voluntary disappearance” camp this whole time and if I wore hats I’d offer to eat one. The news makes me sad and I feel for his family. I hope they already assumed suicide rather than thinking he was alive and well hiding out somewhere.

 

[Colorado303]

I think the only thing investigators would confirm was that it was not a criminal matter.

I don’t recall hearing statements that it wasn’t a criminal matter. Coming from you I believe it completely but do you happen to remember where you heard that. Don’t dig, just if you remember off the top of your head.

 

[Seattle1]

I don’t recall hearing statements that it wasn’t a criminal matter. Coming from you I believe it completely but do you happen to remember where you heard that. Don’t dig, just if you remember off the top of your head.

It was just a brief statement in a video from last April, the same video with a statement from the psychic -- "Scene of the Crime."

I've since seen a report today indicating that on Aug 6 he was served a search warrant at home and the following day is when he vanished.

On Aug. 6, the day before Cefolia vanished, NBC 5 Investigates learned that Elmhurst police showed up at his house with a search warrant, according to police reports. Detectives' notes show they were there to "search and collect/package evidence." Elmhurst police declined to comment on the investigation, and Cefolia has never been charged with a crime.

"It’s unlikely that it’s coincidental that he disappears, the day after the search," said retired Chicago homicide detective Richard Schak, who now teaches criminal justice at a local university. "Whatever they were looking for, or whatever they found might have triggered something for him to take off."

What Happened to Jake Cefolia? How the United Exec's Disappearance Unfolded

 

[Cubby]

It was just a brief statement in a video from last April, the same video with a statement from the psychic -- "Scene of the Crime."

I've since seen a report today indicating that on Aug 6 he was served a search warrant at home and the following day is when he vanished.

On Aug. 6, the day before Cefolia vanished, NBC 5 Investigates learned that Elmhurst police showed up at his house with a search warrant, according to police reports. Detectives' notes show they were there to "search and collect/package evidence." Elmhurst police declined to comment on the investigation, and Cefolia has never been charged with a crime.

"It’s unlikely that it’s coincidental that he disappears, the day after the search," said retired Chicago homicide detective Richard Schak, who now teaches criminal justice at a local university. "Whatever they were looking for, or whatever they found might have triggered something for him to take off."

What Happened to Jake Cefolia? How the United Exec's Disappearance Unfolded

Thank you for posting this article. I think this explains why his family was so hush hush about his disappearance.

The article is a must read.

 

[Kittybunny]

Thank you for posting this article. I think this explains why his family was so hush hush about his disappearance.

The article is a must read.

From the article: "The remains were found in an area that had been searched multiple times, but one that has "a dense tree canopy, very thick briars and dense vegetation, and was not near where police found Cefolia’s vehicle parked," Pederson said."

BBM. A detail I hadn't seen or heard.

I doubt that we will hear anything about the search warrant, unless it becomes public, and although of course I am very curious, out of respect for Jake and his family, I don't believe it should be made public knowledge.

It's just really heartbreaking.

 

[Colorado303]

It was just a brief statement in a video from last April, the same video with a statement from the psychic -- "Scene of the Crime."

I've since seen a report today indicating that on Aug 6 he was served a search warrant at home and the following day is when he vanished.

On Aug. 6, the day before Cefolia vanished, NBC 5 Investigates learned that Elmhurst police showed up at his house with a search warrant, according to police reports. Detectives' notes show they were there to "search and collect/package evidence." Elmhurst police declined to comment on the investigation, and Cefolia has never been charged with a crime.

"It’s unlikely that it’s coincidental that he disappears, the day after the search," said retired Chicago homicide detective Richard Schak, who now teaches criminal justice at a local university. "Whatever they were looking for, or whatever they found might have triggered something for him to take off."

What Happened to Jake Cefolia? How the United Exec's Disappearance Unfolded

Thanks!

 

[StarEyes]

Oh, man… This is so sad. I’d been leaning more towards an accident. I feel so badly for his family and friends, but most of all for his children. RIP Jake.

 

[Seattle1]

From the article: "The remains were found in an area that had been searched multiple times, but one that has "a dense tree canopy, very thick briars and dense vegetation, and was not near where police found Cefolia’s vehicle parked," Pederson said."

BBM. A detail I hadn't seen or heard.

I doubt that we will hear anything about the search warrant, unless it becomes public, and although of course I am very curious, out of respect for Jake and his family, I don't believe it should be made public knowledge.

It's just really heartbreaking.

I recall that the woods had been searched 10 times and this is another good description of the location by PEOPLE:

Pederson told NBC 5 Chicago that workers were removing invasive species in the area when they found "human remains hanging from a low hanging tree."

"The human remains were located in a very thick covered brush area, extremely, so you can be 10 feet away and not see it," said Pederson. "Obviously the foliage is starting to drop this time of year, these contractors were working in a very thick area..."

Human Remains Found in Forest Identified as Missing United Airlines Executive Jake Cefolia

 

[Seattle1]

Since Jake's remains uncovered, I'm getting the feeling that the "open investigation" requiring his home searched under warrant did not originate with Jake. I dunno -- feeling more like he was implicated in something and authorities checked out his place looking for evidence.

Whatever the truth, the mystery is hard to square with the gregarious professional friends knew. "What the heck could he be investigated for?" asks friend David Burzynski, who started a Bring Jake Cefolia Home Facebook page. "He had so much to lose."

United Exec Jake Cefolia, Recently Found Dead in Woods, Was Under Criminal Investigation When He Vanished

 

[Orgona]

Rest In Peace Jake Cefolia.

Unfortunately, I always felt this will be the case.
I hope his family, loved ones and friends will find peace by knowing what happened to him and hopefully they will find comfort in having his body back home.

 

[moonriverfarm]

I still wonder what he was being investigated for, and what was being searched for in his home.

 

[drama_farmer]

If there's one thing I've learned from following similar cases, it's that deceased people are NOT easy to spot.

. And, not all bodies attract attention because of odor

.. And, circling vultures should never be depended upon to alert us to a body in nature

. And, a dog can be a "very good boy" but their lack of a response to the scent of human remains cannot be used as "proof" that no human remains exist

.. And, even thorough, repeated searches in an area cannot be used as proof that no human remains exist.


IMO

Perhaps not...but it brings to mind Leanne Bearden.

Of course, the body has yet to be identified, but since I've been in the "self-harm, in the preserve, just not found" camp since day 1, I would be very surprised if it was NOT him.

I've read and learned so much from our fellow Websleuthers about how dogs are not infallible, and bloodhounds are usually not cadaver dogs. I've read about how quickly humans and human-made things like clothing fades, gets grown over, and basically camouflaged quickly by nature. How bodies have been missed by experienced searchers, only to be found by coincidence feet away months later by hunters or workers. Even in urban environments bodies are missed.

Although it's a nice fantasy to think of Jake enjoying a margarita on some secluded beach, I hope it is him so his family can start moving towards some semblance of closure.

 

[Gloomy Bear]

There are a LOT of forest preserves here in the Chicago area. Some of them very big, some of them small. Most of them densely packed with trees and sheltering lots of wildlife. They have trails you are suppose to stay on. Of course rambunctious teenagers and some people with nefarious ideas don't follow the rules. But it's not at all hard to imagine that someone could slip away into the trees and be very hard to find. Heck, I live near a small wooded area and even in the winter when the trees are bare, I couldn't tell you what was going on past the 7th row of trees. When they are densely packed like that, with little critters scurrying around, it's harder to see than people would think.