No Foul Play In Any Of Joliet's Des Plaines River Deaths: Chief Evans

JOLIET —At Wednesday night's first-ever Joliet Police Department public safety forum, Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans addressed the number of lives lost over the past several years in the city's Des Plaines River canal. Chief Evans wanted everyone in attendance at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park to know that none of the river deaths was the result of a homicide, not a single death.

"I wanted to make a statement about the river deaths, and I promised you I would do that, and I put together a statement that I think will resonate with you ... It's important for me to cover this issue,"Chief Evans explained at the forum. "Over the past few years our city has experienced a series of tragic events in which numerous individuals have been discovered deceased in the Des Plaines River.

"As your police chief, I stand before you with a heavy heart, but also with a commitment to transparency, action, partnership as we navigate through this conversation and work toward a possible solution.

"These deaths are profoundly troubling, and understandably, have sparked fear and speculation. Each life that is lost is a tragedy, and our thoughts and our prayers go out to the families and the friends of those that are grieving. While each case is unique, each case has been investigated by our investigations division with a goal of learning the truth about what actually happened and offering even a glimmer of closure to those loved ones.

"So far, our investigation has not uncovered any evidence to support the belief that these deaths has resulted from any act of foul play," Joliet's chief declared. "Each case is uniquely complex and while there are similarities in the locations where the victims were found, the circumstances surrounding every death vary significantly.

"I want to emphasize the critical importance of conducting our police investigations based on fact, not assumptions or conjure. In our line of work, adherence to evidence and thorough analysis is paramount to maintaining public trust and ensuring justice. Every investigation we undertake is built upon the foundation of factual evidence. This involves collecting and meticulously analyzing evidence, corroborating information from reliable sources and following the facts where they may lead, even if the challenges are initial perspectives or expectations.

"By anchoring our investigation in verifiable evidence ... we protect the innocent and ensure that the truth prevails. We are the Joliet Police Department always stand ready to receive new information that may influence the path of any investigation and we encourage anybody that has information regarding any of these tragic deaths to reach out to us, even if they wish to do that anonymously."

During the audience participation, Jewell Robinson, the mother of April's drowning victim, Robert Long, addressed Chief Evans and his four deputy chiefs who also sat on the stage and made themselves available to answer questions.

"I heard the young man on the stage talk about the missing persons," Robinson said. "When I called for the missing person's report, I was told I had to wait 48 hours. I went to the police station and I was told whoever told you that said it was a lie. You shouldn't have had to wait. My son was missing from April 11th to the 19th. On the 12th, I was told my son was pushed in the water.

"Then I was told you don't go in the water off of hearsay. I came to the community Council meeting and asked for help. Then and only then were the boats put in the water," Robinson shared with everyone on Wednesday night. "When the media came out, they put more boats in the water. I heard this young man say these are drownings. We have had 15 bodies in that water, four being Hispanic, 11 being African-American."

"My son ain't jumped in no water," Robinson continued in her remarks. "My son was pushed in that water," Robinson implored. "And Detective (Stephen) Boe, I haven't heard from. It's been two months. I have not received a toxins report. No one has contacted me to give no kind of information pertaining to my son.

"So, for you to say that our kids drowned, how do you know? How do you know? What are you doing to find out if they drowned or not? I want to thank you Mayor (D'Arcy) because you just told the truth and you said there's no cameras that can detect a body being thrown in that water.

"I'm asking for help. We need some gates along that water. You have a July 4th celebration every year. You go out this door, it's a chain. What's going to protect somebody from going in that water? How is that chain going to protect a child from falling in that water? ... These cameras you all talk about, I have yet to see one up and I've been all up and down the river taking pictures."