Law enforcement agencies on timeline of Jelani Day body ID - week.com

BLOOMINGTON (WEEK) -- Law enforcement agencies are pointing to a backlog of DNA cases that could have delayed final identification of Jelani Day's body.

Day's body was found in the Illinois River around three weeks ago, but it wasn't identified until Thursday.

Officer John Fermon with the Bloomington Police Department says he understands people's frustrations with the Jelani Day case.

"20 days seems like an eternity, 30 days, 10 days, even two days seems like an eternity when you don't have a loved one," Fermon said. "We can't argue with those emotions."

Fermon said a backlog of DNA cases and a possible shortage of testing materials that could have delated the results.

"Things like this take time," Fermon said. "But when there is an extreme backlog, it just makes things more difficult."

Another local coroner says the timeline isn't surprising, especially if Day's body had been in the river for a long time.

Fermon says the month-long investigation left no stone unturned, and a spokesperson for the FBI's Springfield office says they've been helping local investigators for weeks.

"Our deepest sympathies to the family," FBI spokesperson Becky Cramblit said. "No parent should have to go through this, and the death of a child is just the worst thing."

Police say they are still trying to connect the dots and find out what happened.

"We'd like people to be empathetic, supportive, help when they can," Fermon said.

source: https://week.com/2021/09/24/law-enforcement-agencies-on-timeline-of-jelani-day-body-id/

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