Authorities: Bodies found along trail were strangled

The two Chicago men found dead early Thursday in unincorporated Lemont Township were strangled, authorities said today.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's office said the deaths of both Jaime Cepeda, 34, of 2247 S. Homan Ave., and Edgar Mercado, 18, of 2408 S. Troy St., have been ruled homicides.

It is not known how long the men had been dead before they were found, but officials said both men's families identified their bodies today.

Construction crews paving a bike path found the bodies, wrapped in plastic and bedding and bound with packing tape, just after 7 a.m. Thursday.

Authorities said the bodies were placed right alongside the new path just off Route 83 near Jeans Road and could have been visible to cars traveling south on Route 83. They weren't believed to have been there prior to Wednesday evening.

The Centennial Trail, a joint project with the Cook County Forest Preserve, links Lyons and Lockport, and connects with the I&M Canal State Trail.

The Cook County Forest Preserve is leading the investigation, with the Cook County Sheriff's Department conducting the detective work.