Charges filed in death of legless Kankakee man pulled from river

KANKAKEE -- Authorities in Kankakee say they've charged a 21-year-old woman with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a legless man whose body was pulled from the Kankakee River this week.

Police Chief Mike Kinkade says a disagreement between Nona Daniels and 46-year-old John Newbern turned physical and Newbern ended up in the river Friday.

Police say Newbern was a double amputee who lived beneath a bridge near downtown Kankakee and sometimes panhandled for cash.

His body was pulled from the river Monday. Authorities say an autopsy shows he'd drowned but that he'd also been struck in the head before that.

Kinkade says Daniels is jailed on a felony charge.