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

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MyJoey said:
He could have seen JJ drop it. Unless LE has more information this really looks like he took his own life. Sadly our young adults are carrying stressors / anxieties that others don’t see. The only thing that puzzles me a little is the license plate, however every thing else to me from calling his mother because he wanted to hear her voice to his clothes found by the river points to suicide.
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Also making sure his aunt got the money.

i've been in the self harm camp since this started, but of course I'm open to any theories.

I'm also with everyone at being heartbroken at how long this family had to wait for answers. I realize that it's a different jurisdiction, different amount of crime, and different circumstances but one can't help but compare how quickly they identified Gabby - less than 24 hours.

I hope that now sufficient resources are dedicated to helping find out what happened to this very promising young man. Rest in peace Jelani
 
Kittybunny said:
Also making sure his aunt got the money.

i've been in the self harm camp since this started, but of course I'm open to any theories.

I'm also with everyone at being heartbroken at how long this family had to wait for answers. I realize that it's a different jurisdiction, different amount of crime, and different circumstances but one can't help but compare how quickly they identified Gabby - less than 24 hours.

I hope that now sufficient resources are dedicated to helping find out what happened to this very promising young man. Rest in peace Jelani
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Mods, if this is against the rules to post this information please remove it. I wasn’t on the site for a long time and I am still relearning the rules here. I would never want to be disrespectful to anyone.

About the body taking so long to identify, on the find Jelani fb group page, someone said that Jelani’s mom refused to give DNA to the police for a long time, because she refused to believe the body was him, even when police told her it most likely was. Also his college id/lanyard was found near the body. I do have a screenshot of this information but I’m not sure if it is allowed to be posted. I don’t blame her for being in denial if what this person said was true. But it may explain the hold up.

And I know this may look like suicide, but the car being hidden and the plates removed just screams foul play to me. I hope that this is thoroughly investigated.
 
RIP Jelani. I figured this might be him, but it's still very sad to know it definitively.

I have felt foul play for this one since day one but just MOO and just a feeling, nothing definitive. Just the whole scenario with the plates missing, etc. I don't understand doing that if you were taking your own life or even attempting to hide the vehicle in the woods (though I know it sounds like it wasn't super hidden, but why not just park in a parking spot somewhere?) I don't know...I feel like something happened after he went for that coffee that morning either with someone he knew or someone he didn't know.
 
Jessicaleanne1992 said:
Mods, if this is against the rules to post this information please remove it. I wasn’t on the site for a long time and I am still relearning the rules here. I would never want to be disrespectful to anyone.

About the body taking so long to identify, on the find Jelani fb group page, someone said that Jelani’s mom refused to give DNA to the police for a long time, because she refused to believe the body was him, even when police told her it most likely was. Also his college id/lanyard was found near the body. I do have a screenshot of this information but I’m not sure if it is allowed to be posted. I don’t blame her for being in denial if what this person said was true. But it may explain the hold up.

And I know this may look like suicide, but the car being hidden and the plates removed just screams foul play to me. I hope that this is thoroughly investigated.
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That is truly heartbreaking!!
 
Sorry if it's already been mentioned, but isn't it relatively common in the USA for people to steal the license plates from abandoned vehicles? That way if they put the plate on a stolen/unregistered car it doesn't immediately flag as suspicious when the plates are run, and vehicular crimes/not paying for tolls where the plate number is on camera isn't traced to the actual driver.
Just trying to provide an alternative explanation for why his plates could be gone.
 
Still not sold on a conclusion of self-harm though. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I'm looking on Google Maps and the area where his car was left is not incredibly close to the river, is it? There aren't any places to fall in that would bring the body to the main river?
 
bombardier said:
Sorry if it's already been mentioned, but isn't it relatively common in the USA for people to steal the license plates from abandoned vehicles? That way if they put the plate on a stolen/unregistered car it doesn't immediately flag as suspicious when the plates are run, and vehicular crimes/not paying for tolls where the plate number is on camera isn't traced to the actual driver.
Just trying to provide an alternative explanation for why his plates could be gone.
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Yes, plates get stolen, but it can happen to vehicles parked on the street. But I can see a thief taking advantage of a secluded vehicle. The vehicle was found 2 days after he disappeared.

