Private Investigator findings suggest the jaw was sawed out among other missing organs.
As the investigation into Jelani Day’s death continues, authorities have said his circumstances are “unusual.” The mystery surrounding him is growing, and family members suspect foul play may be involved. Families in Illinois report finding it hard to believe he died with no organs. Day’s corpse had no eyeballs, only sockets. The autopsy report suggests that Jelani Day’s jaw bone may have been sawed out in some manner. Along with the removal of his eyes, front top, and back teeth.
The family of Days has been looking for answers since his death. According to an attorney, they have found no brain, liver, or spleen — just unidentifiable genitalia in the severely decomposed body of their son. The Bezner law firm announced it is trying new avenues on behalf of this grieving family. Who are seeking scientific explanations about how he died.
The mother of Jelani Day expressed her distress because of the limited reporting on his case. Carmen said, “I was very frustrated with how little coverage he had been getting, and I couldn’t understand why.” Carmen’s son went missing for 24 days before being found with little media attention from outlets such as CNN or Fox News which made it difficult to get help.
It’s no secret that mainstream media is guilty of neglecting missing people of color- Jelani Day was one such victim. Day was a student at Illinois State University, went missing on August 25th, but his disappearance wasn’t widely reported until internet users started talking about it online. The 25-year-old black man’s body was found floating in the Illinois River, which sparked a furious backlash from social media users about why this young black man’s life matters less than others when seen through racial categories.
The LaSalle County Coroner’s Office would not release the body of Jelani Day until they received DNA test results from Illinois State Police. The family found out he passed away two weeks after his corpse was discovered, with no identification. DNA is being used to solve crimes in Illinois. The backlog of 3,745 cases at the end of August has been reduced by 98% since 2009 when 12 thousand biological assignments were awaiting investigation — leaving an average turnaround time for these requests that ranged from one hundred eighty-five days down to just over seventy-two on some occasions.
The family of the aspiring doctor continues to wait for answers about what happened. Investigators with Coroner Ploch’s office said, “they could not provide any updates on their investigation as toxicology reports are still pending,” but that there is another autopsy scheduled next week, which may shed more light on this tragedy.
References
Illinois newsroom. (2021, October 10th). Illinois State grad student Jelani Day celebrated at hometown service. Illinois Newsroom. https://illinoisnewsroom.org/illinois-state-grad-student-jelani-day-celebrated-at-hometown-service/
Meaww. (2021, October 11th). ‘Justice for Jelani Day’ trends after Illinois teen’s body found with missing organs. https://meaww.com/jelani-day-internet-demands-answers-for-illinois-teen-found-with-missing-organs
pantagraph. (2021, October 9th). Watch now: Did DNA backlog affect Jelani Day investigation? https://pantagraph.com/news/local/public_safety/watch-now-did-dna-backlog-affect-jelani-day-investigation/article_9f4e43e0-0e65-5f3e-baf1-ba2bba6a9880.html