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

[spaceycasey]

dbm

 

[rkendmar]

I'm also kind of surprised we aren't getting more information about Jelani himself. He was handsome, educated, seemed to be very close to his family. Has there been any information from friends? Was he seeing anyone? MOO

Classes had just started on Monday, August 16, 2021.
It is doubtful Jelani would have much time to hang out with anyone since the program involves a full time academic course load plus clinic obligations plus work obligations in the department (if he was a graduate assistant).
In programs like this, students spend their nights and weekends studying and wait until winter break and spring break to relax and see friends.
JMO.

 

[spaceycasey]

Classes had just started on Monday, August 16, 2021.
It is doubtful Jelani would have much time to hang out with anyone since the program involves a full time academic course load plus clinic obligations plus work obligations in the department (if he was a graduate assistant).
In programs like this, students spend their nights and weekends studying and wait until winter break and spring break to relax and see friends.
JMO.

Thanks. I was curious if he worked anywhere. I guess I meant more along the lines of who he would generally be in communication with as opposed to physically hanging out. His busy schedule almost makes the location he and his car were discovered more confusing as to what could have happened. MOO. Hope more info comes soon

 

[Vanguardian]

Dr. Jelani Day. That fits. I swear it does. I hate this outcome so much and I could've seen his mom with tears of joy upon his ultimate graduation.

 

[LotusPawprint]

This is an interview with a lawyer helping and representing the Day family. She says it is her understanding that it is the Behavioral Analysis Unit from the FBI that is involved. So yes, it is the belief that there is foul play.

 

[Seattle1]

Body identified as missing Illinois State University student | wqad.com

9/23/21

[..]

Day, a 25-year-old graduate student, was last seen on Aug. 24; his last known location was at a retail store called Beyond Hello. He was last captured on surveillance footage from the store at about 9 a.m. that day in Bloomington. Outside surveillance video showed Day's white 2010 Chrysler 300, with Illinois license plates CH74067, in the parking lot of the store.

After last hearing from him on the evening of Aug. 23 and Day not showing up to class for several days, Day's family made several attempts to locate him but were unsuccessful in their search.

He was reported missing on Aug, 25 by his family, according to a joint statement from investigators.

Day's vehicle was found Thursday, Aug. 26 in a wooded area south of the Illinois Valley YMCA. Police asked the public for information from anyone who had seen the vehicle from 9:15 a.m. Aug. 24 to 4:20 p.m. Aug. 26.

Meanwhile, investigators searched for Day using different tactics, including K9s and drone aerials. On Sept. 4 a search was conducted in the LaSalle Peru area - that's when they found the body in the Illinois River, just off the south bank, east of the Illinois Route 251 bridge.

[..]

It took nearly three weeks to identify the body.

 

[LotusPawprint]

Car keys, license, phone are all still missing. -- from attorney interview I posted above

 

[rkendmar]

This is an interview with a lawyer helping and representing the Day family. She says it is her understanding that it is the Behavioral Analysis Unit from the FBI that is involved. So yes, it is the belief that there is foul play.

Glad to hear the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit will be working on this case.
I hope they will bring in forensic data people also.
Can anyone answer why Jelani's cell phone didn't ping anymore after he left the cannabis dispensary on Tuesday am?

 

[LotusPawprint]

<Sbm>
Can anyone answer why Jelani's cell phone didn't ping anymore after he left the cannabis dispensary on Tuesday am?

No, that's one of the many frustrating unknowns.

 

[SimplyCass]

This is confusing.
The article is definite about the meeting being Tuesday morning.
The embedded video does not explicitly mention Tuesday morning, just the "next morning."
The faculty member mentions she knew he "had class at 1pm," which sounds like MWF class schedule (not T/Th).

Speech Language Pathology Masters | Illinois State University

Communication Sciences and Disorders | Course Finder | Illinois State

Some info: the master's program in SLP is six semesters with a summer start, so it seems that JJ might have had a class or two before 8/16/21, which is the start of the fall?

CSD 402 - Tu/Thurs, 1:00-2:40
CSD 403 - (not offered for fall 2021)
CSD 404 - (not offered for fall 2021)
CSD 406 - M/W, 1:00-2:15
CSD 408a30 - W, 12:00-12:50

Unfortunately, the two classes he would have most likely been both start at 1 p.m.

408a30 is "Basic Clinical Rotation In Audiology," of which the only prerequisite is consent of the clinical director. That makes it seem (though not confirmed) that he would have met with CB to get that consent.

 

[Gloomy Bear]

This is an interview with a lawyer helping and representing the Day family. She says it is her understanding that it is the Behavioral Analysis Unit from the FBI that is involved. So yes, it is the belief that there is foul play.

One interesting thing the Day's family attorney noted was that Jelani had never in his life been to Peru, IL and there is really no fathomable way he could have known about the area (eg to park in that exact spot to hide his car; it's not like he would have known the area around the YMCA like that; etc).

As we get to know more and more about this case, the further it's looking like foul play.

 

[rkendmar]

Speech Language Pathology Masters | Illinois State University

Communication Sciences and Disorders | Course Finder | Illinois State

Some info: the master's program in SLP is six semesters with a summer start, so it seems that JJ might have had a class or two before 8/16/21, which is the start of the fall?

CSD 402 - Tu/Thurs, 1:00-2:40
CSD 403 - (not offered for fall 2021)
CSD 404 - (not offered for fall 2021)
CSD 406 - M/W, 1:00-2:15
CSD 408a30 - W, 12:00-12:50

Unfortunately, the two classes he would have most likely been both start at 1 p.m.

