LAWRENCE CO.—Authorities confirmed to Disclosure this morning that identification of the body located in a drainage ditch alongside U.S. Highway 50 outside of Sumner is going to be a difficult process.
This is because some of the largely-skeletal remains have been removed from the scene, likely by animals, and portions are missing altogether.
Our sources confirmed that the ribcage of the deceased was missing from the rest of the remains, this being an example of what investigators are having to deal with in order to learn the identity, and even the gender, of the deceased.
As well, it was confirmed that at this point in time, it’s impossible to say how long the body has been at the location, or whether it was taken there from another location.
Sources indicate that there were no items of clothing found on the body except for that of a pair of underwear; however, those were so deteriorated that it was impossible to ascertain whether this was men’s or women’s underwear.
The grisly discovery was made yesterday, reportedly by either farmers or electricians working in the area, who notified Lawrence County law enforcement and stayed at the scene until Illinois State Police Crime Scene Investigators could secure the scene.
Law enforcement are searching the area today for other remains. When the situation develops further, we’ll bring the info to you; in the meantime, keep checking back.