Found Deceased IL - Jelani 'JJ' Day, 25, ISU grad student, missed class, Bloomington, 23 Aug 2021 #2

[rainyday412]

IMO, Jelani must have placed a tremendous amount of pressure on himself -- promising to take care of his mother financially when by her own account, JD was not able to support himself without his family's assistance.

Based on how quickly SM turned on and attacked JD's grad school program director, I'm beginning to think it was more likely that Jelani could not face whatever news she was delivering that day, and instead, he abruptly left campus, picked up some weed, and was never seen again.

An impulsive act? Probably but I also think disappointing his mother was a greater worry for Jelani.

Looking back, I thought it odd that CBD would be badgering JD for his grades which he finally sent a screenshot of to her shortly before he disappeared. Also, if JD sent his mom an altered report -- this might also explain the hate spewed at the director if she provided authorities news inconsistent with what he provided to his mother.

If there were no issues at school, I think his family would have announced that long ago -- like from the rooftops.

MOO

I also found it strange she was badgering him for grades. Their relationship was unusual, and I can’t wrap my head around it. I can’t figure out if he wanted to be a doctor, or if he was pressured to be one. There are many moments I feel so bad for him, since I am not convinced he was living his life for ‘him’. I feel he wanted to please others too much, but he didn’t have the maturity level to actually follow through on things.

 

[BeckyF]

IMO, Jelani must have placed a tremendous amount of pressure on himself -- promising to take care of his mother financially when by her own account, JD was not able to support himself without his family's assistance.

Based on how quickly SM turned on and attacked JD's grad school program director, I'm beginning to think it was more likely that Jelani could not face whatever news she was delivering that day, and instead, he abruptly left campus, picked up some weed, and was never seen again.

An impulsive act? Probably but I also think disappointing his mother was a greater worry for Jelani.

Looking back, I thought it odd that CBD would be badgering JD for his grades which he finally sent a screenshot of to her shortly before he disappeared. Also, if JD sent his mom an altered report -- this might also explain the hate spewed at the director if she provided authorities news inconsistent with what he provided to his mother.

If there were no issues at school, I think his family would have announced that long ago -- like from the rooftops.

MOO

Very good theories. I’ve also been thinking that Jelani was under a great deal of pressure. His Dad has cancer, he was supposed to begin a job at a community organization, the stress of maintaining good grades in a graduate program, he seemed to be running low on finances. That is a lot of stress.

It may be that too much was expected of him.

 

[JustCommonSense]

^^rsbm

I don't know where JD's apartment located but wonder if he first stopped at his place which was closer to Beyond/Hello on Veteran Pkwy. Nonetheless, I don't think the stop he made was inconvenient or out of the way. MOO

I remember reading somewhere that Jelani's brother found the dress clothes he was wearing at the Student Center that morning back at his apartment, which would support the notion that he stopped there and changed before reappearing at the dispensary. I can't find where I read that now though, so take it with a grain of salt. It makes sense though. I'm not sure where in Bloomington the apartment was located either, or whether or not the stop was inconvenient. I was simply pointing out that the conclusion drawn about the area where the phone was found was not supported by the presented statements. Of course that area can not be excluded either. The fact that the phone was found closer to Bloomington than Peru would seem to indicate that Jelani just didn't simply wander into a random act of violence in Peru. The events of the day seem to have been set in motion well before his arrival there, foul play or not.

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

Jelani's apartment
Brookridge Heights Apartments located at 3102 E Hamilton Rd, Bloomington, IL, 61704

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

Yes, a resident saw the car enter the turnout and drive into the wooded area. I have to look for it, but Jelani's mother repeated it and the Peru Police also stated it.

at 9:13 CBD states a witness saw the car pulling into the wooded area. I have seen another statement of this information being found during the canvassing of the houses in that area but I can't locate it.

 

[rkendmar]

^^rsbm

I don't know where JD's apartment located but wonder if he first stopped at his place which was closer to Beyond/Hello on Veteran Pkwy. Nonetheless, I don't think the stop he made was inconvenient or out of the way. MOO

Jelani lived in a very nice apartment complex.
The price for a 425 sq ft studio apartment ranges from $1,006. - $3,244. per month.
IIRC, Jelani reportedly went to his apartment to change after leaving ISU campus and before going to Beyond/Hello.

Brookridge Heights Apartments
3102 E. Hamilton Road
Bloomington, IL 61704
https://1375126.onlineleasing.realpage.com/#k=86037

Edited to Add: A complex this nice would certainly have cameras and I would assume that LE has tapes of Jelani leaving and returning to his apartment in his car on 08/24/2021.

 

[Seattle1]

Jelani lived in a very nice apartment complex.
The price for a 425 sq ft studio apartment ranges from $1,006. - $3,244. per month.
IIRC, Jelani reportedly went to his apartment to change after leaving ISU campus and before going to Beyond/Hello.

