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

[BeckyF]

Please explain more about what you mean? Maybe his family's assumption is that if he was a strong swimmer, it would be more difficult to drown, because the survival instinct would kick in, and he'd swim his way out if possible (that the body fights to survive, no matter what.) All JMO.

I imagine lots of people that jump off bridges into water with the intention to commit suicide were decent swimmers. Why would his body fight to survive if he wanted to die?

 

[rainyday412]

Swimming (there) in the Illinois River is not safe. It is nothing like swimming in a pool. A lifeguard, in Peru, posted on Facebook that they would never swim in that section of the river, too much undercurrent. Any experienced swimmer can drown anywhere and if they want to drown, simply gulping in water or swimming to exhaustion will do it. There are so many documented drowning suicides, it's done even by experienced ocean swimmers.

Can verify this. Grew up right along a different river. It’s not that terribly uncommon to know how to swim and still drown.

I wasn't referring to you. The post has been removed for sleuthing the victim.

and in all fairness I wasn’t sleuthing his mom to accuse her of the crime. I was sleuthing since it helps explain some of the behaviors.

 

[Seattle1]

I imagine lots of people that jump off bridges into water with the intention to commit suicide were decent swimmers. Why would his body fight to survive if he wanted to die?

And one more mystery: I recall police confirming that it was a tip that led police to search the Illinois River where the body later identified as belonging to Jelani was recovered. What was the source of the tip?

An informant?

Friend, confidant?

Transparency in this case about Jelani with investigators -- especially FBI Behavior Unit, could sure go a long way. MOO

 

[mewmew]

"Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson said Monday he doesn’t believe an autopsy report released Monday which indicated Illinois State University graduate student Jelani Day drowned in the Illinois River with no signs of injury before his death.

…..

“I want you all to just pester the state of Illinois attorney general’s office until he gets tired of everybody calling him, until he gets tired of filtering emails, until he gets tired of people asking him (to get someone on the case) because there’s something he can do,” Day said. “I need you all to help us because I need justice for Jelani.”

…..

“It’s amazing to me that all these Black men that get killed somehow get associated with them doing something to themselves,” Day said. “Jelani was strong.”"
Rev. Jesse Jackson disputes Jelani Day’s autopsy report ahead of planned rally in Peru

Respectfully SBM

Really having to sit on my hands here cause I am SO bothered by these suggestions that there is an agenda and that the coroner/LE would blatantly lie (for no reason whatsoever) on an autopsy report. And then the suggestion to please go ahead and pester the attorney general. This has got to stop. It’s stirring up so much unnecessary strife and distrust when, IMO, there is no ill intention by ANYONE working this case.

Lastly, I just wish that stupid stigma would go away that only weak people commit suicide. The friends I had that committed suicide were some of the strongest people I knew, and were the “solid rock” type of people who took on everyone else’s burdens with their own, which is exactly why they felt they had nobody to talk to when they struggled, and eventually passed of suicide.

Sigh. End rant. I hate to see his case becoming this mess.

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

And one more mystery: I recall police confirming that it was a tip that led police to search the Illinois River where the body later identified as belonging to Jelani was recovered. What was the source of the tip?

It was my understanding that the location of the ID, in a ditch near the river, maybe Canal St?, is what led to the river search. Of course, we are given no specific information, arrgh.

 

[NoSpoonFeeding]

I didn't post that right.
It was my understanding that the location of the ID, in a ditch near the river, maybe Canal St?, is what led to the river search. Of course, we are given no specific information, arrgh.

 

[mewmew]

Whoa, one more comment for the evening - I just searched his name on Facebook because I was curious to see how people are responding to CBD and Rev JJ’s statements. I’m fairly shocked that it seems many people are on their side. I really was not expecting that. I guess I just don’t see any damning evidence of foul play. Tons and tons of people commit suicide and die accidentally all the time. I cannot begin to understand how hard it would be to accept that, I’m just surprised at how many people are agreeing that it’s lazy/corrupt police work with no other possible explanation.

ETA: Not that I want anyone to be AGAINST Rev JJ and CBD. His mom could use all the support she can get….just not in this way, IMO. I hope you guys know that I mean no disrespect to her.

