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

[SimplyCass]

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!

No, you're right. Jumping from a bridge is an extremely impulsive decision and people who survive jumps have said that they regretted it the instant that they jumped. According to this 2003 NYT article, some potential jumpers from the Brooklyn Bridge had changed their minds by the time they got there (due to traffic).

However, foul play seems really unlikely as well. I've always focused on the fact that there was no reported pings or electronic footprint from JJ after the dispensary. I have not known/seen a case of foul play where the phone was turned off like that.

Robbery seems an unlikely motive since dispensaries only allow 1 oz. to be bought (and the dispensary itself would be much more attractive to rob).

Carjacking seems unlikely because the car was left in a wooded area not really that far away. Because of the missing plates, I mentioned the Toni Sharpless case - but in that case, an anonymous letter writer claimed he/she had been paid $5,000 to drive Toni's car to a chop shop and was allowed to keep the plates. The plates are missing, but the car was abandoned, not at a chop shop or anything.

In the absence of other evidence I am (reluctantly) inclined to believe self harm than foul play.

 

[Friday Fan]

However, foul play seems really unlikely as well. I've always focused on the fact that there was no reported pings or electronic footprint from JJ after the dispensary. I have not known/seen a case of foul play where the phone was turned off like that.

.

Where did you hear/read this? Do you have a source?

This is the first time I heard of this.

Authorities are saying they had a source that placed him near the Illinois River, but they did not elaborate on the source or info.
Thx

 

[haulin0ates]

Do we know who JJ's cell provider is? I was going through pictures on my phone and realized the day he went missing was the day were a Mediacom fiber optic cable was cut (I had memes saved on my phone making fun of people complaining about not being able to get on Facebook), leaving people all over without cell service (even though Mediacom is internet). As a Verizon user, I could not use my data that day or connect to Wifi, unable to make phone calls, texts, etcetera. If cell service was unreliable that day, is it possible that his phone could not ping for that reason?

 

[JurassicParker]

I have so many questions about this and there is just NOTHING out there information wise.

 

[Seattle1]

A message from President Kinzy, September 23

Also, The Pantagraph was the only news source linked to ISU website which may explain why the missing case was not picked up widely by MSM.

Search

 

[Seattle1]

Body found in LaSalle County; Bloomington police involved in investigation

9/5/21

PERU — Bloomington police are assisting in the investigation after a body was found Saturday in the Illinois River in LaSalle County, authorities said.

A press release provided by the LaSalle County Sheriff's Office said several police, fire and rescue agencies conducted an organized search Saturday throughout the LaSalle-Peru area.

The search team found an unidentified body at 9:47 a.m. just off the south bank of the Illinois River, east of the Illinois Route 251 bridge, the report said.

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.


No identifying information on the body was available. Bloomington Police Officer John Fermon said they won't make any preliminary opinions on the matter without positive identification.


The report said an investigative autopsy was set for Sunday.

It could take many days or several weeks to identify the body, according to the coroner.


Responding organizations included the Peru Police Department, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police, LaSalle County Emergency Management Agency, the Illinois Search and Rescue Council Members, Spring Valley River Rescue, and the Utica Fire Protection District.


Peru Police, Bloomington Police, the LaSalle County Coroner's Office, and the LaSalle County Sheriff's Office are heading the joint investigation.

The news comes as authorities have continued to search for information about missing Illinois State University graduate student Jelani Day. The 25-year-old's car was found Aug. 26 in a wooded area in Peru, which is in LaSalle County about 60 miles north of Bloomington.
_______________________


This makes no sense that reporters on the news release of 9/5 did not follow-up to determine if this body was in fact a male victim and/or the the body of missing Jelani Day. Hard for a story to hit main-stream when there seemed to be self-sabatoge to keep the missing person story hush, hush. MOO

 

[KJ's Mamu]

Though I'm not surprised the body found is the river is Jelani, I am very saddened. I was hoping that he just needed a break from the rigors of his graduate program. I hope that his family gets all their questions answered soon. Prayers to his family for strength and peace.

 

[carbuff]

(snipped by carbuff)

This makes no sense that reporters on the news release of 9/5 did not follow-up to determine if this body was in fact a male victim and/or the the body of missing Jelani Day. Hard for a story to hit main-stream when there seemed to be self-sabatoge to keep the missing person story hush, hush. MOO

Sadly, it's typical of cases of unidentified remains found in this country. If you go over to the Unidentified forum, you'll find case after case where there's this initial body-found surge, maybe an autopsy result and later a sketch, maybe a small update when the case goes on Namus, and then nothing for years, can't even find out whether the body was identified unless it's tied to a recent known case like JJ's. That's where I have mainly worked for the last few years and it gets very very discouraging.

 

[SimplyCass]

Where did you hear/read this? Do you have a source?

This is the first time I heard of this.

Authorities are saying they had a source that placed him near the Illinois River, but they did not elaborate on the source or info.
Thx

Do you mean the part about JJ's phone last pinging at the dispensary?

Family continues search for missing ISU student Jelani Day | CIProud.com

the rest of my post is my opinion only about that criminals not usually checking phones being off during a robbery or carjacking.

 

[Seattle1]

Watch now: Communities heartbroken by news of Jelani Day's death

The investigation into Day's death is ongoing with the Bloomington Police Department assisted by the LaSalle County sheriff's and coroner's offices. Day, 25, who had aspired to study speech pathology and become a doctor, was reported missing Aug. 25 after he didn't attend class for several days.

[..]

"The entire Alabama A&M University Family is saddened to learn of the untimely death of one of its sons and proud speech pathology graduates—Jelani Day," the university wrote. "Our hearts and prayers go out to his family in this tumultuous time, as well as to all of those who knew and loved him."

