After a careful DNA test on the body that was found unresponsive in the Illinois River near Peru on September 4, the coroner confirmed the body is the one of a Bloomington teenager Jelani Day, 25, of Danville, who had gone missing for several days.
“People acting like there is some conspiracy that they didn’t identify his body right off, unfortunately when someone dies in water they are not easily recognizable. DNA confirms identity without a doubt and that takes some time.”
The LaSalle County Coroner has identified the male body found earlier this month as 25-year-old Jelani Day of Bloomington, Illinois through forensic dental identification and DNA testing and comparison. He was reported missing back on August 25th.
The LaSalle County Coroner has identified the male body found earlier this month as 25-year-old Jelani Day of Bloomington, Illinois through forensic dental identification and DNA testing and comparison. He was reported missing back on August 25th. #JelaniDay pic.twitter.com/sV2jUkg8KD
— Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenez) September 23, 2021
Jelani Day was a graduate student at Illinois State University, 6 feet, 2 inches tall, 180 pounds with short black hair, brown eyes, and some facial hair.
According to reports, Jelani was last seen by his family in the evening hours of Monday, August 23, 2021, and was last seen at the Illinois State University campus on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, at approximately 9:21 a.m. Bloomington. His vehicle was found in Peru near the Illinois Valley YMCA.
Jelani Day Cause Of Death
Jelani’s cause of death is yet unknown as no health-related complications were detected on his body.
I was lucky… I got out. I had the privilege of feeling comfortable calling police. I had the support that could lend me money to fly away.
As TJ Holmes showed us Wednesday- missing persons cases happen to so many that don’t get media attention, the people of color. Daniel Robinson, Maya Millete, Jelani Day
Nearly half of the almost 90k missing persons are people of color.
We must make sure that justice is served in #GabbyPetito case while shining a light on the disparity of missing persons but also the pervasiveness of domestic physical & psychological violence and the disparities there.
As I watched the body cam where she is in the isolation of a vehicle in the desert, it felt eerily like my story. That moment I was hiding under a table in a desert hotel, crying to my mom when she told me she feared for my life(the story I told in my book Natural Disaster). She told me to call the police. I did. They got me to a different hotel and away from him. I flew out the next day.
I know we don’t know the details yet but we know Gabby was murdered. He is the only suspect.
We also know that not everyone in an abusive situation has the support or education to ask for help. They likely don’t believe they deserve it.
Psychological abuse is often a precursor to physical and sexual abuse.
If someone had shown me these questions back then, I could have answered yes and more. I feel so fortunate to have gotten out. Please tell someone if you are answering yes to any of this or more:
AM I BEING PSYCHOLOGICALLY ABUSED?
Does your partner:
• Threaten to harm you, your children, your family and/or your pets?
• Tell you are worthless and that no one else will ever love you?
• Isolate you from your friends and/or family?
• Control your behavior and monitor your movements and whereabouts? • Tell you that you are crazy?
• Demean you in public or in private?
• Constantly criticize you?
• Blame you for everything that goes wrong?
• Stalk you?
• Cause you to feel guilt over things that are not your fault?
• Threaten to take away your children
If so, your partner may be abusing you. For help, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800- 799-SAFE (7233), or visit Domesticshelters.org to access professional help.
Jelani Day, 25, was last seen Aug. 24. at the Illinois State University campus. His family in Danville and a faculty member reported him missing after he did not show up for class for several Condolences to his family especially his Mother… 🙏🏾