Thursday, November 18, 2021

Jelani Day: Illinois: Questions swirl around the investigation into his death: 25 News has embarked upon its own search for answers: A Freedom of Information Act application. Today's story reports that, Emails from agencies across Illinois give more insight into the investigation of Jelani Day since he was reported missing August 25 and his car found in a wooded area in Peru the next day.Through the Freedom of Information Act, 25 News requested the email communications from the LaSalle County Sheriff’s office, the coroner and the Emergency Management Agency. Nearly 300 documents date from Sept. 1 through Oct. 15 and show more than a dozen agencies are involved in Day’s death investigation."..."llinois State Police Crime Scene Investigator Brandi Field made the initial request for a multi-agency major-case review Sept. 30. “Unfortunately the investigation into Mr. Day’s death continues to appear to get larger and larger,” Field said in an email to state police. “Because of this, I am requesting a major case review involving all three labs receiving/processing evidence,” she added. Cari Gordon-Sandberg, acting lab director for ISP’s Morton Forensic Science Laboratory, agreed in an email response. Five items of evidence from Day’s car were sent to ISP forensic labs from Bloomington’s crime labs and those include swabs of the driver and passenger side interior door handles, a blue straw from a styrofoam cup and a partially smoked cigar blunt."


BACKGROUND: (Previous POST: "Jelani, an Alabama A&M graduate and an Illinois State University grad student was last seen at Beyond Hello Cannabis Dispensary in Bloomington, IL on August 24. His vehicle was found just two days later in a wooded area in Peru, Illinois, nearly 60 miles away. On September 4, an unidentified body was found in the river in LaSalle County, Illinois. It was determined to be Jelani on September 23. On October 26, police told the public Jelani's cause of death was drowning with no signs of homicide. Throughout this investigation, Jelani's cellphone has been missing, along with any clues it might hold. Now, his mother says it’s been found, it’s in police custody and Jelani's family wants a say in the upcoming process. Someone who's been leading the fight, pushing for answers surrounding Jelani's disappearance and death is his mother, Carmen Bolden Day and she joins us again."

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4360577049743705027

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PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Other emails included LaSalle County Coroner Richard Ploch explaining what he called misinformation a news agency reported about organs missing from Day’s body. “No organs were missing from his body,” Ploch said in an email to a media outlet requesting information about Day’s body. “Some were severely decomposed because the body had been in the river for several days,” he added. He also clarified that Day’s jaw and long bone were surgically removed for forensic dental and DNA identification, which is a common practice.'

STORY: "LaSalle County memoirs give more insight into agencies involved in Jolani Day investigation," by Reporter Darnysha  Mitchell, published by 25 News on November 18, 2021.

GIST: "Emails from agencies across Illinois gives more insight into the investigation of Jelani Day since he was reported missing August 25 and his car found in a wooded area in Peru the next day.


Through the Freedom of Information Act, 25 News requested the email communications from the LaSalle County Sheriff’s office, the coroner and the Emergency Management Agency.


Nearly 300 documents date from Sept. 1 through Oct. 15 and show more than a dozen agencies are involved in Day’s death investigation.


Those agencies include Peru and Bloomington Police Departments and crime labs, the FBI’s behavioral analyst unit and the Illinois Search and Research Council.


During this period, Day’s body was found in the Illinois River Sept. 4 and his identity was confirmed by LaSalle County coroner Sept. 23.


Illinois State Police Crime Scene Investigator Brandi Field made the initial request for a multi-agency major-case review Sept. 30.


“Unfortunately the investigation into Mr. Day’s death continues to appear to get larger and larger,” Field said in an email to state police.


“Because of this, I am requesting a major case review involving all three labs receiving/processing evidence,” she added.


Cari Gordon-Sandberg, acting lab director for ISP’s Morton Forensic Science Laboratory, agreed in an email response.


Five items of evidence from Day’s car were sent to ISP forensic labs from Bloomington’s crime labs and those include swabs of the driver and passenger side interior door handles, a blue straw from a styrofoam cup and a partially smoked cigar blunt.



Our LaSalle County Freedom of Information Request covered September through mid-November.


The county asked for an extension on the last 30-days of it.


25 News is also seeking information from other involved agencies."


The entire story can be read at:

https://www.week.com/2021/11/19/lasalle-county-emails-give-more-insight-into-agencies-involved-jelani-day-investigation/

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic"  section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com.  Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
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FINAL WORD:  (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases):  "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
—————————————————————————————————
FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions.   They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;

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FINAL, FINAL, FINAL WORD: "It is incredibly easy to convict an innocent person, but it's exceedingly difficult to undo such a devastating injustice. 

Jennifer Givens: DirectorL UVA Innocence Project.PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Other emails included LaSalle County Coroner Richard Ploch explaining what he called misinformation a news agency reported about organs missing from Day’s body. “No organs were missing from his body,” Ploch said in an email to a media outlet requesting information about Day’s body. “Some were severely decomposed because the body had been in the river for several days,” he added. He also clarified that Day’s jaw and long bone were surgically removed for forensic dental and DNA identification, which is a common practice."

STORY: "LaSalle County memoirs give more insight into agencies involved in Jolani Day investigation," by Reporter Darnysha  Mitchell, published by 25 News on November 18, 2021.

GIST: "Emails from agencies across Illinois gives more insight into the investigation of Jelani Day since he was reported missing August 25 and his car found in a wooded area in Peru the next day.


Through the Freedom of Information Act, 25 News requested the email communications from the LaSalle County Sheriff’s office, the coroner and the Emergency Management Agency.


Nearly 300 documents date from Sept. 1 through Oct. 15 and show more than a dozen agencies are involved in Day’s death investigation.


Those agencies include Peru and Bloomington Police Departments and crime labs, the FBI’s behavioral analyst unit and the Illinois Search and Research Council.


During this period, Day’s body was found in the Illinois River Sept. 4 and his identity was confirmed by LaSalle County coroner Sept. 23.


Illinois State Police Crime Scene Investigator Brandi Field made the initial request for a multi-agency major-case review Sept. 30.


“Unfortunately the investigation into Mr. Day’s death continues to appear to get larger and larger,” Field said in an email to state police.


“Because of this, I am requesting a major case review involving all three labs receiving/processing evidence,” she added.


Cari Gordon-Sandberg, acting lab director for ISP’s Morton Forensic Science Laboratory, agreed in an email response.


Five items of evidence from Day’s car were sent to ISP forensic labs from Bloomington’s crime labs and those include swabs of the driver and passenger side interior door handles, a blue straw from a styrofoam cup and a partially smoked cigar blunt.



Our LaSalle County Freedom of Information Request covered September through mid-November.


The county asked for an extension on the last 30-days of it.


25 News is also seeking information from other involved agencies."


The entire story can be read at:

https://www.week.com/2021/11/19/lasalle-county-emails-give-more-insight-into-agencies-involved-jelani-day-investigation/

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic"  section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com.  Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FINAL WORD:  (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases):  "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
—————————————————————————————————
FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions.   They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FINAL, FINAL, FINAL WORD: "It is incredibly easy to convict an innocent person, but it's exceedingly difficult to undo such a devastating injustice. 
Jennifer Givens: DirectorL UVA Innocence Project.