Update: Human Remains Found In Glasford, Peoria County

Press release from the Peoria County Government:

On Saturday, August 29, 2020, Peoria County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the 13000 block of Wheeler Road near Glasford to meet with an individual who believed he discovered a small amount of possible human skeletal remains in an area on the bank of the Illinois River. Photographs of the bones discovered near this location were immediately sent to a Forensic Anthropologist, who confirmed the discovered remains appeared to be of human origin.

The Peoria County Coroner’s Office was notified and responded to the scene to work with the Sheriff’s Office in examining and collecting the remains.

Discovered on the grounds were a human skull with teeth and multiple other bones that were confirmed human. The remains were collected and brought to the Peoria County Coroner’s Office for a Forensic Evaluation.

A Forensic Autopsy was completed the morning of Monday, August 31; no cause of death was able to be determined. In addition, a Forensic Odontologist--a highly experienced, specially-trained dentist who uses expertise to help identify unknown remains--was present and did an examination of the teeth and jaw. The Forensic Odontologist made forensic comparisons of the found remains to dental records obtained from families of known missing persons in the Peoria area.

Following the Forensic Odontologist’s examination, the Peoria County Coroner’s Office can report with certainty that the remains found are NOT those of Alexis Scott, Marc Bohannon, or Janie Sellers.

DNA was extracted from the remains and will be sent for analysis. A complete DNA profile will be created. The next step of the investigation will be to send the remains to a Forensic Anthropologist in Champaign, Illinois for additional examination. The Forensic Anthropologist will help determine identifiers such as sex, age range, and other distinguishing factors that will aid in making an identification.

This case remains under investigation by the Peoria County Coroner’s Office and the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. This release will be updated as more information is obtained.

This press release was produced by the Peoria County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.