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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

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Flickr / Photo: David Wilson text

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.

Elgin police wrote:

"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."

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Gail Peck / Elgin Police Department