Body found in creek is that of missing Elgin man

The body found in Jelkes Creek on Monday is that of a missing Elgin man, the Kane County coroner reported Wednesday.

The preliminary cause of death for Joseph L. Johnson is drowning, the coroner said in a news release. A final cause and the manner of death will be made after the results of toxicology tests are received.

Johnson, 52, was reported missing Jan. 22. A relative told Elgin police he had not been seen since Jan. 14. Police said he was known to frequent downtown Elgin and hotels in the Elgin area. The initial investigation showed he was last seen around 12:30 p.m. Jan. 16 near the 500 block of Tollgate Road in Elgin.

The body was found around 11 a.m. Monday in the creek near Route 31 and Boncosky Road in West Dundee. That’s less than a mile north of where Johnson was last seen.