IL - Tashyra McDowell, 24, found murdered in Edelstein cornfield, 7 Sept 2012

nursebeeme

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Rutherford last had contact with her daughter Friday, when 24-year-old McDowell retrieved mail from her home so she could obtain a state identification card.

That day was the last time authorities have been able to confirm her whereabouts. As usual, she was with her son.

The boy, who is autistic, was found unattended about 7:30 a.m. Monday in the 1800 block of North New York Avenue. Because of his condition, he was unable to share with police details of what happened to his mother. The boy is now safe and with Rutherford.

McDowell's car - a 1996 red two-door Ford Escort - was found abandoned about 4:45 p.m. Monday in the 400 block of Richard Pryor Place.

Her body was found about noon Tuesday when a farmer harvesting corn found her body stuck in his combine. Authorities spent about two hours disassembling the eight-row corn picker to remove the body.
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1803413983/Body-found-in-rural-Peoria-County

it looks like her son was in the car with her when whatever happened occured:

At the time, she was with her 7 year old son, driving a 1996 red two door Ford Escort.
Monday morning, her child was found by himself in the 1800 block of North New York in the East Bluff. The child was not able to tell investigators where his mother is.
Police also located McDowell's vehicle.
http://www.cinewsnow.com/news/local/Vehicle-of-Missing-Peoria-Woman-Found-169248486.html

http://www.cinewsnow.com/news/local/Body-found-ou-169344596.html
 
Yes, this has been a big story around here. Hopefully, we do not have another Larry Bright type serial killer in the area. Whatever the case and to state the obvious, we need the answer now.
 
Makes you wonder that whoever did this knew the boy had autism otherwise why would they take the chance of him knowing and being able to explain the situation and perp to police.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
 
On the map, it looks like the boy and the car were found more than one mile apart.
 
I haven't heard if a cause of death has been released yet but police say that the case is being investigated as a homicide.
 
This is so horrible. My condolences to the family. Her poor son. :(
 
Her first name is spelled two different ways in the articles. Is it Tashyra or Tayshyra?
 
I agree with the above poster. If the boy was a witness it seems as though her killer would have known her well enough to know that the boy couldn't communicate any details to identify the perp. He may be able to point to a photo though?

Hopefully this case will be solved quickly.
 
Her first name is spelled two different ways in the articles. Is it Tashyra or Tayshyra?

Yes, I noticed that. She has not appeared in the obituaries yet - not that that will 100% settle the matter. Her name is not in the phone book.
 
At least one person of interest in the case, however, had been in police custody from Monday through Wednesday afternoon. An ex-boyfriend of McDowell, Stephen Turner, 25, allegedly was one of the last people to see her alive.

According to authorities and McDowell's family members, Turner was with McDowell and her son Sunday night and claimed to have fallen asleep in an East Bluff home where they were together with others. Turner claimed McDowell and her son were gone when he awoke on Monday.

Rutherford said she went to find Turner on Monday afternoon as the search for her daughter intensified. According to her account and a report from the Peoria Police Department, she found him shortly before 1 p.m. going to mow a lawn in the 5800 block of North Andover Court.

A confrontation ensued, and police were called to the scene. Turner at one point pulled an officer aside and said he wanted to tell the officer something, then retrieved a pair of boots. Inside one of the boots was a handgun.

Police seized the weapon and arrested Turner, who was booked on charges of carrying or possessing a firearm, first offense, and possessing a firearm without a firearm owner's identification card.

He was held at the Peoria County Jail until Wednesday, when he was released on a notice to appear for the charges.

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1803414760/Woman-found-in-cornfield-died-from-gunshots
 
Well, that sounds like a pretty good lead although those sorts of attacks are usually of a more personal nature like strangulation, beating or stabbing - of course shooting does sometimes happen also so that doesn't rule anyone out.

The so-called East Bluff is much closer to where the child was found than to where the car was discovered.
 
sounds like the empty house was either a squat or a dealer/flop(which i very much doubt) ... edelstein(this is my neck of the woods) is so far out of the way from the east bluff where she is from, my guess is that she was dumped there because the killer didnt think anyone would be looking for her and the killer has no understanding that its harvest time out here right now. the east bluff is crime and drug riddled. moo
 
Yes, Edelstein is a small rural farming community probably 20 miles (normally 40+ minutes) driving distance from the "East Bluff".
 
Yes, Edelstein is a small rural farming community probably 20 miles (40 minutes?) driving distance from the "East Bluff".

yes, and i need to make a correction about richard pryor, its not actually on the bluff but below the hill in i think 2 district (peoria police district). my family is friends with the owners of the farm in edelstein/radnor township...they are brothers and as to the empty houses, they are just that, just some old empty houses on the farms..

my folks are all retired peoria city/county le... fwiw, thats where i just got my info.

peoria is 12 miles to chillicothe and where she was found was on the back side of chillicothe(rt. 40) on hallack hollow area...

new york st. is also drug/crime infested & unsafe...poor kid roaming around there.

was told that they were unsure if the picker actually hit her... will ask that later when i get the chance....moo


ETA: link/info

Her body was found about noon Tuesday when a farmer harvesting corn found her body stuck in his combine. Authorities spent about two hours disassembling the eight-row corn picker to remove the body.

http://www.pjstar.com/news/police/x1803413983/Body-found-in-rural-Peoria-County


totally missed that part...
 
Yes, those vacant rural houses are, to my knowledge, most often the result of smaller farms being consolidated into larger ones and thus the residences are just abandoned.
 

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