Brookridge Heights Apartments
3102 E. Hamilton Road
Bloomington, IL 61704
https://1375126.onlineleasing.realpage.com/#k=86037

Edited to Add: A complex this nice would certainly have cameras and I would assume that LE has tapes of Jelani leaving and returning to his apartment in his car on 08/24/2021.

Thanks. I see that this complex is also on the ISU off campus student housing list. Looks like leases designed for roommate situation as well. I don't think we have confirmation if he shared the apartment or not, right?

https://deanofstudents.illinoisstate.edu/services/offcampus/resources/DoS Off Campus Housing.pdf

 

[Seattle1]

at 9:13 CBD states a witness saw the car pulling into the wooded area. I have seen another statement of this information being found during the canvassing of the houses in that area but I can't locate it.

I don't know the spokesperson in this video but the docs from the FOIA serve to confirm this person is spreading more misinformation by insisting Jelani's eyes were gouged out and his organs liquified. They've lost all credibility with me. MOO

 

[SolR1]

[QUOTE="There is no reason to seriously believe that a third party would have traveled 60 miles, to a small town, to dump JJ's body. IMO/JMO.[/QUOTE]

A very obvious reason would be if someone was from that area, which is highly plausible as most locals know it to be a "lover's lane". Any involved ISU student could easily be from Peru and know the area as a secluded place to dump a body.

 

[SolR1]

Jelani lived in a very nice apartment complex.
The price for a 425 sq ft studio apartment ranges from $1,006. - $3,244. per month.
IIRC, Jelani reportedly went to his apartment to change after leaving ISU campus and before going to Beyond/Hello.

Brookridge Heights Apartments
3102 E. Hamilton Road
Bloomington, IL 61704
https://1375126.onlineleasing.realpage.com/#k=86037

Edited to Add: A complex this nice would certainly have cameras and I would assume that LE has tapes of Jelani leaving and returning to his apartment in his car on 08/24/2021.

And I remember Carmen mentioning she and his father had gotten the apartment for Jelani, which sort of disbands the theory that she was placing undue pressure on him to succeed in order to support her.

I don't see Carmen's expectations of Jelani as abnormal or pressuring. And certainly they weren't struggling for money if they were able to afford his rent. Doesn't sound like she was expecting him to save her financially.

 

[SolR1]

Thanks. I see that this complex is also on the ISU off campus student housing list. Looks like leases designed for roommate situation as well. I don't think we have confirmation if he shared the apartment or not, right?

https://deanofstudents.illinoisstate.edu/services/offcampus/resources/DoS Off Campus Housing.pdf

Carmen recently confirmed he did not have a roommate, nor did he have a girlfriend that she was aware of.

 

[rkendmar]

A very obvious reason would be if someone was from that area, which is highly plausible as most locals know it to be a "lover's lane". Any involved ISU student could easily be from Peru and know the area as a secluded place to dump a body.[/QUOTE]

What is your theory of what happened to Jelani?

 

[BeckyF]

And I remember Carmen mentioning she and his father had gotten the apartment for Jelani, which sort of disbands the theory that she was placing undue pressure on him to succeed in order to support her.

I don't see Carmen's expectations of Jelani as abnormal or pressuring. And certainly they weren't struggling for money if they were able to afford his rent. Doesn't sound like she was expecting him to save her financially.

Per CBD’s own words, Jelani asked for money frequently. If she declined to give him money, he called his siblings until someone gave in. Why didn’t she give him the money he asked for?

In addition, when Jelani stated he wanted to make enough money so that his mom would not have to work, I didn’t take that as him saying she expected him to save her, more that she might be able to retire early if Jelani had a good paying job.

 

[BeckyF]

Carmen recently confirmed he did not have a roommate, nor did he have a girlfriend that she was aware of.

Do you have a link from MSM that states that?

 

[WrinkleInCrime]

[QUOTE="There is no reason to seriously believe that a third party would have traveled 60 miles, to a small town, to dump JJ's body. IMO/JMO.

A very obvious reason would be if someone was from that area, which is highly plausible as most locals know it to be a "lover's lane". Any involved ISU student could easily be from Peru and know the area as a secluded place to dump a body.

