BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WTVO) — The mother of Jelani Day, a student at Illinois State University who was found dead in a river, says she is still searching for answers about his death.
Day, a graduate student at ISU, wanted to become a speech pathologist, his mother said.
After he was reported missing, authorities found his car in Peru, but he was nowhere to be found.
Earlier this month, a body was found floating near the bank of the Illinois River. On Thursday, the body was confirmed to be that of Day.
“Jelani’s been to Florida. Jelani’s been to Jamaica. Jelani’s been Puerto Rico and I send him 2 hours away to go to grad school, and now I can’t talk to him no more. I need answers. I want my baby to have answers,” Carmen Day said on Friday.
The cause of death is still unknown, but Bloomington Police say foul play or not, his death is unusual.