Megan Bos Cause Of Death Still Not Known: Coroner

LAKE COUNTY, IL — The Lake County Coroner's Office is awaiting toxicology results and findings from a pathologist before ruling on the death of a 37-year-old woman who was reported missing in February and whose body was later found in a garbage can behind a home in April, authorities told Patch Thursday.

The rulings could shed more light into what caused the death of Megan Bos, who was first reported missing in February. Police found the partially decomposed body of the 37-year-old Antioch woman in a garbage can behind the home of Jose Mendoza-Gonzalez, 52, of Waukegan, while following up on a lead in the case in April.

An official cause of death has not yet been determined, Lake County Coroner's Office chief deputy Stephen Newton told Patch Thursday. An autopsy was performed on Bos on April 10 and the preliminary cause of death at that time "was pending toxicology," he said.

"We have just received some of the toxicology results and forwarded them to the pathologist on this case and are awaiting her final report," Newton told Patch Thursday.

The pathologist has ordered several additional tests as part of her investigation and it's unclear when those will all be done, Newton said.

"...once she issues her opinion on the cause of death we can move forward," Newton said.

Waukegan Man Charged With Abuse Of Corpse

Police went to question Mendoza-Gonzelez, who was in regular contact with Bos, on April 10 as they continued to probe Bos' disappearance, according to media reports. At that time, he told police Bos came to his house on Feb. 19 and snorted a line of drugs and then asked to hang out in his basement.

Mendoza-Gonzalez said he went to a different part of the house to fix a leaky pipe and when he returned, found Bos dead, according to WGN. Afraid that he would get in trouble, he told police he first left her body in his basement. Two days later, he moved it to the garbage can.

Mendoza-Gonzalez was taken into custody and charged with abuse of a corpse, concealing death of a person and obstructing justice/destroying evidence in connection with the case.

The obstructing justice charge filed against Mendoza-Gonzalez relates to "smashing and disposing of the cell phone," which belonged to Bos, according to court documents provided to Patch. He is also accused of concealing Bos' death and moving her body to the garbage can after she died and covering the garbage can with a lid, according to an indictment and court records.

Mendoza-Gonzalez has since been released from jail.

During his initial court appearance in Lake County Circuit Court on April 12, Lake County judge Rhonda Bruno determined Mendoza-Gonzalez was eligible for release under the SAFE-T Act since he was not charged with "detention-eligible offenses," according to court documents provided to Patch.

The SAFE-T Act eliminated cash bail in the state in 2023 and created a new procedure for determining whether a person charged with a crime should be detained in jail as they await further court proceedings and a possible trial.

Under the new law, all defendants are eligible for release before a trial except for those charged with a detainable crime or if the state's attorney's office files a petition to detain and the court finds — based on specific facts of the case — the defendant is a flight risk or that there is a real and a present threat caused by the defendant.

• Abuse Of Corpse Charge Filed After Missing Woman's Body Found: What We Know So Far
• Antioch Woman Missing Since February Found Dead: Police

As part of his pre-trial release, Mendoza-Gonzalez has been ordered not to consume any alcohol or drugs; not have any contact with Megan's mom, Jennifer Bos; not possess any firearms or dangerous weapons; and to submit to random testing for alcohol or drugs, according to court documents.

Authorities are awaiting an official cause of death to determine if additional charges will be filed in the Bos case.