Authorities search river for Joliet woman’s body

JOLIET — Authorities are searching the Des Plaines River for the body of a Joliet woman missing since last week and believed to have been killed.

Jeanie Parker’s son has been charged with her murder.

The 54-year-old woman was reported missing Thursday after a neighbor was unable to reach her.

The (Joliet) Herald-News reports that firefighters and volunteers with sniffer dogs searched the river from a boat on Monday. Authorities planned to resume the search Tuesday.

Joliet police Cmdr. Brian Benton says the woman’s son, 21-year-old Charles McCullum, was spotted driving his mother’s car and that blood was found in the vehicle and on his clothes.

He is being held in the county jail on $5 million bond.