McLean County authorities are seeking the public’s help identifying the woman whose body was found Sunday near a nature trail northeast of McLean.
The McLean County sheriff’s office released new details Monday about the victim, described as a white woman between ages 45-50, around 5-feet tall, 103 pounds, with light brown hair and hazel eyes. The woman’s left forearm has a tattoo that reads “Leo’s Lady.” She also had a scar on her left wrist.
The victim previously had a bilateral tubal ligation surgery and possibly has given birth in the past. She was also found with a gray necklace with white colored stones and blue connecting hearts.
Preliminary autopsy results show that the female’s death was by homicidal means, officials said. Coroner Kathleen Davis declined to release more information Monday about the cause of death.
The woman’s body found around 6 p.m. Sunday by two people walking their dog on the trail at the Funks Grove Nature Preserve. The body was found about a quarter-mile south of McLean County roads 725 East and 535 North. The Sugar Grove Nature Center and Funks Grove Cemetery are both nearby.
In a Facebook post Monday, the Sugar Grove Nature Center said it would remain closed until further notice. The closure includes Imagination Grove, and all other buildings and trails in the area, including the outdoor Chapel of the Templed Trees. The gravesite areas of the Funks Grove Cemetery and the church will remain open.
“The staff and boards of the Sugar Grove Nature Center and Funks Grove Cemetery Association extend our sympathy to the family and friends of the woman found. We are shocked and saddened that this has happened in a place that is meant to be a refuge, a place of comfort, solace, and connection to the natural world,” the post read. “We will reopen the property for visitors as soon as possible.”
The McLean County sheriff and coroner’s office, along with Illinois State Police crime scene experts, continue to investigate the case.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Cory Beverlin at (309) 888-5048 or (309) 888-5030.
