Rolling Meadows police to help identify body pulled from river

Rolling Meadows police will assist the Cook County medical examiner's office on Friday in attempting to identify if a body pulled Thursday afternoon from the Des Plaines River is that of a Rolling Meadows woman missing since late February, authorities said.

“We're investigating as to whether or not this is our missing (person),” Rolling Meadows Chief Dave Scanlan said.

After the discovery, Illinois State Police alerted Rolling Meadows police the body may be the missing person, Scanlan said.

Illinois State Police could not confirm the body's gender or race Thursday. The body was found without any identification, and fingerprints will help identify the person's identity, authorities said.

“We had a suspicion that the Des Plaines River may have some involvement in our missing (person),” Scanlan said. “Other departments knew we were looking in that direction, so they gave us a call.”

The woman, a white Rolling Meadows resident about 55 years old, went missing Feb. 26, Scanlan said.

Des Plaines police said Thursday they found what they believe to be the missing woman's vehicle in March. When they found the empty car just across the street from the Des Plaines River at the Scott Nolan Center, a mental health facility affiliated with Maryville Academy, they contacted Rolling Meadows, authorities said.

Rolling Meadows police have clothing, hair, dental records and DNA of the missing woman, but Scanlan said he doubts authorities will be able to confirm the body's identity Friday. The Cook County medical examiner's office said an examination of the body is scheduled to begin Friday morning.