Missing Wilmington Woman Jennifer Tannhauser's Body Identified

WILMINGTON — After authorities spent most of July trying to find a Wilmington woman who has been missing, 41-year-old Jennifer Tannhauser's body was discovered on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Facebook page set up by the woman's daughter.

"It is with heavy heart we announce Jennifer has been found, and the outcome isn't as we all had hoped. Thank you everyone for your help, love, and support. Please allow us time to process and grieve," announced the Finding Jennifer Murphy/Tannhauser Facebook page.

Social media followers were notified that Wednesday's search ended at 2:30 p.m.

One commenter named Karen announced, "I just drove down Warner bridge road. There were at least 6 squad cars on the right side with lights going. This was right past the bridge! about 4:45."

On Thursday, Will County Coroner Laurie Summers posted on Facebook that Tannhauser's body was found and she was pronounced dead at 3:20 p.m. Her remains were found at the Kankakee River State Park, three weeks after she was reported missing on July 10.

A person named Meg wrote: "Her laugh.. her jokes.. herself... I wish she knew how much her work family loved her and how much she is going to be missed. Good/bad/ugly/happy.. its what makes us a family ... my heart is shattered."

"Prayers up for the family and friends as well as the community. May she rest in peace and may the family find closure," replied Sara.

The Facebook page was established by Alexya Murphy, eldest daughter of Jennifer Murphy/Tannhauser.

According to the Wilmington Police Department, at 4:45 p.m. July 10, officers in the small city south of Joliet received a report that Tannhauser was missing from Fulton Street; she was experiencing a mental health crisis, causing concern for her safety.

Wilmington police said the 41-year-old woman's car was found less than 24 hours later, in nearby Kankakee County. It was parked at a conservation area off Warner Bridge Road.

"Multiple efforts have also been made on the Kankakee River, all with no success in locating Jennifer," Wilmington police announced over two weeks ago.

Joliet Patch left multiple messages with various members of the Wilmington Police Department on Wednesday evening. Sources informed Patch that the agency might not post an update on the missing person's investigation until sometime Thursday.