 

[BeckyF]

Respectfully SBM

Really having to sit on my hands here cause I am SO bothered by these suggestions that there is an agenda and that the coroner/LE would blatantly lie (for no reason whatsoever) on an autopsy report. And then the suggestion to please go ahead and pester the attorney general. This has got to stop. It’s stirring up so much unnecessary strife and distrust when, IMO, there is no ill intention by ANYONE working this case.

Lastly, I just wish that stupid stigma would go away that only weak people commit suicide. The friends I had that committed suicide were some of the strongest people I knew, and were the “solid rock” type of people who took on everyone else’s burdens with their own, which is exactly why they felt they had nobody to talk to when they struggled, and eventually passed of suicide.

Sigh. End rant. I hate to see his case becoming this mess.

Same here. I’m having to be extra careful on this thread.

 

[scriabina]

They are fighting the wrong fights here. Brother said upon seeing the remains he wasn't even sure it was Jelani (I think has backtracked), then the organ nonsense, calling the autopsy an insult.. At some point you have to trust the science.

I think the problem is that Jelani's family felt they were disrespected and treated poorly. I'm sure it made Carmen feel like those involved with the case weren't invested, so it doesn't surprise me that she mistrusts them. I believe Carmen when she said Coroner Ploch snapped at her and was cruel to her over the phone. Her lawyer even corroborated it. It's hard to trust someone's professional opinion when they've been nasty and disrespectful to you. That's why victims should always be treated with the utmost respect and sensitivity, because 1) It's just the kind and compassionate thing to do, and 2) It helps to breed trust between victims and investigative team.

 

[rainyday412]

Whoa, one more comment for the evening - I just searched his name on Facebook because I was curious to see how people are responding to CBD and Rev JJ’s statements. I’m fairly shocked that it seems many people are on their side. I really

Same here. I’m having to be extra careful on this thread.

I think the problem is that Jelani's family felt they were disrespected and treated poorly. I'm sure it made Carmen feel like those involved with the case weren't invested, so it doesn't surprise me that she mistrusts them. I believe Carmen when she said Coroner Ploch snapped at her and was cruel to her over the phone. Her lawyer even corroborated it. It's hard to trust someone's professional opinion when they've been nasty and disrespectful to you. That's why victims should always be treated with the utmost respect and sensitivity, because 1) It's just the kind and compassionate thing to do, and 2) It helps to breed trust between victims and investigative team.

Well, I believed he was likely rude until I found info that actually said the opposite. Now I just wonder if Carmen is so full of grief that she can’t think rationally. And, she just wants someone to blame. I am not in her shoes, so I don’t understand this behavior.

As for her lawyer. I think her lawyer is responsible for some of the misinformation that caused the media sensationalism (organs removed etc), so I take the lawyers words with a grain of salt. I think there are two sides to every story, and I think we need to consider that as we hear how she was treated.

 

[rainyday412]

On a related note, I listen to the Crime Junkie podcast. Ironically, this week’s episode discusses Jason Landry (who has been mentioned here) and other college students who go missing in the middle of nowhere.

 

[Seattle1]

Jelani Day's mother wants the answers she believes national attention got for the Petito family - CNN

10/27/21

[..]

The LaSalle County Coroner wrote Monday that the 25-year-old graduate student died from "drowning" with no evidence of pre-death injury but added, "the manner in which Mr. Day went into the Illinois River is currently unknown."

[..]

Day's car was found in woods behind a YMCA and surrounded by homes.
Where the car entered, according to the former family attorney, looks like a dead end from the paved road.

The license plate had been removed. The clothes Day was seen wearing on a surveillance camera on August 24 were in the car.

His wallet was found "somewhat in the bushes" about a half-mile away, according to investigators. Neither the car nor wallet was found near the water, yet Day's body was recovered more than a week later over a mile away off the bank of the Illinois River.

According to investigators, an ID lanyard was found just across the river from the body. Clothing was also found further east along the river next to the Illinois Route 251 Bridge.

[..]

Bolden Day has commissioned two independent autopsies after she told CNN it's been hard to keep faith in local authorities.

