Illinois investigators are ramping up their search efforts for missing aspiring doctor Jelani Day, who has been missing for nearly a month.
The Illinois State University graduate student disappeared on August 24th shortly after visiting a Beyond/Hello in Bloomington store at around 9:12 a.m. His family filed a missing person report the next day after failing to hear from Day. ISU staff also noted that the 25-year-old hadn’t shown up to classes for several days.
His disappearance took a shocking turn on August 26th, when Peru Police officers discovered Day’s abandoned white 2010 Chrysler 300 in a wooded area concealed by trees. Officials did not locate Day, but they did find the clothing he was last seen wearing on August 24th.
On Monday, Bloomington Police Department stated that they were still collecting evidence and searching for witnesses after a public outcry demanding more to find the young man. Day’s mother, Carmen Bolden Day, says that she feels the search for her son has slowed significantly since authorities found an unidentified body in a bank of the Illinois River on September 4th. No further information has been disclosed about the body, and identification could take several weeks.
“I don’t feel like I am getting the help that I need. I feel like since this body has been found, and as I said, it is unidentified, I don’t truly believe that it is my son,” Bolden Day told Newsy.
Day is still considered a missing person. Anyone with information regarding Jelani Day is encouraged to contact the Bloomington Police Department.