And it isn't very close to the river. There are more secluded bodies of water that were much closer to where he lived. His vehicle and body were 60 miles from where he resided.

If it was me, I would have picked somewhere secluded like the Mackinaw River
 
bombardier said:
Still not sold on a conclusion of self-harm though. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I'm looking on Google Maps and the area where his car was left is not incredibly close to the river, is it? There aren't any places to fall in that would bring the body to the main river?
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Peru is some 60 miles from Bloomington. And yes, the YMCA is around a mile (20 minutes walking) from the river.

I'm not sure if it would be made public, but I hope LE can determine COD and retrace his steps. Rest in peace, JJ.
 
Friday Fan said:
And it isn't very close to the river. There are more secluded bodies of water that were much closer to where he lived. His vehicle and body were 60 miles from where he resided.

If it was me, I would have picked somewhere secluded like the Mackinaw River
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Thanks! That's what I thought. Very weird he would drive an hour away, and also weird if he DID want to commit suicide why he wouldn't park closer to the bridge. Also, just found a source saying that 251 Bridge has a 64 foot drop to the water. For reference, Golden Gate Bridge is 220 feet above water. Of course any fall can be potentially fatal but I feel like youre more likely to survive at these heights. Cliff jumpers regularly jump from 60-80 feet. Interested to see if tox will shed some light; the fall might not kill you but added disorientation due to alcohol/drugs/etc could definitely make it easy to drown.
This is just very weird. Rest in peace to JJ, he would have made a great doctor <3
 
bombardier said:
Thanks! That's what I thought. Very weird he would drive an hour away, and also weird if he DID want to commit suicide why he wouldn't park closer to the bridge. Also, just found a source saying that 251 Bridge has a 64 foot drop to the water. For reference, Golden Gate Bridge is 220 feet above water. Of course any fall can be potentially fatal but I feel like youre more likely to survive at these heights. Cliff jumpers regularly jump from 60-80 feet. Interested to see if tox will shed some light; the fall might not kill you but added disorientation due to alcohol/drugs/etc could definitely make it easy to drown.
This is just very weird. Rest in peace to JJ, he would have made a great doctor <3
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Ah..bridge height might be reason.....
The river near Bloomington is a river. You can drown there, but I don't think there are impressive bridges. I did not think of a bridge.
 
Coroner: Body Found In LaSalle County Is Jelani Day

9/23/21

Authorities said Thursday the body found three weeks ago near Peru, Ill., is that of missing Illinois State University graduate student Jelani Day of Bloomington.

Day, 25, had been missing since Aug. 24, after last being spotted that morning at ISU and at a store in Bloomington. His car was found two days later in Peru, about an hour north of Bloomington-Normal. The body was found Sept. 4 in the Illinois River floating just east of the Illinois 251 bridge, about a mile from where the car was found.

It took nearly three weeks for authorities to identify the body. The LaSalle County coroner did that Thursday, through forensic dental identification and DNA testing and comparison.

Bloomington Police public information officer John Fermon said during a virtual news conference the cause of Day’s death is still unknown. He did not say whether police had any persons of interest in the case.

“We can all agree that it was very suspicious, just unlike him,” Fermon said. “It was one of those things, was it foul play or not?”

Fermon said the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office hasn’t determined whether it is a homicide investigation at this point. The sheriff’s office has not responded to a request for comment.
 
LaSalle County Coroner’s Office confirms body found to be Jelani Day; cause of death unknown

In a press release Thursday, the LaSalle County Coroner said the male body was identified through forensic dental identification and DNA testing and comparison. The Coroner’s Office said the cause of death is unknown and is pending further investigation and toxicology testing.

In the press release, authorities said Day was reported missing on Aug. 25. They said his family reported they had last spoken to him in the evening hours of Monday, Aug. 23. Day was seen at the Illinois State University campus on Aug. 24 and his last known location was at Beyond Hello in Bloomington that morning at 9:21 a.m., according to authorities.

Authorities said on Aug. 26, Day’s vehicle was found in Peru. Based on findings by the Peru Police Department when recovering the vehicle, a command post was established and an extensive search by multiple agencies was conducted. Subsequent searches were conducted in the Peru area and Day was not located.