I definitely believe that if someone else was involved, it was someone quite familiar with Lasalle/Peru. However, I want to be clear that most locals do NOT know that area to be a "lover's lane." I've lived here my entire 25 years of life and have never heard of any type of "lover's lane." I have asked 23 different Lasalle/Peru residents ages 16-50 and not one person can name where "lover's lane" is. And only 1 of the 23 people knew there was a road with river access beneath the Route 351 bridge. I have driven over that bridge hundreds of times and I have never noticed that road/driveway. If someone is looking for a "lover's lane" to travel to by vehicle, they'd probably go somewhere around the state parks or they would go out to the cornfields where police aren't often patrolling. There is a cop that sits probably eye-view from the route 351 bridge fairly frequently so I can't see anybody choosing that location as a lover's lane or anything of that sort. Also, the river in Peru and Lasalle is disgusting and the whole area smells like sewage in the warmer months which would be an instant turn-off for most. If they're looking for a "lover's lane" to travel to by walking, they're going to choose whatever woods, cornfields, or creeks are nearest to them. I have no idea who gave that information to Carmen, but I do not personally believe that in the slightest.

 

[Seattle1]

@WrinkleInCrime,

We always appreciate local members providing insight to the local community. Given all the misinformation on this sad case, we truly appreciate your information here.

It's very disappointing when bad information continues to be repeated and promoted --even after it's been proven false. I don't understand it.

 

[Seattle1]

Bringing forward @Whiskers16 post from FAQ thread as a friendly reminder of how to avoid broken quotes:

Why do broken quotes happen / how do I fix them?

• There is a "tag" at the start and end of each quote so the website knows where the quoted portion starts/stops and so the quote box links back to the original post.
• Note: for the following example I am adding a character ($) so you can see what the text looks like without it posting as a quote box.

Start of quote: [QUOTE$="username, post: ########, member: #####"]

End of quote: [/QUOTE$]

Full quote:
[QUOTE$="username, post: ########, member: #####"]Stuff the person said in the quoted post.[/QUOTE$]

• If any text in the start/end tags are changed, the quote may not work
• Sometimes a broken quote can be fixed quite easily, for example if the end says "[/QUOTE$" you can add the bracket to the end so it says "[/QUOTE$]".

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 

[rainyday412]

I definitely believe that if someone else was involved, it was someone quite familiar with Lasalle/Peru. However, I want to be clear that most locals do NOT know that area to be a "lover's lane." I've lived here my entire 25 years of life and have never heard of any type of "lover's lane." I have asked 23 different Lasalle/Peru residents ages 16-50 and not one person can name where "lover's lane" is. And only 1 of the 23 people knew there was a road with river access beneath the Route 351 bridge. I have driven over that bridge hundreds of times and I have never noticed that road/driveway. If someone is looking for a "lover's lane" to travel to by vehicle, they'd probably go somewhere around the state parks or they would go out to the cornfields where police aren't often patrolling. There is a cop that sits probably eye-view from the route 351 bridge fairly frequently so I can't see anybody choosing that location as a lover's lane or anything of that sort. Also, the river in Peru and Lasalle is disgusting and the whole area smells like sewage in the warmer months which would be an instant turn-off for most. If they're looking for a "lover's lane" to travel to by walking, they're going to choose whatever woods, cornfields, or creeks are nearest to them. I have no idea who gave that information to Carmen, but I do not personally believe that in the slightest.

just curious if there is any truth to the rumor that the spot the car was found is known by teenage drug users? Have u heard that in Peru? I also think it’s very possible jelani left his car somewhere else in Peru. I have read that Peru does have some stolen car cases in the past few years…so there is some crime of that sort.

 

[scriabina]

Also, the river in Peru and Lasalle is disgusting and the whole area smells like sewage in the warmer months which would be an instant turn-off for most.

Wow. Sounds like a revolting place. Any suicide site is strange, but one that smells like sewage seems like an exceptionally horrid and unusual choice for one's final moments. Don't most typically choose more "romantic" spots or at least spots that have some personal meaning? It is very strange to drive all the way out there, dump the car and essentially follow the stench to the river. Makes me think if it was a suicide, he was mentally impaired in some way. I've mentioned this before, but I still wonder if Jelani began smoking weed more and more to deal with the pressure on grad school and it eventually induced a psychosis.

 

[Seattle1]

Wow. Sounds like a revolting place. Any suicide site is strange, but one that smells like sewage seems like an exceptionally horrid and unusual choice for one's final moments. Don't most typically choose more "romantic" spots or at least spots that have some personal meaning? It is very strange to drive all the way out there, dump the car and essentially follow the stench to the river. Makes me think if it was a suicide, he was mentally impaired in some way. I've mentioned this before, but I still wonder if Jelani began smoking weed more and more to deal with the pressure on grad school and it eventually induced a psychosis.

I'm following another case of a missing student from Texas. He was traveling home for Christmas break and his car spun out on a dirt road and stopped by some trees. He left the scene on foot and has never been found. His dad recently told a podcast host that he didn't realize how much weed his son had been smoking but he was at a new school, isolated due to COVID and attending classes remotely. I thought it was very astute of his father to make both that observation and announcement.