Human Remains Found In Lincoln Park Lagoon, May Be Those Of Missing Elgin Woman
By Stephen Gossett in News on Oct 30, 2017 10:00PM
Authorities are working to determine if human remains discovered in a duffel bag at the Lincoln Park Lagoon are those of a missing woman from northwest suburban Elgin.
Fishermen called police after they discovered suspected human remains in the Lincoln Park Lagoon on Saturday at around 11:08 a.m., according to Chicago police. Divers that responded to the call discovered a second bag that contained additional remains, police said. Body parts discovered in the bags include a torso and parts of two legs, Cook County Medical Examiner's spokesperson Becky Schlikerman told the Courier-News.
Police said they believe the remains in both bags were from the same person.
The Elgin Police Department posted an update on Facebook on Monday about their investigation of a missing Elgin woman, Gail Peck, 76. They are pursuing the possibility that the remains in the lagoon may be Peck's.
"Detectives have been following up on many leads since her disappearance. We are also working with the Chicago Police Department on the possibility that the body that was found in a lagoon area near Lincoln Park is related to this case. Additional testing will need to be conducted before we can confirm there is a connection. Nobody has been charged in the case at this time and all persons are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law."
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office performed an autopsy, but a cause and manner of death are yet to be determined, pending further testing, according to reports.
Elgin police posted on Friday after Peck went missing:
"We are attempting to locate Gail Peck, 76-years-old, who was last seen in the 700 block of Littleton Trail on the east side of Elgin (E.Chicago St./Shales Pkwy area). She left home a couple of hours ago to walk her dog; the dog has since returned home without her. She is described as 5'0", black hair, hazel eyes, and her clothing description is unknown."
Gail Peck / Elgin Police Department