408a30 is "Basic Clinical Rotation In Audiology," of which the only prerequisite is consent of the clinical director. That makes it seem (though not confirmed) that he would have met with CB to get that consent.

Thanks for the information.
I guess this means he could have had a Tuesday 1pm class.

It still brings up the problem of Why the professional dress on Tuesday @7:30 in the student center, then a change to a very casual dress on Tuesday @9:17am before arriving at a cannabis dispensary.
Did he have a client in the clinic that early? (6:30am) Doubtful.

Also, Why did his phone stop pinging after his stop at the dispensary?
Did he turn it off? If he did, why?
Was someone else in the car with him?
Was he carjacked?

I'm glad the FBI is coming in.

 

[Unsolved]

I could be wrong but it appeared to me that JD had just graduated from A&M and a new enrollee in the summer graduate program in IL. I don't think it would be odd if JD just purchased the 2010 Chrysler or recently transferred the registration from Alabama to Illinois.
For some reason, LE was first to suggest from the beginning that the plate(s) on the vehicle may have been missing and why I caught that missing plate(s) was not likely nefarious.

And I don't think the vehicle plates will prove relevant in this death -- esp since the vehicle was found overnight or by Thursday afternoon. MOO

<snipped>
According to his Mom the car had been his late Grandfather's:

"Bolden-Day said her son also loved his late grandfather, whose car Day was driving the day he disappeared. That car – a white 2010 Chrysler 300 – was found two days later in a wooded area of Peru, Illinois, about an hour's drive north from Bloomington-Normal.

Bolden-Day said Day would’ve never abandoned his grandfather’s car.

“His grandfather meant the world to him,” she said. “Jelani wouldn’t even let his brothers and sister drive that car. So I know he wouldn’t give up his car to nobody and let them have it.”

Missing ISU Student's Mother Searches For Answers

I know the plate thing shouldn't bother me, but it does. Just another one of those pesky things I carry around from certain cases lol. But I think if they could find another vehicle using that plate (are there any automated license plate readers in that area used by LE?) that would be an excellent lead.

It's also a hmmm to me why LE would say the plate might have been missing because there was a plate on the rear at the dispensary:

Now I've moved on to wondering if someone was waiting for him in the car while he went in the dispensary - his windows are tinted so I don't know if they can tell that. And surely they've talked to the girl standing in front of him inside. Was she waiting for product or did she work there? Did they talk and maybe exchange numbers, etc.?

 

[dotr]

<snipped>
According to his Mom the car had been his late Grandfather's:

"Bolden-Day said her son also loved his late grandfather, whose car Day was driving the day he disappeared. That car – a white 2010 Chrysler 300 – was found two days later in a wooded area of Peru, Illinois, about an hour's drive north from Bloomington-Normal.

Bolden-Day said Day would’ve never abandoned his grandfather’s car.

“His grandfather meant the world to him,” she said. “Jelani wouldn’t even let his brothers and sister drive that car. So I know he wouldn’t give up his car to nobody and let them have it.”

Missing ISU Student's Mother Searches For Answers

I know the plate thing shouldn't bother me, but it does. Just another one of those pesky things I carry around from certain cases lol. But I think if they could find another vehicle using that plate (are there any automated license plate readers in that area used by LE?) that would be an excellent lead.

It's also a hmmm to me why LE would say the plate might have been missing because there was a plate on the rear at the dispensary:

View attachment 314620

Now I've moved on to wondering if someone was waiting for him in the car while he went in the dispensary - his windows are tinted so I don't know if they can tell that. And surely they've talked to the girl standing in front of him inside. Was she waiting for product or did she work there? Did they talk and maybe exchange numbers, etc.?

View attachment 314635

Are they quite certain that the individual pictured in the dispensary, is in fact JJ and not someone disguised as him by wearing his clothing and hat?
speculation. imo.

 

[Friday Fan]

<snipped>

It's also a hmmm to me why LE would say the plate might have been missing because there was a plate on the rear at the dispensary:

They don't know when the plate was removed. Someone may have seen someone driving the vehicle without the rear plate. MOO

 

[rkendmar]

1. Turn the airplane mode “ON”.
2. Turn off the cellular network.
3. Turn off the Wifi.
4. Turn phone OFF and remove battery.

Which of the above would stop a phone from 'pinging'?

 

[MntnHiker]

I looked at Street View of/near Beyond Hello, the last place he was known to be seen, and it is located on a very busy four-lane road with loads of businesses around. At just after 9 AM on a work day, I have to imagine that whole area was pretty busy with lots of drivers. Some of the other businesses may not have opened yet, but on a weekday, I would imagine people would be driving around. I also imagine at least some of these other nearby businesses have cameras. I'm assuming LE already looked into them and know which way Jelani drove after leaving the dispensary.

 

[MimosaMornings]

Was it an unusual occurrence for JJ to go to a dispensary?

 

[HMSHood]

Jelani Day's death looks suspicious. His remains was found floating in a river in the Midwest and death is unusual.

Police: Jelani Day’s death “unusual” | WCIA.com

 

[adh1117]

Are they quite certain that the individual pictured in the dispensary, is in fact JJ and not someone disguised as him by wearing his clothing and hat?
speculation. imo.

They would have had to use his ID at the dispensary also. I'm sure there are better surveilance cameras inside the store that could determine if it was JJ or an imposter.