advertisement

Investigation continues in case of body found in smoldering blanket

Police spotlights remain in the field just south of Wycliffe Drive and Joliet Street in West Chicago and unmarked police vehicles occasionally circle the area where firefighters discovered the body of a man Tuesday morning.

But facts and details are few as officials remain mum about the death of the person found Tuesday wrapped in a still-smoldering blanket on the property just south of Roosevelt Road.

Paul Darrah, spokesman for the DuPage County state's attorney's office, would only say the case is “still under investigation.”

Fire department officials still are referring questions to police, who did not respond Wednesday to calls and emails.

The DuPage coroner's office was scheduled to conduct an autopsy Wednesday, but it did not announce the results.

The only information on the coroner's website indicates the coroner, police and DuPage's major crimes task force “are investigating a death in West Chicago. The identification of the deceased has not been made at this time. The investigation is ongoing. Nothing further.”

The fire department on Tuesday morning was participating in a training exercise on the 1300 block of Joliet Street, which contains some boarded-up, single-story houses slated for demolition to make way for a 120-unit assisted-living development.

At the conclusion of the training around 11:57 a.m., a firefighter discovered the body by a picnic table near the training site.

Police Chief Michael Uplegger said Tuesday night the death appears to be an isolated case and there is no threat to the community.

Ron D'Aversa, president of St. Charles-based Central Development Corp., which holds the permit for the assisted living center, said he hopes to break ground in about a month.

“It's unfortunate,” D'Aversa said Wednesday afternoon. “What happened and why it happened appear to be a mystery to everyone, but we're moving forward with the project.”

West Chicago police: Firefighters find body in smoldering blanket during training

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.