Authorities said on Sept. 4, an additional search was conducted in the LaSalle Peru area by members of the Illinois Search and Rescue Council along with other search agencies in the area. During the search, authorities said a male body was recovered near the south bank of the Illinois River approximately 1/4 mile east of the Illinois Rt. 251 Bridge.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office at 815-433-2161.
 
Male body found in LaSalle County confirmed to be Jelani Day, cause of death currently unknown

In a statement, Illinois State University University President Terri Goss Kinzy said Day was a well-liked and well-respected Illinois State University graduate student.

"He joined his graduate program this summer and his impact on the campus community was immediate – he is remembered as kind, intelligent, and caring," she said.

Students seeking support are asked to reach out to Student Counseling Services by visiting their website or by calling (309) 438-3655. Faculty and staff in need of support are encouraged to seek services provided by the Employee Assistance Program offered by Human Resources.

Anyone with any information please contact the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office at 815-433-2161.

Included in the investigation are the Bloomington Police Department, Illinois State University Police Department, Peru Police Department, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, LaSalle County Sheriff’s and Coroner’s Office, LaSalle County State’s Attorney Office, LaSalle Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Springfield Division, and the Illinois State Police.
 
Coroner: Body Found In LaSalle County Is Jelani Day

9/23/21

[..]

Jelani was such a great person and had so many great friends that people were reaching out wanting to help,” he said.

Fermon did not discuss evidence in the case, but he confirmed police received a tip that brought them to the Illinois River where his body was found.

“Imagine searching an entire city is difficult, but we got some information to give us that second search,” he said, adding he hopes Thursday's identification can provide some closure for the family.

[..]

Fermon could not address the reasons why it took nearly three weeks for a positive identification, but he indicated there is a backlog at the Illinois State Police crime lab. The State Police Division of Forensic Services has declined to comment, citing its policy on open cases.

Day's family issued a statement Thursday afternoon on social media. They said "now we need to find out (what happened to Jelani Day)." The family said it's hired a private investigator to assist the police.

"This week we learned new evidence has been discovered and police are working new leads related to Jelani’s disappearance. This case is not closed and the investigation is not over," the family wrote.

Campus community mourns


ISU president Terri Goss Kinzy said she is deeply saddened by the news and details, adding details of how the campus community comes together to celebrate Jelani's life will be forthcoming.

"His family and friends are foremost in our thoughts during this difficult time and we extend our deepest condolences," said Kinzy. "Let us remember to take care of one another, check in on one another, and convey our feelings of love or loss to those close to us."

Kinzy thanked everyone who helped raise awareness of the case.

"As members of the Redbird family, please remember that you are not alone. Students seeking support should not hesitate to reach out at any time to Student Counseling Services," said Kinzy.

Fermon said he understands this case has the ISU community on high alert.

“Are there any specific dangers that we can notify ISU PD or the university specific steps to take? No, but of course always be vigilant, always be aware of your surroundings,” he said.
 
Yeah, there are just things here and there about this case that makes it seem more like foul play for me. While plates off cars do get stolen sometimes (so I've heard), who would be traipsing through a narrow forested area that's right next to a YMCA? And they just happened upon a vehicle and just happened to also be a plate thief? And if it seems like a clear-cut case of self-harm, why is the FBI involved and asking for tips? If it was self-harm, why not go to nearby Starved Rock, a 15-minute drive away (which I'm sorry to say I've heard is a somewhat popular self-harm spot because of its beautiful, quiet nature with the same river running by it)? Why bother changing out of his clothes?

Maybe someone can verify this for me, but I've heard that most self-harm attempts tend to be really impulsive and rash. While well-thought out attempts do happen, they are more rare. Wouldn't it be really strange for Jelani to drive for an hour, hide his car, take off his plates, dispose of them, change out of his clothes, and walk 25 minutes to the river? That is a lot of thought and a long time that doesn't add up to what commonly happens. I could be wrong, please correct me if I am!
 
It's possible he did park near the bridge and somebody stole his car from there and dumped it in the woods after stealing the plates. He might even have left it running like that girl in New Orleans and the guy in Pennsylvania earlier this year.
 
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