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Body found in river identified as missing Illinois State University student

jelani day Cropped (1).jpg
Posted at 5:50 PM, Sep 23, 2021
and last updated 2021-09-23 22:02:35-04

The body of a missing Illinois State University grad student found on Sept. 4 has been confirmed to be that of Jelani Day.

According to reports, Jelani Day's body was found in the Illinois River, and the LaSalle County coroner confirmed on Thursday that the body was Day's.

The cause of death is not known at this time. 

The 25-year-old Black man was last seen on Aug. 24 at a dispensary in Bloomington.

His car was found two days later in Peru, Illinois.

He attended Illinois State University and was reported missing after not showing up to class for several days. 

Day's family released a statement saying their hearts are broken, and they will search for answers to find out what happened to Jelani.