Jelani Day's body was found in a severe state of decomposition, so much so that Bolden Day does not believe the coroner could say with such certainty in his report there was "there was no evidence of any injury, such as manual strangulation, an assault or altercation, sharp, blunt, or gunshot injury, infection, tumor, natural disease, congenital abnormality, or significant drug intoxication."

[..]

The coroner's report was "an insult to not only myself, but to my son," she said. They're sentiments civil rights campaigner Jackson. shares, saying "it assumes there's a kind of suicide planned."

 

[Seattle1]

LaSalle County Coroner, Richard Ploch - lasalle_county

The LaSalle County Coroner’s Office exists to provide the people of LaSalle County with a thorough investigation in the event of a death. The investigation may include, but is not limited to, autopsy, toxicology tests, x-rays, and personal as well as mental health history. These procedures are done to ensure that the facts of the death in conjunction with an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the death are brought forward in the determination of manner and cause of death.

The Coroner’s Office is a law enforcement investigative office mandated by the Statutes of the State of Illinois to investigate deaths within its jurisdiction. Also by Statute, the Coroner is a law enforcement official and has those additional responsibilities as outlined by the Statutes. When a Deputy Coroner acts on behalf of the Coroner, he or she acts with the same authority and has the same responsibilities as the Coroner.

It is the purpose of this office to do professional medicolegal death investigations with compassion and respect. We do this by making a commitment to “care of the deceased and concern for the living”.

 

[Seattle1]

Jackson cites that the Coroner's report "assumes there's a "kind of suicide planned."

IMO, assumptions in the Coroner's report are not pulled out of thin air.

 

[Seattle1]

La Salle County Coroner is an elected position. Rich Ploch has served as Coroner since 2003.

Rich Ploch, Larry Powell are running for La Salle County coroner

 

[LotusPawprint]

I think the problem is that Jelani's family felt they were disrespected and treated poorly. I'm sure it made Carmen feel like those involved with the case weren't invested, so it doesn't surprise me that she mistrusts them. I believe Carmen when she said Coroner Ploch snapped at her and was cruel to her over the phone. Her lawyer even corroborated it. It's hard to trust someone's professional opinion when they've been nasty and disrespectful to you. That's why victims should always be treated with the utmost respect and sensitivity, because 1) It's just the kind and compassionate thing to do, and 2) It helps to breed trust between victims and investigative team.

I agree, treat victims with respect.
If coroner or anyone else has been unprofessional, rude, or insensitive - wrong on them and you're right, it harms the foundation of trust.
However, I think there was a level of mistrust from the go. I think the way the Petito case played out around the same time had many hurtful aspects to Mrs. Day (and other missing/murdered families too).
Being treated kinder may have made difference, but realistically I think that even the most compassionate coroner and police force would be drawing wrath for not ruling this a homicide, not finding and collecting evidence to do so.

My initial comment about the family focusing on the wrong points was just to say that going after the coroner, demanding he apologize for the 'insulting' conclusion of drowning is misguided IMO. That is how he died. The coroner did his job. Fighting every step is counterproductive to figuring out the unknowns, of which there are many and are still being investigated.
Amo

 

[LotusPawprint]

Jelani Day's mother wants the answers she believes national attention got for the Petito family - CNN

10/27/21

[..]

The LaSalle County Coroner wrote Monday that the 25-year-old graduate student died from "drowning" with no evidence of pre-death injury but added, "the manner in which Mr. Day went into the Illinois River is currently unknown."

[..]

Day's car was found in woods behind a YMCA and surrounded by homes.
Where the car entered, according to the former family attorney, looks like a dead end from the paved road.

The license plate had been removed. The clothes Day was seen wearing on a surveillance camera on August 24 were in the car.

His wallet was found "somewhat in the bushes" about a half-mile away, according to investigators. Neither the car nor wallet was found near the water, yet Day's body was recovered more than a week later over a mile away off the bank of the Illinois River.

According to investigators, an ID lanyard was found just across the river from the body. Clothing was also found further east along the river next to the Illinois Route 251 Bridge.

[..]

Bolden Day has commissioned two independent autopsies after she told CNN it's been hard to keep faith in local authorities.

