Wilmington Woman's Body Found In Kankakee State Park

WILMINGTON — Three weeks after Jennifer Murphy-Tannhauser went missing, the 41-year-old Wilmington mother's body was found in the dense brush of the Kankakee River State Park, Wilmington Police Chief Adam Zink told Joliet Patch on Thursday.

Patch had inquired whether Tannhauser was found in the Kankakee River, since that's where police had been focusing their efforts over the past several days. Zink replied that Tannhauser was found on land, and the area where she was discovered by a team of volunteer searchers was not part of the river.

"It was heavily wooded, pretty dense brush," Zink explained. "It was pretty well hidden where she was at."

Tannhauser was reported missing three weeks earlier, on July 10. The police chief said she had left her phone behind, as well as her medication. A Wilmington newspaper previously reported that a relative told them that her wallet and keys were still in the car.

Police indicated earlier this month that Tannhauser had been experiencing a mental health crisis.

Earlier, 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 in the area known as the fisherman's parking lot.

The distance from where Tannhauser's vehicle was found to the location of her body was roughly 1,000 to 2,000 feet, the chief of police said. Zink said it was his belief she was found wearing the same clothes that she had when she went missing.

Moving forward, the death investigation will be spearheaded by the Illinois State Police investigators, Zink said. He declined to say whether authorities found any signs of foul play on the missing Wilmington woman's body.

"I can't speak to any of the details because it's an open investigation," Zink said.

Zink did say said that Tannhauser still lived with her ex-husband, and he was responsible for reporting her missing. "He and her family have been cooperative and actively involved throughout the search," Zink said.

On Wednesday, the Facebook page set up by Tannhauser's daughter gave anyone the grim news:

"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.