'MY BABY WAS KILLED': Mother of Jelani Day reacts to autopsy results
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - On Monday, the LaSalle County coroner released the cause of death of 25-year-old Jelani Day, the Illinois State University graduate student who was reported missing in late August and found dead in the Illinois River in early September.
Medical examiner Richard Ploch says Day died by drowning. However, Ploch says although the death was caused by drowning, investigators are still not sure how Day ended up in the water.
"There was no evidence of any antemortem injury, such as manual strangulation, an assault or altercation, sharp, blunt, or gunshot injury, infection, tumor, natural disease, congenital abnormality, or significant drug intoxication. The manner in which Mr. Day went into the Illinois River is currently unknown," Ploch said.
The mother of Day, Carmen Bolden-Day, buried her son last week. However, there is still a mystery of what happened to him after he went missing.
On Tuesday, Bolden-Day released a statement on Facebook reiterating that her son was murdered.
"The cause of death is drowning... DUH, HE WAS FOUND FACE DOWN IN A RIVER!!
I don't care what their press releases say, MY BABY WAS KILLED.....
HE DID NOT DROWN HIMSELF!!!
HE COULD SWIM, he was an AVID swimmer, and swimmers DO NOT in general commit suicide by drowning!
Jelani lived a PROMISING, FULFILLING, HAPPY LIFE... he had goals, dreams and aspirations...
HE SHOWED AND DEMONSTRATED POSITIVE TRAITS, he was HOPEFUL AND HELPFUL, DETERMINED ABOUT HIS FUTURE...
HE BELIEVED IN GOD!! HE HAD GREAT FAITH AND A STRONG UPBRINGING IN THE CHURCH!!
He's NEVER had suicide attempts in the past, didn't have mental health issues, which are all indicators of a suicidal person, MY SON DIDN'T HAVE NOT EVER SHOW THOSE INDICATORS!!"
The family is upset that authorities are looking at whether Day might have committed suicide.
"An individual who has had NO history, EVER of suicidal ideations, thoughts or attempts is NOT likely to commit suicide in the future, none of this garbage that PERU/ LASALLE is releasing and wants us to believe applies to Jelani!!!" the statement continued.
Rev. Jackson said he agrees with Day's mother.
"Jelani was brutally murdered in Peru, Illinois and found faced down in the Illinois River. We are requesting a thorough investigation because local officials have been very difficult to deal with. They have not been forthcoming," he said.
Day was last seen on security footage on Aug. 24. He was reported missing on Aug. 25. On September 5, his body was found in the Illinois River.
The Peru Police Department is handling the investigation, but Illinois State Representative Kam Buckner wants that to change. He wrote a letter to the police chief asking him to hand over the entire investigation to the Illinois State Police or the FBI.
"18 days from the day his body was found in order for it to be identified. Even with dental records. Now lets juxtapose that against a similar case … the case of Brian Laundrie. The FBI was a part of that investigation and led that investigation and they found his remains on Wednesday of this week and yesterday on Thursday of this week they were able to identify who he was based on his dental records. That's a one-day period versus an 18-day period," Buckner said.
The Peru Police Department responded Tuesday to calls for the FBI to take over.
"The FBI has been involved with this case since early on involving the Behavior Analysis Unit. Recently, after written request for the FBI to take over the case, the multi-jurisdictional unit was assigned a task force to assist in the investigation, but due to there being no federal nexus in the case, the FBI will not take over. The task force assigned includes a member of the Evidence Response Team, Cellular Analysis Survey Team, and the Behavior Analysis Unit. It should also be noted that the multi-jurisdictional unit has been in contact with the Attorney General's Office who is willing to assist as much as they legally can."
Mother Carmen Bolden-Day's Facebook statement continues:
"These police departments want an EASY way out....
They DIDN'T do their job, so they want to look at surface details...
The evidence DOESN'T add up...
The facts DON'T add up....
I'M NOT LETTING UP!! I'M NOT GIVING UP!!! AND I'M NOT SETTLING FOR THESE BS CONCLUSIONS THAT MAKE NO SENSE!!"
The investigation is ongoing.
"WHY WAS JELANI DISREGARDED, WHY WERE YOU A BUNCH OF LAZY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHO DID THE BARE MINIMUM?
THESE ARE MY LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS.... AND BECAUSE I HAVE THESE QUESTIONS/ CONCERNS/ NO ANSWERS....
I NEED THE ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL/ FBI/ DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE to do what the ISP didn't do and that's to TAKE THIS CASE OVER!!!
I WANT ANSWERS, I DESERVE ANSWERS, MY SON DESERVES JUSTICE AND I'M GONNA MAKE SURE YOU GIVE HIM JUSTICE!!"