On the third anniversary of Jelani Day’s disappearance, investigators are no closer to understanding the circumstances that led to his death.
Day’s mother, Carmen Bolden Day, shared her ongoing frustration with law enforcement on Facebook and Instagram live over the weekend.
“The Jelani Day joint task force has not paid attention or even done the things necessary to find out what happened to him,” she said.
Day was a graduate student at Illinois State University when he disappeared on Aug. 24, 2021. A body found 10 days later on the south bank of the Illinois River near Peru was later identified as Day, nearly a month after his disappearance.
The task force includes investigators from multiple municipal police departments, Illinois State Police and the FBI. On Oct. 2, 2023, they sent a joint press release concurring with the LaSalle County coroner’s determination that Day drowned. An autopsy report found no evidence of foul play. Day’s family has rejected theories that he was suicidal or self-harming and have maintained the belief he was murdered.
The release further stated the task force will continue to solicit tips and the manner of Day's death remains undetermined. A $10,000 reward for information about the day of Jelani Day’s disappearance is still active.
“The Peru Police Department was a part of an extensive multi-agency investigation and there are currently no active leads or further information to report,” Peru police chief Sarah Raymond said Monday in a statement to WGLT. “As with any case, we are committed to finding out what happened to Mr. Day and have worked tirelessly to be able to give Mr. Day's family the answers they deserve.”
Carmen Bolden Day remains dissatisfied, pointing to pieces of evidence and leads she uncovered that police haven’t followed up on. During her nearly two-hour livestream, she said police ignored shoe prints and a radio found near the body and what she characterized as the suspicious manner in which Day’s clothing was found on the opposite bank. When Jelani Day’s phone was returned to Bloomington police by the FBI, she was told investigators couldn’t unlock it.
“The FBI had Jelani’s phone for a year and a half,” she said. “In 10 days, I and my children figured out the code to Jelani’s phone and were able to get his phone unlocked.”
According to Bolden Day, Bloomington police said the phone had “nothing of evidentiary value” once it was unlocked.
Bolden Day said she met with the two women who reportedly found Day’s clothing, pleading with them to appear on a video with her as she pushes to get the case moved to the U.S. Department of Justice. They declined.
“I want to find out what happened to my son,” said Bolden Day, “and I want the truth told. I want the people who did this held responsible for it.”
