Found Deceased IL - Daniel Sotelo, 26, & Natally Brookson, both found deceased, Chicago, 30 April 2022

[scriabina]

The family has a FB page (Sister is an Admin) dedicated to finding Daniel.

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Helpful to know per FB page: "Daniel’s last whereabouts are the stormy night of April 30th in Edgewater at 10 pm."

 

[MaudeLebowski]

The family has a FB page (Sister is an Admin) dedicated to finding Daniel.

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That group also organized the search party for DS this past weekend around the Edgewater area. (I believe one post/comment mentioned 59XX N Sheridan.) That’s eerily close to 5500 N Sheridan where Natally’s body was found.

 

[SpringDonut77]

Helpful to know per FB page: "Daniel’s last whereabouts are the stormy night of April 30th in Edgewater at 10 pm."

Yes and they mentioned Lane Beach specifically.

 

[Janitor101]

It's all so very strange! Daniel S. was driven to the train by his roommate on Sat., April 30 at noon and promptly vanishes. Natally is last seen at work at 6pm. Did he hang around all day and wait for her to get off work at 6p? I read that it takes approx. 30-45 DAYS to obtain cell records even if you have a subpoena!

 

[Janitor101]

Just a thought or two on this case. First up, it appears Natally worked her whole shift and then abruptly quits her job before leaving work. Her body is found 2 days later and the preliminary autopsy results are inconclusive meaning that nothing internally or externally was found by the ME to explain her cause of death. (suicide?) I'm thinking her day was mostly normal until she got some upsetting news via her cell phone at some point during the day. If a person is truly suicidal, what would have been the point of her even going to work that day at all? Was Daniel S. communicating with her and laid some distressing news on her during her shift? Did he just up and leave town that day? Of course it doesn't explain how he was reportedly seen at 10pm that night, does it, but maybe he returned to the area to rectify the situation with her? Just my thoughts FWIW.

 

[GraceG]

It's all so very strange! Daniel S. was driven to the train by his roommate on Sat., April 30 at noon and promptly vanishes. Natally is last seen at work at 6pm. Did he hang around all day and wait for her to get off work at 6p? I read that it takes approx. 30-45 DAYS to obtain cell records even if you have a subpoena!

30 days is the short side of average. The subpoena will reflect a return date, which by most states procedurals allow for 30 days to respond, and the Keeper of Records must comply, assuming the time given is reasonable, both the request and the phone record information having to pass through various levels of bureaucracy at both the police department and the telecom outfit

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[Happypetitvieux01]

Wondering since the beginning, when there is a third person involved, telling a story about the event. Always would like to grill that person to be sure that we are starting search with the right - and only right facts.

 

[GMS]

I'm wondering the significance of Edgewater / Lane Beach. Is this the area Natally lived? Assuming DS lived in the South Loop area close to Roosevelt and State where his roommate dropped him at the CTA station. There are plenty of public access areas to Lake Michigan if being by the water or access to the water was the intent.

 

[SimplyCass]

There are over 33,000 CCTV cameras installed across CTA's bus and rail system, according to the CTA. So unless the cameras were conveniently malfunctioning or non-operational at the time, both Daniel and Natally were almost certainly captured on surveillance camera if one or both of them rode the train.

Not to sound too pessimistic, but with that many CCTV cameras, it might hinder or make it more difficult to spot them on camera. We at least a time and place to start with Daniel, but who knows where Natally took the CTA (if she was ever on it). I am hoping they have a good idea to start and the resources to spot either of them in CCTV footage.

Also, during the recent NYC subway shooting, none of the cameras in the station were working. (source) They had to dig through footage to trace back his initial movements, but it also required a couple of witnesses and good tips, as the man changed outfits as he was exiting the station.

 

[Janitor101]

Was it raining steadily between 6p and 10p that night? It isn't etched in stone that something happened to her that night after work as it seems odd she would be wondering around during a bad storm. Maybe she went to someone's home after work?

 

[Janitor101]

UIC grad student Daniel Sotelo remains missing after girlfriend was found dead; his father holds onto faith

"Danny, everybody is praying for you," Nicolas Sotelo said. "Everybody is waiting for you to show up."

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Janitor101]

According to the article, Daniel's wallet and cell phone were found next to Natally's body. A bit confusing.

 

[Janitor101]

So I guess this finally puts to rest the many reports that she was found in the water. You have to wonder where her own personal belongings are such as her purse and cell phone. Did she make a mad dash for the water and Daniel jumped in to try to save her but was not a strong swimmer? I still have to wonder why they would be at the beach at all in stormy weather.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

According to the article, Daniel's wallet and cell phone were found next to Natally's body. A bit confusing.

If his phone and wallet were found next to her body, it definitely doesn’t sound like she was in the water. It seems more likely that something happened on the beach.

 

[SpringDonut77]

Was it raining steadily between 6p and 10p that night? It isn't etched in stone that something happened to her that night after work as it seems odd she would be wondering around during a bad storm. Maybe she went to someone's home after work?

It had stopped raining at some point because I left a restaurant after 7pm and it was not raining then. I don't remember if it started again later that night.

 

[FlossyMay]

The tox report might shed some light here. Her quitting her job out of the blue makes me think suicide. Maybe these two took their own lives and Daniel's body is in the water somewhere.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

The tox report might shed some light here. Her quitting her job out of the blue makes me think suicide. Maybe these two took their own lives and Daniel's body is in the water somewhere.

That’s what I was thinking too, but then how would his phone and wallet end up next to her body? Unless it’s just shoddy reporting, I can’t see how his phone and wallet would have washed up next to her body if they both took their own lives.

 

[FlossyMay]

That’s what I was thinking too, but then how would his phone and wallet end up next to her body? Unless it’s just shoddy reporting, I can’t see how his phone and wallet would have washed up next to her body if they both took their own lives.

Maybe he put them there and went into the water on purpose.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

Maybe he put them there and went into the water on purpose.

In that case, he would’ve watched NB take her own life and waited until her body came to the shore, then placed his phone and wallet next to her body before taking his own life, which doesn’t make a lot of sense. Or he found her body and then took his own life, but that also doesn’t make a lot of sense because he went missing before her. If his wallet and phone were found in her possession rather than “next to” her body, and the report of his things being “next to” her is not accurate, I could totally see them having taken their lives together, but his things being found next to her body makes me lean towards murder-suicide (or murder and disappearance). MOO.

 

[Janitor101]

I was wondering whether at some point she started refusing to respond to his calls and texts. She may have made suicidal comments and then stopped communicating altogether. He began a search for her and may have finally found her body on the beach at which point he makes an impulsive decision and goes into the water himself. I know nothing about ocean currents so maybe his body floated out to sea? Can people find each others "I-phones" using that "Find my Phone app"?