OLD MILL CREEK, IL – The body of a woman found discarded in a bag on the side of a road in the suburbs of northern Illinois has been identified. The Lake County Coroner’s Office released that the victim was Megan Lewis, a 39-year-old woman from Chicago. According to the coroner, the cause of death was consistent with strangulation.
Authorities are painstakingly investigating the homicide case, but a wealth of questions remain unanswered. Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office expressed his hope that someone with information would come forward to illuminate the unsettling incident. The focus now lies on reviewing missing persons reports. If none are found in Lake County, the search will broaden to encompass surrounding counties and states.
Janet Whitmore, a local commuter, recounted seeing something at the roadside while driving to work in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Believing the object to be either a pile of garbage or a dead deer, she continued with her journey.
More than four hours after Whitmore saw the suspicious-looking item, multiple drivers called 911 in broad daylight, confirming the discovery of a body. Whitmore was astounded and disturbed to realize what she had come across earlier.
Deputy Chief Covelli stated the Lake County Sheriff’s Department is doing everything within its power to uncover more about the situation. Besides reiterating that they are treating the case as a homicide, Covelli confirmed that the woman’s body was found on the shoulder of Hunt Club Road, partially concealed by a garbage bag.
The police are yet to disclose how the woman was killed. The Lake County Coroner’s office said she was 39 years old, and investigators are currently trying to contact her family.
In such early stages of the investigation, the time when the body was deposited at the roadside remains uncertain. However, Whitmore has said it must have been before 3 a.m. The police urge anyone who has relevant information to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.