Body of man who went missing in Fox River in June recovered, identified

The body of the man who jumped into the Fox River in Elgin while fleeing police in June has been recovered and identified.

On Friday, the Kane County coroner’s office said the body of Victor Marin, 41, of Elgin, was recovered from the river by the Elgin Fire Department in the early morning hours of Thursday, July 23.

The coroner determined the preliminary cause of death to be drowning.

A forensic odontologist assisted in the identification. Toxicology was collected and is being sent to a national forensic laboratory for further evaluation.

Elgin police were called to the area of Highland Avenue and State Street on June 26 for the report of a man interfering with railroad operations.

After police officers made contact with the man, who they now know to be Marin, he fled on foot and ran into the Fox River, authorities said. The officers said they observed that Marin had a large knife.

Marin exited the water for a brief period at Walton Island, then reentered on the south end of the island.

Boats and divers from the Elgin Fire Department responded to the area and deployed water rescue equipment to try to get him safely back to land. While those efforts were underway, Marin went under the surface of the water, authorities said.

Police and fire officials entered the water but could not locate him.

Efforts to find Marin continued that afternoon and evening, and then throughout the day on June 27 without success.

Marin was reported missing at about 3 p.m. June 28. Through photographs, family members tentatively identified him as being the same person who went into the river.

Authorities said that the missing person case has been reclassified as a death investigation.