Jelani Day's body was found in a severe state of decomposition, so much so that Bolden Day does not believe the coroner could say with such certainty in his report there was "there was no evidence of any injury, such as manual strangulation, an assault or altercation, sharp, blunt, or gunshot injury, infection, tumor, natural disease, congenital abnormality, or significant drug intoxication."

[..]

The coroner's report was "an insult to not only myself, but to my son," she said. They're sentiments civil rights campaigner Jackson. shares, saying "it assumes there's a kind of suicide planned."

"Jelani Day's body was found in a severe state of decomposition, so much so that Bolden Day does not believe the coroner could say with such certainty in his report there was "there was no evidence of any injury, such as manual strangulation, an assault or altercation, sharp, blunt, or gunshot injury, infection, tumor, natural disease, congenital abnormality, or significant drug intoxication."

Isn't the job of the coroner to work with, quite literally, what remains? To examine what is there, to factor in what impact the scene where the body was recovered had on the body.

If what Mrs.Day is positing is that his body was so severely decomposed that the coroner can't state there was no evidence of injury, assault, tumor, etc then is she suggesting that no cause of death can be established? That won't help the case at all. Coroner used the remains available and his training, expertise, and literature to determine drowning. Until another unbiased pathologist does another autopsy and presents an alternate conclusion supported by evidence, the rest is a grieving lay person's opinion.


Interesting, the attorney is no longer working with the family.

 

[rainyday412]

"Jelani Day's body was found in a severe state of decomposition, so much so that Bolden Day does not believe the coroner could say with such certainty in his report there was "there was no evidence of any injury, such as manual strangulation, an assault or altercation, sharp, blunt, or gunshot injury, infection, tumor, natural disease, congenital abnormality, or significant drug intoxication."

Isn't the job of the coroner to work with, quite literally, what remains? To examine what is there, to factor in what impact the scene where the body was recovered had on the body.

If what Mrs.Day is positing is that his body was so severely decomposed that the coroner can't state there was no evidence of injury, assault, tumor, etc then is she suggesting that no cause of death can be established? That won't help the case at all. Coroner used the remains available and his training, expertise, and literature to determine drowning. Until another unbiased pathologist does another autopsy and presents an alternate conclusion supported by evidence, the rest is a grieving lay person's opinion.


Interesting, the attorney is no longer working with the family.

I noticed also that news stories refer to Hallie Bezner as the ‘former’ attorney now too. And no mention of 2nd and 3rd autopsy that mother purchased. No mention of FBI profile analysis. Are we certain that the mother declined that analysis the FBI was offering?

 

[BeckyF]

I think the problem is that Jelani's family felt they were disrespected and treated poorly. I'm sure it made Carmen feel like those involved with the case weren't invested, so it doesn't surprise me that she mistrusts them. I believe Carmen when she said Coroner Ploch snapped at her and was cruel to her over the phone. Her lawyer even corroborated it. It's hard to trust someone's professional opinion when they've been nasty and disrespectful to you. That's why victims should always be treated with the utmost respect and sensitivity, because 1) It's just the kind and compassionate thing to do, and 2) It helps to breed trust between victims and investigative team.

If the coroner was rude to her, of course that is uncalled for. But we are not privy to that conversation. I would rather hear less blaming of officials and more statements from family about what they think led him to miss his appointments that day

 

[Seattle1]

I noticed also that news stories refer to Hallie Bezner as the ‘former’ attorney now too. And no mention of 2nd and 3rd autopsy that mother purchased. No mention of FBI profile analysis. Are we certain that the mother declined that analysis the FBI was offering?

I don't believe CBD declined any FBI services taking part in the investigation. It seems to me that it's the results of the FBI investigation that's being rejected if they don't support the agenda the group is promoting.

Jelani Day case: Family upset FBI looking at 25-year-old's death as possible suicide
The FBI is now involved in the death of Illinois graduate student Jelani Day. It is what his family wanted since the day he went missing.

But they are not pleased with how investigators are approaching the case.

"Right now we have more questions than answers. And we need to start getting some answers for our questions before we know the next steps," said Day family attorney Hallie Bezner.

Jelani Day case: Family upset FBI looking at 25-year-old's death as possible suicide