A body pulled out of a river has been positively identified as missing Illinois State University grad student Jelani “JJ” Day.
Police believe Jelani jumped from the Route 251 Bridge in Peru, not far from where his Chrysler 300 was found abandoned in a wooded area.
The body was discovered floating near the south bank of the Illinois River on Sept. 4, according to authorities.
On Friday, Sept. 17, the medical examiner confirmed Jelani’s identity using dental records and DNA tests.
Jelani, a 25-year-old graduate student studying to be a speech pathologist, was reported missing on August 24. His family last heard from him on the evening of Monday, August 23.
Security footage showed Jelani wearing a black Jimi Hendrix Band T-shirt outside a cannabis store in Bloomington around 9:12 a.m. on August 24.
The clothing Jelani wore outside the cannabis store were found neatly folded in his car.
Police do not suspect foul play in Jelani’s death.
The suicide rate among Black males has soared 90% since the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020.