Kinzy said Day was a well-liked and well-respected student who began his graduate program this summer and had an immediate impact on the campus community. He was also a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

 

[aim4thestars]

There are a lot of parts of this that are very confusing, and point to foul play IMO. Also, though not every individual who dies by suicide leaves a note - my instinct would be that he would leave one since he is so close to family. Just pure speculation, though.

My first thought is that there was perhaps some kind of meeting with someone that turned tragic. Taking the plates off the car/hiding it in the woods is especially puzzling to me. I wonder if they've located his cell phone? I hope they can trace his last steps.

 

[Seattle1]

I was following Gabby Petico's case when I recently learned about Jelani on
G Hughes YT.

Relative to a possible missing license plate(s) per police initial reports, please take note that Jelwani previously resided/attended school in Alabama where only one license plate is legally required.

It appears that the recovered vehicle did in fact only have a back plate and some type of vanity plate on the front. In other words, I don't think there was anything nefarious about the missing plate.

So sorry for Jelani's family and friends and send them comfort and support for their tremendous loss.

UPDATE: Police distribute more photos in search for missing ISU grad student

 

[bombardier]

I was following Gabby Petico's case when I recently learned about Jelani on
G Hughes YT.

Relative to a possible missing license plate(s) per police initial reports, please take note that Jelwani previously resided/attended school in Alabama where only one license plate is legally required.

It appears that the recovered vehicle did in fact only have a back plate and some type of vanity plate on the front. In other words, I don't think there was anything nefarious about the missing plate.

So sorry for Jelani's family and friends and send them comfort and support for their tremendous loss.

UPDATE: Police distribute more photos in search for missing ISU grad student

wait, im confused - his car did in fact have a back plate on it when it was found? if so, why did news outlets report it as "no license plates", plural?

*edit* Just found the official Bloomington PD releases about JJ. I'm confused on their wording. When the car had been found and they were asking for eye witnesses/footage of the car traveling, they wrote "It may have had license plates of CH74067 on the vehicle when travelling in the Illinois Valley. It is also possible there were no plates on the vehicle." I'm taking that as meaning...when found the car had no plates, so they were considering if the plates (or singular back plate) were removed when the car got to Peru or if the plate(s) were removed before the journey. I can't see why PD would consider that the plates had been removed during the trip and then put back on the car where it was found.

 

[Friday Fan]

The part about "there might be no plates" is a bi confusing.
He at least had a back plate on at the dispensary.

They are merely trying to elicit leads and are throwing that out there in case Jelani may have removed the plate himself or if someone was else (who had removed the plate) was driving the vehicle and/or had stopped somewhere etc. They don't know.

I don't think the front plate is a "vanity plate"...It looks like there was another plate at one time there. Since he had Illinois plates and grew up in Illinois, I don't take the Alabama thing too seriously. I don't even know if both plates are required in Texas where I live, but everyone always has both plates...

 

[Seattle1]

The part about "there might be no plates" is a bi confusing.
He at least had a back plate on at the dispensary.

They are merely trying to elicit leads and are throwing that out there in case Jelani may have removed the plate himself or if someone was else (who had removed the plate) was driving the vehicle and/or had stopped somewhere etc. They don't know.

I don't think the front plate is a "vanity plate"...It looks like there was another plate at one time there. Since he had Illinois plates and grew up in Illinois, I don't take the Alabama thing too seriously. I don't even know if both plates are required in Texas where I live, but everyone always has both plates...

IMO, the recovered vehicle has a front plate (vanity or whatever the gold color plate reads) or else it would be bare behind the frame. The vehicle was recovered on Thursday afternoon -- very quickly after he was reported missing (I believe JD reported missing on Weds after missing appt with school program director and patient at school clinic).

 

[LaborDayRN]

Body of missing ISU graduate student found (wsiltv.com)

RIP Jelani. My deepest condolences to his friends and family. Gone far, far too young.

 

[LaborDayRN]

So very sad. Prayers for JJ and to his entire family and friends.

Still waiting on toxicology reports? Dear god, these people move like molasses! IMO

Unfortunately the toxicology results can take weeks.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Rest in paradise, JJ. IMO it's utterly UNACCEPTABLE that the body took so long to be identified - let alone the fact that they are still waiting on COD and toxicology. Black victims deserve better, period.

Unfortunately toxicology results take weeks in all cases.

 

[LaborDayRN]

No, you're right. Jumping from a bridge is an extremely impulsive decision and people who survive jumps have said that they regretted it the instant that they jumped. According to this 2003 NYT article, some potential jumpers from the Brooklyn Bridge had changed their minds by the time they got there (due to traffic).

However, foul play seems really unlikely as well. I've always focused on the fact that there was no reported pings or electronic footprint from JJ after the dispensary. I have not known/seen a case of foul play where the phone was turned off like that.

Robbery seems an unlikely motive since dispensaries only allow 1 oz. to be bought (and the dispensary itself would be much more attractive to rob).

Carjacking seems unlikely because the car was left in a wooded area not really that far away. Because of the missing plates, I mentioned the Toni Sharpless case - but in that case, an anonymous letter writer claimed he/she had been paid $5,000 to drive Toni's car to a chop shop and was allowed to keep the plates. The plates are missing, but the car was abandoned, not at a chop shop or anything.

In the absence of other evidence I am (reluctantly) inclined to believe self harm than foul play.

Sadly, I agree with you and am also leaning toward self harm. It's just heartbreaking.

 

[Gloomy Bear]

Vehicles registered in IL by law must have both a front plate and a back plate. If the vehicle was registered in AL, it would make sense for there to only be a back plate. But if it was registered in IL (it seems like it was, as they say "Illinois plates"), it would be illegal/extremely odd to not have a front plate.