A mother's plea: "Do You Not See My Son?'"

[StarfishSaver]

'Do You Not See My Son?' The Mother of Jelani Day Says Case is Not Getting The Attention It Deserves

The mother of missing Illinois State University graduate student Jelani Day said the discovery of an unidentified body on Sept. 4 seems to have brought her son’s case to a standstill.

“Since they found that unidentified body, it doesn’t seem to me that they are pushing to continue to look for my son,” Carmen Bolden Day said of authorities.

Day was last seen in Bloomington on Aug. 24. He is still considered a missing person and the case is being handled by the Bloomington Police Department. Bolden Day said BPD seems to lack the manpower to devote more than one detective to the investigation.
...
Bolden Day has drawn attention on social media to the disparity she perceives between her son’s case and that of missing Florida woman Gabby Petito. Petito was reported missing on Sept. 11 after her boyfriend returned to Florida from a road trip without her. The case has garnered national media attention and is being investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies including the FBI.

Bolden Day said in pointing out the differences between Day and Petito’s cases, she isn’t arguing that Petito deserves less, but that Day deserves more. As a mother, Bolden Day said, she understands what Petito’s family is going through and would never minimize their pain.

“But do you not see us? Do you not see me? Do you not see my son?”

https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2021-09-21/do-you-not-see-my-son-the-mother-of-jelani-day-says-case-is-not-getting-the-attention-it-deserves

[msongs]

1. can't the PD identify the body with dental records? buy some DNA chemicals on ebay? nt

[LeftInTX]

5. I think they might have done DNA

https://www.wspynews.com/news/local/coroner-to-use-dna-means-to-identify-body-found-in-illinois-river-saturday/article_d48cde8e-109c-11ec-ad42-6fafb924bb5b.html

No info about results or anything.

ETA: Also found this. There is a backlog of DNA cases...Really??

https://www.news-gazette.com/news/identification-of-body-make-take-weeks/article_4df82386-f370-52e6-8b07-e4a82e75c211.html

[central scrutinizer]

7. Jeez, on TV they have results in under an hour

Let NCIS take over

[LeftInTX]

9. Dental records are not as exact as we think they are

If there has been a change from the last x-ray then there can be problems with ID'ing.

One woman was literally ruled via dental records, but years later DNA confirmed it was her.


The body was ID'd as Jelani today using DNA and dental records...

[MustLoveBeagles]

2. K&R

[Demovictory9]

3. Kick

[calimary]

4. So poignant.

Shit, we have such a long way still to go.

[LeftInTX]

6. His mom speaks with Fox Illinois - video at link

CHAMPAIGN, Ill (WCCU) — "I can't even describe it to you, because it hurts really bad because I don't know where my baby is. I don't know if he ate because like I said, Jelani likes to eat. When Jelani gets cold, he breaks out in hives, I don't know if he's warm. I don't know nothing," said Carmen Bolden Day, Jelani's mother.

Jelani day has been missing 24 days as of Friday.

Bolden Day believes her son is alive.

"God promised me my kids and I serve a God that does not tell a lie. So, in my heart of hearts, I believe my son is alive and I am going to see him alive," said Bolden Day.

As for the last time she saw her son, it's a moment that is forever engrained in her mind.

https://foxillinois.com/news/local/missing-isu-students-mom-speaks-out

[LeftInTX]

8. Body ID'd as Jelani

https://wsiltv.com/2021/09/23/body-of-missing-isu-graduate-student-found/

So sad..

His wallet was also found in Peru, IL

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-jelani-day-resources-wallet-found-20210923-gxqarzk7e5e4baurmmnvvzt53u-story.html

Earlier today the FBI joined the investigation, but I think they will mostly be looking at digital evidence such as phone records.

Link to tweet

?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

[Hortensis]

10. RIP to this poor boy, and an easing of pain someday for his poor mother.

These stories always make me hope those grieving have strong religious beliefs to cling to.

[Meowmee]

11. 😿

A tragedy. Rip